Playing in the SEC is no joke and things are about to get a lot tougher in 2024.
Oklahoma and Texas are set to arrive, making a gauntlet of conference schedule that much more difficult for everyone involved. The Longhorns and Sooners will have a tougher time adjusting than the rest, but Florida might have the most daunting schedule in the inaugural year of the 16-team SEC.
ESPN’s Bill Connelly, the creator of SP+, used his strength of schedule ratings to estimate the win percentage the average top-five team would expect against a given team’s schedule.
Florida’s projected .743 SOS in 2024 might seem decent, but it translates to 8.92 wins from a top-five program, which means missing the playoffs in its current format. In 2023, the Gators faced a schedule ranked the second-toughest in the league at .803.
“After a reasonably light early slate, Florida finished its 2023 regular season with four opponents ranked 12th or better in SP+ in a five-game span,” Connelly wrote. “They lost five straight… Next year, they play Miami (currently 22nd) and Texas A&M (15th) in September and Tennessee (19th) in October… and then finish with five games against teams currently 14th or better.
“What was just about the hardest schedule in the country is getting harder.”
Of course, the College Football Playoff plans to expand to a 12-team bracket next year. A three-loss team could get in if the strength of schedule is valued highly by the committee. Florida seems to be years away from being called a top-5 program, though. The Gators are favored to win just three games in 2024.
Hopefully, facing the toughest schedule in the country will help accelerate some of the young guys’ development. Here’s a look at the entire list and each team’s ratings.
Florida arguably has the toughest schedule in the entire country next season. The Gators face two in-state rivals in Miami and Florida State in non-conference and have a brutal league schedule.
In the new SEC, there will no longer be eastern and western divisions. All 16 teams will be lumped together. There will be an SEC Championship Game, which will match the two teams with the best conference records.
Notable is that Purdue has the toughest strength of schedule for any Big Ten team (No. 11 in the FBS), while Rutgers has it easiest (No. 78). Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire. Follow our newest sites, UW Huskies Wire and UCLA Wire.
1. Vanderbilt - As the conference's only private university, Vanderbilt has the lowest acceptance rate in the SEC and the highest average SAT score (2230) and average ACT score (33).
In 2022, Georgia's schedule was ranked No. 23 overall and 13th in the SEC, ahead of only Kentucky (29th) in the conference. Coming into 2021, Georgia's schedule was ranked No. 10 in the country and sixth in the SEC. Florida is ranked No. 1 on the list, followed by Mississippi State at No. 2.
By The Numbers: Comparing Rutgers & U-M, The Two Oldest Programs In The FBS. The Michigan Wolverines and Rutgers Scarlet Knights lay claim to being the two oldest football programs in FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) history, with the former first playing in 1879 and the latter even earlier in 1869. The Rutgers vs.
The SEC will play its first season as a 16-team conference this fall with Oklahoma and Texas as members, and the 2025 schedule is similar to what fans will see this fall.
With the two new teams to the SEC (Oklahoma and Texas) and the conference dropping divisions in a new scheduling format, Ole Miss this season will not play notable SEC rivals for the first time in years; Alabama (1991), Auburn (1989) and Vanderbilt (1969).
Starting next summer, the SEC will become a 16-member conference and have eight conference games on the football schedule. With the addition of Texas and Oklahoma, the SEC will also eliminate divisions. Conference realignment in 2024 doesn't stop there.
The only change will be flipping the home and away competition over the two seasons. The 16 football teams in the SEC will play eight in-conference opponents and will also be required to play one additional game against a Power Five or major independent team of their choice.
The first meeting between Auburn and Georgia dates back to 1892. That is when the founders of both the football programs, Charles Herty (Georgia) and George Petrie (Auburn) decided to initiate the contest between the two schools. Auburn won the debut game of the series with a 10-0 whitewash of the Bulldogs.
Introduction: My name is Lidia Grady, I am a thankful, fine, glamorous, lucky, lively, pleasant, shiny person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
