The SEC looks a little different in 2024. Divisions are done, Texas and Oklahoma can chant “S-E-C” now, and Nick Saban isn’t coaching Alabama.

So let’s have a look at the good, the bad, and the interesting of the SEC’s home games. And as a note, “interesting” means interesting. These aren’t the “biggest” home games.

Alabama

Sept. 28 vs Georgia [schedule]

This isn’t a pick that will surprise anyone, but it is a game that will be much more interesting than it might have been six months ago.

Nick Saban, at long last, has retired. In terms of previous success, that means Kirby Smart and his Georgia Bulldogs now rule the SEC. Will this game cement the new order, or will Kalen DeBoer — who’s won at every job he’s had — keep the Crimson Tide on top?

Arkansas

Nov. 16 vs Texas [schedule]

Sure, the return of the Texas A&M – Texas rivalry is the biggest rivalry-related impact of the latter’s move to the SEC (more on that later), but don’t sleep on what this means to the Razorbacks.

This revives an old Southwest Conference rivalry, and when these teams met in Arkansas in 2021 things got pretty heated. It’ll be fun to see these two as conference rivals for the first time since the Razorbacks bolted to the SEC in 1990.

Auburn

Sept. 28 vs Oklahoma [schedule]

Former Big 12 power and SEC newcomer faces Auburn, the SEC school who has been either sink-or-swim for the past 15 years.

This will be interesting for the conference comparisons at minimum.

Florida

Oct. 5 vs UCF [schedule]

While this may not be the most competitive home game the Gators have this season, it’s the most interesting for one very important reason: Losing would be humiliating.

UCF is a power-conference team now, and after their 2017 “national championship” they’ve finally got the position they crave. Now the Knights have a chance to truly become a Florida fan’s worst nightmare with a win that would — for a time — prove UCF is the superior Florida team.

Georgia

Oct. 5 vs Auburn [schedule]

I’ve got a soft spot for the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry. It gets overshadowed by the Iron Bowl, Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate, and the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, but it can absolutely hold its own — Remember the Prayer at Jordan-Hare?

Side note, Georgia may have the best group of rivalry names out of any team in the country.

Kentucky

Nov. 30 vs Louisville [schedule]

Speaking of notable rivalries, have a look at the Governor’s Cup.

It’s Kentucky and Louisville, so most fans’ minds immediately turn to the basketball court. But things aren’t so hot on that front for both the Wildcats and the Cardinals, so look for this to be a bit more interesting than usual.

LSU

Sept. 21 vs UCLA [schedule]

Yup, this is a Big Ten — SEC matchup now. Thanks, conference realignment.

This is a game that could reveal the trajectory of Brian Kelly’s tenure in Baton Rouge, and it could reveal whether UCLA can hang with the football powers that dot their new conference home.

Or it could be nothing and we can all forget this game happened in three years. We’ll see.

Mississippi State

Oct. 19 vs Texas A&M [schedule]

I’m sorry Bulldog fans, but Mississippi State is a strong contender for “most boring home slate” in the SEC in 2024.

But A&M — Mississippi State is always fun because nine times out of ten losing the game means one school is having a much worse year than they expected to have. So that’ll be stressful for Aggies and Bulldogs, and fun for everyone else.

Missouri

Nov. 9 vs Oklahoma [schedule]

Since its 2012 move to the SEC, Missouri has been treated as a bit of an outcast by the rest of the conference. The more vocal detractors say that the Tigers are still more of a Big 12 school than an SEC school.

Here’s Mizzou’s chance to prove that they are the ones who belong, more than this new Oklahoma outsider.

Oklahoma

Sept. 7 vs Houston [schedule]

In the minds of many fans, Oklahoma made the move to the SEC because it felt it was too good for the Big 12.

Perhaps that’s true, perhaps not, but either way Houston fans — who finally got the Big 12 invite they’d been craving due to the domino effect spawned by OU and Texas’ moves — will relish the opportunity to prove to their departed foe that the the Big 12 did not die with the Sooners’ and Longhorns’ decision.

Ole Miss

Nov. 9 vs Georgia [schedule]

Now that the Saban era is over, the search is on for the SEC’s next powerhouse. Georgia is the default leader in that race by virtue of their 2021 and 2022 national championships.

Ole Miss has been looking to reach the mountaintop for years, and has always ended up playing second-fiddle. The Rebels hired Lane Kiffin thinking he could get them to the promised land, and this game is his chance to prove he can do it.

South Carolina

Oct. 5 vs Ole Miss [schedule]

After regressing to a 5-7 record last season under head coach Shane Beamer, the Gamecocks need to make a statement if Beamer wants to stay in the good graces of the South Carolina faithful.

An Ole Miss team that has its eyes set on the SEC’s powerhouses could be a prime target for the Gamecocks. Is it too early to say trap game?

Tennessee

Oct. 19 vs Alabama [schedule]

It’s the Third Saturday in October, and it’s actually competitive now. Tennessee finally took down the Tide in 2022, before Saban and his Alabama team struck back in 2023.

Now that Saban is gone, we could see a golden age of the Third Saturday in October rivalry. And life is just better when that game is close.

Texas

Oct. 19 vs Georgia [schedule]

The Longhorns will be taking on the SEC’s top dog (top dawg?) at home. If Texas wants to prove they belong in the SEC’s top tier, this is the game to do it.

This game is also the same weekend as the Formula One United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, which provides a golden opportunity for a unique cultural exchange.

I want to see a mob of Georgia fans aggressively barking at a group of Italian men wearing linen shirts and skinny pants.

Texas A&M

Nov. 30 vs Texas [schedule]

Could it have ever been anything else?

College Station is already buzzing. The hiatus has not killed the bad blood between these two schools. It will live up to the hype.

The stories from the ticket pull line will put even List Eater to shame. Start preparing yourselves now, Aggies.

Vanderbilt

Aug. 31 vs Virginia Tech [schedule]

This is one of those regional ACC-SEC non-conference matchups that just makes you go “huh, that’s neat.”

And considering Vanderbilt football, a “that’s neat” might be the best thing they can get.