Andy Staples asks 'burning question' in SEC heading into 2024 season

In just a couple of month’s time, a new era of SEC football will be official. Texas and Oklahoma are leaving the Big 12 to join the conference, expanding to 16 teams. The College Football Playoff is expanding on its own too, going from four teams to 12.

If you ask On3’s Andy Staples, the “burning question” surrounding the SEC heading into the 2024 season is exactly how many teams will appear in the 12-team playoff. Staples named seven programs with the capability of receiving bids if they perform to the ceiling.

“Which of the SEC teams are going to make this first 12-team playoff?” Staples asked during Tuesday’s episode of The Paul Finebaum Show.

“There are a lot of options here… Quite a few teams, their ceiling is a playoff birth. Obviously Georgia, obviously Alabama, obviously Texas. But Tennessee, Missouri, Ole Miss, LSU. These are all teams that you can see their ceiling as the 12-team playoff.”

Alabama and Georgia were staples of the four-team era, winning a combined five national championships. LSU has a title of its own thanks to the historical season led by Heisman Trophy winner Joe Burrow. Texas got a taste of the CFP this past season after going 12-1 and winning the Big 12 Championship.

Getting to the biggest stage college football has would be nothing new for them. Expansion should help out the other three mentioned, though, and give them brand-new opportunities.

Even so, it’s incredibly unlikely the conference sends seven teams to a 12-team playoff. Staples says “at most” four teams will make it but three is a more realistic number. SEC scheduling plays will heavily factor into the equation, with some having tougher opponents than others.

“How you get there is pretty amazing,” Staples said. “How scheduling matters now is crazy. If you look at Georgia’s schedule vs. Missouri’s schedule, those look like two different things.”

Per Staples’ example, Georgia might have the toughest schedule of the bunch. Kirby Smart will take his team on the road to face Alabama, Texas, and Ole Miss — arguably three of the four top teams in the SEC. Add in Tennessee in Athens and a rivalry game vs. Florida and there are not many easy weeks for the Bulldogs.

Then looking at Missouri, a trip to Tuscaloosa is there, and playing Texas A&M at Kyle Field is a tough task. Auburn and Oklahoma come to Columbia and are no easy tasks. However, at least from a preseason view, that’s not as difficult as what Georgia faces.

Maybe the SEC will do some self-damage to itself at some point during the CFP race. A late head-to-head matchup could be the difference between earning the final at-large birth.

The SEC certainly expects to have multiple programs hear its name called on Selection Sunday. Exactly who gets there is the storyline Staples will be following throughout the season.