We near the start of spring football on the Forty Acres. Ahead of the spring, Texas is one of the stories of the offseason.
The Longhorns have reloaded this offseason adding six starter caliber players and more talented depth. Despite losing eight starters, the team returns 14 from its Big 12 title and 12-win squad from a season ago.
The team appears to be involved in the featured game of the year nationally, and certainly within the SEC. Texas faces the Georgia Bulldogs on Oct. 19 in a game with significant title implications. The game is the No. 1 matchup in That SEC Podcast’s rankings of SEC games.
Georgia at Alabama takes the No. 2 spot in the rankings although there is justification for ranking the game at No. 1. The rematch of last season’s SEC championship will be the first matchup between the teams since Alabama head coach Nick Saban’s retirement.
Ranking as the No. 3 game in the conference, Tennessee hosts Alabama this season in a game I have tabbed as an upset in favor of the Volunteers. Georgia at Ole Miss follows that game at No. 4 with the Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners tiering at No. 5 in the annual Red River shootout.
The Lone Star Showdown between Texas and the Texas A&M Aggies ranks ninth on the list. The uncertainty surrounding the Aggies with changes in the coaching staff might have something to do with the lower ranking. That said, the game stands as perhaps a Top 10 in-state rivalry in college football.
The Longhorns’ SEC slate kicks off Sept. 28 against the Mississippi State Bulldogs in Austin.
We ranked the most competitive games on the 2024 SEC schedule on a recent episode of @thatSECpodcast
Thoughts on these selections?
Graphic made by @VernFunquist pic.twitter.com/u95nHUFw39
— SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) February 20, 2024