Kirk Herbstreit on Texas and Oklahoma joining SEC: 'We're so, so excited'

On Monday night, ESPN revealed the SEC’s 2024 college football schedule as Oklahoma and Texas prepare for their inaugural season in the conference. There are a ton of huge matchups for both programs, including the Longhorns’ renewed rivalry with the Aggies and the Sooners hosting the Crimson Tide late in the season.

After the 2024 schedule was revealed, ESPN college football expert Kirk Herbstreit shared his thoughts on next season’s matchups and Texas and Oklahoma joining the SEC conference.

“I think most people in the SEC think, when they announced this, ‘Okay, OU and Texas. Welcome to the deep end of the pool; we’ll see how you’re gonna be able to stand up at the line of scrimmage,’” said Herbstreit. “But I think you gotta give both the coaching staffs credit. Both of them are very familiar with what it takes; Sark (Steve Sarkisian), obviously, [was there] in Tuscaloosa, and he learned what it took. [You] gotta get better at the line of scrimmage. And even Brent Venables. He competed so much against Bama and others in the SEC. He knows what it takes from his days of being at Clemson.

“They’ve gone out these last few years, and they’ve recruited not just trying to get quarterbacks and receivers and great skill players, but if they’re going to compete in this league, they’re going to have to be good at the line of scrimmage. Look at Texas this year. Really, what’s talked about them most is their defensive line, T’vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy; they have great depth, and it’s not just those two. Now, they’re going to have to be able to sustain that.”

Given how the 2023 season unraveled, the SEC is getting two major programs that were legitimate contenders for this year’s College Football Playoff, with Texas making the field of four. A union like this is one that all college football fans should be excited about, and Herbstreit is no exception to that level of excitement. As the ESPN college football expert continued, it was hard for him to contain his glee when discussing all of the potential matchups he and his colleagues at ESPN will get to call for the SEC next season.

“I really think that you guys breaking this down tells you the magnitude of what we’re dealing with. I mean, we’re breaking down the schedule of the SEC because Texas and OU, coming in, gets everyone excited. The fact it’s coming over to ABC and ESPN and all of the network… we’re so, so excited to have this opportunity to showcase this conference.”