College football strength of schedule rankings for rest of 2023 season

Playing a good schedule in college football is more important now than ever before, as the Playoff Selection Committee places a very heavy emphasis on the quality of a team's opponent before considering it for the semifinal or the high-profile bowl games.

Four weeks into the season, where do things stand on the quality of schedule front? According to Power Rankings Guru, it looks like the MAC is the place to be if you want an easy schedule: six of the 10 teams with the easiest slate going forward belong to that conference, although independent Liberty appears to have the easiest overall.

But what about the hardest? Here are the 10 teams in college football that have the toughest schedules going forward to the end of the season.

10. Florida

Preseason schedule ranking: 6th nationally, 96-60 (61.5%)

Schedule so far: Lost at Utah, Won vs. McNeese, Won vs. Tennessee, Won vs. Charlotte

Schedule to come: at Kentucky, vs. Vanderbilt, at South Carolina, vs. Georgia, vs. Arkansas, at LSU, at Missouri, vs. Florida State

9. Missouri

Preseason schedule ranking: 5th nationally, 97-60 (61.8%)

Schedule so far: Won vs. South Dakota, Won vs. MTSU, Won vs. Kansas State, Won vs. Memphis

Schedule to come: at Vanderbilt, vs. LSU, at Kentucky, vs. South Carolina, at Georgia, vs. Tennessee, vs. Florida, at Arkansas

8. Arizona

Preseason schedule ranking: 60th nationally, 82-70 (53.9%)

Schedule so far: Won vs. Northern Arizona, Lost at Mississippi State, Won vs. UTEP, Won at Stanford

Schedule to come: vs. Washington, at USC, at Washington State, vs. Oregon State, vs. UCLA, at Colorado, vs. Utah, at Arizona State

7. Kansas

Preseason schedule ranking: 52nd nationally, 84-70 (54.5%)

Schedule so far: Won vs. Missouri State, Won vs. Illinois, Won at Nevada, Won vs. BYU

Schedule to come: at Texas, vs. UCF, at Oklahoma State, vs. Oklahoma, at Iowa State, vs. Texas Tech, vs. Kansas State, at Cincinnati

6. Iowa State

Preseason schedule ranking: 8th nationally, 97-61 (61.4%)

Schedule so far: Won vs. Northern Iowa, Lost vs. Iowa, Lost at Ohio, Won vs. Oklahoma State

Schedule to come: at Oklahoma, vs. TCU, at Cincinnati, at Baylor, vs. Kansas, at BYU, vs. Texas, at Kansas State

5. Arizona State

Preseason schedule ranking: 20th nationally, 90-64 (58.4%)

Schedule so far: Won vs. Southern Utah, Lost vs. Oklahoma State, Lost vs. Fresno State, Lost vs. USC

Schedule to come: at Cal, vs. Colorado, at Washington, vs. Washington State, at Utah, at UCLA, vs. Oregon, vs. Arizona

4. USC

Preseason schedule ranking: 97th nationally, 74-76 (49.3%)

Schedule so far: Won vs. San Jose State, Won vs. Nevada, Won vs. Stanford, Won at Arizona State

Schedule to come: at Colorado, vs. Arizona, at Notre Dame, vs. Utah, at Cal, vs. Washington, at Oregon, vs. UCLA

3. Stanford

Preseason schedule ranking: 15th nationally, 92-62 (59.7%)

Schedule so far: Won at Hawai'i, Lost at USC, Lost vs. Sacramento State, Lost vs. Arizona

Schedule to come: vs. Oregon, at Colorado, vs. UCLA, vs. Washington, at Washington State, at Oregon State, vs. Cal, vs. Notre Dame

2. Kentucky

Preseason schedule ranking: 11th nationally, 93-61 (60.4%)

Schedule so far: Won vs. Ball State, Won vs. Eastern Kentucky, Won vs. Akron, Won at Vanderbilt

Schedule to come: vs. Florida, at Georgia, vs. Missouri, vs. Tennessee, at Mississippi State, vs. Alabama, at South Carolina, at Louisville

1. Vanderbilt

Preseason schedule ranking: 41st nationally, 86-68 (55.8%)

Schedule so far: Won vs. Hawai'i, Won vs. Ala. A&M, Lost at Wake Forest, Lost at UNLV, Lost vs. Kentucky

Schedule to come: vs. Missouri, at Florida, vs. Georgia, at Ole Miss, vs. Auburn, at South Carolina, at Tennessee

(Power Rankings Guru)

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