Tennessee has secured a spot in the top three of the SEC after finishing the season 10-2. The Vols beat Vanderbilt 36-23 to finish third in the SEC.
The Vols had the worst possible start, almost immediately going down two touchdowns, but immediately rallied to score 29 straight points and pull away from the Commodores.
Georgia and Texas played in the SEC Championship for the top spot in the conference and a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff. It was a defensive battle, with both teams unable to build any offensive momentum throughout the game.
After injuring his UCL, Carson Beck exited the game at the end of the first half. Despite the injury, budding star quarterback Gunner Stockton took over the offense and immediately led the Bulldogs to a score and an overtime win over the Longhorns.
Georgia reclaims the SEC with the 22-19 win over Texas and the top spot in the conference after the Longhorns held the top spot for most of the season. Here are the final 2024 SEC Power Rankings after the SEC Championship.
Rank | Team | Previous Rank | Final Record |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Georgia Bulldogs | 4 | |
2 | Texas Longhorns | 1 | |
3 | Tennessee Volunteers | 2 | |
4 | Ole Miss Rebels | 3 | |
5 | South Carolina Gamecocks | 8 | |
6 | Alabama Crimson Tide | 6 | |
7 | LSU Tigers | 7 | |
8 | Texas A&M Aggies | 5 | |
9 | Missouri Tigers | 9 | |
10 | Florida Gators | 14 | |
11 | Kentucky Wildcats | 12 | |
12 | Oklahoma Sooners | 13 | |
13 | Vanderbilt Commodores | 10 | |
14 | Arkansas Razorbacks | 11 | |
15 | Auburn Tigers | 15 | |
16 | Mississippi State Bulldogs | 16 |
Winners
Georgia is the SEC's biggest winner this season. The Bulldogs are back on top of the SEC mountain and hold the No. 2 seed in the College Football Playoff with a favorable road back to the National Championship.
Tennessee is another big winner in the SEC this year. The Vols are led by redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who led them to a 6-2 conference record, which is good enough for second-best in the league.
Texas is the final SEC winner this year. In its inaugural season, the Longhorns earned a bid to the SEC Championship Game and have secured their spot in the CFP with a home game in the first round.
Losers
Alabama is the first loser of the SEC this year. The Crimson Tide had expectations of at least playing in the College Football Playoff and competing for the SEC Championship, but they fell short of both and were relegated to the Reliaquest Bowl to end the season.
Oklahoma also had high expectations under Brent Venables but fell short with only six wins on the year. The Sooners capped off a disappointing year with a dominant win over Alabama, hoping to build some momentum toward 2025.
Auburn also fell flat this season with expectations to be competitive with another offseason under Hugh Freeze's leadership. That didn't happen for the Tigers, as they're one of only three SEC teams not playing in a bowl game.
Postseason in the SEC
Georgia, Texas, and Tennessee headline the SEC's postseason this year as all three teams made the 12-team College Football Playoff. This year, Alabama, South Carolina, Texas A&M, LSU, Ole Miss, Missouri, Florida, Arkansas, Vanderbilt, and Oklahoma also qualified for bowl games. That leaves only Auburn, Kentucky, and Mississippi State, who won't participate in the postseason.