College Football Strength of Schedule Rankings: 5 Toughest Schedules this Season (2025)

Dominick's college football strength of schedule rankings for 2025. His five teams with the toughest schedules this season, including the Florida Gators.

If you believe people like Greg Sankey and every SEC head coach, this list should start and end with the entirety of the conference. But we are neither of these, nor will we include others.

Besides, it is weak to play only eight conference games and give Oklahoma perhaps the most demanding schedule in the country, while Texas may have one of the easiest. I know the University of Oklahoma has a crimson and cream color scheme. But this does not mean they should be redheaded stepchildren.

There will undoubtedly be SEC representation; they do have the most significant number of good teams. But we will also throw in a few other teams. Not surprisingly, these teams play in the other of the Big Two conferences.

Top 5 Toughest College Football Schedules

Florida Gators

Projected Ranked Opponents: 7

2025 Schedule: vs. Long Island University, vs. USF, @LSU, @ Miami, vs. Texas, @ Texas A&M, vs. Mississippi State, vs. Georgia (in Jacksonville), @ Kentucky, @ Ole Miss, vs. Tennessee, vs. Florida State

Florida had the most demanding schedule known to man in 2024. So, it only makes sense that they have one of the hardest yet again in 2025.

All the conference games are the same, only reversed in location, and the annual Georgia Game in Jacksonville. However, it should be a home-and-home; instead, it remains a building the Gators have struggled to navigate in recent years.

After getting blown out 49-17 in Austin, Florida will look to avenge this loss in the Swamp. Hopefully, they will have DJ Lagway, who can be the best quarterback in the country if he can finally remain healthy. He missed last season’s game, but when he returned against Ole Miss and LSU, he notched a win over the Tigers, and just a week after the Rebels upset Georgia, they went into Gainesville and lost—both the game and their hopes of a playoff berth.

Ole Miss will look to return the favor this season in Oxford, as it is Florida that is expected to take a step forward. While both Florida and Ole Miss are playoff contenders, the Gators are the flavor of the month. They will need to beat a litany of ranked teams, including Georgia, LSU, and Ole Miss.

Along with Tennessee and a team in Florida State who could be highly ranked going into the game, it could just as easily be 1-10. A game in Miami is also on the schedule in Week 4 as it will be another revenge spot for Florida, which lost 41-17 at The Swamp to open 2024 against the Hurricanes.

Playoffs are earned and lost on the field. This is undoubtedly the case not only in Florida. But, for many of the teams on their schedule, in and out of conference.

Throws like this are the reason @GatorsFB went 6-0 in games DJ Lagway started & finished last season.

Florida fans, that sound you hear is Hope knocking on your door againpic.twitter.com/ZbRx1n6w5s

— David Pollack (@davidpollack47) August 2, 2025

Mississippi State Bulldogs

Projected number of ranked opponents: 7

2025 Schedule: @ Southern Miss., vs. Arizona State, vs. Alcorn State, vs. Northern Illinois, vs. Tennessee, @ Texas A&M, @ Florida, vs. Texas, @ Arkansas, vs. Georgia, @ Missouri, vs. Ole Miss

There is one team in the SEC that is by far the worst in the conference. Unfortunately for Mississippi State, they cannot play them because it is them. This makes any schedule for the Bulldogs difficult. Add this to the fact that they will be playing seven teams who are projected to be ranked in the top-25, and what do you expect?

Jeff Lebby knew what he was getting into when he left Oklahoma for Starkville. He may not have known that after his first season at the helm, the backup QB who ended up being the starter, Michael Van Buren Jr., would leave after the season via the transfer portal. Not only did he leave, but he also went to serve as a backup to Garrett Nussmeier.

Sure, LSU has national championship aspirations, but Mississippi State has Stark Vegas and cow bells. Ok, I get it too.

Lebby will have just as difficult a time in 2025 with a team that is more fitting of the Sunbelt Conference than the SEC at his point in time. While in-state rival Ole Miss is flying high, the Bulldogs are just hoping to stay grounded and win with defense.

With the reputation of Lebby and the quarterback position, the Bulldogs had a significant win in recruiting in 2025, hanging on to in-state four-star QB Kamario Taylor as other teams, including Auburn, came after him. He stuck with his pledge, and even if Taylor is unable to provide a spark for Mississippi State this year, his presence and his untapped potential could be a draw for other offensive players to join him in the 2026 class.

Mississippi State went winless in conference, and with a schedule including Florida, Georgia, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas, and Texas A&M, they could easily go winless again in 2025. While the out-of-conference game against Arizona State will get the attention, a game that will be overlooked by many is the opening game @ Southern Miss.

The Golden Eagles were terrible in 2024, which led them to fire their coach. While Marshall won the conference after going 10-3, the Thundering Herd decided they did not want to retain coach Charles Huff. By doing so, they gave Southern Miss one of the best coaches in the group of five. They also gave the Golden Eagles more than 20 of their best players.

All of whom transferred along with their coach. Not only is Southern Miss a good wager in Week 1, but they are also a good bet at +2700 to win the Sun Belt Conference.

Very few games on the Bulldogs' schedule can ever be considered gimme games. What they thought was a one-sided match against Southern Miss will turn into a dogfight. This makes the Mississippi State schedule even more challenging than initially projected.

