Ranking week one SEC games from least to most intriguing (2024)

Taylor Jones

May 22, 2024 1:30 pm CT

The college football season kicks off in just 14 weeks, so it is time to start planning opening weekend watch parties.

The opening weekend of college football in the SEC will feature a healthy mix of snoozers and marquee matchups. There are six games featuring a battle between an SEC team and an FCS foe and five games that match up an SEC squad with a fellow Power Four conference member.

The Auburn Tigers will ease into the 2024 season by facing an in-state FCS member in Alabama A&M. Auburn and Alabama A&M have met twice in history, most recently in 2016. Kam Martin and Kerryon Johnson each rushed for over 100 yards while Auburn defensive backs broke up nine passes in the Tigers’ 55-0 win. Auburn also defeated Alabama A&M, 51-7, in 2012.

How does this season’s game between Auburn and Alabama A&M stack up against the rest of SEC football’s week one slate? Based on intrigue, here’s a ranking of all 16 opening weekend SEC games.

Mississippi State vs. Eastern Kentucky

Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

Date: Saturday, Aug. 31
Location: Davis Wade Stadium (Starkville, Mississippi)
Time: TBA
Network: TBA

Mississippi State will usher in a new era as Jeff Lebby will coach his first game on August 31. Neither team impressed last season, so this game will be classified as a snoozer.

Arkansas vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

Date: Thursday, August 29
Location: War Memorial Stadium (Little Rock, Arkansas)
Time: 6:30 p.m. CT
Network: TBA

SEC football begins on August 29 with Arkansas facing in-state foe Arkansas-Pine Bluff for what will be one of six games between SEC teams and FCS opponents. Arkansas will look to return to a bowl game in 2024 and should take a giant step toward that goal by beating a Pine Bluff team that finished 2-9 last season.

Missouri vs. Murray State

Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Date: Thursday, August 29
Location: Faurot Field (Columbia, Missouri)
Time: 7 p.m. CT
Network: TBA

The second game of the opening weekend will be another SEC vs. FCS matchup. Missouri stunned college football fans last season by winning 10 games and the Cotton Bowl and will look to prove to the nation that last season was not a fluke. The SEC stretch is a long one, but Missouri should have zero issues with taking down Murray State in week one.

Ole Miss vs. Furman

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Date: Saturday, Aug. 31
Location: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (Oxford, Mississippi)
Time: TBA
Network: TBA

Ole Miss won the transfer portal battle fair and square by landing 22 commitments including former Texas A&M DL Walter Nolan, former Alabama CB Trey Amos, and former Florida EDGE Princely Umanmielen. The debut of these new additions. mixed in with the return of quarterback Jaxson Dart, should make for an entertaining game for Rebels fans.

Auburn vs. Alabama A&M

Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

Date: Saturday, Aug. 31
Location: Jordan-Hare Stadium (Auburn, Alabama)
Time: TBA
Network: TBA

Auburn football begins the season with in-state FCS foe, Alabama A&M. The Bulldogs finished 5-6 last season, and should not put up much of a fight in this game. The main draw for Auburn fans will be the debut of wide receiver Cam Coleman.

Tennessee vs. Chattanooga

Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

Date: Saturday, Aug. 31
Location: Neyland Stadium (Knoxville, Tennessee)
Time: TBA
Network: TBA

Out of all the SEC vs. FCS matchups in week one, this one has a chance to be the most interesting. Tennessee is considered to be an upper-tier SEC squad, but the Mocs from Chattanooga won eight games last season, and should not be taken lightly.

Kentucky vs. Southern Miss

Date: Saturday, Aug. 31
Location: Kroger Field (Lexington, Kentucky)
Time: TBA
Network: TBA

Kentucky opens the season with Southern Miss, which should be an easy way to break in a new starting quarterback, Brock VandaGriff. This game will have some flair, but Kentucky should run away with an easy win.

South Carolina vs. Old Dominion

Dustin Safranek-USA TODAY Sports

Date: Saturday, Aug. 31
Location: Williams-Brice Stadium (Columbia, South Carolina)
Time: TBA
Network: TBA

This game could be sneaky good. South Carolina welcomes Old Dominion to town for the season opener and will look to break in several quarterback candidates such as LaNorris Sellers and Robby Ashford. With both teams finishing with seven losses last season, which team will earn its first win of the season?

