SEC Schedule Rankings
1. Georgia – Easily the toughest non-conference schedule in the SEC, the Bulldogs deserve a lot of credit for scheduling up. Opening the season in Stillwater will be a huge test and Georgia Tech is being listed by some as a pre-season top 10 team. UGA gets Arkansas, LSU and Auburn from the SEC West. The Florida game will come on Halloween, ironically enough.
2. South Carolina – USC pummeled NC State in Columbia last season, but playing on the road against a healthy Russell Wilson will be a different challenge. Carolina has only beaten Clemson twice since 1997. Playing Florida and Georgia every year is no new thing. The Gamecocks get Ole Miss and Alabama from the SEC West.
3. Vanderbilt – A home game with Georgia Tech will give the Commodores big out of conference opportunity against a likely ranked foe. Road games at Army and at Rice, especially, could be trickier than you might think. The first road game of the year is at LSU. The Commodores also play at Florida. Ole Miss comes to Nashville.
4. Alabama – Everyone is looking forward to the Georgia Dome opener between the Crimson Tide and the Hokies. This early season gem will likely feature two preseason top ten teams. It appears Virginia Tech is the consensus pre-season favorite in the ACC. A road game against Ole Miss and home game versus LSU may determine the SEC West. Alabama misses out on both Georgia and Florida.
5. Arkansas – The Texas A&M game, which has old Southwest Conference roots, will be a fun one in Dallas. The Razorbacks had close games against smaller schools last season and Troy could be a test. Arkansas has an absolutely brutal SEC road schedule. The Razorbacks play Alabama, Florida, Ole Miss and LSU all on the road.
6. Mississippi State – This schedule will be a challenge for Dan Mullen and the Bulldogs. State will get another chance at Georgia Tech, who humbled the ‘Dogs last season in Atlanta. Houston and Middle Tennessee are solid mid-major programs. State has an easy road schedule, but does have to deal with Florida in Starkville.
7. Tennessee – Lane Kiffin and the Volunteers will be looking for revenge against the Bruins, who beat UT on Labor Day in the Rose Bowl last season. Memphis and Ohio have played some bigger schools close in recent years. All eyes will be watching when UT travels to Florida on September 19th. The 'Vols must deal with Alabama and Ole Miss on the road as well. Georgia comes to Knoxville.
8. Auburn – The obvious non-conference headliner here is West Virginia, though Ball State should still be decent. The Tiger defense will have to try and slow down Noel Devine in what will b a major early season test for Gene Chizik and his staff. There are cross-divisional road games at Tennessee and Georgia.
9. Florida – The Florida State game aside, there isn’t much to get excited about here. Troy is a respectable program but the Gators have considerable more talent than everyone on their schedule, the Seminoles included. The biggest cross-divisional game comes at LSU in mid October. The Georgia game is always huge.
10. LSU – This schedule seems pretty easy for an annual power like the Tigers, but it isn’t their fault Washington was so bad (think winless) last season. LSU will be making the clean sweep of other in state programs. Road games against Georgia, Alabama and Ole Miss will be very tough.
11. Kentucky – The Louisville rivalry usually produces some fun, competitive games. Kentucky will open the season versus Miami (OH) in Cincinnati. Alabama, in Lexington, is the toughest of the SEC West games. Florida comes to Commonwealth Stadium as well.
12. Ole Miss – Just a very easy non-conference schedule, especially for a school that will be a major player in the SEC. At Memphis is a road game the Rebels should win and that is their toughest test here. Looks like 4-0 non conference. LSU and Alabama both come to Oxford, good news for the Rebels.