Oklahoma Sooners

Projected number of ranked opponents: 8

2025 Schedule: vs. Ill. State, vs. Michigan, vs. Temple, vs. Auburn, vs. Kent State, @ Texas (in |Dallas), @ South Carolina, vs. Ole Miss, @ Tennessee, @ Alabama, vs. Missouri, vs. LSU

Ok, the Sooners get to play Temple and Kent State—the teams that might be the two worst teams in college football. And sure, they get to visit Philadelphia. Wait, this might not be a prize. I live here. But they also get a huge out-of-conference game against Michigan in Week 2. A defensive game whose over/under might be 37.5 and finish 10-9. But this is where the fun ends for Oklahoma in 2025.

Let us look at the conference slate: Auburn, Texas, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Alabama, Missouri, and LSU. Hugh Freeze needs Auburn to have a tremendous 2025 to save his job. With Oklahoma’s Brent Venables in the same boat, he decided to get rid of his panic hiring of Offensive Coordinator Seth Littrell.

A hire he was pushed into after losing Lebby to the Mississippi State head coaching job. By doing so, they were not only able to bring in the inventive Ben Arbuckle from Washington State, but they were also able to land the prize quarterback transfer in John Mateer, also arriving from the Cougars.

John Mateer spoke with local media today. He told us he loves where the offense is at right now. Specifically said he’s spent a lot of time studying film with the offensive line. #Sooners pic.twitter.com/deGERbLbrj

— George Stoia III (@GeorgeStoia) August 4, 2025

Starting with Michigan and finishing with the LSU showdown, Mateer will be the key to any success Oklahoma might find in 2025. After finishing 2024 with 3,139 yards, 29 TDs, and seven interceptions on 224 of 347 passing, Mateer will need to do even better in the SEC.

On top of the passing ability Mateer brings, he also brings danger in the run game. For Washington State in 2024, Mateer accumulated 826 yards on 178 carries, accounting for an additional 15 TD on the ground. Following Arbuckle to Norman, Mateer has a chance to fine-tune his abilities in his second season with the offense.

This means he could challenge the likes of Lagway and LaNorris Sellers as the best in the SEC. This will only happen if the Sooners' wide receivers can finally remain healthy and if the offensive line takes a significant step forward after Jackson Arnold was demolished and forced to transfer after the 2024 season.

With talent on the offense and defense, Oklahoma still has a chance to finish with an 8-4 record or better. This may not soothe the angry beast inside the fanbase, but it will be enough to prove Oklahoma belongs and that they will be a force in 2026.

Purdue Boilermakers

Projected number of ranked opponents: 5

2025 Schedule: vs. Ball State, vs. Southern Illinois (FCS), vs. USC, @ Notre Dame, vs. Illinois, @ Minnesota, @ Northwestern, vs. Rutgers, @ Michigan, vs. Ohio State, @ Washington, vs. Indiana

Purdue was the worst team in the Big Ten in 2024. After two seasons, they were forced to let go of head coach Ryan Walters, who was an elite defensive coordinator at Illinois. Walters never made it work in West Lafayette.

With a 66-7 loss to yearly opponent Notre Dame and a 49-10 loss to Penn State, the Boilermakers were not close in many games. The same can be said for 2025, as Purdue got no favors in their schedule. Both the teams and the placement of games will make it difficult to get to even four wins.

After a stretch of USC, Notre Dame, Illinois, and Minnesota, Purdue finally gets a slight reprieve when they go to a soccer stadium to play Northwestern, followed by a home game against Rutgers. Another four-game gauntlet follows this in Michigan, Ohio State, Washington, and a season-ending game against Indiana.

The only truly winnable games on the schedule are the first two games of Ball State and FBS opponent Southern Illinois. Two wins are not what Purdue fans or the administration want. But it is what they are going to get in 2025 unless there is a miracle we have never seen before.

Wisconsin Badgers

Projected number of ranked opponents: 6

2025 Schedule: vs. Miami Ohio, vs. Middle Tennessee, @ Alabama, vs. Maryland, @ Michigan, vs. Iowa, vs. Ohio State, @ Oregon, vs. Washington, @ Indiana, vs. Illinois, @ Minnesota

This is a bad year for Luke Fickell to need a job-saving record. Out of conference, Wisconsin has a return trip to Alabama, a game in which the Badgers will look to avenge the 42-10 beating the Tide put on them last season in Madison.

In addition to their trip to Tuscaloosa, they will also visit Michigan, Oregon, Indiana, and Minnesota. Michigan, with freshman Bryce Underwood hoping to give the Wolverines a passing game they did not have in 2024, will do everything they can to avoid Wisconsin from beating them in Ann Arbor for just the third time this century.

On the same note, Wisconsin has only been able to beat Ohio State once since 2010, whether at home or on the road. Fickell and the Badgers will also be taking on the Cinderella team of 2024 in Indiana and the potential Cinderella teams of 2025 in Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota.

Add to this a trip to Oregon and a home game against Washington and Wisconsin, and Fickell needs to hope Jeff Grimes can bring in some magic as offensive coordinator. Otherwise, they will both be packing their belongings after a 4-8 season.

More College Football Analysis