Current:Home > InvestRanking the 10 toughest college football schedules starting with Florida, USC-InfoLens
Ranking the 10 toughest college football schedules starting with Florida, USC
View Date:2024-12-23 16:06:01
The best part about being a member of the SEC is the money, followed a few miles later by the fame and notoriety that comes with playing in the most elite conference in the Bowl Subdivision.
The worst part about being in the SEC is playing an SEC schedule, which has gone from nasty to outright diabolical with this summer's addition of Texas and Oklahoma. There are few or no easy Saturdays in the SEC, unless you have the good luck to draw Vanderbilt.
That's why a list of this year's most brutal schedules includes several SEC teams, with no team in the FBS set to take on a more ferocious slate than Florida — that's bad news for coach Billy Napier as he looks to get the Gators moving in the right direction in his third season.
With a heavy dose of the SEC and the equally competitive Big Ten, these are the hardest schedules to be found this season:
Florida
Toughest games: at Tennessee (Oct. 12), vs. Georgia (Nov. 2), at Texas (Nov. 9)
Opponents' 2023 record: 106-50
On paper, this is one of the hardest schedules in recent FBS history. The Gators face Miami, Central Florida and Florida State in non-conference play, opening the regular season at home against the Hurricanes and ending November in Tallahassee. The Gators' final six games are against the Volunteers, Kentucky, the Bulldogs, the Longhorns, LSU, Mississippi and the Seminoles. This slate is an absolute beast.
Southern California
Toughest games: vs. LSU (Sept. 1), at Michigan (Sept. 21), vs. Notre Dame (Nov. 30)
Opponents' 2023 record: 106-53
Non-conference games against LSU and Notre Dame accompany a rowdy first-time run through the Big Ten, which sends USC on the road against the defending national champions, Minnesota, Maryland, Washington and UCLA while drawing home games against Wisconsin, Penn State, Rutgers and Nebraska. It's possible, though not entirely likely, that every Power Four opponent the Trojans face this season will reach bowl eligibility.
LEFT OUT:Five teams snubbed in the preseason Top 25 ranking
WHAT TO KNOW:Outlooks for every team in preseason poll
Michigan
Toughest games: vs. Texas (Sept. 7), vs. Oregon (Nov. 2), at Ohio State (Nov. 30)
Opponents' 2023 record: 98-59
The Wolverines will be more tested than last year's forgiving schedule. There are some easy stretches of play for Michigan, including a run of Minnesota, Washington, Illinois and Michigan State from late September through October and games against Indiana and Northwestern in November. But even that late two-game run is sandwiched by the Ducks and Buckeyes, on paper the two best teams in the Big Ten and two strong contenders for the national championship. And there's that marquee matchup with the Longhorns, followed two weeks later by the Trojans. The Wolverines do miss Penn State, though.
UCLA
Toughest games: at LSU (Sept. 21), vs. Oregon (Sept. 28), at Penn State (Oct. 5)
Opponents' 2023 record: 99-59
Those three opponents listed above come in three consecutive weeks — representing the toughest uninterrupted three-game run of any team in the Big Ten and possibly the entire Bowl Subdivision. It gets easier, though only to a point: UCLA takes on Nebraska (away), Iowa, Washington (away) and USC down the stretch, also without a break. This schedule will make it very hard for the Bruins and new coach DeShaun Foster to stay out of the bottom of the Big Ten.
Georgia Tech
Toughest games: vs. Florida State (Aug. 24), vs. Notre Dame (Oct. 19), at Georgia (Nov. 30)
Opponents' 2023 record: 103-54
The good news is that the Yellow Jackets miss Clemson, winners of nine in a row in their series. The bad news is a road slate that includes Louisville, North Carolina, Virginia Tech and Georgia, not to mention a neutral-site matchup to open the year in Ireland against Florida State. The Yellow Jackets also face the Fighting Irish and Miami at home.
Vanderbilt
Toughest games: vs. Alabama (Oct. 5), vs. Texas (Oct. 26), at LSU (Nov. 23)
Opponents' 2023 record: 97-57
The Commodores could go 3-1 in non-conference play games against Virginia Tech, Alcorn State, Georgia State and Ball State. (They could also go 1-3.) But they're unlikely to snap a five-year postseason drought against an SEC schedule that includes the Crimson Tide, Longhorns, Tigers, Tennessee and Missouri.
