Week 7 of the 2024 college football season may be remembered less for what happened and more for what somehow, someway, almost happened. South Carolina went head-to-head with Alabama and Mississippi State scored 31 points on Georgia. Neither resulted in an earth-shattering upset, but it’s certainly time to reevaluate the SEC’s top brass.

The good news is that we have the prediction department here and we re-evaluate the entire league every week. Here’s how we predict how SEC teams will finish the 2024 season.

Texas (12-0, 6-0 after a 34-3 win over Oklahoma)

Yes, we will go there. Six games into the Texas experiment in the SEC experiment, the Kool-Aid is being used up. The Horns truly appear to be the best team in the SEC and could be at the top of the standings. When Georgia gave up 31 points to Mississippi State’s backup QB, it’s hard to pick them as the best Texas.

Georgia (10-2, 5-1 after 41-31 win over Mississippi State)

That was worrying. Ultimately, Georgia will not be transferred here. Ole Miss and Tennessee didn’t exactly shine this week either. Texas appears to be a loss to Georgia, but a 10-2 mark is still quite playoff worthy.

LSU (10-2, 5-1 after 29-26 win over Ole Miss)

Here we go – last week we called the LSU/Ole Miss game a split between playoff contender and contender, and that was probably the case. The Tigers still play Alabama as well as A&M and Oklahoma, but they have earned their way into the playoffs at this point. Even another loss probably won’t hurt.

Ole Miss (9-3, 5-2 after 29-26 loss to LSU)

And then again, Ole Miss probably isn’t legit. The loss to Kentucky didn’t get any more shine this week, and the Rebels don’t appear to have enough offensive power to get past Georgia, which would result in a third loss. At the end of the day, the Kentucky game will likely keep LSU out of the playoffs.

Alabama (9-3, 5-1 after a 27-25 win over South Carolina)

Well, it was a victory. But the problems of a week ago are very real. Going on a 4-2 run the rest of the game feels pretty benevolent for a team that has struggled with Carolina the last two weeks and lost to Vandy. As terrible as this game was, this game felt even darker because it showed the gap between the Saban era and everything that was to come.

Tennessee (9-3, 5-1 after 23-17 OT win over Florida)

The Vols fit in perfectly next to Ole Miss and Alabama. They all struggle to score enough points and have suffered tough defeats against teams below their talent level. It’s entirely possible that one of these teams sneaks into the playoffs, but at this point, none of the three are really ahead of the others.

Missouri (9-3, 5-1 after 45-3 win over UMass)

It’s hard to put much faith in a team that absolutely dominated in their only competitive game of the season. Unlike the three teams mentioned above, the Tigers absolutely need to go 10-2 to secure a spot in the playoff discussion. Nothing they did against UMass could change that.

Texas A&M (9-3, 5-1 after a bye week)

The Aggies are still a bit of a mystery, but throw them into the 9-3 salad and see what happens. They certainly still have a chance to emerge as the league’s surprise team.

Vanderbilt (7-5, 4-2 after 20-13 win over Kentucky)

Why not? Yes, Kentucky is pretty terrible, but road wins in the SEC don’t grow on trees for Vandy. This team is legit. They are capable of beating South Carolina and Auburn, which would give them seven wins.

Arkansas (6-6, 4-2 after a bye week)

We didn’t move the pigs. In a league with a strong divide between the top 8 teams, Arkansas could very well be the No. 9 team in the league.

Oklahoma (6-6, 4-2 after a 34-3 loss to Texas)

There are real issues of attack here. There is enough talent on both sides to not give up on them entirely. But it may not be enough to win meaningful games next season.

South Carolina (5-7, 3-3 after 27-25 loss to Alabama)

Honestly, unlike Wofford, it’s difficult to get wins here. Vanderbilt is certainly not a sure thing, and while A&M and Missouri are beatable, it will take another impressive performance like this week to make it. It’s far from impossible – Carolina is probably the 5-7 team with the best chance of getting 6 wins. But we are not demanding it yet.

Kentucky (5-7, 3-3 after 20-13 loss to Vanderbilt)

Not to mention the 8-win situation at Kentucky. It was just as illusory as that performance against Ole Miss. In a season already full of inexplicable games, this might be one of the most notable. Good teams don’t lose to Vandy at home. Even the “new” Vandy.

Florida (5-7, 3-3 after 23:17 OT loss to Tennessee)

This Florida team can beat Kentucky and Florida State, but that leaves them with a very clear game without qualifying for the bowl. The Tennessee game is one they’ll be upset about over a long offseason.

Auburn (4-8, 2-4 after a bye week)

They were dropped just because a team as bad offensively as the Tigers is hard to respect in this wild SEC.

Mississippi State (2-10, 1-5 after 41-31 loss to Georgia)

Give the Bulldogs credit for not giving up and continuing to fight. In any given week, the Bulldogs could get another SEC win (home games against Arkansas and Mizzou are the best chance) … which is better than it seemed at the start of Week 7.