“SEC, SEC, SEC.” That is the common chant heard in big time games around the college football world over the last 15 years or so when the SEC began to assert its dominance as the best college football conference in the country. However, with the new transfer portal and NIL regulations, we could see the playing field be leveled more than ever in 2024.
Conferences like the Big Ten, ACC and Big 12 seem to be on the rise. While the SEC is still on top until it’s not, the end of last year could have been a sign of things to come when the Big Ten’s Michigan Wolverine’s defeated the SEC’s Alabama Crimson Tide in the College Football Playoff semifinal, and then went on to win the National Championship.
In fact, the Crimson Tide actually play another Big Ten team this season in the Wisconsin Badgers on the road in Madison, Wisconsin. While I do not think that will be a non-conference upset, I do believe there are some others that may be involving SEC teams.
Which non-conference SEC games could be upsets in 2024?
South Carolina vs. Old Dominion (Week One)
The South Carolina Gamecocks should be a lot better than people expect this year. The problem is this game is in week one. The Gamecocks are breaking in a new starting quarterback in LaNorris Sellers who only appears in three games last season in mop up duty. The Gamecocks also lost wide receiver Juice Wells in the transfer portal.
While they did gain running back Raheim “Rocket” Sanders, he is also coming off injury. As with any team, it could take a game or two for the Gamecocks to fully find their groove.
Old Dominion returns starting quarterback Grant Wilson who threw for over 2,000 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2023 for the Monarchs. The experience level at this position could serve as the difference in this early season content.
Tennessee vs. NC State (Week Two)
The Tennessee Volunteers are on the rise under head coach Josh Heupel who enters his fourth season with the team, going 20-6 in his last two seasons combined. The problem for the Vols will not really be anything other than running into another quality opponent in NC State.
While the Vols are breaking in redshirt freshman and former five star quarterback Nico Iamaleava, they will be going up against a built NC State team that is primed for big things in the ACC in 2024. The Wolfpack are led by transfer quarterback Grayson McCall who will be entering his fifth season as a starting quarterback. McCall has spent the past five season with Coastal Carolina and led them to four straight winning seasons, including two 11 win campaigns in 2020 and 2021.
McCall is paired up with Wolfpack offensive Coordinator Anae who has coached some great quarterbacks in Max Hall , John Beck and Taysom Hill. Anae’s offensive play calling fits McCall perfectly.
This combined with returning wide receiver Kevin Concepcion is a combination that should not be slept on. Concepcion caught 71 passes for 839 yards and 10 touchdowns receiving for the Wolfpack as a true freshman last season.
The fact that the Vols will be breaking in a new secondary does not help them in this contest, especially with it being early in the season. The Vols also will not have the home crowd behind them as this is a neutral site game being played at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Mississippi State vs. Toledo (Week Three)
The Toledo Rockets are not a team to take lightly. The past two seasons, their head coach Jason Candle has coached the Rockets to a combined 20-8 record, including his second 11 win season in his eight seasons with the school.
The Rockets did lose star cornerback Quinyon Mitchell in the NFL Draft, their starting quarterback and their running back. However, from a program that has had a lot of recent success, do not expect Candle to not be able to replace these pieces and still have success on the field.
The other factor here is that Mississippi State is under a first year head coach in Jeff Lebby with a program that has been reeling off of a disappointing 5-7 seasons in 2023. While Lebby may get things right in Starkville, it will take him a few years. Look for the Rockets to take advantage of a program in rebuild mode in year one.
Arkansas vs. Louisiana Tech (Week Thirteen)
This one really depends on how the Razorbacks season goes. If all goes well for Sam Pittman’s Razorbacks, this probably should not even be on the list to be honest- especially since it is a home game in Fayetteville. If it goes south however, we have seen the Razorbacks unravel before. Look no further than last year when the Hogs lost their last game of the season at home to the Missouri Tigers 48-14.
The Hogs do bring in new offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino and transfer quarterback Taylen Green who looks promising. Regardless, pairing a new offensive coordinator with a new offense is difficult, and on top of that Green has no chemistry prior to spring practice with his receivers.
Louisiana Tech is going into its third season under head coach Sonny Cumbie, with back-to-back 3-9 campaigns to start his tenure. If the Hogs are faltering however, this could be a matchup of “which team is worse” with the Bulldogs presumably having more motivation to knock off an SEC team as a group of five school.
Georgia vs. Georgia Tech (Week Fourteen)
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets have not defeated the Georgia Bulldogs since 2016 and have only beaten the Bulldogs three times since 2001. The Bulldogs lead the overall series 71-41-5. With that being said, this is a rivalry. And with rivalries, records can often times be thrown out the window.
The Yellow Jackets are also a program on the rise heading into head coach Brent Key’s second full season as the team’s head coach. Key took over in 2022 halfway through the season as the interim after the firing of Geoff Collins. He would waste no time turning things around, guiding the Yellow Jackets to a 4-4 finish. The improvement has continued for Key as he guided the Jackets to a 7-6 season in 2023.
The Yellow Jackets return starting quarterback Haynes King who is poised to build on his 2023 campaign where he threw for 2,842 yards and 27 touchdowns. King ran for another 737 on the ground.
The fact that the Yellow Jackets are a program on the rise and will be a better team than years past, they would love nothing more to shock the nation marching into Athens and defeating their in-state rival. They have to win one at some point, right? Do not be surprised if this is the year.