The SEC will have a distinctively different look this season. Nick Saban is no longer at the helm for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Kalen DeBoer now takes over after taking the Washington Huskies to the national title game last season.
But DeBoer isn’t the only newcomer to the SEC. The Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns, longtime rivals and former stalwarts of the Big 12, join an already stacked conference.
The Longhorns reached the College Football Playoff last season, falling to the Huskies in the semifinals in the Sugar Bowl. Alabama lost to the eventual champion Michigan Wolverines in the Rose Bowl in the other semifinal.
The Georgia Bulldogs, who just missed last year’s CFP, are the favorites to take the SEC this season at 2-1, followed by Texas (+325), Alabama (7-1) and the Ole Miss Rebels (7-1). Georgia is tied with the Ohio State Buckeyes as favorites to win the national championship at +325. Of the top seven favorites, five hail from the SEC.
The playoffs in 2024 will now feature 12 teams. The CFP selection committee will determine the seven highest-ranked teams at large, and the five highest-ranked conference champions will also qualify.
Here are each SEC team’s regular-season win totals, conference and national championship odds and ESPN betting expert Joe Fortenbaugh‘s best future bet as we head into the season.
Other conferences: ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, American (Aug. 12), Mountain West (Aug. 13), C-USA (Aug. 14), MAC (Aug. 15), Sun Belt (Aug. 16), Independents (Aug. 17)
Odds accurate as of publication. For the most up-to-date odds, visit ESPN BET. 
Fortenbaugh’s favorite: Oklahoma Sooners OVER 7.5 wins (-115)
We’re getting a cheap price here because of the perceived “step up in class” the Sooners are about to undertake in their transition from the Big 12 to the SEC. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to suggest that this move will be easy by any stretch of the imagination. I am, however, suggesting Oklahoma will win at least eight games. Let’s start with the fact that I have the Sooners priced as double-digit favorites in five contests and that the remainder of the schedule offers some coin-flip showdowns as well. Additionally, I love the progress I saw in Year 2 under Brent Venables, as the Sooners progressed from a 6-7 outfit in Venables’ rookie campaign in 2023 to a 10-3 squad last season. Throw in monster portal upgrades in wide receiver Deion Burks (Purdue) and defensive tackle Damonic Williams (TCU) and you’ve got at least eight victories in Oklahoma’s inaugural SEC campaign. — Joe Fortenbaugh
