Every SEC team will be playing at least 1 power five non conference team this Fall, so I decided to check and see who has challenged themselves the most. I'm only considering Power 5 opponents or very good nonpower 5 teams as gimmes are irrelevant.
Ranked hardest to easiest:
Georgia - - - Clemson (neutral site, Charlotte), Georgia Tech (road)
Auburn - - - Penn State (road)
South Carolina - - - Clemson (home), East Carolina (road) Pirates not great but going on road against lower level school is risky
Alabama - - - Miami (neutral site, Atlanta)
Florida - - - Florida State (home), South Florida (road) giving them props for going on the road to an in-state school with nothing to gain and lots to lose
Arkansas - - - Texas (home)
LSU - - - UCLA (road)
Ole Miss - - - Louisville (neutral site), Liberty (home) playing a dangerous non power 5 team coached by former Rebel coach Hugh Freeze
Mississippi State - - - NC State (home), Memphis (road) risky road trip but not higher because major P5 opponent is decent at best
Texas A&M - - - Colorado ("neutral site", Denver)
Vanderbilt - - - Stanford (home), Colorado State (road) another lower level school hosting an sec team
Kentucky - - - Louisville (road)
Missouri - - - Boston College (road)
Tennessee - - - Pittsburgh (home)
So, I see us falling right in the middle as far as difficulty this year. Tennessee only playing one nonconference team worth a flip and getting the Panthers at home going to be a nice cushiony schedule for Heupel in his first year, and he is going to need it.
Ranked hardest to easiest:
Georgia - - - Clemson (neutral site, Charlotte), Georgia Tech (road)
Auburn - - - Penn State (road)
South Carolina - - - Clemson (home), East Carolina (road) Pirates not great but going on road against lower level school is risky
Alabama - - - Miami (neutral site, Atlanta)
Florida - - - Florida State (home), South Florida (road) giving them props for going on the road to an in-state school with nothing to gain and lots to lose
Arkansas - - - Texas (home)
LSU - - - UCLA (road)
Ole Miss - - - Louisville (neutral site), Liberty (home) playing a dangerous non power 5 team coached by former Rebel coach Hugh Freeze
Mississippi State - - - NC State (home), Memphis (road) risky road trip but not higher because major P5 opponent is decent at best
Texas A&M - - - Colorado ("neutral site", Denver)
Vanderbilt - - - Stanford (home), Colorado State (road) another lower level school hosting an sec team
Kentucky - - - Louisville (road)
Missouri - - - Boston College (road)
Tennessee - - - Pittsburgh (home)
So, I see us falling right in the middle as far as difficulty this year. Tennessee only playing one nonconference team worth a flip and getting the Panthers at home going to be a nice cushiony schedule for Heupel in his first year, and he is going to need it.
