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College football strength of schedule rankings, according to ESPN Football Power Index

Football Power Index took a crack at ranking every schedule in college football this season

Author:
James Parks
Publish date:
Jun 28, 2023 2:39 PM EDT

A key moment of the offseason calendar is here as ESPN has announced its annual preseason Football Power Index, a great big pile of analytics that includes, among other measurements, the college football strength of schedule rankings.

The index defines its strength of schedule metric as “rank among all FBS teams of remaining schedule strength, from the perspective of an average FBS team.”

As they often do, the SEC leads the way in these rankings, owing to the quality of competition each team plays each season: the conference has 12 teams in the top 25 of the schedule metric, followed by the Big Ten with 10, while other Power Five leagues like the ACC and Big 12 have just one.

According to the FPI, national champion Georgia has the 31st toughest schedule to play this season. CFP runner-up TCU has the 38th toughest schedule.

The easiest schedule in college football this year? That honor goes to Liberty, which plays its first season as members of Conference USA in 2023.

College football strength of schedule rankings, according to ESPN Football Power Index

These college football teams have the toughest road ahead looking forward to the 2023 season

10. Indiana

college-football-big-ten-rankings-playoff-scores-schedule

Where Indiana's schedule ranks nationally: 27th, with opponents going 87-66 (56.9%) last season

Need to know: A tough first month for the Big Ten hopefuls, opening up against Ohio State and Louisville in two of their first three games before road trips to Maryland and Michigan in consecutive weeks and then to Penn State after that. IU draws Wisconsin at home but travels to Illinois and to rival Purdue to close the year out.

9. Rutgers

Where Rutgers' schedule ranks nationally: 88th, with opponents going 75-74 (50.3%) last season

Need to know: Another Big Ten East team with important road games against the likes of Michigan and Wisconsin in the first half of the season, a later season tilt at home against Ohio State and road games against Iowa and Penn State in back-to-back games. Rutgers also has a tough non-conference outing against Virginia Tech in mid-September, but that game is at home.

8. Tennessee

Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Joe Milton attempts a pass during a college football game in the SEC. — USA Today Images

Where Tennessee's schedule ranks nationally: 16th, with opponents going 90-62 (59.2%) last season

Need to know: Big Orange opens against Virginia in Nashville before going to Florida two weeks later and has two home games against South Carolina and Texas A&M before a date against rival Alabama on the road on Oct. 21 and at Kentucky the week after. UT draws Georgia in the penultimate regular season game, this time on Rocky Top in what should be a massive game in the SEC East and College Football Playoff picture.

7. Michigan State

Where Michigan State's schedule ranks nationally: 2nd, with opponents going 96-57 (62.7%) last season

Need to know: Mel Tucker is coming off a five-win season but has a shot to prove himself and this team in a Week 3 home game against Pac-12 contender Washington and that dynamic offense. Sparty draws rival Michigan on Oct. 21 and goes to Minnesota the week after, before a tough final month of the season that includes a road trip to Ohio State and the Land Grant Trophy game against Penn State at home.

6. Arkansas

Arkansas Razorbacks running back Raheim Sanders on a carry during a college football game in the SEC. — USA Today Images

Where Arkansas' schedule ranks nationally: 49th, with opponents going 83-68 (55.0%) last season

Need to know: KJ Jefferson, the SEC's best quarterback, returns this season with a ton of must-win games on this schedule, including an early home tilt against BYU followed by a trip to LSU the week after and road dates against Ole Miss and Alabama in back-to-back games in early October.

5. Auburn

Auburn Tigers tailback Jarquez Hunter on a rushing attempt during a college football game in the SEC. — USA Today Images

Where Auburn's schedule ranks nationally: 12th, with opponents going 93-62 (60.0%) last season

Need to know: Hugh Freeze has his work cut out for him in his debut on The Plains, going to Cal in Week 2 and to Texas A&M two weeks later, followed by The Deep South's Oldest Rivalry against Georgia at home, a trip to LSU after that, and a home date with Ole Miss after that. Auburn goes to Arkansas on Nov. 11 before hosting the Iron Bowl.

4. Maryland

Maryland Terrapins quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa drops back for a pass in a college football game in the Big Ten. — USA Today Images

Where Maryland's schedule ranks nationally: 93rd, with opponents going 73-73 (50.0%) last season

Need to know: It's a hard life in the Big Ten East if you're not Ohio State, Michigan, or Penn State, and the Terps will run the gauntlet again this fall, going to Ohio State and Nebraska but luckily get Michigan and Penn State at home. Ranking Maryland ahead of Arkansas or Auburn, or really any SEC West team, in this poll isn't something we would do, especially given the Terrapins' non-conference slate (vs. Towson, vs. Charlotte, though Virginia does come to College Park in Week 3.)

3. Florida

Florida Gators in action during a college football game in the SEC.

Where Florida's schedule ranks nationally: 6th, with opponents going 96-60 (61.5%) last season

Need to know: Billy Napier opens up on the road against Pac-12 champion Utah and gets Tennessee in the Swamp two weeks later before going to Kentucky and then to South Carolina with Vandy (who beat the Gators last season) in-between. Georgia, Arkansas, and at LSU follow in three straight weeks, followed by a trip to Missouri and the annual clash with the Seminoles, this time in Gainesville.

2. Minnesota

Minnesota Golden Gophers tight end Brevyn Spann-Ford catches a pass in a college football game in the Big Ten. — USA Today Images

Where Minnesota's schedule ranks nationally: 25th, with opponents going 89-67 (57.1%) last season

Need to know: Last season's second-place finisher in the B1G West hosts Nebraska in the opener before going to North Carolina and its dynamic offense two weeks after that. Michigan hosts the Gophers for Paul Bunyan's Axe on Oct. 7 before two straight road trips to Purdue and Ohio State before closing at home to Wisconsin.

1. Ole Miss

Ole Miss Rebels running back Quinshon Judkins on a rushing attempt during a college football game in the SEC. — USA Today Images

Where Ole Miss' schedule ranks nationally: 4th, with opponents going 95-58 (62.1%) last season

Need to know: Two big road games come early for the Rebels, going to AAC champ and Cotton Bowl victor Tulane in Week 2 and to Alabama two weeks after that, with LSU and Arkansas at home in consecutive weeks. If Lane Kiffin's team can survive that, it'll get a shot at Texas A&M at home, national champion Georgia on the road in as tough a cross-division matchup as there is, and the Egg Bowl in Starkville. Pretty brutal for a team that lost five out of six games to close out last season.

You can see the full strength of schedule rankings here.

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