Ranking SEC schedules toughest to easiest in 2021

[aubiefifty 18,231]

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Ranking SEC schedules toughest to easiest in 2021

ByBrad Crawford

9-12 minutes

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Peeking at the 2021 schedule across the SEC, all schedules are not created equally. Under the current rotation system, some programs must endure annual cross-divisional rivalry games not conducive to success — see Tennessee-Alabama for instance. Fortunately for both of those programs this fall, however, each has a more favorable road than usual in getting to where they want to be.

Embrace the challenge. That's just about all you can do when facing a daunting schedule like the University of Arkansas endures every season. After battling arguably the toughest schedule in college football last fall during Sam Pittman's first campaign, the Razorbacks are once again facing a treacherous slate, one without the benefit of cupcake wins along the way to push this team along a bit.

Judging schedules based on potential games against nationally-ranked team and where games fall, we've ranked the SEC's 2021 slates from most challenging to easiest — easiest being used with a grain of salt considering this is within the nation's most competitive league.

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Here's a look at our SEC schedule ranking this season, from toughest to most favorable:

(Photo: Arkansas Communications)

The toughest schedule in the SEC this season belongs to Arkansas. At some point, you have to feel sorry a bit for Sam Pittman and the Razorbacks. No one in the SEC will, but it's difficult shift the direction of a struggling program when there are landmines week after week on the schedule. With five guaranteed matchups vs. ranked teams and the possibility of three more, we're going to feel safe landing in the middle here and project the Razorbacks to play six contests this fall against top-25 competition — a treacherous task. This feels like a broken record because the Razorbacks have faced one of the nation's toughest schedules for several consecutive seasons as one of the bottom-dwellers in college football's toughest division. However, this program made tremendous strides last fall under Pittman and is trying to get back to respectability. But with road games against Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss and LSU and a battle against Texas during the non-conference slate, 2021 could be ugly. 

(Photo: Adam Sparks / Inside the Auburn Tigers)

If we made this schedule ranking entirely consisting of SEC teams, there would be few complaints given the league's expected strength in 2021. Half of the list would be teams from the SEC West. Luckily for the Tigers, they'll get the luxury of a pair of tuneup games before the schedule kicks into high gear at Penn State in mid-September. Bryan Harsin's first season on the Plains could be unkind if both sides of the football haven't found a rhythm early. After the non-conference showdown at Beaver Stadium against one of the Big Ten's best, Auburn takes on LSU and Georgia over consecutive weekend in October and battles two Top 10 teams in the final month — Texas A&M and Alabama. This isn't a Boise State schedule for Harsin anymore. 

(Photo: Justin Ford, USA TODAY Sports)

One of the underdogs nationally entering the season as a fringe top-25 team, Lane Kiffin knows there is a fine line between success and disappointment in his second season with the Rebels based on the schedule. Ole Miss opens with a made-for-Labor Day Weekend tilt with Louisville, who could be a surprise team in the ACC. Take care of business against the Cardinals and the Rebels should be perfect heading into the always-nightmarish SEC portion of the slate. Road games vs. Alabama and Auburn along with home bouts with LSU and Texas A&M are among the toughest. At least Kiffin gets Tennessee and Vanderbilt from the East. There's also a November non-conference matchup with Liberty. And the Flames will be ranked.

(Photo: Ryan Bethea, 247Sports)

South Carolina will be a double-digit underdog in several games this season. The good news for the Gamecocks? Outside expectations are non-existent for first-year coach Shane Beamer considering the schedule and roster coming back for South Carolina, a program that has fallen on hard times and hopes a new regime guides the ship in the right direction. Beamer could take on as many as four Top 15 teams during his inaugural campaign, including showdowns vs. Clemson and Florida at home. Road games against Georgia and Texas A&M will be a tremendous challenge. If South Carolina doesn't start hot in the non-conference, the Gamecocks are looking at their third consecutive season with potentially four or fewer wins. 

(Photo: MSU Media Relations)

Where are the cupcakes? For Mike Leach and the Bulldogs, the automatic wins are few this season. After opening against Louisiana Tech, Mississippi State faces a five-game grinder over a six-week stretch that will include opponents who all played in a bowl game last fall. N.C. State and Memphis will be tests prior to the SEC slate beginning on Sept. 25 against LSU. Matchups with Texas A&M and Alabama come after that. If Mississippi State still has a pulse at that point, the Bulldogs take on Auburn and Ole Miss at the back end, likely needed wins for bowl eligibility.  

