Orlando Sentinel

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Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer, left, and former coach Nick Saban chat after appearing on the set of ESPN during SEC Media Days in Dallas. Jeffrey McWhorter/AP

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Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers works in the pocket against Washington during the Longhorns’ 37-31 loss at the Sugar Bowl during the College Football Playoff semifinal Jan. 1 in New Orleans. Jacob Kupferman/ap

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5 burning questions

The SEC welcomes Texas and Oklahoma to the nation’s top football conference in 2024, a season unlike any other in college football. Nick Saban retired from Alabama, the College Football Playoff will expand from four to 12 teams and the Big Ten, ACC and Big 12 also have grown as the Pac-12 disintegrated. The SEC now sits atop the new “Power 4,” having produced 11 of the last 15 national champions — six of 10 since the playoff began in 2014. The storylines are more plentiful than ever: — Edgar Thompson, Orlando Sentinel

Does Saban successor Kalen DeBoer continue the Crimson Tide’s success?

What appeared to be a down year for Saban ended with the ninth SEC title, record eighth playoff appearance and 12th Top 5 finish in the final poll during his 17 seasons in Tuscaloosa. DeBoer, who led surprising Washington to the 2023 national title game, is 104-12 as a head coach. But winning the Pac-12, much less going 67-3 at NAIA powerhouse Sioux Falls, isn’t like consistently beating Georgia, LSU, Tennessee, Ole Miss and Auburn. Roster turnover of nearly 40 players leaving for the NFL or through transfer portal intensified the transition. Yet, quarterback Jalen Milroe’s return provides the offensive-minded DeBoer a key building block. The cupboard is far from bare given Saban’s ability to consistently sign loaded recruiting classes. Yet, expectations are high and patience low at Alabama.

Will Georgia get back on top after SEC Championship stumble?

Since a 2020 loss to UF, the Bulldogs won 29 straight SEC games until a title game loss against Alabama ended their hopes for a three-peat as national champions. Kirby Smart’s squad responded with a 63-3 statement win against Florida State in the Orange Bowl. Quarterback Carson Beck returns after completing 72.4% of his throws for an SEC-leading 3,941 yards and 24 scores, ranking third in the league. An offensive line with four returning starters should keep Beck clean (conference-low 13 sacks in 2023) and open holes for talented Florida transfer tailback Trevor Etienne. Led by All-America safety Malaki Starks and 6-foot-3, 320-pound nose tackle Nazir Stackhouse, Smart’s defense is stacked. Anything less than an SEC title would be a disappointment.

Could Texas’ timing be any better?

The Longhorns have consistently been one of the game’s great underachievers, because of the program’s location, tradition, support and resources. Times are changing just in time for their SEC arrival. Coach Steve Sarkisian’s program broke through with a convincing September win at Alabama to begin a run to Texas’ first CFP appearance. Another one should be in the offing behind quarterback Quinn Ewers, a revamped receiving corps and a dominant O-line with four returning starters. A season-ending injury during fall camp to former Edgewater standout tailback CJ Baxter — a second-team preseason All-SEC pick — leaves a void. Holes on defense also need to be filled, but four Longhorns landed on the preseason All-SEC second team, led by freshman All-American linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. One sign the Longhorns are quickly fitting in: No game on the SEC schedule is more intriguing than an Oct. 19 visit from Georgia — a potential preview of the conference title game.

What’s the deal with divisions?

The move to 16 teams ended the East and West divisions dating to 1992. The top two teams will now advance to the conference championship game in Atlanta, ending mismatches such as No. 1 Auburn’s 56-17 rout of No. 19 South Carolina in 2010 or No. 1 Alabama’s 54-16 win against No. 15 Florida in 2015. The move eventually could lead to a nine-game SEC schedule, featuring a mix of three permanent and six rotating opponents to allow each school to play every four years, home and away. For now, eliminating divisions has elevated the schedule of many schools. Rather than play Vanderbilt and South Carolina in the East, Florida will face the nation’s toughest schedule and play those eight schools again in 2025 with home sites flipped.

Do Ole Miss and Missouri belong in the SEC’s upper echelon?

Coach Lane Kiffin’s Rebels and Eli Drinkwitz’s Tigers would have been playoffs teams in a 12-team format. Now that it’s here, each is expected to be in the mix following 11-2 seasons in 2023. The teams return an experienced quarterback (Jaxson Dart at Ole Miss, Brady Cook at Mizzou), first-team All-SEC best receivers in the Rebels’ Tre Harris and Tiger’s Luther Burden III and ample talent elsewhere. Kiffin works the transfer portal as well as any coach; 16 of 22 projected starters are transfers. Drinkwitz has recruited well, highlighted Burden, the nation’s No. 2 WR in 2022, by 5-star edge rusher Williams Nwaneri in 2024. Building on breakthrough seasons is the first step to long-term success for two programs once middle-tier, at best.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com