The SEC has turned into a pass-first, high-scoring league along with the rest of college football, but the Oklahoma Sooners will still find it tough to adjust because the Big 12 conference has never been recognized for its rugged defense.
The strength of Brent Venables’ club currently lies on the opposing side of the ball because he is a defensive-first head coach who still has to add a few components to take his defense to a championship level. A tough SEC schedule awaits Jackson Arnold in his debut season as a starting quarterback under new offensive coordinator Seth Littrell, but three games stand out as especially challenging for the sophomore five-star quarterback.
The Sooners did get lucky when they joined the conference and didn’t play Kirby Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs.
The Rebels, Ole Miss.
With a commanding victory over Penn State in the Peach Bowl, the previous season was among the best in Ole Miss history. But that wasn’t enough for Lane Kiffin, who added the greatest talent in the nation via the transfer portal in addition to bringing back his starting quarterback for his third season in the starting lineup.
With 22.5 points allowed per game and 10th in overall defense, the Rebels placed sixth in the SEC; yet, much of their problems were defensive in nature. Thus, Kiffin added 22 more transfer portal additions in addition to Walter Nolen and Princely Umanmielen. Ole Miss will become a team that can compete in the College Football Playoffs on all sides of the ball thanks to the infusion of talent.
Volunteers in Tennessee.
Josh Heupel’s aggressive downfield throwing attack rejuvenated the Tennessee football team two years ago. However, with Joe Milton starting at quarterback last season, Tennessee’s focus shifted to playing defense and running the ball. The Vols boast one of the finest pass-rushers in the nation, even after losing Tyler Baron to Miami via the transfer portal. They allowed just 20.3 points per game.
Last season, James Pearce Jr. recorded 13 sacks and 52 pressures. He should produce enough to be regarded as the number one pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, provided the Vols find a defensive linemate to go with him.
Tigers from Missouri.
Missouri’s 2023 miraculous run was capped off in the Cotton Bowl versus Ohio State with a strong defensive effort. Despite Devin Brown’s injury and the absence of quarterback Kyle McCord, the Buckeyes managed an impressive 203 total yards for three scores. The Tigers placed fourth in points per game and sixth in total defense in the SEC during the previous campaign.
Eli Drinkwitz anticipates his squad competing for a CFP berth this season, especially with Brady Cook and Luther Burden III returning to the starting lineup. Still, Drinkwitz had to reorganize his defense once the NFL acquired Darius Robinson and Kris Abrams-Draine. In order to supplement, he went to the portal and added ten defensive players, such as Toriano Pride Jr., Zion Young, and Corey Flagg.
