Ole Miss football will not be part of the SEC West for the 2024 season. With new boys Texas and Oklahoma heading in, the Southeastern Conference has eliminated divisions going forward. This means the SEC Championship game will be between the two teams that finished first and second after the regular season.
With that, several head coaches of SEC teams could lose out. With a lower percentage chance of making the championship game or finishing with a better record. Which SEC head coaches are set to lose out the most by eliminating divisions in the SEC?
Josh Heupel, Tennessee
If Tennesse were still competing in the SEC East division, they would have a puncher's chance at making the SEC title game. They would have the big issue of making it past powerhouse Georgia to get there. However, in a one-game shootout, you always have a chance. Missouri could have given them problems, but they would have fancied themselves.
Now Tennessee has an almighty problem, with Ole Miss, Alabama, Texas, and others battling for the two championship spots alongside Georgia. This makes life much more difficult for the Volunteers. With Oklahoma, Georgia, and Alabama on the schedule, they will likely need to win two of those games to have a chance at the top two spots.
Kalen DeBoer, Alabama
The Crimson Tide have won the SEC West in 8 of the last 12 seasons under previous head coach Nick Saban. Heading into the 2024 season, it looks likely to be between themselves and Ole Miss, with LSU having an outside chance. Now there is no West division; new head coach Kalen DeBoer will find it challenging to make the championship game in his first season.
They may avoid Texas and Ole Miss. However, Alabama has Tennessee, Oklahoma, and LSU on the road, with Georgia and the Iron Bowl in Tuscaloosa. If it takes time for the new team to gel, Alabama could miss out on the SEC title game and the playoffs. If they were in the SEC West, they would feel much better about the situation.