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.
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 and UCLA while drawing home games against Wisconsin, Penn State, Rutgers and Nebraska. It’s possible, though not entirely likely, that every Power Four opponent the Trojans face this season will reach bowl eligibility.
Michigan
Toughest games: vs. Texas (Sept. 7), vs. Oregon (Nov. 2), at Ohio State (Nov. 30)
Opponents’ 2023 record: 98-59
The Wolverines will be more tested than last year’s forgiving schedule. There are some easy stretches of play for Michigan, including a run of Minnesota, Washington, Illinois and Michigan State from late September through October and games against Indiana and Northwestern in November. But even that late two-game run is sandwiched by the Ducks and Buckeyes, on paper the two best teams in the Big Ten and two strong contenders for the national championship. And there’s that marquee matchup with the Longhorns, followed two weeks later by the Trojans. The Wolverines do miss Penn State, though.
UCLA
Toughest games: at LSU (Sept. 21), vs. Oregon (Sept. 28), at Penn State (Oct. 5)
Opponents’ 2023 record: 99-59
Those three opponents listed above come in three consecutive weeks — representing the toughest uninterrupted three-game run of any team in the Big Ten and possibly the entire Bowl Subdivision. It gets easier, though only to a point: UCLA takes on Nebraska (away), Iowa, Washington (away) and USC down the stretch, also without a break. This schedule will make it very hard for the Bruins and new coach DeShaun Foster to stay out of the bottom of the Big Ten.
Georgia Tech
Toughest games: vs. Florida State (Aug. 24), vs. Notre Dame (Oct. 19), at Georgia (Nov. 30)
Opponents’ 2023 record: 103-54
The good news is that the Yellow Jackets miss Clemson, winners of nine in a row in their series. The bad news is a road slate that includes Louisville, North Carolina, Virginia Tech and Georgia, not to mention a neutral-site matchup to open the year in Ireland against Florida State. The Yellow Jackets also face the Fighting Irish and Miami at home.
Vanderbilt
Toughest games: vs. Alabama (Oct. 5), vs. Texas (Oct. 26), at LSU (Nov. 23)
Opponents’ 2023 record: 97-57
The Commodores could go 3-1 in non-conference play games against Virginia Tech, Alcorn State, Georgia State and Ball State. (They could also go 1-3.) But they’re unlikely to snap a five-year postseason drought against an SEC schedule that includes the Crimson Tide, Longhorns, Tigers, Tennessee and Missouri.
Purdue
Toughest games: vs. Notre Dame (Sept. 14), vs. Oregon (Oct. 18), at Ohio State (Nov. 9)
Opponents’ 2023 record: 84-67
Purdue gets the projected top three in the Big Ten — the Ducks, OSU and Penn State — and teams in Nebraska and Wisconsin that could rank near the top of the league’s second tier. In addition, toss-up games against Illinois, Michigan State and rival Indiana come away from home. The Boilermakers also get Notre Dame and Oregon State in September, with the Beavers on the road.
Oklahoma
Toughest games: vs. Texas (Oct. 12), vs. Alabama (Nov. 23), at LSU (Nov. 30)
Opponents’ 2023 record: 96-58
Four of Oklahoma’s final five games come against Mississippi, Missouri, Alabama and LSU; all but the Crimson Tide come on the road. Hey, welcome to the SEC. That stretch joins the neutral-site rivalry with Texas, a road game against Auburn and the Sooners’ SEC debut against Tennessee on Sept. 21. OU also gets a pair of feisty non-conference opponents in Houston and Tulane.
Alabama
Toughest games: vs. Georgia (Sept. 28), at Tennessee (Oct. 19), at LSU (Nov. 9)
Opponents’ 2023 record: 97-58
It’ll be a predictably tough schedule for first-year coach Kalen DeBoer, capped by a four-game stretch at LSU, home for Mercer, at Oklahoma and back home for the Iron Bowl to close the regular season. There’s also a road trip to Wisconsin in non-conference play that marks the first test of the DeBoer era. But one thing to keep in mind: Alabama plays many of the top teams in the FBS but does get an open week before playing the Bulldogs and Tigers. The Crimson Tide also face off with Vanderbilt and South Carolina before taking on the Volunteers.