College football strength of schedule rankings in 2025, per Phil Steele

Not all schedules are created equally in college football, and as the 2025 season kicks off in the next few weeks, some teams will have a much harder time than others.

How to approach making a schedule remains a subject of real debate across the sport, as the College Football Playoff selection committee theoretically places a premium on teams who play tough opponents, but not everyone is convinced of that fact.

What teams have a harder path to the postseason than the others? As you would expect, most of those schools reside in the SEC given the strength of that conference.

Here’s how preseason magazine publisher Phil Steele ranks the hardest schedules in college football as we approach the 2025 season...

10. Stanford

College football strength of schedule rankings in 2025, per Phil Steele — Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Schedule: at Hawai’i, at BYU, vs. Boston College, at Virginia, vs. San Jose State, at SMU, vs. Florida State, at Miami, vs. Pittsburgh, at North Carolina, vs. Cal, vs. Notre Dame

Need to know: Stanford is starting over with interim coach Frank Reich at the helm, and will face a tough slate in that rebuilding process, avoiding Clemson, but playing some very tough road games and closing against a likely playoff-bound Irish squad.

9. Kentucky

Schedule: vs. Toledo, vs. Ole Miss, vs. Eastern Michigan, at South Carolina, at Georgia, vs. Texas, vs. Tennessee, at Auburn, vs. Florida, vs. Tennessee Tech, at Louisville

Need to know: A very tough time ahead for the Wildcats right from the jump against a decent MAC opponent in Toledo before heading into the Ole Miss game, and then a six-game midseason stretch that could derail everything.

8. UCLA

Schedule: vs. Utah, at UNLV, vs. New Mexico, at Northwestern, vs. Penn State, at Michigan State, vs. Maryland, at Indiana, vs. Nebraska, at Ohio State, vs. Washington, at USC

Need to know: Some challenging non-conference foes early on for the Bruins, who bring on quarterback Nico Iamaleava in a major offseason coup, but he’ll be tested against a solid Big Ten rotation that includes two of the conference’s very best teams.

7. Oklahoma

Schedule: vs. Illinois State, vs. Michigan, at Temple, vs. Auburn, vs. Kent State, vs. Texas, at South Carolina, vs. Ole Miss, at Tennessee, at Alabama, vs. Missouri, vs. LSU

Need to know: John Mateer and Jadyn Ott are big upgrades for the Sooners’ anemic offense, and this unit will have to be in top form against another brutal SEC slate in the second half of the season, and that’s after a home tilt against what should be an improved Michigan team.

6. LSU

Schedule: at Clemson, vs. Louisiana Tech, vs. Florida, vs. Southeastern La., at Ole Miss, vs. South Carolina, at Vanderbilt, vs. Texas A&M, at Alabama, vs. Arkansas, vs. Western Kentucky, at Oklahoma

Need to know: A stiff test for the Tigers in the opener on the road against the class of the ACC with key rematches against the Aggies and Crimson Tide, two teams that hurt LSU’s playoff chances late last year.

5. Syracuse

Schedule: vs. Tennessee, vs. UConn, vs. Colgate, at Clemson, vs. Duke, at SMU, vs. Pittsburgh, at Georgia Tech, vs. North Carolina, at Miami, at Notre Dame, vs. Boston College

Need to know: Opening up against good SEC teams never usually bodes well for non-conference foes, and shortly after that the Orange open up against some of the ACC’s best, in addition to a trip to South Bend.

4. South Carolina

Schedule: vs. Virginia Tech, vs. SC State, vs. Vanderbilt, at Missouri, vs. Kentucky, at LSU, vs. Oklahoma, vs. Alabama, at Ole Miss, at Texas A&M, vs. Coastal Carolina, vs. Clemson

Need to know: We’ll see how well the Gamecocks’ superb defense can withstand some losses in personnel against a rotation that key road dates against LSU and Texas A&M, but get other key SEC foes and Clemson at home.

3. Arkansas

Schedule: vs. Alabama A&M, vs. Arkansas State, at Ole Miss, at Memphis, vs. Notre Dame, at Tennessee, vs. Texas A&M, vs. Auburn, vs. Mississippi State, at LSU, at Texas, vs. Missouri

Need to know: The Razorbacks might be under .500 after their first seven games, and that’s before another tough end of season stretch with two road games against some of the SEC’s best competition.

2. Mississippi State

Schedule: at Southern Miss, vs. Arizona State, vs. Alcorn State, vs. NIU, vs. Tennessee, at Texas A&M, at Florida, vs. Texas, at Arkansas, vs. Georgia, at Missouri, vs. Ole Miss

Need to know: The SEC’s only winless team in conference play a year ago will have a tough time scratching together league wins against this rotation, as it’s hard to see one of these SEC games where the Bulldogs will be remotely favored.

1. Wisconsin

Schedule: vs. Miami (Ohio), vs. MTSU, at Alabama, vs. Maryland, at Michigan, vs. Iowa, vs. Ohio State, at Oregon, vs. Washington, at Indiana, vs. Illinois, at Minnesota

Need to know: The date at Alabama is probably a loss for the Badgers, and it doesn’t get easier, facing seven straight weeks of some of the Big Ten’s best, starting with a trip to the Big House, hosting the Buckeyes, going to the Ducks, and then after a merciful bye week run through some other sturdy conference foes.

Phil Steele’s 50 toughest college football schedules

1. Wisconsin

2. Mississippi State

3. Arkansas

4. South Carolina

5. Syracuse

6. LSU

7. Oklahoma

8. UCLA

9. Kentucky

10. Stanford

11. TCU

12. Florida

13. Purdue

14. Texas A&M

T-15. Texas

T-15. Purdue

17. Auburn

18. Colorado

19. Oregon

20. USC

21. Alabama

22. Notre Dame

23. Northwestern

24. Ohio State

25. Boston College

26. Iowa

27. Arizona

28. Vanderbilt

29. Clemson

30. Baylor

31. Michigan State

32. West Virginia

33. Louisville

34. Miami

35. Iowa State

36. Duke

37. Penn State

38. Utah

39. Arizona State

40. Kansas State

41. NC State

42. Georgia Tech

43. BYU

44. Georgia

45. Oklahoma State

46. Maryland

47. Tennessee

48. Ole Miss

49. Pittsburgh

50. Missouri

10. Stanford

9. Kentucky

8. UCLA

7. Oklahoma

6. LSU

5. Syracuse

4. South Carolina

3. Arkansas

2. Mississippi State

1. Wisconsin

Phil Steele’s 50 toughest college football schedules

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