Purdue
Toughest games: vs. Notre Dame (Sept. 14), vs. Oregon (Oct. 18), at Ohio State (Nov. 9)
Opponents' 2023 record: 84-67
Purdue gets the projected top three in the Big Ten — the Ducks, OSU and Penn State — and teams in Nebraska and Wisconsin that could rank near the top of the league's second tier. In addition, toss-up games against Illinois, Michigan State and rival Indiana come away from home. The Boilermakers also get Notre Dame and Oregon State in September, with the Beavers on the road.
Oklahoma
Toughest games: vs. Texas (Oct. 12), vs. Alabama (Nov. 23), at LSU (Nov. 30)
Opponents' 2023 record: 96-58
Four of Oklahoma's final five games come against Mississippi, Missouri, Alabama and LSU; all but the Crimson Tide come on the road. Hey, welcome to the SEC. That stretch joins the neutral-site rivalry with Texas, a road game against Auburn and the Sooners' SEC debut against Tennessee on Sept. 21. OU also gets a pair of feisty non-conference opponents in Houston and Tulane.
Alabama
Toughest games: vs. Georgia (Sept. 28), at Tennessee (Oct. 19), at LSU (Nov. 9)
Opponents' 2023 record: 97-58
It'll be a predictably tough schedule for first-year coach Kalen DeBoer, capped by a four-game stretch at LSU, home for Mercer, at Oklahoma and back home for the Iron Bowl to close the regular season. There's also a road trip to Wisconsin in non-conference play that marks the first test of the DeBoer era. But one thing to keep in mind: Alabama plays many of the top teams in the FBS but does get an open week before playing the Bulldogs and Tigers. The Crimson Tide also face off with Vanderbilt and South Carolina before taking on the Volunteers.
veryGood! (4946)
Related
- Shaboozey to headline halftime show of Lions-Bears game on Thanksgiving
- Biden administration to provide summer grocery money to 21 million kids. Here's who qualifies.
- Federal judge says Alabama can conduct nation’s 1st execution with nitrogen gas; appeal planned
- For IRS, backlogs and identity theft are still problems despite funding boost, watchdog says
- What do nails have to say about your health? Experts answer your FAQs.
- Police investigation finds Colorado U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert didn’t punch ex-husband as he claimed
- Tribal flags celebrated at South Dakota Capitol, but one leader sees more still to do
- Panel of judges says a First Amendment challenge to Maryland’s digital ad tax should be considered
- Judge extends the time to indict the driver accused of killing Johnny Gaudreau and his brother
- Emma Stone, Ayo Edebiri and More Stars React to 2024 SAG Awards Nominations
Ranking
- Powerball winning numbers for November 11 drawing: Jackpot hits $103 million
- Tennessee governor, music leaders launch push to protect songwriters and other artists against AI
- Hangout Music Festival 2024 lineup: Lana Del Rey, Odesza, Zach Bryan to headline
- National power outage map: Over 400,000 outages across East Coast amid massive winter storm
- Prominent conservative lawyer Ted Olson, who argued Bush recount and same-sex marriage cases, dies
- The Voice Alum Lauren Duski Mourns Death of Mom Janis in Heartbreaking Tribute
- The Voice Alum Lauren Duski Mourns Death of Mom Janis in Heartbreaking Tribute
- Alabama can carry out nation's first execution using nitrogen gas, federal judge says
Recommendation
-
Padma Lakshmi, John Boyega, Hunter Schafer star in Pirelli's 2025 calendar: See the photos
-
2 young boys, brothers ages 6 and 8, die after falling into icy pond in Wisconsin: Police
-
Kentucky is the all-time No. 1 team through 75 storied years of AP Top 25 college basketball polls
-
Bears fire OC Luke Getsy, four more assistant coaches in offensive overhaul
-
NFL Week 10 winners, losers: Cowboys' season can no longer be saved
-
1 killed, 3 injured in avalanche at Palisades Tahoe ski resort, California officials say
-
What to expect in the Iowa caucuses | AP Election Brief
-
Ex-Norwich University president accused of violating policies of oldest private US military college