The college football season is just 22 days away, and with the new year incoming, rankings and polls are imminent. The first of those polls dropped on Tuesday afternoon, as the USA Today preseason coaches poll was released.
Nine SEC teams made the cut in this year’s preseason coaches poll, the most of any conference. With more than half the conference included, it raises the question of which teams play the most top-25 opposition in the country.
The SEC is not only showing to be the deepest conference, but also the one with the hardest schedules. Based on the coaches’ poll, here are the hardest schedules in the conference.
Texas Longhorns (7)
The third year of Texas in the SEC, and this is the first year they face a truly difficult schedule. Leading the country, the Longhorns will face seven teams ranked in Tuesday’s coaches poll.
The ranked opponents in order of their schedule are Ohio State, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Missouri, LSU, and Texas A&M.
This is a real SEC schedule. Plus, they have arguably the hardest non-conference game in the country against No. 1 Ohio State. The Buckeyes travel to Austin, Texas, to try to go 2-0 in the home-and-home against the Longhorns.
Texas A&M, Oklahoma, LSU (6)
All three teams are widely looked at as College Football Playoff contenders. Of these three schedules, the hardest is Oklahoma’s.
LSU or Texas A&M doesn’t have to make a Week 2 trip up to Ann Arbor for a non-conference game against No. 16 Michigan. All three teams play Texas, but Oklahoma is the only team that also has to play Georgia, and it’s on the road.
Ole Miss, Missouri (5)
The Rebels are one of the biggest question marks within the SEC. The talent on the field isn’t a question with QB Trinidad Chambliss and RB Kewan Lacy returning.
What’s holding the general opinion of the Rebels back is whether they can replicate their CFP-caliber success without former HC Lane Kiffin and playcaller Charlie Weis Jr.
As for Missouri, they’re entering a new season with a new starting QB in Austin Simmons. The Tigers’ pass rush is also unproven, as proven studs Zion Young and Damon Wilson II have departed.
Both Ole Miss and Missouri play No. 3 Georgia, No. 4 Texas, No. 9 Oklahoma, and each other. The only ranked opponents they don’t share are Ole Miss playing LSU and Missouri playing Texas A&M.
Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama (4)
Georgia is rightfully the highest-ranked SEC team after winning their second conference championship in a row. As far as schedules go, the Dawgs aren’t challenged like other teams in the conference are.
Georgia’s four top 25 opponents are all in conference: No. 9 Oklahoma, No. 10 Ole Miss, No. 11 Alabama, and No. 25 Missouri.
Tennessee and Alabama still have ongoing QB battles as of Wednesday. The Volunteers are not projected to be contenders in the conference and will be underdogs against Texas, Texas A&M, and LSU.
Alabama has great talent all around, whichever QB starts between Keelon Russell and Austin Mack. The Crimson Tide are capable of contending in the SEC this year, but all four of their ranked matchups are in a row.
Georgia, at Tennessee, Texas A&M, and at LSU. A brutal four-week stretch that Bama will not go undefeated in.
