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SEC Football Strength of Schedule Rankings 2026: Spring
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- SEC Football Strength of Schedule Rankings 2026: Spring
How hard is each SEC team's 2026 football schedule, at least as they all look as spring football gets rolling?
The conference might not have the highest-end superstar teams of the Big Ten, and Notre Dame is a killer, but the SEC will be insanely deep.
The teams projected to be near the bottom of the standings all improved - coaching changes, more talent through the portal, etc. - and up top, the depth is there with LSU, Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, and on and on.
Jan 1, 2026; Pasadena, CA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Austin Mack (10) throws a pass against the Indiana Hoosiers in the second half of the 2026 Rose Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff at Rose Bowl Stadium. © Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
2026 SEC Football Strength of Schedule Rankings: All 16 Teams From Toughest to Easiest
We'll do this again just before the season, but as spring football gets moving, here's our early look at all of the SEC schedules based on our CFN spring ranking of all 138 teams
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For example, Missouri is ranked 23rd, so each home game against the Tigers gets 23 points. Each road game in Columbia gets cut in half, so playing them is 12.5 points. The lower the score, the tougher the schedule.
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Quick Look: SEC Schedule Strength at a Glance
Toughest: Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas
Easiest: South Carolina, Auburn, Vanderbilt
Biggest Non-Conference Game: Ohio State at Texas, Sept. 12
Biggest SEC Game: Georgia at Alabama, Oct. 10
- Spring Schedule Rankings 1 to 138
1 Arkansas
CFN Spring Schedule Rank: 378.5
The Hogs have the hardest schedule in college football - at least that's how it looks this spring - with a loaded SEC slate along with a trip to Utah. At least there's no Alabama to face.
1 Nov 21 at Texas 4.5
2 Sept 19 Georgia 5
3 Nov 28 LSU 6
4 Oct 3 at Texas A&M 7
5 Sept 12 at Utah 11
6 Nov 7 at Auburn 14.5
7 Oct 17 at Vanderbilt 17.5
8 Nov 14 South Carolina 21
9 Oct 31 Missouri 23
10 Oct 10 Tennessee 30
11 Sept 26 Tulsa 100
12 Sept 5 North Alabama 139
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2 Oklahoma
CFN Spring Schedule Rank: 379
Thanks to the trip to Michigan, the Sooners have a brutal slate - but it's no rougher than anything they had to deal with over the second half of 2025.
1 Sept 26 at Georgia 2.5
2 Sept 12 at Michigan 8
3 Oct 10 Texas (in Dallas) 9
4 Nov 28 at Missouri 11.5
5 Nov 7 at Florida 13
6 Nov 14 Ole Miss 13
7 Nov 21 Texas A&M 14
8 Oct 31 South Carolina 21
9 Oct 24 at Mississippi State 25
10 Oct 17 Kentucky 52
11 Sept 19 New Mexico 76
12 Sept 5 UTEP 134
3 Texas
CFN Spring Schedule Rank: 389.5
It doesn't get harder than Ohio State, and dates away from home against LSU, Texas A&M, and, as always, Oklahoma. Even the UTSA and Texas State games are trying.
1 Sept 12 Ohio State 1
2 Nov 14 at LSU 3
3 Nov 28 at Texas A&M 7
4 Oct 10 Oklahoma (in Dallas) 8
5 Nov 7 at Missouri 11.5
6 Oct 24 Ole Miss 13
7 Sept 26 at Tennessee 15
8 Oct 17 Florida 26
9 Oct 31 Mississippi State 50
10 Nov 21 Arkansas 57
11 Sept 19 UTSA 88
12 Sept 5 Texas State 110
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4 Florida
CFN Spring Schedule Rank: 398
New head coach Jon Sumrall has a nasty slate to deal with. There's no Alabama or LSU to face, but the toughest ten of the 12 games are dangerous.
1 Oct 17 at Texas 4.5
2 Oct 31 Georgia (at Atlanta) 5
3 Nov 7 Oklahoma 8
4 Oct 3 at Missouri 11.5
5 Sept 26 Ole Miss 13
6 Sept 19 at Auburn 14.5
7 Oct 10 South Carolina 21
8 Nov 28 at Florida State 21.5
9 Nov 14 at Kentucky 26
10 Nov 21 Vanderbilt 35
11 Sept 5 Florida Atlantic 99
12 Sept 12 Campbell 139
5 Alabama
CFN Spring Schedule Rank: 411.5
When Florida State and East Carolina are two of your easiest games, the schedule is a problem. On the plus side, most of the difficult games are in Bryant-Denny.
