The SEC released matchups for the 2024 football season on Wednesday, and, naturally, the conversation immediately shifted to trying to figure out which teams were helped and hurt most by the league’s schedule makers.

Fans were quick to point out that Texas A&M and Arkansas managed to avoid both Alabama and Georgia. Tennessee, meanwhile, has to face Alabama, Georgia, and Oklahoma — with the latter 2 coming on the road. Auburn plays both Alabama and Georgia on the road. Vanderbilt was made to be the conference punching bag in 2024, with games against Tennessee, Alabama, Texas, and LSU.

On paper — and considering the fact it’s still June 2023 and we know nothing about how these teams will look on the field in September 2024 — the SEC looks to have done a solid job at balancing the schedule. Lots of intriguing matchups that will keep TV executives happy, but nothing seems overkill.

Still, who has the hardest 8-game SEC slate in 2024? Here’s how I’d put it on June 14. (In no particular order. Yes, it’s a bit of a cop-out; deal with it.)

Oklahoma Sooners

2024 schedule: Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas (neutral), at Auburn, at LSU, at Ole Miss, at Missouri

First and foremost, Oklahoma gets what it wanted.

Look at the 2023 schedule for the Sooners. The top 2 conference home games are TCU and… who? Central Florida? Iowa State? Now flip the calendar to 2024 and it becomes immediately clear why Joe Castiglione wanted this move. Alabama and Tennessee come to Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

That’s what it’s about.

The Sooners will get to sell the crap out of the return of Josh Heupel to Norman. Alabama’s arrival needs no billing. South Carolina coming to Norman also means the return of one-time OU assistant Shane Beamer. Castiglione can charge whatever he wants for tickets in 2024.

Though Oklahoma doesn’t get to necessarily complain about a tough schedule, that doesn’t make it any lighter of a schedule.

There are 5 games away from Norman. That’s something to consider. Alabama, LSU, and Tennessee are all potentially championship-caliber teams. We’ll see what happens with Texas in 2023 before labeling the Longhorns the same, but that game is rarely ever an easy one. The 2022 outcome will make things extra spicy for the next few years.

Auburn Tigers

2024 opponents: Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, at Alabama, at Georgia, at Kentucky, at Missouri

Only 1 SEC team gets the distinct honor of visiting both Athens and Tuscaloosa in 2024.

That team is Auburn.

I don’t really feel like I need to say much more than that, but I will.

Tennessee is the only other team that faces both, though the Alabama game will be played in Knoxville. Hugh Freeze has 1 season to get everything in place before it’s all hands on deck. Because in addition to the Tide and Bulldogs, Auburn will also host Oklahoma and whatever becomes of A&M. Kentucky, by the way, is 46-22 at home since the start of the 2014 season.

Depending on the order, this could be a wild ride.

Florida Gators

2024 opponents: Kentucky, LSU, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Georgia (neutral), at Mississippi State, at Tennessee, at Texas

Again, it’s tough to project what teams will look like in 2024 given how quickly rosters can change (hello, Coach Prime), but looking at Florida’s 2024 schedule with the knowledge of where these teams are entering 2023 gives me a bit of a queasy feeling on the Gators’ behalf.

Florida will face 6 teams currently inside Bill Connelly’s 2023 SP+ top 20 — Georgia, LSU, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, and Ole Miss. Georgia and LSU aren’t going anywhere anytime soon. Tennessee has a big season ahead of it as far as establishing a standard under Heupel, but I’m willing to give the Vols the benefit of the doubt right now. See above for Texas.

Georgia, Tennessee, and Texas all come away from home. Florida went 1-4 away from Gainesville in Billy Napier’s first season, and he enters the 2023 campaign with mounting pressure. Namely, Florida needs to sort out its quarterback situation.

If the inevitable answer is 2024 5-star commit DJ Lagway, there will be a ton on his plate in Year 1. Even more so if Florida is so-so in 2023.

Much like with Auburn, the order here could take this from a difficult ordeal to a march through Dante’s Inferno.