Who Has the Toughest SEC Schedule in 2016?

The scientific method was great in grade school. Unfortunately, the scientific method can’t determine which SEC team has the toughest schedule.

What method can help us do that? The method of champions.

Fun fact: The method of champions does not exist. I just made it up. But since there is absolutely no exact science for ranking the toughest schedules in the SEC, that’s what we’re going with.

The problem with trying to accurately rank SEC schedules is that every team plays in the SEC. All schedules are difficult when you play in the best conference in football. These rankings are simply an educated guess based on opponent strength.

So for the first time in history, I present to you, the method of champions.

Drink it in.

14. Vanderbilt Commodores

The Schedule:

9/1 vs. South Carolina
9/10 vs. MTSU
9/17 at Georgia Tech
9/24 at Western Kentucky
10/1 vs. Florida
10/8 at Kentucky
10/15 at Georgia
10/22 vs. Tennessee State
11/5 at Auburn
11/12 at Missouri
11/19 vs. Ole Miss
11/26 vs. Tennessee

Here are the toughest games on Vandy’s schedule: vs. Florida, at Georgia, at Auburn, vs. Ole Miss, vs. Tennessee. Three of those games are at home. The Commodores also avoid Alabama and LSU, and the non-conference schedule is far from difficult.

13. Georgia Bulldogs

The Schedule:

9/3 vs. UNC (Atlanta, GA)
9/10 vs. Nicholls State
9/17 at Missouri
9/24 at Ole Miss
10/1 vs. Tennessee
10/8 at South Carolina
10/15 vs. Vanderbilt
10/29 vs. Florida (Jacksonville, FL)
11/5 at Kentucky
11/12 vs. Auburn
11/19 vs. UL Lafayette
11/26 vs. Georgia Tech

Thank you. That’s what Kirby Smart is saying about this schedule. The Bulldogs have some areas of concern, but this schedule will make the transition much easier. They get the toughest East teams at home, and the hardest road game is at Ole Miss.

12. Tennessee Volunteers

The Schedule:

9/3 vs. Appalachian State
9/10 vs. Virginia Tech (Bristol, TN)
9/17 vs. Ohio
9/24 vs. Florida
10/1 at Georgia
10/8 at Texas A&M
10/15 vs. Alabama
10/29 at South Carolina
11/5 vs. Tennessee Tech
11/12 vs. Kentucky
11/19 vs. Missouri
11/26 at Vanderbilt

Virginia Tech is basically a home game. Florida and Alabama both come to Knoxville. That leaves Georgia and Texas A&M as the two biggest hurdles on the road. The Vols are the most talented team in the East, and if they run through the late September to mid-October gauntlet, they’re your champions.

11. South Carolina Gamecocks

The Schedule:

9/1 at Vanderbilt
9/10 at Mississippi State
9/17 vs. East Carolina
9/24 at Kentucky
10/1 vs. Texas A&M
10/8 vs. Georgia
10/22 vs. UMass
10/29 vs. Tennessee
11/5 vs. Missouri
11/12 at Florida
11/19 vs. Western Carolina
11/26 at Clemson

Getting Mississippi State and Texas A&M from the West isn’t bad (although there’s no such thing as an easy game against an SEC West team). Being forced to play at Florida and Clemson late in the season won’t be fun, but cakewalks against UMass and Western Carolina help.

10. Arkansas Razorbacks

The Schedule:

9/3 vs. LA Tech
9/10 at TCU
9/17 vs. Texas State
9/24 vs. Texas A&M (Arlington, TX)
10/1 vs. Alcorn State (Little Rock, AR)
10/8 vs. Alabama
10/15 vs. Ole Miss
10/22 at Auburn
11/5 vs. Florida
11/12 vs. LSU
11/19 at Mississippi State
11/26 at Missouri

This is why I may have picked Arkansas too low in the West (5th). Yes, they play the usual SEC West slate that is filled with challenges. But they get the big boys (Alabama and LSU) at home. Their toughest two road games are at TCU and at Auburn. You’ll take that schedule every day of the week.

9. Missouri Tigers

The Schedule:

9/3 at West Virginia
9/10 vs. Eastern Michigan
9/17 vs. Georgia
9/24 vs. Delaware State
10/1 at LSU
10/15 at Florida
10/22 vs. MTSU
10/29 vs. Kentucky
11/5 at South Carolina
11/12 vs. Vanderbilt
11/19 at Tennessee
11/26 vs. Arkansas

New head coach Barry Odom doesn’t have a simple schedule. Just check out those October visits to LSU and Florida, and the November trip to Tennessee as evidence of that.

8. Florida Gators

The Schedule:

9/3 vs. UMass
9/10 vs. Kentucky
9/17 vs. North Texas
9/24 at Tennessee
10/1 at Vanderbilt
10/8 vs. LSU
10/15 vs. Missouri
10/29 vs. Georgia (Jacksonville, FL)
11/5 at Arkansas
11/12 South Carolina
11/19 vs. Presbyterian
11/26 at Florida State

Seriously, just flip a coin to rank the rest of these. When you play in the SEC, your schedule is crazy. Luckily for the Gators, they avoid Alabama and get LSU at home. But road trips to Tennessee and Florida State will be brutal.

