And just like that…the 2024 regular season is over. We had such high hopes for the SEC heading into the season. Would the committee take four or five teams in the playoff? Well, it turns out the SEC will just have three teams in the playoffs. So, let’s pick up our heads and take a look at the matchups and betting lines for this year’s SEC Bowl games.
SEC Betting Lines: SEC Bowl Games Edition
Your SEC Bowl Game betting lines and game totals are courtesy of FanDuel. Check the links for insights from your favorite Last Word on College Football writers. Happy Bowling! And remember, if your team loses, the game doesn’t matter!
CFP Playoff: Georgia, Texas, and Tennessee
#2 Georgia Bulldogs
- Opponent: No. 11 Indiana or No. 6 Notre Dame
- Quarterfinal of the College Football Playoff
- Location: Sugar Bowl (New Orleans, La.)
- Date: January 1st
The Dawgs are wounded but still found their way back to the top of the SEC. Do they have the depth to capture a third title in four years?
#5 Texas Longhorns
- Opponent: #12 Clemson
- First round of the College Football Playoff. The winner will play Arizona State.
- Location: Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium (Austin, Texas)
- Date: December 21st
- Spread: Texas -11
- Total: 51.5
Steve Sarkisian and the Horns couldn’t take advantage of their opportunities. Will Arch (Manning) be the key to a successful playoff run?
#9 Tennessee Volunteers
- Opponent: #12 Clemson
- First round of the College Football Playoff. The winner will play Arizona State.
- Location: Ohio Stadium (Columbus, Ohio)
- Date: December 21st
- Spread: Texas -11
- Total: 51.5
The Volunteers head to The Shoe in Columbus to face the Buckeyes. Will they find that Ryan Day and the Buckeyes are broken or are they seeing Scarlett, ready to exact revenge?
The Three: Alabama, Ole Miss, and South Carolina
No. 11 Alabama
- Opponent: Michigan Wolverines
- Bowl: ReliaQuest Bowl
- Date: December 31st
- Spread: Alabama -11.5
- Total: 43.5
SMU gained favored status over Alabama in the CFB Playoff Committee’s final rankings. Excuses can be made of why the Tide should be in, but losses to Vanderbilt and Oklahoma are unacceptable.
No. 15 South Carolina
- Opponent: No. 20 Illinois
- Bowl: Cheez-It Citrus Bowl
- Date: December 31st
- Spread: South Carolina -10.5
- Total: 47.5
There might be no hotter college football team right now than the Gamecocks. Shane Beamer has to replace another offensive coordinator, but quarterback Lanorris Sellers is one of the top returning quarterbacks for 2025.
No. 14 Ole Miss
- Opponent: Duke Blue Devils
- Bowl: TaxSlayer Gator Bowl
- Date: January 2nd
- Spread: Ole Miss -11.5
- Total: 54.5
Like Alabama, inexplicable losses to Kentucky, LSU, and Florida kept Lane Kiffin on the outside looking in. Will The Grove Collective continue to help restock the roster using the Transfer Portal?
Disappointment and Frustration
Texas A&M Aggies
- Opponent: USC Trojans
- Bowl: SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl
- Date: December 27th
- Spread: Texas A&M -2.5
- Total: 51.5
8-4. Whether it’s Jimbo Fisher or new Aggie coach Mike Elko, double-digit wins remain elusive for the SEC longest-tenured program in the Lone Star state. The season looked bright for a week or two, but a return to reality showed how far the program still has to go.
No. 19 Missouri
- Opponent: Iowa Hawkeyes
- Bowl: TransPerfect Music City Bowl
- Date: December 30th
- Spread: Missouri -3
- Total: 40.5
Missouri was 9-3 and was perpetually ranked in the 18-23 slot by the College Football Playoff Committee. It was a nice win, but one is hard-pressed to find a real signature win for Tiger fans to get excited about on the season. The Tigers looked woefully overmatched in their losses to teams with superior talent.
LSU
- Opponent: Baylor
- Bowl: Kinder’s Texas Bowl
- Date: December 31st
- Spread: LSU -2
- Total: 60.5
Year three of Brian Kelly went from good to worse. 8-4 is not the standard in Baton Rouge. Neither is getting beat in the recruiting trail and losing key recruits. How much longer will Kelly’s fam-i-leee accept his excuses and keep him around?
The Rest of the SEC Bowl Season
Some teams (and coaches) may be happy to still play SEC bowl games. There is a mixed bag toward the bottom of the SEC. Teams that either overachieved or are lucky to be bowling at all.
Florida Gators
- Opponent: Tulane Green Wave
- Bowl: Union Home Mortage Gasparilla Bowl
- Date: December 20th
- Spread: Florida -13.5
- Total: 51.5
Bill Napier got a year four. That wasn’t on many Bingo cards at the start of the year. Let’s hope Gator quarterback DJ Lagaway is on his Christmas card list.
Oklahoma Sooners
- Opponent: Navy Midshipmen
- Bowl: Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
- Date: December 27th
- Spread: Oklahoma -8.5
- Total: 44.5
I wanna go back. It’s a great Eddie Money song from the ’80s and might be on the mind of Sooner AD Joe Castiglione. Oklahoma had a forgettable first year in the SEC with not a clear direction forward.
Vanderbilt Commodores
- Opponent: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
- Bowl: Birmingham Bowl
- Date: December 27th
- Spread: Georgia Tech -2.5
- Total: 52.5
Clark Lea made strides in 2024. A bowl game and a big win over Alabama. Is this a sign of things to come or just an aberration?
Arkansas Razorbacks
- Opponent: Texas Tech Red Raiders
- Bowl: AutoZone Liberty Bowl
- Date: December 27th
- Spread: Arkansas -2.5
- Total: 59.5
Sam Pittman also got the vote of confidence to return. How did this team lose to Oklahoma State this year? Pittman will have to stay in the 7-9 win window to keep the ship moving in Fayetteville.
Who Got Left Out?
Just three teams failed to make a bowl in 2024. There has been no movement (YET) on the SEC coaching carousel. If these three make it, they should look to have a fast start in 2025. Jon Sumrall led Tulane back to an AAC Title game appearance this season. If things go sideways, he could be a prime candidate in The Plains or the Bluegrass of Lexington. Jeff Lebby could not right the ship in StarkVegas. Questions remain about whether he has what it takes to recapture the magic Mike Leach brought to the Bulldogs.
- Auburn (5-7)
- Kentucky (4-8)
- Mississippi State (2-10)
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