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.
Florida quarterback Graham Mertz (15) drops back against the Georgia during the first half of their 2023 game at EverBank Stadium.
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…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/ranking-10-toughest-college-football-110110678.html
Author : USA TODAY Sports
Publish date : 2024-08-26 11:01:10
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