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The SEC will undergo major changes in the 2024 college football season. After adding a pair of new schools to its group of storied programs, there will be much that looks different in the coming year.
Texas and Oklahoma officially became Southeastern Conference affiliates this summer, pushing the team total to 16. With the shakeup, the SEC opted to move away from divisions.
There will no longer be an East and West, meaning many of the traditional rivalries seen in the past will disappear from the ’24 slate. It also presents a shift in the determination of a league champion.
In the past, those division winners faced off in the SEC title game to determine a champ, regardless of overall standings within the league.
Let’s look at the 2010 season, for example.
Auburn won the West by posting an undefeated regular season. South Carolina won the East at 9-3. While the Gamecocks finished just 5-3 in SEC play, a game behind both LSU and Arkansas, they landed a spot in that final game due to their Eastern Division tag.
That won’t be the case in 2024. Now, the top two teams will face off in the championship game despite those previous ties.
The best will always play the best! At least in theory.
The SEC amended its tie breaker rules.
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Followers grabbed onto one particular rule after the release.
The first slew of determining factors hit the basics. Head-to-head meetings, record vs. common opponents, and result vs. the top common foe are all typical when finding a champion.
When you move further down the list, you’ll see scoring margins and opponent winning percentages used to identify the top team.
Option F, though, is a draw from a hat- literally!
The final action is a “random draw of the tied teams.” Friday Night Lights style – it’s all chance!
“Option F would cause World War 3.”
“What could go wrong?”
“Option F would be a primetime pay-per-view event.”
It should never get to Option F. The league’s done its best to ensure it won’t need Option F.
In the slim chance it does happen, though, it will provide must-see TV that might trump anything witnessed on the field!