The trap game facing each SEC team in the 2024 college football season
The 2024 college football season is just a few days away. One of the best parts of college football is the wild upsets we see each week throughout the season. Teams expected to win easily will lose to lesser opponents, and that often happens when they fall into the trap of overlooking said opponent because of where the matchup falls on the schedule.
Here's one potential trap game for each SEC team this fall...
1. Alabama
While the September 28th matchup with the Georgia Bulldogs looms large, the Crimson Tide better not overlook the Wisconsin Badgers on September 21st. Even though it is not a night game at Camp Randall Stadium which has proven to be a buzzsaw for opponents in the past, it will still be a difficult task for Alabama to escape there with a win. If Alabama does lose, the coaching rumors surrounding DeBoer's future will already begin amongst the Crimson Tide faithful.
2. Arkansas
In a year that sees Sam Pittman entering the season on the hot seat, anything less of a bowl game for Arkansas will be a disappointment. They start off the season with the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff followed by Okalahoma State on the road in week 2. The open SEC play with Auburn, and the their fans believe that they are capable of winning that game. Because of that, the team and fans might be overlooking their week 3 game with UAB. If Arkansas wants to make a bowl, they need to be focused on this game and not looking ahead to their matchup on the Plains of Alabama.
3. Auburn
You can make the argument that the Auburn Tigers have two trap games in back-to-back weeks. The first game is against the New Mexico Lobos, and the Tigers do not want a repeat of what happened last season when they lost by three touchdowns to New Mexico State. Their second potential trap game is when they host Arkansas in their SEC opener. The reason you can argue this conference matchup is a trap game is because they host Oklahoma the following week which is the Sooners first road game as a member of the SEC.
4. Florida
The game that appears to most likely be a trap game for Florida is at Mississippi State. The game in Starkville is sandwiched in-between Texas A&M and UCF. Florida might come limping out of their game versus the Aggies, and there is a chance that they will be looking ahead to their game versus UCF because if Florida loses that game, Billy Napier will have a scorching hot seat.
5. Georgia
Kirby Smart has built Georgia into a powerhouse, and his team knows that they will receive everyone's best shot as they enter the season ranked number 1. However, there is one game they have where they might not be 100 percent focused, and that is when Mississippi State travels to Athens. This game is after The Deep South's Oldest Rivalry and one week before they travel to take on the Texas Longhorns. Mississippi State came close to pulling the upset in 2020, and Jeff Lebby will look to pull off the upset.
6. Kentucky
The trap game for the Kentucky Wildcats is when they host the Ohio Bobcats on September 21st. This game falls in-between their game with Georgia and Ole Miss which makes this the stereotypical trap game. They will be coming off a hard-fought game with Georgia, and there is a chance that they sleep walk in the game versus Ohio while looking ahead to their showdown with Ole Miss.
7. LSU
LSU's game with Arkansas falls between their matchup with Ole Miss and Texas A&M. The Battle for the Boot has had some upsets and weird results in the past, so therefore this game could spell disastrous for LSU if the Tigers are not careful.
8. Mississippi State
The trap game for Mississippi State in year one under Jeff Lebby is their week 3 matchup with Toledo. With a road trip to Arizona State before and the SEC opener against Florida after, the Bulldogs need to be careful to not overlook a strong Rockets program. If State is to make a bowl this season, the Bulldogs need to play at the top of their game to secure the win.
9. Missouri
The trap game for Missouri is when they travel to take on the UMass Minutemen. The Tigers will be playing at the Mintutemen's home stadium which seats only 17,000 people. The atmosphere will be sleepy, and if Missouri is not careful they could fall into the trap while looking ahead to their game with Auburn.
10. Oklahoma
The week 3 matchup with Tulane is Oklahoma's trap game for the 2024 schedule. The Sooners almost fell to the trap in 2021 when they escape with a five-point win over the Green Wave. In year one in the SEC where the schedule gets harder, Oklahoma can not afford to lose this game.
11. Ole Miss
The birth of "Sandstorm" in 2009 was the Rebels' trap game then, and their game to Columbia is their trap game this season. If Ole Miss wants to have the season they expect to have, they need to walk away with a win versus South Carolina.
12. South Carolina
The trap game for the Gamecocks is when they travel to take on Vanderbilt. In a season where Shane Beamer enters the season on the hot seat, anything short of a bowl game is a disappointment. They would need to win this if they want to achieve their goal of that.
13. Tennessee
Tennessee's game at Arkansas is their trap game this season. The game is after their road trip to Oklahoma and the week before their matchup with Florida. Tennessee will be looking to get revenge on the Gators, and with Razorback Stadium being a difficult place to play, Tennessee will need to play great if they are to win on the road.
14. Texas
The Longhorns matchup with Mississippi State could potentially be a trap game. Texas will have played Michigan already this season, and they will be preparing for the Red River Rivalry which is two weeks after their game with Mississippi State. State could very well be 4-0, and Lebby and company could sneak up on the Longhorns.
15. Texas A&M
Their matchup with New Mexico State is the Aggies' trap game this season. A&M will be preparing for Auburn, and their renewal of the Lone Star Showdown looms in the distance two weeks later. Texas A&M better be prepared or they will fall victim to New Mexico State like Auburn did last season.
16. Vanderbilt
The Commodores' game with Alcorn State is their trap game this season. If Vanderbilt has any hopes of making a bowl this season, they need to enter this game focused to be able to secure a win. However, if they fail to win this game, Vanderbilt very well could be conducting a coaching search at the end of the season.