7. Kentucky Wildcats

The Schedule:

9/3 vs. Southern Miss
9/10 vs. Florida
9/17 vs. New Mexico State
9/24 vs. South Carolina
10/1 at Alabama
10/8 vs. Vanderbilt
10/22 vs. Miss State
10/29 at Missouri
11/5 vs. Georgia
11/12 at Tennessee
11/19 vs. Austin Peay
11/26 at Louisville

The biggest thing that stands out about Kentucky’s schedule is that four of their first five are at home. And quite frankly, all are winnable. However, games at Alabama, Tennessee, and Louisville are not.

6. Texas A&M Aggies

The Schedule:

9/3 vs. UCLA
9/10 vs. Prairie View
9/17 at Auburn
9/24 vs. Arkansas (Arlington, TX)
10/1 at South Carolina
10/8 vs. Tennessee
10/22 at Alabama
10/29 vs. New Mexico State
11/5 at Miss State
11/12 vs. Ole Miss
11/19 vs. UTSA
11/26 vs. LSU

I wouldn’t call Texas A&M’s schedule easy by any means. UCLA is a Top 25 team, and road games at Auburn and Alabama will be challenging. The good news is that Tennessee, Ole Miss, and LSU are all at home.

5. Mississippi State Bulldogs

The Schedule:

9/3 vs. South Alabama
9/10 vs. South Carolina
9/17 at LSU
9/24 vs. UMass (Foxboro, MA)
10/8 vs. Auburn
10/15 at BYU
10/22 at Kentucky
10/29 vs. Samford
11/5 vs. Texas A&M
11/12 at Alabama
11/19 vs. Arkansas
11/26 at Ole Miss

It’s a good thing those three non-conference games are easy, because things get ugly beyond that. The Bulldogs play at LSU, Alabama and Ole Miss. A road game at BYU is also in there. At least Dan Mullen’s team doesn’t draw the big three from the East. There’s a positive.

4. LSU Tigers

The Schedule:

9/3 vs. Wisconsin (Green Bay, WI)
9/10 vs. Jacksonville State
9/17 vs. Miss State
9/24 at Auburn
10/1 vs. Missouri
10/8 at Florida
10/15 vs. Southern Miss
10/22 vs. Ole Miss
11/5 vs. Alabama
11/12 at Arkansas
11/19 vs. South Alabama
11/24 at Texas A&M

Adding a trip to The Swamp in the middle of the SEC West schedule is never fun. The Tigers also travel to play a quality Wisconsin team to start the season. And then there’s the usual suspects: at Auburn, vs. Ole Miss, vs. Alabama, at Arkansas, at Texas A&M.

3. Ole Miss Rebels

The Schedule:

9/5 vs. Florida State (Orlando, FL)
9/10 vs. Wofford
9/17 vs. Alabama
9/24 vs. Georgia
10/1 vs. Memphis
10/15 at Arkansas
10/22 at LSU
10/29 vs. Auburn
11/5 vs. Georgia Southern
11/12 at Texas A&M
11/19 at Vanderbilt
11/26 vs. Miss State

The three toughest SEC schedules are what I like to call the triangle of terror. We start with the Rebels, who play two top 5 teams in the span of 12 days to start the season. They also have games at Arkansas, LSU, and Texas A&M on the schedule.

2. Auburn Tigers

The Schedule:

9/3 vs. Clemson
9/10 vs. Arkansas State
9/17 vs. Texas A&M
9/24 vs. LSU
10/1 vs. UL Monroe
10/8 at Miss State
10/22 vs. Arkansas
10/29 at Ole Miss
11/5 vs. Vanderbilt
11/12 at Georgia
11/19 vs. Alabama A&M
11/26 at Alabama

Brutal. Absolutely brutal. Gus Malzahn might indeed be fighting for his job in 2016, and this schedule does him no favors. The Clemson opener is a bad way to start the year, and there’s the usual showdowns with Georgia and Alabama late in the year. But they’re both on the road.

1. Alabama Crimson Tide

The Schedule:

9/3 vs. USC (Arlington, TX)
9/10 vs. Western Kentucky
9/17 at Ole Miss
9/24 vs. Kent State
10/1 vs. Kentucky
10/8 at Arkansas
10/15 at Tennessee
10/22 vs. Texas A&M
11/5 at LSU
11/12 vs. Mississippi State
11/19 vs. Chattanooga
11/26 vs. Auburn

I picked Alabama to once again win the West. This schedule is enough to make anyone rethink that pick. There’s the opener vs. USC. There’s the road trips to Ole Miss, Tennessee and LSU. If the Crimson Tide repeat, it will be well-earned. That’s for sure.

Who do you think has the toughest schedule in the SEC? What about the easiest? Log into Facebook and give your thoughts in the comments section below.

Blake Lovell

Blake Lovell has worked in sports media for over 10 years. He currently covers SEC football and basketball for various publications.

14. Vanderbilt Commodores

13. Georgia Bulldogs

12. Tennessee Volunteers

11. South Carolina Gamecocks

10. Arkansas Razorbacks

9. Missouri Tigers

8. Florida Gators

7. Kentucky Wildcats

6. Texas A&M Aggies

5. Mississippi State Bulldogs

4. LSU Tigers

3. Ole Miss Rebels

2. Auburn Tigers

1. Alabama Crimson Tide

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