(Photo: © Stephanie Amador / The Tennessean via Imagn Content Services, LLC, USA TODAY Sports)

Clark Lea's first season in Nashville is going to get ugly, but perhaps the Commodores can squeak out a win or two early to avoid a winless campaign. Prior to opening SEC play against Georgia on Sept. 25, Vanderbilt plays East Tennessee State, Colorado State and Stanford in tune-up matchups. Win two of those and there will be some confidence established early at a program that truly needs positive momentum. The only other ranked opponent after Georgia is Florida on the road on Oct. 9, but that does not mean the remaining games are favorable by any means. It'll be interesting to see how the Commodores fare as a team in transition.

(Photo: Stephen Lew, Getty)

Opening the season at UCLA will not be an easy task for the Tigers, who are trying to recover from last season's abrupt fall from grace and show they're better on defense than what was shown during the 2020 campaign. November games against Alabama and Texas A&M will ultimately determine this team's stance in the SEC West, college football's toughest division. If the Tigers can topple Florida in Baton Rouge on Oct. 16, they'll be in good standing coming down the stretch. Potential games to watch in terms of "upset alert" include a trip to Kentucky and a battle at Ole Miss.

(Photo: Douglas DeFelice, USA TODAY Sports)

😎 Florida Gators

9) Tennessee Vols

10) Texas A&M Aggies

Florida has to deal with defending national champion Alabama at home this season, so there's one game the Gators won't be favored to win in conference play. Florida will be an underdog in Jacksonville against Georgia too. ... There's no such thing as an easy schedule in the SEC. However, there are favorable slates and Texas A&M looks to have caught a break in 2021. The Aggies don't have to deal with Georgia or Florida from the East and get their toughest game, Alabama, at home. The non-conference slate won't pose a threat to a team bringing back several key components of last year's Top 10 squad, though the matchup with Colorado will be a good barometer of where the Aggies are heading into the conference season.

(Photo: Kyle Robertson, Getty)

Relative to talent, there's a roster discrepancy that exists in every game this season for the Crimson Tide, unlike like the 2020 campaign where the early game vs. Georgia truly tested Alabama's might. Nick Saban's team puts the nation's longest winning streak on the line in Week 1 against Miami and then travels to Gainesville for their SEC opener two weeks later. Three weeks after that, the potential SEC West title game will be played when Alabama crunches pads with Texas A&M. A home game with LSU awaits on Nov. 6, the Crimson Tide's toughest game during the season's final month.

(Photo: Tony Walsh)

12) Georgia Bulldogs

13) Kentucky Wildcats

14) Mizzou Tigers

How does a schedule featuring a non-conference game against Clemson make a "most favorable" list? Well, when you're a team in the national title hunt annually like the Bulldogs, you can overcome a potential early-season loss to an elite and still be playing a Playoff berth at the end of the season. Beat the Tigers, and Georgia has a golden ticket in its back pocket in case something goes awry in the SEC East race with Florida. Without Alabama or Texas A&M on the slate this fall, a potential unbeaten regular season is there for the taking. 

">247Sports

[W.E.D 11,071]

These numbers get skewed a little b/c Bama doesn't play themselves.  When they draw @UF from the east, that's about as hard as a schedule as they'll get.  UT being god awful is a nice gift for them.  If we were perceived to be better they would jump to top 4.

[japantiger 4,117]

I still can't figure out why we're in the West and Missouri is in the East.  Life is tough in the West.

[SumterAubie 3,086]

45 minutes ago, japantiger said:

I still can't figure out why we're in the West and Missouri is in the East.  Life is tough in the West.

Cause bamr realizes it would be advantageous for Auburn to be in the East. Thus they block any notion of  Auburn doing so.

[TexasTiger 14,291]

1 hour ago, japantiger said:

I still can't figure out why we're in the West and Missouri is in the East.  Life is tough in the West.

Gotta play Bama and UGA every year— don’t you just get one permanent opponent from the other division?

[japantiger 4,117]

34 minutes ago, TexasTiger said:

Gotta play Bama and UGA every year— don’t you just get one permanent opponent from the other division?

Why do we have to play GA?

 

[Viper 3,501]

34 minutes ago, japantiger said:

Why do we have to play GA?

 

Oldest rivalry in the South duh.