Alabama vs. Western Kentucky

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Date: Saturday, Aug. 31
Location: Bryant-Denny Stadium (Tuscaloosa, Alabama)
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Network: ESPN

A typical Alabama-Western Kentucky matchup would not be worth the primetime slot that this season’s game has been awarded. However, college football fans will have their eyes glued to ESPN on opening weekend to watch the debut of new Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer, who is replacing Nick Saban after 17 years at The Capstone. Time will tell if DeBoer can match Saban’s legacy, but Tide fans should walk away with smiles after DeBoer’s first game.

Oklahoma vs. Temple

Date: Friday, August 30
Location: Memorial Stadium (Norman, Oklahoma)
Time: 6 p.m. CT
Network: ESPN

One of the SEC’s newcomers will get a standalone game to open the next chapter in its program’s history. Oklahoma will host Temple for its first game as a member of the SEC, and a win should give the Sooners confidence heading into a stretch that features Houston, Tulane, Tennessee, and Auburn to close out September.

Texas vs. Colorado State

Date: Saturday, Aug. 31
Location: Darryl K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium (Austin, Texas)
Time: 2:30 p.m. CT
Network: ESPN

Texas looks to make a great impression in its first game as an SEC member while also looking to start strong in its return to the College Football Playoff. The Longhorns host Colorado State, a team that took Deion Sanders’ Colorado squad down to the wire last season and were one game away from bowl eligibility. Texas should win, but Colorado State may provide a sneaky challenge.

Vanderbilt vs. Virginia Tech

Date: Saturday, Aug. 31
Location: FirstBank Stadium (Nashville, Tennessee)
Time: TBA
Network: TBA

Vanderbilt hosts Virginia Tech in a border battle to open the season in Nashville. Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea enters the season on the hot seat, and a win over a respectable ACC squad may cool it off for a moment.

Florida vs. Miami

Matt Pendleton/Gainesville Sun

Date: Saturday, Aug. 31
Location: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (Gainesville, Florida)
Time: 2:30 p.m. CT
Network: ABC

Florida kicks off its brutal nonconference schedule by hosting rival Miami for its season-opener at The Swamp. Both teams had disappointing seasons in 2023, and each team wants to make statements early on. That storyline alone should make this game a worthwhile watch.

Texas A&M vs. Notre Dame

Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

Date: Saturday, Aug. 31
Location: Kyle Field (College Station, Texas)
Time: 6:30 p.m. CT
Network: ABC

The Mike Elko era at begins with an old ACC (kind of) foe in Notre Dame. Outside of the Elko storyline, it is worth noting that Elko will face his old quarterback, Riley Leonard. Leonard and Elko spent two seasons together at Duke, where the combo won 16 games between 2022 and 2023. Leonard transferred to Notre Dame in the offseason, a few weeks after Elko accepted the Texas A&M head coaching job.

LSU vs. USC

Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports

Date: Sunday, Sept. 1
Location: Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas, Nevada)
Time: 6:30 p.m. CT
Network: ABC

LSU once again gets a standalone Sunday game on Labor Day weekend. This season, the Tigers will face USC in Las Vegas for what should be an entertaining game. Not only will both programs compete for a College Football Playoff berth, but this game will feature teams whose former quarterbacks were selected with the first two picks of the 2024 NFL draft in Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels. How will each team bounce back offensively? This game will provide a measuring stick for both teams.

Georgia vs. Clemson

Date: Saturday, Aug. 31
Location: Mercedez-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, Georgia)
Time: 11 a.m. CT
Network: ABC

Fans from both sides were disappointed to learn of the game’s early kickoff time, but this game should be a classic nonetheless. Georgia will face Clemson for the 66th time in history at the Aflac Kickoff Game in Atlanta, with both teams entering the game with heavy storylines. The Bulldogs were left out of College Football Playoff consideration last season, and want to prove that they remain one of the nation’s elite teams. On the other side, Clemson failed to win 10 games last season for the first time since 2010 and wants to hop back into the College Football Playoff picture.