Tucker’s Tier List: October Edition
By Tucker Harlin
PLAYOFF CONTENDERS: TENNESSEE, TEXAS, GEORGIA, TEXAS A&M, LSU
The top tier has grown since my September tier list. Tennessee, Texas, and Georgia all remain in the top tier from September.
Georgia and Tennessee have both taken losses and responded with at least two wins apiece. None of the wins are pretty, but you’d be hard pressed to find many pretty SEC wins in 2024. Now we wait to see how Texas responds to a humiliating loss to Georgia.
Texas A&M and LSU square off in College Station this weekend.
LSU’s offense is nowhere close to its production in 2023, but the improved play on defense is making Garrett Nussmeier’s efforts worthwhile. Texas A&M’s schedule has built off itself, and early conference wins help boost confidence for tougher battles down the stretch.
I don’t think all five of these teams reach the College Football Playoffs, but three or four of them will present a compelling case to the committee.
PIPED IN CROWD NOISE IS ITS WORST ENEMY: ALABAMA
This tier speaks for itself as the Crimson Tide evidently is terrified of the “fake crowd noise” in opposing stadiums.
There’s no question this team has talent, but it’s shown an inability to put all the pieces together in SEC play under Kalen DeBoer. I think Alabama is better than the teams I have listed in the lower tiers (aside from maybe Vanderbilt) but I definitely don’t see this as a playoff team.
I’m to the point where I can almost chalk the trip to LSU up as a loss given Jalen Milroe’s play in hostile environments this season.
OVERRATED: OLE MISS, MISSOURI
If I had released a tier list before the season, these two would have lived in an “Overrated” tier. Nothing about the progression of this year has changed my mind about Ole Miss and Missouri.
Ole Miss wasn’t challenged at all out of conference and wasn’t really supposed to be challenged until it went to Baton Rouge. Not only did it lose at LSU, but it dropped a loss at home to a Kentucky team that’s not got anything special going for it at the moment.
Missouri’s path to 6-1 is a joke.
Boston College, Vanderbilt, and Auburn all challenged the Tigers in Faurot Field, but all of those teams have encountered their fair share of struggles. The other four wins are against bad non conference opponents while the loss is a 30-piece on the road against Texas A&M
DON’T UNDERESTIMATE US: VANDERBILT, FLORIDA, SOUTH CAROLINA, ARKANSAS
While all three of these teams have two or more losses on the year, teams atop the SEC shouldn’t take them for granted.
Vanderbilt and Arkansas both have Top 5 wins on the season. Vandy’s offensive philosophy is a frustrating one for any SEC defense while Arkansas is a physical team on the ground with large ball carriers.
South Carolina hasn’t won against a Top 5 opponent yet, and I put it right there with Vandy in the sense it can win or lose against anyone in the SEC. The defense looks great and you’re always going to have great special teams when the coach’s last name is Beamer, but the offense is still suspect.
Florida is yet to secure that signature win this season, but the offense has shown life in wins over Kentucky and Mississippi State.
STINKY: OKLAHOMA, MISSISSIPPI STATE, KENTUCKY, AUBURN
All four of these teams have moved on to 2025.
Oklahoma is fielding its worst offense in a quarter of a century and is going to need a lot to reach 6-6. Both the Sooners and Kentucky are wasting solid defenses with terrible offenses this season.
Auburn has taken a creative approach to reach its current 2-5 mark. Between turnovers and other results of subpar quarterback play, the Tigers have lost close games to middling teams like Cal, Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.
Mississippi State has the worst record in this bunch, but it’s at least a spirited 1-6. Michael Van Buren has shown he can sling the ball, the Bulldogs just need more talent in the other offensive skill positions.
