A Look at What Might Be in Store in the Upcoming Docuseries – Garden & Gun

University of South Carolina head football coach Shane Beamer gets why six SEC teams declined to be in Netflix’s docuseries on the 2024 season, out August 5. But the Gamecocks and nine others said yes, acknowledging “the power of Netflix,” Beamer says. While it’s anyone’s guess who’ll steal the show on SEC Football: Any Given Saturday, here’s a refresher of what played out on (and off) the gridiron.

Arkansas
7-6 (3-5 SEC)

Implicit Drama: Razorbacks rehire scandalous former HC Bobby Petrino as offensive coordinator.

Who’s in the Hot Seat?: Current HC Sam Pittman. Four losses by ten points or fewer boost frustration. Fans fund a billboard urging him to hang up his headset.

Potential Scene-Stealer: Starting defensive lineman Cameron Ball, gregarious host of Hog Ones, the team’s Insta spin on spicy-wings interview series Hot Ones.

Hollywood Ending: Stunning no. 4 Tennessee 19-14 in the regular season and creaming Texas Tech to secure a winning record in the Liberty Bowl (the team’s first bid in three seasons) buy Pittman at least one more year.

Auburn
5-7 (2-6 SEC)

Implicit Drama: Well … at least Aubie the Tiger snags the 2024 National Mascot Championship!

Who’s in the Hot Seat?: QB1. HC Hugh Freeze seesaws between so-so Payton Thorne and Hank Brown whenever the other tanks. (Spoiler: Both bolt after the season.)

Potential Scene-Stealer: Explosive running back Jarquez Hunter sparks many a cry of “War Eagle”; by season’s end, the spine-tingling talent leads the SEC in rush- ing yards per carry.

Hollywood Ending: Auburn blows double-digit leads against Oklahoma and Missouri—Sports Illustrated calls it one of 2024’s “unluckiest teams”—but does eke out a 43-41 win over Texas A&M in quadruple overtime.

Florida
8-5 (4-4 SEC)

Implicit Drama: Faded-glory Gators escape the mire of Mediocrity Swamp for comeback of the year.

Who’s in the Hot Seat?: Fans sour on HC Billy Napier after a whiffed overtime field goal at Tennessee drops the team to 1-2 in SEC play.

Potential Scene-Stealer: When veteran QB Graham Mertz tears his ACL, five-star redshirt freshman DJ Lagway leads a startling win streak.

Hollywood Ending: After making a meal of no. 21 LSU, Lagway and company chomp-chomp no. 9 Ole Miss out of the playoff picture-the first time in sixteen years Florida beats ranked teams back- to-back.

Kentucky
4-8 (1-7 SEC)

Implicit Drama: QB (and turnover) woes throw water on a decade-long surge by the Wildcats.

Who’s in the Hot Seat?: In a season riddled with fumbles, picks, and sacks, anyone and everyone on the bungling offense. HC Mark Stoops goes on to hit the portal hard.

Potential Scene-Stealer: Though partially downed by injury, cornerback Maxwell “Mad Max” Hairston, a future NFL first-rounder with perpetually lit drip, offers a bright spot.

Hollywood Ending: More like mercy killing. After handing over the Governor’s Cup to rival Louisville for the first time since 2017, Stoops is finding out just how little grace eight straight bowl appearances will buy you.

LSU
9-4 (5-3 SEC)

Implicit Drama: The roar of the Brian Kelly era weakens to a growl over three late-season losses.

Who’s in the Hot Seat?: QB Garrett Nussmeier does enough to stay atop the depth chart into 2025-but coleads the SEC in interceptions.

Potential Scene-Stealer: Every drama needs a heel: Defensive coordinator Blake Baker re-signs with Mizzou, then, two weeks later, reneges to become the country’s highest- paid assistant.

Hollywood Ending: Trouncing Oklahoma at regular season’s end ensures the Tigers don’t sink to the bottom half of the SEC; wresting a victory from Baylor in Kinder’s Texas Bowl snaps the Bears’ six-game winning streak.

Mississippi State
2-10 (0-8 SEC)

Implicit Drama: Um … anything new on HBO?

Who’s in the Hot Seat?: Look at that SEC goose egg up there. No one is safe.

Potential Scene-Stealer: After head-coach musical chairs, State recruits Oklahoma’s respected OC Jeff Lebby. Doesn’t everyone like an under(bull)dog? Ru-dy! Ru-dy! Leb-by! Leb-by!

Hollywood Ending: More Bad News Bears than Hoosiers. But while there is no joy in Starkville in 2024, a healthy Blake Shapen at QB and Lebby’s recruiting and portaling may get the annoying cowbells ringing loudly again this fall.

South Carolina
9-4 (5-3 SEC)

Implicit Drama: Perpetual also-ran becomes the little Cockaboose that could.

Who’s in the Hot Seat?: When a strong start skids to a 3-3 record with a heartbreaker at Alabama, even Gamecock faithful Google “Shane Beamer’s buyout.”

Potential Scene-Stealer: Beamer, unafraid to dance or cry (or serenade his wife), and bespectacled QB LaNorris Sellers, who morphs into Superman to crush conference opponents.

Hollywood Ending: Fans rush the field when the Cocks strut past tenth-ranked, then-playoff-bound Texas A&M 44-20 on their way to toppling a slew of team records. Associated Press names Beamer SEC Coach of the Year.

Tennessee
10-3 (6-2 SEC)

Implicit Drama: Not since Clausen and Manning have the Volunteers been this consistently hot.

Who’s in the Hot Seat?: No one!?! Despite embarrassing losses at Arkansas, Georgia, and Ohio State, HC Josh Heupel secures his second ten-win season in four years.

Potential Scene-Stealer: What can’t Dylan Sampson do? The running back and future NFL fourth-rounder smashes school records and snags SEC Offensive Player of the Year.

Hollywood Ending: In a shocking twist worthy of a blockbuster, Nico Iamaleava—the first Rocky Top redshirt QB to get ten wins—overplays his NIL hand in the off-season. The program drops him rather than pay his asking price.

Texas A&M
8-5 (5-3 SEC)

Implicit Drama: Is it better to burn out than fade away? Somehow the Aggies manage both.

Who’s in the Hot Seat?: New HC Mike Elko pumps fresh blood into a Maroon grown anemic to start 7-1. But a bleak November puts his defensive staff on notice.

Potential Scene-Stealer: Frosh QB Marcel Reed steps in for injured Conner Weigman; after coming off the bench against LSU, his three rushing TDs cement a comeback for the ages.

Hollywood Ending: Falling to an unranked USC in the Las Vegas Bowl doesn’t give the 12th Man much to yell about, but things are looking up for 2025: Elko has even lured All-American wide receiver Kevin Concepcion from NC State.

Vanderbilt
7-6 (3-5 SEC)

Implicit Drama: Those who rely on Vandy to pad their win column get a rude awakening.

Who’s in the Hot Seat?: FirstBank Stadium’s goalposts, which fans fell, parade down Broadway, and dump in the Cumberland River after first upset of a no. 1: Alabama.

Potential Scene-Stealer: New Mexico State transfer Diego Pavia powers into a dualthreat giant slayer under HC Clark Lea. The QB1’s fun-loving Albquerque family goes viral in the stands.

Hollywood Ending: Redemption for a late-season collapse comes via a Birmingham Bowl vanquishing of historic rival Georgia Tech-the “Golden Cowbell” returns to Nashville for first time in seven-plus decades.

Photo credits from left: Brent Soule/ZUMA Press Wire; Cal Sport Media/Alamy Stock Photo (2); UPI/Alamy Live News