SEC football schedules in 2025, by SPORT24/7
ranked from easiest to toughest
16. MISSOURI TIGERS
2025 Schedule: Central Arkansas, Kansas, UL-Lafayette, South Carolina, UMass, Alabama, at Auburn, at Vanderbilt, Texas A&M, Mississippi State, at Oklahoma, at Arkansas
Missouri had the No. 14 strength of schedule in the SEC in 2024 and faces its three toughest 2025 opponents — South Carolina, Alabama and Texas A&M — at home.
Early projection: 7-5, 3-5
The Tigers play six consecutive home games to begin the season, their first contest away from Faurot Field being at Auburn on Oct. 18. Unfortunately, There are multiple unwinnable matchups unless Penn State transfer quarterback Beau Pribula is one of the SEC's top players in 2025.
15. OLE MISS REBELS
2025 Schedule: Georgia State, at Kentucky, Arkansas, Tulane, LSU, Washington State, at Georgia, at Oklahoma, South Carolina, The Citadel, Florida, at Mississippi State
Ole Miss cruised through the 2024 regular season with the easiest strength of schedule in the SEC and caught another break in 2025. Five of its first six games are at home.
Early projection: 9-3, 6-3
The Rebels will lay a crooked number Week 2 at Kentucky and start the season 4-0 under new starting quarterback Austin Simmons before LSU hands Ole Miss its first loss of the season. From there, trips to Georgia and Oklahoma will be challenging, too. The Rebels should be a betting favorite over the final third of the campaign and will not have to leave the state of Mississippi in November.
14. TEXAS LONGHORNS
2025 Schedule: at Ohio State, San José State, UTEP, Sam Houston, at Florida, Oklahoma, at Kentucky, at Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, at Georgia, Arkansas, Texas A&M
Texas starts the season with the toughest non-conference game for an SEC team in 2025 but landed a favorable conference slate. The Longhorns should roll through Week 2-9 before traveling to Georgia and hosting Texas A&M in the final three weeks.
Early projection: 10-2, 7-1
Texas is getting back to the SEC Championship and this time, the Longhorns are going to end the 2025 season as league champions. Arch Manning projects as one of the statistically-enhanced quarterbacks, but he's not going to get there until after the season opener at Ohio State. That's a brutal game for Texas against the defending national champions. From there, the Longhorns will win eight straight to stay inside the top four before going to Athens in November for the first of potentially two games once again with Georgia.
13. TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS
2025 Schedule: Syracuse, East Tennessee State, Georgia, UAB, Mississippi State, Arkansas, at Alabama, at Kentucky, Oklahoma, New Mexico State, at Florida, Vanderbilt
Tennessee opens the season with an intriguing non-conference game against Syracuse, but Georgia and Alabama, and maybe Florida, are the only games that should scare Volunteers fans in 2025.
Early projection: 9-3, 5-3
Back to the playoff for the Volunteers? It's possible with one of the league's most favorable slates if Tennessee wins at least one of the 'Big 3' against Georgia, Alabama and Florida. Getting the Bulldogs at Neyland Stadium could help, but there's no guarantee there. Nico Iamaleava must take the next steps in his development to lead Tennessee without Dylan Sampson in the backfield.
12. AUBURN TIGERS
2025 Schedule: at Baylor, Ball State, South Alabama, at Oklahoma, at Texas A&M, Georgia, Missouri, at Arkansas, Kentucky, at Vanderbilt, Mercer, Alabama
Auburn ranks No. 12 in the SEC in strength of schedule for a second straight season. The problem is Hugh Freeze and Co. stumbled to a 5-7 record against a favorable slate this fall.
Early projection: 9-3, 6-3
Hugh Freeze signed a number of playmakers on both sides and welcome new signal caller Jackson Arnold from Oklahoma to the huddle. This is a priority season for Freeze as well. Another losing season on the Plains might end his tenure prematurely. Auburn will be a breakout team.
11. SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS
2025 Schedule: Virginia Tech, South Carolina State, Vanderbilt, at Missouri, Kentucky, at LSU, Oklahoma, Alabama, at Ole Miss, at Texas A&M, Coastal Carolina, Clemson
A 5-0 start for South Carolina wouldn't surprise anyone, with a 7-0 start firmly in play if the Gamecocks handle LSU in Baton Rouge. It's not as easy down the stretch, but a 10-win season is definitely in play for Shane Beamer.
Early projection: 8-4, 4-4
Five straight wins and a top 10 ranking is going to make South Carolina fans really excited exiting the first month of the season, but that's when the meat of the slate begins after a bye week prior to an excursion to Baton Rouge. If the Gamecocks beat LSU at Tiger Stadium, the playoff conversation will rightfully begin for Shane Beamer's team. However, project that to be the first of three road losses that will take this squad out of expansion consideration.
