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SEC Is Dominating College Football's Hardest Schedule Rankings

Originally posted on The Spun | By Andrew Gould | Last updated Mar 5, 2025 5:52 PM ET

Navigating the SEC is never easy.

College football observers wondered if the SEC was losing its grip over college football after Ohio State delivered the Big Ten's second straight national title. The SEC sent three teams to the College Football Playoff, but Tennessee and Georgia each lost their first matchup.

Nevertheless, the SEC remains a deep grouping with several potent teams. Seven finished inside the AP's end-of-season Top 25 poll.

On Wednesday, ESPN's Bill Connelly revealed his strength of schedule ratings for the 2025 season. The metric, which measures the projected winning percentage for an average top-five team facing those opponents, determined that numerous SEC teams possess the toughest schedules.

Twelve of the nation's 13 lowest SOS ratings belong to the SEC. Wisconsin, which has an out-of-conference game at Alabama along with matchups against Oregon, Ohio State, and Indiana, is the lone outlier.

Now that 2025 CFB schedules are officially set, here's the projected top 40 for SP+ strength of schedule.

(Reminder: The SOS rating is the projected win% an average top-5 team could expect against your schedule. OU and Florida will need to be top-5 caliber to go even 9-3.) pic.twitter.com/Lf3sKcgaLD
— Bill Connelly (@ESPN_BillC) March 5, 2025

Oklahoma and Florida have the lowest SOS ratings at .771. The Sooners host Michigan in September before playing Texas, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and Alabama later in the season.

Last year, Oklahoma finished its SEC debut with a 2-6 conference record. Brent Venables' squad lost to four ranked teams but stunned the Crimson Tide in a 24-3 upset.

Florida also faced a brutal 2024 slate. After opening the schedule with a loss to Cam Ward's Miami Hurricanes, the Gators lost to the SEC's three CFP representatives. Billy Naper's team closed the season on a high note, going 8-5 with wins over LSU and Ole Miss.

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 14: Head coach Billy Napier of the Florida Gators walks off the field after the first half of a game against the Texas A&M Aggies at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on September 14, 2024 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)James Gilbert/Getty Images

Once again, Florida must combat Miami, Georgia, Tennessee, Texas, LSU, and Ole Miss in 2025.

Arkansas trails those teams with a .775 SOS rating. The Razorbacks play the Volunteers, Longhorns, and Rebels on the road.

Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, South Carolina, and Kentucky each have SOS ratings below 80 percent. LSU and Texas A&M round out the top 10, followed by Alabama, Texas, and Georgia.

All 16 SEC teams rank among Connelly's 25 toughest schedules. Missouri has the conference's most favorable slate, avoiding last year's top-three teams and drawing five of 2024's bottom-six SEC finishers.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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