College Football Team Grades For All 16 SEC Schools in 2024

2024 was a changing of the guard in the SEC as Alabama finished sixth in the conference, losing three conference games for the first time since 2010 and failing to hit 10 wins for the first time since 2007.

Elsewhere in the conference, we saw strong performances from teams we expected to be strong in Georgia and Texas as well as a struggle of a season for Oklahoma in its SEC debut.

Below are the grades for each SEC team from the 2024 college football season. These grades take expectations into account, so some teams might have lower scores than others even if they have the same record.

Alabama

Alabama fans aren't used to losing. As mentioned above, the team lost three or more SEC games just twice during the entire Nick Saban era. Saban is gone, though, and the Kalen DeBoer era in Tuscaloosa is off to an uneven start.

Kalen Deboer went to the natty with Washington then left just to miss the EXPANDED playoffs with Alabama pic.twitter.com/PPNOmoVcgU

— Dustin Nickerson (@DustinNickerson) December 8, 2024

To be fair, going 9-4 and finishing the year ranked No. 17 in the AP poll would usually be viewed as a success for a first-year coach, but Alabama's not a normal program. At Bama, you get graded on a curve, which is why a 9-4 campaign isn't a failure per se, but it's a huge disappointment.

Grade: C-

Arkansas

Expected to finish near the bottom of the SEC, Sam Pittman's Razorbacks were a respectable 3-5 in conference play and 7-6 overall, fueled by the play of dual-threat transfer quarterback Taylen Green. Green, who previously played at Boise State, averaged 242.6 passing yards and 46.3 rushing yards per contest.

After a down 2023 season that saw the team go 1-7 against SEC teams, Arkansas made numerous strides in 2024, including a huge win over playoff-bound Tennessee.

Grade: B

Auburn

Auburn was expected to be a mid-pack team but ended up close to the bottom of the SEC after going 5-7 overall and 2-6 in conference play.

The offense struggled all season, finishing 71st in the country in points per game. A win over Texas A&M in November provided the team with one big highlight, but it wasn't enough.

Grade: D

Florida

Finally, Florida might be back. After three consecutive seasons finishing under .500, Billy Napier's program was 8-5 in 2024. Its 4-4 mark in SEC play was its best since 2020.

The emergence of quarterback DJ Lagway offers Florida plenty of reason for optimism going forward, especially with the team winning four in a row to end the season, including victories over LSU and Ole Miss.

Grade: B-

Georgia

Georgia made the playoffs as the No. 2 seed but didn't earn an A in these grades because the team's playoff run was short-lived, with the Bulldogs losing in the quarterfinals to Notre Dame. Of course, Georgia was without starting quarterback Carson Beck for that game, so we can't knock the team too much.

Carson Beck is officially out for the season. pic.twitter.com/tASTgEIXen

— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) December 23, 2024

Still, Georgia's three losses marked the first time since 2020 that the team lost multiple games and the first time it lost three games since 2018.

Grade: B+

Kentucky

For a while there, it looked like Kentucky was building something under Mark Stoops, but the Wildcats took a major step back this season. The team finished 4-8, its worst season since 2013, Stoops' first year in Lexington.

The Wildcats were 1-7 in conference play and had one of the worst offenses in college football, ranking 119th in points per game.

Grade: D

LSU

With Garrett Nussmeier taking over for Heisman winner Jayden Daniels, it was unclear what to expect from the 2024 Tigers. The team won its fewest games since hiring Brian Kelly, but still went a respectable 9-4.

The team had wins over South Carolina and Ole Miss on its resume, plus ended the year on a three-game win streak. It wasn't the best Tigers team we've seen, but it was a year that showed Kelly could win in Baton Rouge without Daniels under center.

Grade: B-

Mississippi State

What other grade can you give the only team to go winless in SEC games? Mississippi State scores an F for the 2024 season after going 2-10 overall and 0-8 in SEC play.

It's hard to believe this was a nine-win program just two seasons ago, but Mike Leach's untimely passing has left a huge hole with the Bulldogs. It appears that Jeff Lebby isn't the answer.

Grade: F

Missouri

In 2023, running back Cody Schrader helped Missouri win 11 games, the program's best season since 2014. The 2024 Tigers weren't quite as good, but still went 10-3.

Quarterback Brady Cook threw just two interceptions and the defense held opponents to 20.4 points per game, the 20th-best mark in the FBS.

Grade: B+

Oklahoma

Two former Big 12 schools joined the SEC this season. Texas made the playoffs. Oklahoma finished under .500 for the second time in the past three seasons.

Oklahoma coaches with multiple losing seasons since 1925:
• John Blake
• Brent Venables

That’s the whole list.

— Shehan Jeyarajah (@ShehanJeyarajah) December 27, 2024

Before 2022, the Sooners hadn't finished under .500 since 1998. This is one of the best programs in college football, but the Brent Venables era has threatened the team's overall standing amongst the college football elite.

Grade: D

Ole Miss

Ole Miss had playoff aspirations in 2024, but the team couldn't quite pull off a trip to the 12-team playoff field. That's not to say the Rebels were bad, though, as the team went 10-3 and finished third in points per game and second in points allowed per game.

Despite those strong numbers, the team managed to lose to Kentucky, LSU, and Florida, though a win over then-No. 2 Georgia was a huge plus on the team's resume.

Grade: B+

South Carolina

Picked to finish fourth to last in the SEC, the Gamecocks instead finished the year with a 9-4 record and finished 19th in the final AP poll.

LaNorris Sellers emerged as one of the nation's most entertaining quarterbacks. While the season ended on a sour note with a Citrus Bowl loss to Illinois, a six-game win streak late in the year with four wins over ranked teams showcased just how successful the season was for South Carolina.

Grade: A-

Tennessee

Tennessee would have earned an A, but the team was blown out in the first round of the playoffs, losing 42-17 to Ohio State. Still, the season as a whole was successful, with Tennessee winning 10 games for just the second time since 2007.

The Volunteers were 13th in points per game and seventh in opponent points per game. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava didn't emerge as a true Heisman candidate, but he had a solid first season as Tennessee's starting quarterback.

Grade: B+

Texas A&M

Texas A&M was expected to be a middle-of-the-road SEC team. It ended up being a middle-of-the-road SEC team, winning seven in a row at one point before dropping four of its final five games.

Mike Elko went scorched earth after losing to USC:

"The story of the game is the story of the season, we can't cover the forward pass."

"I have apprehension when the other team drops back to throw the ball.

"Starting against Florida, we got lucky. Starting against Missouri,… pic.twitter.com/iq4TpBpNlu

— SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) December 28, 2024

The disappointing end to the year soured things, but wins over LSU and Missouri were impressive. A&M's final ranking was right around where it was expected, but it gets credit for making it as high as No. 10 in the AP poll.

Grade: B-

Texas

The Longhorns made it to the CFP semifinal in 2024, losing to Ohio State. Despite losing starting quarterback Quinn Ewers for a multi-game stretch, the Horns went 13-3, including two losses to Georgia.

Texas finished the year ranked No. 4 in the AP poll. That's now back-to-back years that Steve Sarkisian's program has finished the year ranked in the top five. The team heads into 2025 as one of the title favorites.

Grade: A

Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt was picked to finish last in the SEC preseason poll. Instead, the team finished 7-6 overall and 3-5 in SEC play. That's the first season with a .500 or better record since 2013 and the best SEC record since 2018.

The Commodores were ranked No. 24 at one point in the season, the first time in over a decade that the program was ranked. Considering expectations, this was a major success.

Grade: B+

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