The final College Football Playoff rankings reveal is still weeks away, but each release carries more and more weight. How does the SEC’s strength of schedule compare to the rest of the field, and what are the implications for its teams?
2024 SEC Strength of Schedule
College Football Network’s Total Strength of Schedule combines several metrics, including returning production, roster projections, coaching staff, incoming talent, home-field advantage, and more, to analyze which teams have the most difficult and easiest schedules of the season.
Here is a look at where each SEC program stood entering the season, from most difficult to least:
- Mississippi State Bulldogs (2nd nationally)
- Florida Gators (5th nationally)
- Oklahoma Sooners (6th nationally)
- LSU Tigers (7th nationally)
- Georgia Bulldogs (8th nationally)
- Kentucky Wildcats (9th nationally)
- Alabama Crimson Tide (12th nationally)
- Texas Longhorns (14th nationally)
- South Carolina Gamecocks (15th nationally)
- Auburn Tigers (16th nationally)
- Vanderbilt Commodores (21st nationally)
- Texas A&M Aggies (24th nationally)
- Arkansas Razorbacks (37th nationally)
- Missouri Tigers (46th nationally)
- Tennessee Volunteers (49th nationally)
- Ole Miss Rebels (50th nationally)
Not only did every single SEC team’s SOS rank in the top half of the country (as did the Big Ten and the Big 12), but Florida, Oklahoma, LSU, Georgia, and Mississippi State were all in the top 10.
And in case you were wondering, here is each program’s SOS for the final two games of the season:
- Auburn (2nd nationally)
- Kentucky (3rd nationally)
- Oklahoma (4th nationally)
- Mississippi State (5th nationally)
- Vanderbilt (6th nationally)
- Texas A&M (10th nationally)
- Texas (17th nationally)
- Florida (40th nationally)
- LSU (48th nationally)
- Alabama (52nd nationally)
- Ole Miss (57th nationally)
- Missouri (65th nationally)
- Arkansas (68th nationally)
- South Carolina (84th nationally)
- Georgia (87th nationally)
- Tennessee (91st nationally)
SEC Strength of Schedule vs. Other Conference
Here’s the average team strength of schedule per conference:
- SEC: 208.63
- Big Ten: 197.55
- Big 12: 183
- ACC: 167.26
- Pac-12: 111.75
- Independent: 99.66
- Mountain West: 91.31
- MAC: 80.65
- AAC: 73.42
- Sun Belt: 71.95
- CUSA: 59.77
MORE: 2024 College Football Power Rankings
Unsurprisingly, the Group of Five fills the bottom of the list, with the FBS Independents serving as the dividing line with the Power Five. Also, unsurprisingly, the conference where it “means more” tops the rest, with only the Big Ten remaining relatively close.
That statement remains the same when it comes to the number of teams per conference in the Week 12 College Football Playoff Top 25 rankings:
- SEC: 8
- Big Ten: 5
- Big 12: 4
- Group of Five: 4
- ACC: 3
- Independents: 1
Alabama vs. Miami (FL) Strength of Schedule Comparison
One point of contention in the recent CFP rankings release was Alabama’s placement (No. 7) over the Miami Hurricanes (No. 8). While, yes, the ‘Canes are 9-1 compared to the Tide being 8-2, ‘Bama’s SOS (215.00) checked in as the 12th toughest in the nation, while Miami’s (147.00) was the 64th.
In head coach Kalen DeBeor’s inaugural season, Alabama has defeated three then-AP Poll Top 25 opponents (No. 2 Georgia, No. 21 Missouri, and No. 15 LSU), as well as South Carolina, which checked in at No. 18 on the Week 12 CFP rankings. The program’s only losses have come against Vanderbilt and No. 11 Tennessee.
Meanwhile, Miami has vanquished zero AP or CFP Top 25 teams and lost to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets the last time they saw the field (Week 11).
Texas vs. Penn State and Indiana Strength of Schedule Comparison
Wins over current Top 25 teams after the third College Football Playoff rankings release:
- Penn State 1 (over No. 25 Illinois)
- Texas 0
- Indiana 0
However, the Longhorns have defeated three then-AP Top 25 programs (No. 10 Michigan, No. 18 Oklahoma, and No. 25 Vanderbilt) and only fell to Georgia.
MORE: Simulate the College Football Season with CFN’s College Football Playoff Predictor
Additionally, Indiana announced its 2024 schedule on Nov. 2, 2023. At that time, Michigan (No. 3), Washington (No. 5), and UCLA (No. 19) were all on the CFP rankings — it’s not their fault those teams are struggling now.
Still, it’s clear the CFP committee weighs SOS heavily…
- Texas: 208.50 (14th nationally)
- Penn State: 192.25 (32nd)
- Indiana: 138.75 (66th)
College Football Network has you covered with the latest from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, and every Group of Five conference and FBS Independent program.