CFB Teams That Will Have the Most Success in Their New Conference
TJ Inman
Host · Writer
5. Oklahoma Sooners
“Texas is joining the SEC!” The headlines and stories that came out after the announcement of the Texas Longhorns leaving the Big 12 had a heavy focus on Austin. Texas was not the only school to make that move. They were joined by rival Oklahoma and the Sooners have felt overlooked by non-college football diehards. The Sooners won’t be overlooked for long. OU joined the Big 12 in 1996 and won 13 conference titles, owning the league under Bob Stoops and Lincoln Riley. Texas is in the ascendancy but OU is every bit the threat the Longhorns are. Head coach Brent Venables continues to elevate recruiting and Oklahoma is beginning to land the defensive prospects to match the firepower they have on offense. The 2024 Sooners have five-star quarterback Jackson Arnold and a group of incredible wide receivers. If they can find some progress on defense, they will be a bear to knock off. The biggest issue for Oklahoma this season is a very tough schedule but they will make their mark on the SEC sooner rather than later.
Oklahoma 2024 Odds to Win the SEC: +2700
1. Texas Longhorns
The Texas Longhorns moved from the Southwest Conference (RIP) to the Big 12 prior to the 1996 season. Mack Brown took over the program in 1998 and the Longhorns were either first or second in the Big 12 South every season until 2010. The program floundered late in Brown’s tenure and then stumbled through Charlie Strong and Tom Herman’s tenures before Steve Sarkisian was hired. The Longhorns have ascended to a top-level once again and won the Big 12 in 2023 before bolting for the SEC. Sarkisian has spent the few seasons recruiting at an elite level and focusing on building the team through the trenches. He spent time at Alabama with Nick Saban and knows what it takes to win in the SEC. They enter the league with as many resources as anyone in the league and they should immediately become a factor. Texas will be in the spotlight this season after reaching the College Football Playoff in 2023 and they have games against Michigan, Oklahoma and Georgia plus they renew the bitter rivalry against Texas A&M. Returning to the College Football Playoff and challenging for the national title is the expectation in Austin.
Texas' SEC Championship Odds for 2024: +350
2. Arizona Wildcats
The dissolution of the PAC-12 began as USC and UCLA announced a move to the Big Ten. The final nail in the coffin came when Arizona, Arizona State and Utah joined Colorado in jumping ship to the Big 12. It is unclear how well Arizona is built for success in the long-term as a program but the 2024 edition of the Wildcats should be a threat in the wide-open league. There are seven teams listed with odds between +310 and +1200 to win the conference crown and Arizona is one of them. Head coach Jedd Fisch left for Washington but the Wildcats hired Brent Brennan. The former San Jose State coach plays an attractive offense and he managed to keep star quarterback Noah Fifita and star wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan in Tucson. The Wildcats have an early-season clash at Kansas State on a Friday night on FOX. That game will be an early plate-setter for the Big 12 race and a victory for the Wildcats in Manhattan would establish them as a threat to win the league in 2024.
Arizona 2024 Big 12 Title Odds: +1200
3. Oregon Ducks
The Big Ten has four new members for the 2024 season: UCLA, USC, Washington and Oregon. The Oregon Ducks are the only team set up for immediate success. Oregon has been recruiting at an elite level for the past few seasons. uarterback Dillon Gabriel is a very good fit for the Oregon offense and they have speed and talent at the skill positions. Perhaps most importantly, the Ducks have size and depth in the trenches that will allow them to set the tone in the physical Big Ten. Since 2010, the Oregon Ducks have won at least ten games in nine seasons. This is a program used to success. No coach has recruited in Eugene at quite the level Dan Lanning currently is though. Oregon’s NIL program is as good as any in the country and the Ducks are going to be a force right away in the Big Ten.
Oregon's Odds to Win Big Ten: +200
4. Utah Utes
The Utah Utes are no stranger to switching conferences. They switched from the Western Athletic Conference to the Mountain West in 1999. The Utes then moved up from the Mountain West to the PAC-12 in 2011 and now they are joining the Big 12 ahead of the 2024 season. Head coach Kyle Whittingham has built a very strong and stable culture in Salt Lake City. The Utes focus on building through the trenches and they regularly have strong rushing defenses and pride themselves on being the more physical team on the field. That should continue in 2024 but the biggest reason for optimism is the return of veteran quarterback Cam Rising. Rising missed the 2023 campaign and the Utah offense suffered as a result but they averaged 38.6 points per game with him starting in 2022. If they can return anywhere close to that number, the Utes will be a major force right away. They enter this season as the favorite in the Big 12.
Utah 2024 Big 12 Title Odds: +310
5. Oklahoma Sooners
“Texas is joining the SEC!” The headlines and stories that came out after the announcement of the Texas Longhorns leaving the Big 12 had a heavy focus on Austin. Texas was not the only school to make that move. They were joined by rival Oklahoma and the Sooners have felt overlooked by non-college football diehards. The Sooners won’t be overlooked for long. OU joined the Big 12 in 1996 and won 13 conference titles, owning the league under Bob Stoops and Lincoln Riley. Texas is in the ascendancy but OU is every bit the threat the Longhorns are. Head coach Brent Venables continues to elevate recruiting and Oklahoma is beginning to land the defensive prospects to match the firepower they have on offense. The 2024 Sooners have five-star quarterback Jackson Arnold and a group of incredible wide receivers. If they can find some progress on defense, they will be a bear to knock off. The biggest issue for Oklahoma this season is a very tough schedule but they will make their mark on the SEC sooner rather than later.
Oklahoma 2024 Odds to Win the SEC: +2700
1. Texas Longhorns
The Texas Longhorns moved from the Southwest Conference (RIP) to the Big 12 prior to the 1996 season. Mack Brown took over the program in 1998 and the Longhorns were either first or second in the Big 12 South every season until 2010. The program floundered late in Brown’s tenure and then stumbled through Charlie Strong and Tom Herman’s tenures before Steve Sarkisian was hired. The Longhorns have ascended to a top-level once again and won the Big 12 in 2023 before bolting for the SEC. Sarkisian has spent the few seasons recruiting at an elite level and focusing on building the team through the trenches. He spent time at Alabama with Nick Saban and knows what it takes to win in the SEC. They enter the league with as many resources as anyone in the league and they should immediately become a factor. Texas will be in the spotlight this season after reaching the College Football Playoff in 2023 and they have games against Michigan, Oklahoma and Georgia plus they renew the bitter rivalry against Texas A&M. Returning to the College Football Playoff and challenging for the national title is the expectation in Austin.
Texas' SEC Championship Odds for 2024: +350