[W.E.D 11,071]

2 hours ago, japantiger said:

I still can't figure out why we're in the West and Missouri is in the East.  Life is tough in the West.

Bc someone between Mizzou/Aggies had to go to the east. They weren't going to change division.

Would have been too much shake up

[TexasTiger 14,291]

1 hour ago, japantiger said:

Why do we have to play GA?

 

 

[Viper 3,501]

10 minutes ago, W.E.D said:

Bc someone between Mizzou/Aggies had to go to the east. They weren't going to change division.

Would have been too much shake up

I’ve never understood why some of our fans want to go the East. Why would you want the possibility of playing bammer twice? Even if they’re in a down year, no thanks to that stress.

[Win4AU 4,182]

1)  these articles are equal to preseason polls.  No one really knows who’s gonna be good until the games are played.  If Bama and TaMus new Qbs struggle, LSU and Penn State still struggle then that schedule gets a lot easier.  
2)  This stuff is all cyclical.  80s>90s it was Bama and Auburn.  90s>early 2000s Florida and UT.  Mid 200s to now all West mainly Bama.  When Saban retires it may become the UGA UF show.  Maybe TaMu starts dominating.  Maybe Harsin builds a dominate program here.  Maybe Huepel surprises everyone and brings Tennessee back to prominence.  All good off-season fodder 

[japantiger 4,117]

11 hours ago, Viper said:

I’ve never understood why some of our fans want to go the East. Why would you want the possibility of playing bammer twice? Even if they’re in a down year, no thanks to that stress.

Then don't play Bama every year if you're in the East...Auburn in the East with a normal rotating schedule of West opponents serves Auburns interests best. Auburns current alignment and schedule doesn't serve Auburn very well and has not since realignment. 

[gr82be 14,910]

16 minutes ago, japantiger said:

Then don't play Bama every year if you're in the East...Auburn in the East with a normal rotating schedule of West opponents serves Auburns interests best. Auburns current alignment and schedule doesn't serve Auburn very well and has not since realignment. 

Thanks but no thanks. Geographically the East makes sense but I wouldn't want to give up Bama annually as a trade. Auburn has to deal with them. We have never hidden from them before and there's no reason to start now. The answer is to beat them, not retreat from them. 

[japantiger 4,117]

3 minutes ago, gr82be said:

Thanks but no thanks. Geographically the East makes sense but I wouldn't want to give up Bama annually as a trade. Auburn has to deal with them. We have never hidden from them before and there's no reason to start now. The answer is to beat them, not retreat from them. 

Then drop GA from the East and pick up Vandy.  Auburns scheduling decisions have never been made in Auburns interests.  Frankly I think Tuscaloosa has been issuing them.  For 50 years we played TN, FL, GA and AL + the MS schools every year.  That did nothing for us...while AL played(s) Vandy and the special kids club and never played GA or FL.  We need to still be alive when playoff consideration time comes...that means being in position to win a division and being healthy.  That won't happen with what we are dealing with now.   I'd still prefer to be in the East and deal with AL in the conference championship game. 

Forget "tradition" and someone elses view of who Auburn has to play.  Play a schedule that gives us the best chance to get to the SEC CG and the playoffs every year...even really good Auburn teams will have 2 SEC losses at the end of the season most years.  That won't get us in the SEC CG and likely won't even get us in a 12 team playoff.

[casatiger 514]

I believe Auburn will be fine with a 12 team playoff.   Auburn needs to work on Auburn.  We cannot really blame the schedule for our last few years performance.  I agree we will always have to work harder based on our permanent opponent in the east and it might not be fair but when Saban retires the landscape will change dramatically in my opinion.  We just need to make good coaching hires and then do the things necessary to bring our program up to their level.  The 12 team playoff is huge and will impact recruiting for the better of college football.   Not in year 1 perhaps but year 3 or 4 I would anticipate the impact to be felt.  Auburn is its own worst enemy (7 years, 49 million) sometimes.    

[japantiger 4,117]

Saban just extended thru 2028.  Waiting him out is not much of a strategy.   We have to fight like he does...that is, on every front.  He recruits, and develops, he pushes every rule to the limit for his advantage,he markets, he gets rules changed that he doesn't like, he lobbies for more playoff teams...he uses all his assets...we should too.

