Florida atop SEC strength of schedule rankings from CBS Sports

It’s no surprise to see Florida at the No. 1 spot of CBS Sports’ latest strength of schedule rankings for the Southeastern Conference, but how does it stack up to the rest of the conference?

Mississippi State has the second-toughest schedule in the SEC, according to CBS Sports. The Bulldogs have to deal with Florida, Texas and Georgia in consecutive weeks, and closing things out against Tennessee, Ole Miss and Missouri isn’t easy either.

Conference newcomers Oklahoma have the third toughest schedule in the SEC. Houston and Tulane are two non-conference opponents that could provide some trouble, and the Sooners get to deal with Auburn, LSU and Ole Miss on the road in addition to a rivalry game with Texas.

Georgia and South Carolina round out the top five. The Bulldogs don’t have an easy schedule this year and must get through Alabama, Clemson, Ole Miss and Texas this year. Georgia Tech at the end of the schedule could be a thriller, too.

What separates Florida from the above schools are three power conference games in the non-conference schedule. The Gators have all three in-state Power Four programs on the schedule this year, Florida State, Miami and UCF.

“Florida’s gauntlet of a schedule is well-publicized at this point,” CBS Spors college football writer Will Backus said. “The Gators may well have the hardest slate of the 21st century. They have to play 11 power-conference opponents, eight of which were ranked in Dennis Dodds’ post-spring top 25. Florida’s last five games go as follows: Georgia (in Jacksonville), at Texas, LSU, Ole Miss, and at Florida State. Yeesh.”

Near the bottom of the list are two of the expected top teams in the conference, Ole Miss and Texas, but it’s Missouri that has easiest schedule in the SEC heading into 2024. The Tigers get to play several of the worst teams in the conference and don’t have any non-conference landmines on the schedule.

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