10. LSU Tigers
2025 Schedule: at Clemson, Louisiana Tech, Florida, Southeastern Louisiana, at Ole Miss, South Carolina, at Vanderbilt, Texas A&M, at Alabama, Arkansas, Western Kentucky, at Oklahoma
Brian Kelly faces questions after a disappointing regular season and LSU will start his fourth season at the helm with a tough trip to "the other Death Valley." There are landmines all over the middle of LSU's schedule, with trips to Alabama and Ole Miss and home games against Texas A&M and South Carolina in a five-week span.
Early projection: 10-2, 6-2
Brian Kelly already guaranteed a playoff berth for 2025.. In fact, the Tigers could roll into Norman, Oklahoma inside the top five for the regular-season finale before suffering a bit of a surprising loss to the Sooners. Still, beating Clemson on the road in Week 1 and snapping their lengthy opening weekend losing skid will come in handy with the selection committee.
9. Alabama Crimson Tide
2025 Schedule: at Florida State, UL Monroe, Wisconsin, at Georgia, Vanderbilt, at Missouri, Tennessee, at South Carolina, LSU, Oklahoma, Eastern Illinois, at Auburn
The schedule gets a little tougher for Kalen DeBoer as he enters his second season in Tuscaloosa. The Week 1 trip to Florida State isn't as daunting as it looked a season ago, but the Seminoles have already added some strong pieces in the transfer portal. It's the six-week stretch featuring Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina and LSU that'll make or break the Crimson Tide season.
Early projection: 10-2, 6-2
Alabama makes the playoff in Kalen DeBoer's second season if the Crimson Tide end November on a four-game winning streak including three against ranked teams. That would be more than enough — regardless of what happens in the SEC Championship Game — to earn an at-large spot in the expanded postseason. The arrival of Ryan Grubb on DeBoer's staff will benefit this offense, as it begins a new era at quarterback.
8. Texas A&M Aggies
2025 Schedule: UTSA, Utah State, at Notre Dame, Auburn, Mississippi State, Florida, at Arkansas, at LSU, at Missouri, South Carolina, Samford, at Texas
Mike Elko faced a similar strength of schedule in year one. He gets a revenge game at Notre Dame in Week 3 and a handful of easily winnable games in the middle part of the schedule. The final five weeks of the Aggies' regular season are brutal. The program hasn't won at LSU since 1994, and Texas hasn't lost a November home game the last two seasons.
Early projection: 6-6, 3-5
A ton of pressure rests on the shoulders of quarterback Marcel Reed given what the Aggies surrounded him with offensively through the transfer portal and recruiting. He lost four of five starts down the stretch last season after taking over as the starting quarterback, including three in which his defense failed to hold up their end of the bargain. Texas A&M was one win away from getting to the SEC Championship under first-year coach Mike Elko, but in 2025, the Aggies will hit a few roadblocks.
7. Georgia Bulldogs
2025 Schedule: Marshall, Austin Peay, at Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky at Auburn, Ole Miss, Florida, at Mississippi State, Texas, Charlotte, Georgia Tech
Georgia passed its brutal 2024 slate with flying colors and gets a few breaks in its 2025 slate. Following a hostile trip to Tennessee in Week 3 with a home game against Alabama puts Georgia on the hot seat early. However, Kirby Smart can rest easy knowing that the Bulldogs face play its other 2024 ranked opponents at home, and those games follow matchups with teams with a losing record this fall.
Early projection: 10-2, 7-1
That's the thing with uber-talented teams against landmine-filled schedules in the SEC — you're bound to suffer a setback or two just because of the sheer amount of ranked opponents. With Gunner Stockton at quarterback and a litany of new starters on defense, perhaps the defending league champion battle their way back to Atlanta despite a couple (projected) losses on the road.
6. Vanderbilt Commodores
2025 Schedule: Charleston Southern, at Virginia Tech, at South Carolina, Georgia State, Utah State, at Alabama, LSU, Missouri, at Texas, Auburn, Kentucky, at Tennessee
Clark Lea led Vanderbilt to its best regular season since 2018 at 6-6 but the Commodores will face an uphill battle to bowl eligibility in 2025. The program has to replace star quarterback Diego Pavia and faces four of this season's top six SEC finishers on the road. The Week 2 matchup at Virginia Tech won't be a gimme, either.
Early projection: 5-7, 1-7
No bowl game for the Commodores? That would be a disappointment with Diego Pavia returning at quarterback, but there's a few road games that simply don't seem winnable this season. Vanderbilt hasn't beaten South Carolina in more than a decade, goes to Tuscaloosa after last season's historic win and has to play Texas and Tennessee away from Nashville.
