Below are my 2019 strength of schedule ratings that take into consideration, the strength of each opponent (according to my power ratings) and also where the game is played. To no surprise, a couple of SEC teams top the list in South Carolina and Auburn. The Gamecocks play Clemson and North Carolina in non-conference action while also pulling Alabama and Texas A&M from the SEC West in conference play. Meanwhile, Auburn plays Oregon in non-conference while also pulling the two best teams from the SEC East in Georgia and Florida in conference play. The Pac-12 is also well represented among the toughest schedules with 4 in the Top 10. They are led by USC who plays Notre Dame, BYU and Fresno St in non-conference action while also pulling the three best teams from the Pac-12 North in Washington, Oregon and Stanford. As far as the easiest schedules go for Power 5 teams, Virginia Tech and Baylor top the list. The Hokies play a pair of FCS opponents in non-conference action and also avoid the Top 4 from the ACC Atlantic in Clemson, Florida St, Syracuse and NC State. Meanwhile, Baylor plays Stephen F. Austin, UTSA and Rice in non-conference action and get the three best teams in the Big 12 (Oklahoma, Texas and Iowa St) all at home. Obviously, I will tweak these numbers slightly as the summer passes, but I don't anticipate them moving much at all.
Rank |
Team |
Avg Opp Rating |
1 |
South Carolina |
80.76 |
2 |
Auburn |
80.20 |
3 |
USC |
79.73 |
4 |
Stanford |
78.64 |
5 |
Texas A&M |
78.59 |
6 |
Colorado |
78.55 |
7 |
West Virginia |
78.00 |
8 |
UCLA |
77.84 |
9 |
Florida |
77.76 |
10 |
LSU |
77.61 |
11 |
Ole Miss |
77.56 |
12 |
California |
77.40 |
13 |
Tennessee |
76.97 |
14 |
Michigan |
76.91 |
15 |
Purdue |
76.91 |
16 |
Oregon State |
76.79 |
17 |
Georgia |
76.74 |
18 |
Ohio State |
76.72 |
19 |
Georgia Tech |
76.52 |
20 |
Vanderbilt |
76.47 |
21 |
Mississippi State |
76.44 |
22 |
Maryland |
76.33 |
23 |
Michigan State |
75.99 |
24 |
Washington |
75.86 |
25 |
Northwestern |
75.84 |
26 |
Iowa |
75.82 |
27 |
Wisconsin |
75.76 |
28 |
North Carolina |
75.55 |
29 |
Duke |
75.47 |
30 |
Louisville |
75.41 |
31 |
Rutgers |
75.40 |
32 |
Arkansas |
75.24 |
33 |
Iowa State |
75.19 |
34 |
Arizona |
75.08 |
35 |
Notre Dame |
74.87 |
36 |
Penn State |
74.82 |
37 |
Kansas |
74.79 |
38 |
Kentucky |
74.74 |
39 |
Kansas State |
74.73 |
40 |
Texas |
74.72 |
41 |
Oregon |
74.56 |
42 |
Minnesota |
74.46 |
43 |
Missouri |
74.46 |
44 |
Alabama |
74.45 |
45 |
Pittsburgh |
74.39 |
46 |
Oklahoma |
74.00 |
47 |
Boston College |
73.82 |
48 |
Texas Tech |
73.71 |
49 |
Nebraska |
73.44 |
50 |
Utah |
73.36 |
51 |
Arizona State |
73.19 |
52 |
Illinois |
73.15 |
53 |
Wake Forest |
72.65 |
54 |
Oklahoma State |
72.46 |
55 |
Florida State |
72.43 |
56 |
Washington State |
72.11 |
57 |
Indiana |
72.09 |
58 |
Clemson |
72.00 |
59 |
TCU |
71.45 |
60 |
Syracuse |
70.88 |
61 |
BYU |
70.10 |
62 |
Miami (FL) |
69.77 |
63 |
Virginia |
69.74 |
64 |
NC State |
69.53 |
65 |
Tulsa |
69.50 |
66 |
Cincinnati |
69.44 |
67 |
Virginia Tech |
69.33 |
68 |
Baylor |
69.21 |
69 |
Utah State |
68.76 |
70 |
Houston |
67.61 |
71 |
Tulane |
67.25 |
72 |
SMU |
66.44 |
73 |
Colorado State |
66.42 |
74 |
Kent State |
66.29 |
75 |
USF |
66.09 |
76 |
Hawaii |
66.07 |
77 |
Northern Illinois |
65.98 |
78 |
Rice |
65.50 |
79 |
Navy |
65.02 |
80 |
UNLV |
64.85 |
81 |
New Mexico State |
64.85 |
82 |
Nevada |
64.70 |
83 |
Air Force |
64.69 |
84 |
Middle Tennessee |
64.69 |
85 |
San Jose State |
64.63 |
86 |
UCF |
64.38 |
87 |
Wyoming |
64.24 |
88 |
San Diego State |
64.03 |
89 |
Georgia Southern |
63.81 |
90 |
Southern Miss |
63.74 |
91 |
New Mexico |
63.63 |
92 |
Connecticut |
63.49 |
93 |
Memphis |
63.28 |
94 |
Fresno State |
63.23 |
95 |
Boise State |
63.06 |
96 |
Miami (OH) |
63.06 |
97 |
Temple |
63.04 |
98 |
Georgia State |
62.99 |
99 |
UL-Monroe |
62.97 |
100 |
Western Kentucky |
62.80 |
101 |
Texas State |
62.80 |
102 |
UTSA |
62.77 |
103 |
South Alabama |
61.98 |
104 |
Western Michigan |
61.86 |
105 |
Bowling Green |
61.61 |
106 |
Old Dominion |
61.57 |
107 |
Charlotte |
61.57 |
108 |
Florida Atlantic |
61.54 |
109 |
Ball State |
61.53 |
110 |
Central Michigan |
61.19 |
111 |
Massachusetts |
60.80 |
112 |
Arkansas State |
60.55 |
113 |
East Carolina |
60.39 |
114 |
Marshall |
60.32 |
115 |
FIU |
59.99 |
116 |
Ohio |
59.86 |
117 |
Toledo |
59.57 |
118 |
Appalachian State |
59.24 |
119 |
North Texas |
59.22 |
120 |
UL-Lafayette |
59.19 |
121 |
Akron |
58.95 |
122 |
Eastern Michigan |
58.91 |
123 |
Troy |
58.84 |
124 |
Liberty |
58.29 |
125 |
UTEP |
57.80 |
126 |
Buffalo |
57.78 |
127 |
Coastal Carolina |
57.49 |
128 |
Louisiana Tech |
57.46 |
129 |
Army |
55.36 |
130 |
UAB |
54.48 |