1 Nov 7 at LSU 3
2 Oct 10 Georgia 5
3 Oct 24 Texas A&M 14
4 Oct 17 at Tennessee 15
5 Nov 14 at Vanderbilt 17.5
6 Sept 26 South Carolina 21
7 Oct 3 at Mississippi State 25
8 Sept 12 at Kentucky 26
9 Nov 28 Auburn 29
10 Sept 19 Florida State 43
11 Sept 5 East Carolina 74
12 Nov 21 Chattanooga 139
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6 Mississippi State
CFN Spring Schedule Rank: 422
It's top-heavy, and the date at Minnesota is a rough non-conference trip. The SEC games alone will be a killer, but the Bulldogs don't play Georgia or Alabama.
1 Oct 17 at LSU 3
2 Oct 31 at Texas 4.5
3 Nov 28 at Ole Miss 6.5
4 Oct 24 Oklahoma 8
5 Sept 19 at South Carolina 10.5
6 Oct 3 Alabama 11
7 Sept 12 at Minnesota 19.5
8 Sept 26 Missouri 23
9 Nov 14 Auburn 29
10 Nov 7 Vanderbilt 35
11 Sept 5 ULM 133
12 Nov 21 Tennessee Tech 139
7 Kentucky
CFN Spring Schedule Rank: 424
The Will Stein era won't start out with a light breeze, but at least the Wildcats get LSU, Alabama, and Florida at home.
1 Oct 17 at Oklahoma 4
2 Oct 10 LSU 6
3 Sept 19 at Texas A&M 7
4 Oct 3 at South Carolina 10.5
5 Sept 12 Alabama 11
6 Nov 21 at Missouri 11.5
7 Nov 7 at Tennessee 15
8 Nov 14 Florida 26
9 Oct 24 Vanderbilt 35
10 Nov 28 Louisville 38
11 Sept 26 South Alabama 121
12 Sept 5 Youngstown State 139
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8 Missouri
CFN Spring Schedule Rank: 425
How hard is the road game at Kansas? The date at Mississippi State is dangerous, and going to Arkansas will be a problem, but Oklahoma and Texas come to Columbia in an old school Big 12 way.
1 Nov 14 at Georgia 2.5
2 Oct 17 at Ole Miss 6.5
3 Nov 28 Oklahoma 8
4 Nov 7 Texas 9
5 Oct 10 Texas A&M 14
6 Sept 26 at Mississippi State 25
7 Oct 3 Florida 26
8 Oct 31 at Arkansas 28.5
9 Sept 12 at Kansas 30.5
10 Nov 21 Kentucky 52
11 Sept 19 Troy 84
12 Sept 5 Arkansas-Pine Bluff 139
9 Tennessee
CFN Spring Schedule Rank: 427.5
The toughest games - LSU, Texas, and Alabama - are at home, and there's just one truly nasty road game at Texas A&M. Going to Georgia Tech boosts the schedule strength.
1 Nov 21 LSU 6
2 Nov 14 at Texas A&M 7
3 Sept 26 Texas 9
4 Oct 24 at South Carolina 10.5
5 Oct 17 Alabama 11
6 Nov 28 at Vanderbilt 17.5
7 Sept 12 at Georgia Tech 20
8 Oct 10 at Arkansas 28.5
9 Oct 3 Auburn 29
10 Nov 7 Kentucky 52
11 Sept 19 Kennesaw State 98
12 Sept 5 Furman 139
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10 Georgia
CFN Spring Schedule Rank: 444
Not having to play LSU or Texas is a huge help, but going to Alabama and Ole Miss is a challenge. Overall, though, the schedule isn't quite as brutal as the other top SEC teams.
1 Oct 10 at Alabama 5.5
2 Nov 7 at Ole Miss 6.5
3 Sept 26 Oklahoma 8
4 Nov 21 at South Carolina 10.5
5 Nov 14 Missouri 23
6 Oct 31 Florida (in Atlanta) 26
7 Sept 19 at Arkansas 28.5
8 Oct 17 Auburn 29
9 Oct 3 Vanderbilt 35
10 Nov 28 Georgia Tech 40
11 Sept 12 Western Michigan 93
12 Sept 5 Tennessee State 139
11 LSU
CFN Spring Schedule Rank: 458.5
Going to Ole Miss might be the season's most interesting game. Lane Kiffin gets Texas, Alabama, and Texas A&M in his house. Clemson is a fun home non-conference showdown.
