Which SEC Team Faces the Toughest US LBM Coaches Poll Opponents? The Rankings Will Surprise You!
Vanderbilt has the toughest path to getting back to a bowl game with road games against South Carolina, Alabama, Texas, and Tennessee, and they’ll also face the LSU Tigers at home.
- The Sooners face one of the toughest SEC schedules, playing seven ranked opponents.
- Several teams, including Oklahoma and Florida, face high pressure seasons due to difficult schedules.
- Texas, ranked #1, has a comparatively easier path to the playoffs despite challenging away games.
But the SEC is full of challenging matchups, and the Sooners play a tough nonconference game against the Michigan Wolverines in week two. Among their conference foes, the Sooners have one of the more challenging schedules in the SEC. Oklahoma will play seven games against teams ranked in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll.Georgia, South Carolina, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt will each play five games against teams ranked in the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll. Each of these teams made a bowl game last year with Georgia reaching the College Football Playoff.As if there wasn’t enough pressure on Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables and Florida head coach Billy Napier, the two blue blood programs face arguably the toughest slates of any SEC team in the country.
3 – No problem for Auburn, Missouri, and Tennessee, right?
For Oklahoma, every ranked team they’ll face this season, except for LSU and South Carolina, is replacing its quarterback with an unproven signal caller.
Auburn, Missouri, and Tennessee each play just three teams ranked inside the top 25 of the Coaches Poll. Now, they each also play Oklahoma, which came in as the top vote getter among others receiving votes. However, their schedules compared to the rest of the SEC provide an easier path to bowl eligibility and College Football Playoff contention.
4 – Texas, Alabama with easy paths to Playoff
When the US LBM Coaches Poll dropped on Monday, it shook things up—Oklahoma Sooners missing the rankings for the very first time in a quarter-century? That’s a seismic shift in college football and, trust me, the Sooners are itching to make a statement this season. They’ve got one of the most brutal schedules in the SEC, going head-to-head with seven ranked opponents, plus a tough nonconference battle against Michigan in Week Two. Pressure? Oh, it’s mounting, not just for Oklahoma but also Florida; these squads are staring down a gauntlet that could define their entire year. Compare this to Texas, the nation’s #1 team, who despite some nasty road trips, seem to have a smoother ride toward the playoffs. Curious how the other SEC teams stack up by the numbers? Stick around—we’re diving deep into who’s facing what, and where those playoff chances really lie. LEARN MOREThe US LBM Coaches Poll was released on Monday, and soon the preseason polls will give way to games, and all that will matter is what happens on the field. The Sooners were left out of the poll for the first time in 25 years. Oklahoma is right where they want to be, with something to prove.
5 – Can Diego Pavia survive a brutal schedule?
Sam Pittman, Mark Stoops, and Brian Kelly enter the 2025 season under a lot of pressure. Pittman helped Arkansas get to a bowl game in 2024 while Stoops and the Wildcats fell from grace despite an upset win over Ole Miss.Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow John on X@john9williams.
6 – No Favors for Arkansas, LSU, Kentucky
How does that compare to the rest of the conference? Let’s take a look at how many teams from the preseason Coaches Poll each SEC team will face this season.Texas, the No. 1 team in the nation, will go on the road to play Ohio State, Georgia, and Florida, and will also face the Sooners in the Cotton Bowl, but the Longhorns have one of the easiest paths to the playoff of any top team.
7 – Oklahoma and Florida under the microscope
Kelly’s status is a bit tenuous as his team feels like it’s in a “playoff or bust” situation entering 2025. But a path to the playoff is fraught with landmines as the Tigers will face Clemson, Ole Miss, and Alabama on the road. They host Florida, Texas A&M, and South Carolina at home, but none of these games are gimmees.Now, each team has major questions, but those questions may not matter as much with the slates they have in 2025.
Alabama, Ole Miss, and Texas will only play four teams ranked in the preseason Coaches Poll. Texas made the semi-finals of the College Football Playoff in 2024 while Alabama and South Carolina were on the outside looking in with 9-3 records after suffering upset losses in SEC play.
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