5. Arkansas Razorbacks
2025 Schedule: Alabama A&M, Arkansas State, at Ole Miss, at Memphis, Notre Dame, at Tennessee, Texas A&M, Auburn, Mississippi State, LSU, at Texas, Missouri
Sam Pittman is on thin ice at Arkansas after leading the Razorbacks to a 10-14 record in his last two seasons at the helm. He'll need to work some magic in 2025 as his team is set to face three top 10 teams from this season, two more ranked opponents, and another pair of tough outings against Texas A&M and LSU.
Early projection: 5-7, 2-6
The upcoming season is tenure-defining for Sam Pittman. There are several huge games in September and they all come in consecutive weeks against Ole Miss, Memphis and Notre Dame. Those are three opponents who could all be ranked. If the Razorbacks are able to overcome that trio, three home games that are must-wins include Texas A&M, Auburn and Mississippi State. Two of those teams have more talented rosters, however.
4. Kentucky Wildcats
2025 Schedule: Toledo, Ole Miss, Eastern Michigan, at South Carolina, at Georgia, Texas, Tennessee, at Auburn, Florida, Tennessee Tech, at Vanderbilt, at Louisville
Few teams have a tougher first two months than Kentucky. The Wildcats get Ole Miss at home in Week Two and later embark on arguably the toughest four-game stretch any SEC team will face this season, with road games at South Carolina and Georgia and home matchups with Texas and Tennessee. The Wildcats have lost eight of its last 10 matchups against ranked opponents.
Early projection: 3-9, 0-8
Patience has to be wearing thin for Mark Stoops. He once again puts all of his eggs in the transfer portal basket and needs several home runs or else. This is the toughest schedule the Wildcats have played during his tenure and includes eight games against possible ranked teams. Brutal. Kentucky's only winless season in the SEC came during Stoops' first year in 2013, but history might repeat itself.
3. Florida Gators
2025 Schedule: Long Island, South Florida, at LSU, at Miami, Texas, at Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Georgia, at Kentucky, at Ole Miss, Tennessee, Florida State
Billy Napier and Florida faced six ranked teams during the 2024 regular season and face another brutal slate next fall. The arrow is pointing up in Gainesville with former five-star quarterback DJ Lagway returning for his sophomore season, but he'll have to mature quickly as a Week 3 trip to LSU kicks off a tough four-game stretch. It doesn't get easier for the Gators in the back half of the season, either.
Early projection: 8-4, 4-4
The hype around the Gators is real given last season's hot finish and another top-end signing class. DJ Lagway is a future superstar in the SEC. This schedule, though, is equally difficult. There's not a team in college football with a more treacherous three-game stretch than what Florida endures with LSU, Miami and Texas — three preseason top 15s. Georgia, Ole Miss and Tennessee are on this schedule, too.
2. Oklahoma Sooners
2025 Schedule: Illinois State, Michigan, at Temple, Auburn, Kent State, Texas, at South Carolina, Ole Miss, at Tennessee, at Alabama, Missouri, LSU
Oklahoma went 2-6 in conference play during its first season in the conference and has an even tougher schedule in 2025. There's the Week 2 matchup against Michigan before a trio of winnable games bleeds into six straight matchups against 2024-ranked teams. The Sooners face LSU in the regular season finale. The Tigers won the 2024 matchup by 20 points.
Early projection: 9-3, 5-3
Oklahoma will be one of the SEC's most improved teams in 2025 due in large part to staff changes and a new facilitator under center with Washington State's John Mateer taking over. He was dynamic last fall with the Cougars as a dual-threat signal caller and provides the Sooners with accuracy on third down. Offensively, Oklahoma has to find explosive plays. That begins in Week 2 against a Michigan team that will look very different defensively since the Wolverines must replace several early-rounders. Beating Michigan should spark at least eight wins for Oklahoma.
1. Mississippi State Bulldogs
2025 Schedule: at Southern Miss, Arizona State, Alcorn State, Northern Illinois, Tennessee, at Texas A&M, at Florida, Texas, at Arkansas, Georgia, at Missouri, Ole Miss
At some point, you have to feel a little sorry for Jeff Lebby and Mississippi State. The first-year head coach faced the second-toughest SEC strength of schedule in 2024 and is staring down the barrel of an even tougher slate in 2025. The Bulldogs face CFP-bound Arizona State in the non-conference and five 2024-ranked SEC teams down the stretch. It's three games against unranked SEC competition from this season — Texas A&M, Florida and Arkansas — are all on the road.
Early projection: This one's going to sting for Jeff Lebby. Another winless SEC campaign will be tough to digest in Starkville, but it's difficult to see a winnable matchup for the Bulldogs unless it comes against the Razorbacks or Tigers during the final month.