College Football HQ

Five SEC teams facing the toughest 2026 college football schedules

Breaking down the five toughest schedules in the SEC in 2026.
Dustin Lewis|
Dec 1, 2025; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU new head coach Lane Kiffin speaks at South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images
Dec 1, 2025; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU new head coach Lane Kiffin speaks at South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

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Vanderbilt CommodoresTexas LonghornsOklahoma SoonersArkansas RazorbacksLSU Tigers

There is still plenty of college football remaining on the schedule this year. Bowl season is kicking off this weekend, and the playoffs are right around the corner.

With five teams in the College Football Playoff, the SEC, where it just means more, is looking to produce a national champion for the first time in three seasons.

On Thursday, the conference released the full 2026 schedule for all 16 of its members. Next fall will mark a significant change for the SEC with the increase from eight to nine conference games, along with the league requiring a tenth P4 non-conference contest.

Which teams across the SEC could face the toughest slate in 2026?

LSU Tigers

Lane Kiffin has officially made the move from Oxford to Baton Rouge. He won't have much time to get settled as LSU opens the season at home against Clemson, a perennial playoff contender that is coming off a down season. Dabo Swinney will have to replace his starting quarterback and several other playmakers.

Two weeks later, the Tigers begin conference play in what one can only assume will be an extremely hostile environment, as Kiffin returns to Ole Miss. That's a matchup every college football fan will be watching.

Three of LSU's first five SEC games fall on the road. November could be particularly daunting as the program hosts Alabama and Texas before finishing the regular season with back-to-back road trips to Tennessee and Arkansas.

Arkansas Razorbacks

Arkansas made a coaching change of its own this offseason, bringing in Ryan Silverfield from Memphis to reinvigorate the program. Silverfield didn't draw an easy slate in year one with the Razorbacks.

In Week 2, Arkansas heads to Utah, which fell just short of a playoff appearance this season. The Razorbacks have lost six consecutive true road games dating back to 2024.

SEC play kicks off against two of the top teams in the league, Georgia and Texas A&M. The back half of the campaign doesn't get much easier. Three of Arkansas's final six games fall on the road, including matchups against Auburn and Texas. LSU will be in town for the regular-season finale.

Oklahoma Sooners

One season after finishing below .500, Oklahoma is back in the playoffs, powered by a defense playing its best football at the right time. Whether John Mateer returns or not, the Sooners should be in the conversation as a top team in 2026.

Oklahoma's first three real games all fall out of state, traveling to Michigan and Georgia, along with the annual Red River Rivalry against Texas. The Wolverines obviously have some questions to answer with a dramatic scene ongoing in Ann Arbor. The Sooners will want revenge on the Longhorns after dropping two straight games in the series in blowout fashion.

If Oklahoma can surpass an early test, dates with Ole Miss and Texas A&M are awaiting on back-to-back weekends in November, coupled with a trip to Missouri to cap the regular season.

Texas Longhorns

The Longhorns opened the season on the road in Columbus this year. At least they'll get to face Texas State before hosting Ohio State in Week 2 in 2026. The Buckeyes might very well win it all when the playoffs get underway.

Texas starts SEC play on the road against Tennessee, beginning a four-game stretch that includes the Volunteers, Oklahoma, Florida, and Ole Miss. An upset loss to the Gators, albeit on the road, was a big reason the Longhorns didn't make the top 12 in 2025.

Three of Texas's final four games fall outside of Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium. The Longhorns will travel to Missouri and LSU in consecutive weeks before ending the regular season at Texas A&M on Black Friday.

All in all, the program will face four teams that qualified for the CFP this season.

Vanderbilt Commodores

The Diego Pavia saga is about to come to an end in Nashville. The last two seasons have brought plenty of exciting moments as Pavia has risen from underdog to Heisman Finalist. Luckily for the Commodores, they do have a five-star quarterback entering the field after flipping Jared Curtis from Georgia.

Either way, things will look a lot different at Vanderbilt next season. Head coach Clark Lea has to prove it wasn't a fluke.

The non-conference schedule shouldn't provide many hiccups. However, Vanderbilt kicks off nine consecutive SEC games, five of those on the road, when it travels to Auburn in Week 4 and Georgia in Week 5.

The Commodores will be away from home for three of their final five games. Vanderbilt will host Alabama in November after upsetting the then-No. 1-ranked Crimson Tide the last time they traveled to FirstBank Stadium.

Can Vanderbilt stay on the right track or is the program trending towards a step back?

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Dustin Lewis
DUSTIN LEWIS

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