Five things Texas and Oklahoma need to know about the SEC as they join the conference ahead of the 2024 college football season.
Conference realignment has become a major talking point in college football. Teams are making moves into new conferences this season, and two of the more notable moves are Texas and Oklahoma joining the SEC. The two programs spent many of years in the Big 12 and now are joining arguably the most prestigious conference in all of college football. This is new territory for them and their fans, so here are five things to know about the SEC.
1. It Really Does Mean More
It might be viewed as a cliche from an outsider's perspective but college football really does mean more down in the South and in the SEC. Tailgating is taken to a different level, the passion fans show at games for all four quarters is relentless and rivalries hold more vitriol than perhaps anything else in this world. If you plan a fall wedding in the south, there's a good chance you will receive quite a few complaints and nos on the RSVP list because nothing should replace a college football Saturday.
2. Avoid Death Valley at Night at All Costs
When the schedule is released for every season, there are a lot of daunting venues you should hope to avoid in the SEC every year, but one in particular is LSU's Death Valley, specifically for a night game. It's considered to be one of the greatest environments in all of college football for a reason, and if your team gets slotted in for a late-night kickoff on the road at LSU, start hoping and praying.
3. Jordan-Hare Has Voodoo Magic
If you need to know anything about Auburn's Jordan-Hare, there are two programs you need to talk to: Alabama and Georgia. The Bulldogs and Crimson Tide once watched the Tigers complete one of the most incredible and wild Hail Mary passes to defeat the Bulldogs (The Prayer at Jordan-Hare), but that wasn't even the best moment of the entire season. Auburn then topped that with the kick-six against Alabama as they returned a field goal for a touchdown to defeat Alabama. Even just last season, Auburn had Georgia on the ropes all the way into the fourth quarter at home and then was a batted pass away against Alabama from pulling off two incredible upsets last season despite them losing to New Mexico State in 2023. None of it ever makes sense and the only logical explanation is there is voodoo magic in Jordan-Hare stadium, so you have been warned.
Let's put it this way, Auburn hasn't beaten Georgia in Athens since 2007, and of the three times they have beaten Georgia since then have all been at Jordan-Hare. Coincidence?
4. Yes, They Actually Bark
Throughout the college football season, there are usually a lot of references to Georgia fans barking at opposing fans and players not just during the games, but even just passing by on the sidewalk. They take great pride in it and they absolutely love the reactions they get from it. So don't be alarmed, that is indeed normal behavior and Texas fans can expect a lot of it when they face the Bulldogs in Austin this season.
5. SEC Football is Truly Different
This take probably sounds bias and probably is just a little bit, but there are reasons why SEC football is considered to be a different beast comapred to any other conference. The southeast pipeline of football players grow up playing football differently than any other group of people in the country. Football is what people live for and football is what people love and it shows in the players on Saturdays. There's a reason why this conference has won 13 national titles since 2006 and it's not just because of Nick Saban. The sport feels and looks different in this conference, and it's not just something fans brag about on twitter to make other conferences mad.
You Might Also Like:
Join the community:
- Follow Fisher Brewer on Twitter:@USCTalk
- Follow Alex Joyce on Twitter:@AlexJoyceSI
- Follow Matthew Peavy on Twitter:@TheMattPeavy
- Follow Isaiah Collins on Twitter:@IsaiahCEC
- Follow Joseph Griffin on Twitter:@JosephGriffinJG
- Follow Luke Brumm on Twitter:@lukebrummcfb
- Follow USCTalk on YouTube for more video-based content:USCTalk YouTube
You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top right-hand corner of the page. Also, be sure tofollow us on X at@Gameco*cksDigestandon Facebook!
