Paul Finebaum ranks the top three teams in the SEC for the 2024 football season

ESPN’s Paul Finebaum has his top three teams in the SEC going into the 2024 season, but it’s a close race.

Basically, the debate comes down to the third spot between Alabama and Ole Miss. Finebaum opted for Alabama over the Rebels.

But there are two teams who are above the rest when it comes to the entire landscape of the conference.

“I’m gonna go with Greg (McElroy): Georgia, Texas and Alabama and I think we’re splitting hairs about Ole Miss,” Finebaum said on McElroy and Cubelic. “Saying Ole Miss might be No. 4 in the SEC that puts them, what, about six or seven nationally? So it always comes down to a coin flip and I think you know, what they don’t have to deal with this year is what they’ve had to deal with so many other times and has been heartbreaking is Alabama. 

“And I think even though the complexities of that rivalry and complex that Lane Kiffin had with Nick Saban is out the window. I think that is to their advantage. But I still think the roster at Alabama until proven otherwise, maybe is slightly better.”

Georgia won two national titles in a row while nearing doing so for a third year in a row, only losing to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game.

Texas won the Big 12 in its final season in the conference and fell just short to Washington in the College Football Playoff semifinals. But, quarterback Quinn Ewers and others are back.

Alabama and Ole Miss, well that’s an interesting debate. As Finebaum points out, Nick Saban is gone, Kalen DeBoer is in.

Does that finally give Lane Kiffin the edge in that rivalry? That’s still to-be-determined.

When Finebaum joined the show in February, he pondered how many SEC teams could make the 12-team CFP. 

Georgia is an assumed Playoff team but he broke down the other possibilities. down the other SEC schools.

“Let’s move Georgia off the table,” Finebaum said. “I really like Alabama, as I told you once before, depending on circumstances, but today, and I’m not trying to be a qualifier, I would like them because I think they have enough players and a difficult schedule.

“By the way, I’ve already forgotten Texas. They would be my second team after Georgia and before Alabama. Then you have Ole Miss and Missouri and LSU. To me, it’s really, I think three will get in and then who is between three and four? So, if you have Georgia and Texas, I think Alabama and Ole Miss. You’re splitting hairs. Who wins those games?”