Netflix recently put out a great appetizer as college football approaches with the release of SEC Football: Any Given Saturday, highlighting the 2024 season in the SEC. The series does not feature several of the big name teams like Georgia, Alabama, or Texas, but it still gives an entertaining behind-the-scenes look at a wide range of players, coaches, games, and storylines from across the conference.
While football is obviously the centerpiece of the show, this is still “television” so on the field is not always the main focus. With that said, here are the three biggest winners and losers from Netflix’s SEC Football: Any Given Saturday.
Winners
Diego Pavia and Clark Lea
No team was portrayed more as a babyface in the series than the Vanderbilt Commodores, particularly head coach Clark Lea and quarterback Diego Pavia. Both are seen as the saviors of the program, and rightfully so, given what they accomplished last season. We also got more of an understanding of who Diego Pavia is off the field and what helped shape him into the ultimate underdog story.
However, I was personally a little disappointed that the show did not highlight coaching staff member Jerry Kill, who played the biggest role in bringing Pavia with him from New Mexico State to Vanderbilt and sparking last season’s turnaround. It was also interesting that the show started the Vanderbilt story with their near upset of Missouri and knocking off Alabama, while completely ignoring their embarrassing loss to Georgia State right before that. Besides the point, Vanderbilt could not have picked a better time for this show to take place, and after watching the series, I believe many folks will be rooting for Pavia and the Commodores in 2025.
Derrick "D-Mo" Moore (South Carolina)
South Carolina got the most screen time in the series, and for the most part it was all good stuff. Head coach Shane Beamer comes across not only as a relatable and genuine person, but also as a coach with his program trending in the right direction.
However, one of my favorite figures in the show, despite very limited screen time, was Gamecocks Director of Character and Player Development, Derrick “D-Mo” Moore, who in his own words is the “team builder”. In the short amount of time he is shown, his energy and player-first mentality are felt. D-Mo is a great example of the kind of figure who serves as the glue within a college football program, helping to build the character and togetherness of a team behind the scenes.
Graham Mertz
Graham Mertz may not be remembered as one of college football’s greatest quarterbacks, but the way he carried himself at Florida last season was admirable and awesome to see. Despite suffering a torn ACL, the series showcased how Mertz continued to play a major role behind the scenes for the Gators by helping DJ Lagway develop as a true freshman.
Not only did this likely play a huge part in Florida ending last season scorching hot, but also could lead to a bright future for Billy Napier in Gainesville. I just don’t see how someone could watch this show and not gain a ton of respect for Graham Mertz.
Losers
Hugh Freeze
Since Hugh Freeze’s arrival at Auburn, there has not been much positive publicity surrounding the program, and their appearance in the series did not do much to change that in my mind. The Tigers were featured for half an episode which did feature their upset victory over Texas A&M, but other than that, it was mundane.
The focus within the program late in the season was entirely focused on the future and building toward it, but based on what the series showed, particularly with how former quarterback Payton Thorne spoke, I did not come away with any increased confidence in the future for Auburn under Hugh Freeze.
LSU Tigers
The show did a good job highlighting just how disappointing LSU’s 2024 season really was. The series opened with their frustrating loss to USC and their season story ended with the embarrassing loss at home to Alabama. While players like Whit Weeks and Garrett Nussmeier came off as very likeable and provided some fun moments behind-the-scenes, there was no way for LSU to come out of this series looking like anything but a loser with how the season unfolded.
The show also seemingly added even more pressure on LSU in 2025 with Weeks’ claim that the Tigers will win it all with Nussmeier returning, in what already feels like a now-or-never season for Brian Kelly in Baton Rouge.
Texas A&M Aggies
Texas A&M put together a solid eight-win season in Year 1 under head coach Mike Elko. That said, things could have ended better for the Aggies, who spent much of the year in the driver's seat of the SEC and having a good shot at making the playoff.
What stood out to me most was thinking about people who watched the show that don’t follow college football very closely, because they probably came away thinking Texas A&M had a rough season. I just found it funny that all of their SEC losses (to South Carolina, Auburn, and Texas) were featured as focus games in separate episodes. It just felt like with every episode, Texas A&M was losing again, when in reality, they didn’t have a terrible season.
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