1 Sept 19 at Ole Miss 6.5
2 Nov 14 Texas 9
3 Nov 7 Alabama 11
4 Sept 26 Texas A&M 14
5 Oct 24 at Auburn 14.5
6 Nov 21 at Tennessee 15
7 Oct 10 at Kentucky 26
8 Nov 28 at Arkansas 28.5
9 Sept 5 Clemson 41
10 Oct 17 Mississippi State 50
11 Sept 12 Louisiana Tech 104
12 Oct 3 McNeese 139
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12 Ole Miss
CFN Spring Schedule Rank: 466
Playing Georgia and LSU is bad, and going to Oklahoma and Texas is worse. The easiest dates are big enough layups to drag the whole score down.
1 Nov 14 at Oklahoma 4
2 Oct 24 at Texas 4.5
3 Nov 7 Georgia 5
4 Sept 19 LSU 6
5 Sept 26 at Florida 13
6 Oct 10 at Vanderbilt 17.5
7 Oct 17 Missouri 23
8 Oct 31 Auburn 29
9 Sept 5 Louisville (in Nashville) 38
10 Nov 28 Mississippi State 50
11 Sept 12 Charlotte 137
12 Nov 21 Wofford 139
13 Texas A&M
CFN Spring Schedule Rank: 483.5
You'd think playing LSU, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Missouri on the road would crank the schedule score into the impossible category, but Missouri State and Citadel drop it down.
1 Sept 26 at LSU 3
2 Nov 21 at Oklahoma 4
3 Oct 24 at Alabama 5.5
4 Nov 28 Texas 9
5 Nov 7 at South Carolina 10.5
6 Oct 10 at Missouri 11.5
7 Nov 14 Tennessee 30
8 Sept 12 Arizona State 32
9 Sept 19 Kentucky 52
10 Oct 3 Arkansas 57
11 Sept 5 Missouri State 130
12 Oct 17 Citadel 139
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14 South Carolina
CFN Spring Schedule Rank: 486.5
Not having to play Texas or LSU is a huge help, and our spring belief that Clemson isn't all that great helps - this schedule ranking might be far more difficult when we do this close to the season.
1 Oct 31 at Oklahoma 4
2 Nov 21 Georgia 5
3 Sept 26 at Alabama 5.5
4 Oct 10 at Florida 13
5 Nov 7 Texas A&M 14
6 Nov 28 at Clemson 20.5
7 Nov 14 at Arkansas 28.5
8 Oct 24 Tennessee 30
9 Sept 19 Mississippi State 50
10 Oct 3 Kentucky 52
11 Sept 5 Kent State 125
12 Sept 12 Towson 139
15 Auburn
CFN Spring Schedule Rank: 492.5
Going to Georgia and Alabama is about as tough as it gets, but there are a whole slew of winnable games to get the Alex Golesh era off to a good start.
1 Oct 17 at Georgia 2.5
2 Nov 28 at Alabama 5.5
3 Oct 24 LSU 6
4 Oct 31 at Ole Miss 6.5
5 Oct 3 at Tennessee 15
6 Nov 14 at Mississippi State 25
7 Sept 19 Florida 26
8 Sept 26 Vanderbilt 35
9 Nov 7 Arkansas 57
10 Sept 5 Baylor (in Atlanta) 58
11 Sept 12 Southern Miss 117
12 Nov 21 Samford 139
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16 Vanderbilt
CFN Spring Schedule Rank: 497
Playing NC State at home is the toughest non-conference game, and as SEC schedules go, this is about as light as it reasonably gets.
1 Oct 3 at Georgia 2.5
2 Nov 14 Alabama 11
3 Oct 10 Ole Miss 13
4 Nov 21 at Florida 13
5 Sept 26 at Auburn 14.5
6 Nov 7 at Mississippi State 25
7 Oct 24 at Kentucky 26
8 Nov 28 Tennessee 30
9 Sept 19 NC State 44
10 Oct 17 Arkansas 57
11 Sept 12 Delaware 122
12 Sept 5 Austin Peay 139
Related: Big Ten Football Strength of Schedule Rankings 2026: Spring
This story was originally published by College Football News on Mar 31, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add College Football News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
