SEC Power Rankings going into spring practice
- How will the Oklahoma Sooners and Texas Longhorns factor into their new league?
- What SEC teams have a realistic shot of making it into the College Football Playoff?
- What programs will be scraping for wins to hopefully achieve bowl eligibility this year?
By John Buhler
4. Missouri Tigers are here to stay with Eliah Drinkwitz as head coach
Last year, the Missouri Tigers were Definitely Maybe good. But What's The Story, Morning Glory this year? Don't look back in anger at coming up shy of being a serious threat to make the College Football Playoff last year. The expanded format is perfect for a Mizzou team that is definitely here to stay under Eliah Drinkwitz. While they could be a regression candidate, last season was not a fluke.
I think Mizzou should be on a shortlist of maybe six teams that can get to Atlanta and play for an SEC Championship. Unless they are 12-0 heading into that matchup, they will be the underdog. Truth be told, Drinkwitz wouldn't have it any other way. Right now, I see Missouri as a top-eight team in college football. Even with ACC and Big 12 champions' seeds being inflated, I like the Tigers as a playoff team.
As long as Drinkwitz stays in Columbia, and Mizzou invests in its teams, the Tigers are here to stay.
3. Ole Miss Rebels may have their best season in well over 50 years, guys!
In the Year 2024 A.D., 10-2 will be more than good enough to make the expanded College Football Playoff field as an at-large team out of the SEC. While I would not go as far as to say the Ole Miss Rebels are a lock to make the new postseason format, they are about as close as you can get to being one without actually being one. To whoever draws Ole Miss next season, good luck with that...
Although there are two teams I like more than the Rebels next season in the SEC, it would not shock me if they ended up with a top-six seed in the new format. They could win the SEC for all we know. Conversely, they could sneak in as the No. 11 seed as the fifth SEC team to make the field. While the Rebels have some level of variance under Lane Kiffin, this is at least a 9-3, 10-2 football team in 2024.
Under the current playoff structure, Kiffin has no incentive to leave a really good job like at Ole Miss.