Toughest Conference Schedules

Last year I came up with a formula to determine who had the toughest conference schedule. This year I didn't want to do that, I thought I'd use more of what I see on paper. So I came up with what I thought was the criteria for a tough schedule: 1. playing really good teams, 2. playing on the road, 3. and playing really good teams in back-to-back weeks.

First I identified when each team played one of the top 6 teams from my power rankings (Monday's post). Then, I tallied up how many of those games were on the road. Finally, I counted how many of those games were played on back-to-back weeks. If they was a tie, or it was close playing Georgia, Tennessee or Auburn was the tiebreaker. This is for SEC play only, in order from toughest to weakest:

1. Auburn - The Tigers will definitely have to defend their SEC title because their schedule is brutal. They are the only team to play all 6 SEC teams! And on top of that they play Georgia on the road. If that wasn't enough the play at South Carolina, at Arkansas, vs. Florida, and at LSU the first four weeks of October. That's back-to-back-to-back-to-back games against really tough competition, and three of those games are on the road! No one comes close to Auburn's strength of schedule in my opinion.

2. Tennessee - The Vols have a pretty tough schedule too, playing all the top 6 except for Mississippi State. They play three of them on the road just like Auburn does and they come close with a back-to-back-to-back vs. LSU, at Alabama, and vs. South Carolina. This is a difficult task to Derek Dooley as that usually light November now has a trip to Fayetteville in it.

3. Ole Miss - They play #1,3,4, & 5. The only one of those that is a road game is Mississippi State at the end of the year, but there are two separate back-to-backs, one in the middle of the season and one at the end. When you're a mediocre team, it's always a bad sign when you're winnable games are on the road and your toughest games are at home.

4. Vanderbilt - Vandy will play the top 3 teams in the SEC, two of them on the road. They also play at Florida the week after they host Arkansas. They might be better served to start 0-4 and skip those games to stay healthy. They play Georgia and at Tennessee as well.

5. Mississippi State - State plays #1,2,3, & 4 in the SEC with Arkansas being the lone road game, however, that is the second half of a back-to-back. There are also road games at Georgia and Auburn. For the most part the teams they are better than are played on the road and the teams even or ahead of them are at home...that could big the recipe for a special year.

6. Kentucky - The Cats will have a back-to-back-to-back vs. Florida, at LSU, and at South Carolina. That will be tough to recover from, and then they've got MSU coming to Lexington a few weeks later. They play Georgia on the road and end the season with their perennial loss vs. Tennessee.

7. Alabama - They've got the same thing as Ole Miss, playing two separate back-to-backs vs. top 6 during the year. They play at Florida and at Mississippi State and home vs. Arkansas and LSU. There's a bye before the second back-to-back which should help.

8. Arkansas - UPig plays at #1, vs. #2, and a back-to-back vs. #5 and at #4 at the end of the year.. Throw in home games against Auburn and Tennessee. It won't be easy, but not a bad schedule in the SEC for a big year.

9. Florida - The Gators only play three of the top 6 teams, but they are #1,2, & 4. They have a back-to-back vs. Bama and at LSU to start October and a road date to play South Carolina in mid-November.

10. South Carolina - South Carolina has the team and the schedule to do something this year. Their toughest game is at Arkansas November 5th, and they have a back-to-back hosting Florida a week later. The only other top 6 game is at Mississippi State in the middle of the season, but that game starts three consecutive SEC road games at State, UT, and UPig. They also play Georgia & Auburn.

11. LSU - LSU spread their tough games out nicely playing at MSU in September, then vs. Florida 3 weeks later, at Bama 4 weeks later, and then vs. Arkansas 3 weeks after that. They also play Auburn and at Tennessee. LSU should have their legs under them in every game.

12. Georgia - If Mark Richt can't pull a 4-4 record out of this schedule he's going to be feeling the heat. No back-to-backs and no road games vs. the top 6. And only three games vs. the top 6, tied for fewest in the SEC. Home against South Carolina, MSU, and neutral site vs. Florida. They pull the easiest three teams from the West and play in the weaker East division.


JB