[Viper 3,501]

4 hours ago, japantiger said:

Then don't play Bama every year if you're in the East...Auburn in the East with a normal rotating schedule of West opponents serves Auburns interests best. Auburns current alignment and schedule doesn't serve Auburn very well and has not since realignment. 

You really think the Iron Bowl would be severed if AU moved to the East? The bammer/TN rivalry wasn’t. But the most fierce rivalry in all of college football would be severed?

[Viper 3,501]

2 hours ago, casatiger said:

but when Saban retires the landscape will change dramatically in my opinion. 

Only in Clemson, SC will it change. 

[casatiger 514]

41 minutes ago, japantiger said:

Saban just extended thru 2028.  Waiting him out is not much of a strategy.   We have to fight like he does...that is, on every front.  He recruits, and develops, he pushes every rule to the limit for his advantage,he markets, he gets rules changed that he doesn't like, he lobbies for more playoff teams...he uses all his assets...we should too.

I agree which is why I said Auburn needs to work on Auburn.   

[W.E.D 11,071]

5 hours ago, japantiger said:

Then don't play Bama every year if you're in the East...Auburn in the East with a normal rotating schedule of West opponents serves Auburns interests best. Auburns current alignment and schedule doesn't serve Auburn very well and has not since realignment. 

We are never not going to play Bama in the future.  That's silly

[meh130 1,056]

On 6/15/2021 at 12:53 PM, japantiger said:

Saban just extended thru 2028.  Waiting him out is not much of a strategy.   We have to fight like he does...that is, on every front.  He recruits, and develops, he pushes every rule to the limit for his advantage,he markets, he gets rules changed that he doesn't like, he lobbies for more playoff teams...he uses all his assets...we should too.

Saban is not going to stay until the last year of his contract, then announce his retirement. An aging coach needs at least 3 years remaining on his contract to recruit effectively, otherwise rumors of retirement impact recruiting. There is never a buyout implication of retiring and not going to another coaching job.

That said, I expect he will get another extension in a couple of years. My gut says Saban might consider retiring after the 2025 season, after he surpasses Bear Bryant's 323 total wins. I do not expect he would want to chase Joe Pa's 409 wins, which would likely require him coaching until 2031 at age 80, or later. But he might.

[AUwent 3,833]

Frankly we have no idea when Nicky will retire (JoePa coached until he was 85, Bobby Bowden until he was 80) or if Dabo will want to leave (even if worst comes to worst in that regard, don't underestimate the positive impact Clemson falling back into obscurity would have on our recruiting). Japan is right, depending on his retirement is not a viable plan. Schedule wise, if abolishing divisions can't happen, the next best thing would be to abolish permanent cross division games (Could we please swap Mizzou with WVU to go along with that? Not saying WVU would do any better than Mizzou but they would at least fit in the east, and the Big 12 would actually make geographic sense again). 

If not that, then we need to take 'er easy OOC wise. Which it seems like we're doing after we're through with PSU.

Trying to convince myself the 2020s won't be the new '70s. Can we at least have '70s quality movies and music in that case?
https://doyouremember.com/70039/greatest-movie-decade-evidence-1970s-best-decade-film-making

 

[keesler 5,957]

On 6/15/2021 at 11:53 AM, japantiger said:

Saban just extended thru 2028.  Waiting him out is not much of a strategy.   We have to fight like he does...that is, on every front.  He recruits, and develops, he pushes every rule to the limit for his advantage,he markets, he gets rules changed that he doesn't like, he lobbies for more playoff teams...he uses all his assets...we should too.

Saban's not responsible for Auburn losing damn near every UGA game OR losing Jeremy Pruitt/JoeMoorehead/Mullen/Muschamp/Miles/Orgeron/John L Smith etc. in the last decade.    Auburn is like 10-12 vs the East in the last 10 yrs which is mediocre IMO.  

[augolf1716 21,969]

57 minutes ago, keesler said:

  Auburn is like 10-12 vs the East in the last 10 yrs which is mediocre IMO.  

Actually I would say that's damn right awful imo

[japantiger 4,117]

Since 2007 we have lost 18 games to East opponents...12 of those are against GA.

Either move to the East and Drop AL or stay in the West and drop GA.  Otherwise, we will; even in some pretty good years; have 2 SEC losses at playoff eval time.  

“(The state of Alabama) touch(es) Florida, Georgia and Tennessee, we need to be in the East, and Missouri needs to be in the West." Pat Dye 2017