Previewing SEC Media Days 2024 with Caroline Fenton of Yahoo Sports

College football's No. 1 league will descend upon Dallas next week as SEC Media Days begin on Monday morning. During Thursday's edition of TexAgs Radio, Yahoo Sports' Caroline Fenton spoke about the SEC entering 2024, a successful season for A&M and more.

Key notes from Caroline Fenton interview

• I was listening to the last segment, and I was hoping not to be asked about the Lebron vs. Jordan debate. The answer is clear: Michael Jordan is the greatest of all time. Still, it’s a great way to poke the bear. The pineapple on pizza is another one that gets people going too.
   
• Yahoo Sports is a new gig, and I’m in my third week. I’m ramping up for the college football season, and I’m hosting shows across the Yahoo Sports platform. I’ll be doing a daily podcast and then live shows across the college football season. I’ll be doing things across all sports but honing in on college football. I am still in Nashville, but I’ll be in Dallas next week for SEC Media Days! I’m very excited about it.
   
• There is always one question or a couple of questions at SEC Media Days that become the biggest talking point. In 2022, it was “Who is the third-best team in the SEC?” The assumption was the first two were Georgia and Alabama. This year, Texas and Oklahoma entering the SEC will be one question. The other question I’m curious to get people’s thoughts on is whether or not the SEC has to prepare for Texas and Oklahoma or whether Texas and Oklahoma have to prepare for the SEC.
   
• Last year, Texas had one of the worst secondarys in the country, and they just got by with stopping the run. I think they will have to bolster the secondary and replace Bo Davis, who went to LSU. Are there more flaws in Texas than we might think? Or will the talent and the players they added in the transfer portal be enough to propel them to a 10-2 or 11-1 season in the SEC?
   
• The quarterback situation in the SEC is fascinating. Last year, Jayden Daniels was the de facto quarterback to talk about because he was one of the few returners. This year, there are eight returning starters and eight new starters. It’s right down the middle. Will some of the new names steal the show, or will it be the guys we talk a lot about, like Quinn Ewers, Carson Beck and Jalen Milroe? Is it a Conner Weigman? He is not getting enough chatter, and maybe because of his injury, people seem to have forgotten about Weigman.
   
• One of the quarterbacks we’re not talking about a lot right now will emerge as a star this season. We’re talking a lot about Beck, Ewers and Jaxson Dart as potential Heisman contenders and first-round picks. I get it because they have weapons and quarterback contending teams. We’ll talk about them now and a lot throughout the regular season. I am most intrigued to see who of the unproven group becomes a household name.
   
• We talk about newcomers and new starters in the SEC, but we’re familiar with them. We know Vandagriff because he has been at Georgia. We know Nico Iamaleava. Garrett Nussmeier has been at LSU for three years. These are quarterbacks who have been in the SEC, even if they might be new to the starting role or a new program. They just might not have as much name recognition as the returning starters.
   
• The maximum number of SEC teams in the 12-team playoff would be five. You have to ask the question of whether or not a 9-3 SEC team can get in. Does a 9-3 team get into the SEC Championship Game? Could they find their way into the College Football Playoff? A realistic number of SEC teams in the CFP is four. I expect Georgia and Texas to be contenders for a national championship. Can Alabama find its way into the playoff in the first year under Kalen DeBoer? Their schedule is not a murderer’s row, so I could see them going 10-2. Can Ole Miss put things together with all of the pieces they took out of the transfer portal? They could be in contention. I think five is the maximum, but four is a realistic number of teams to get into the playoffs.
   
• There are also teams like Texas A&M and Tennessee where we expect them to be good, but how good? Can they be 9-3? It’s a good question.
   
• Let’s talk about the Big 12. I know Brett Yormark made some comments this week about them being the deepest conference in college football. He’s the Big 12 commissioner. What do you expect him to say? I think Utah is the favorite in that league, but there are a lot of contenders in the Big 12.
   
• Looking at the Big Ten, it’s really just Ohio State and Oregon. Ohio State is a national title contender, but Oregon has its train running.
   
• I don’t see Oklahoma being equipped to win the SEC this year. I don’t see Arizona winning the Big 12. Surely, USC will not make a run in the Big Ten.
   
• A successful year for A&M under Mike Elko? That’s a good question. It’s easy for me to say that 8-4 would be a successful season in year one, but look at the schedule. Notre Dame is not an easy game. Playing at Florida is not an easy place to play because The Swamp is not a normal place for A&M to play. A&M is new to The Swamp. I do not think Florida and Billy Napier on the hot seat will be tough. I expect A&M to beat Arkansas. I think Missouri could be in play for the SEC Championship. For Elko, win the games you’re expected to win. If Elko can steal one that is more of a toss-up or one that we don’t expect A&M to win, that would deem it successful.