By Micheal Germanese
Different, is how Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin described the Southeastern Conference. Kiffin said it to describe the difference in difficulty when playing an SEC schedule compared to those of the Atlantic Coast Conference or the Big 12 Conference. Kiffin is right about SEC teams facing brutal roads to get to the College Football Playoff. But some things are not like the other and it’s absolutely laughable coming from the coach whose team plays one of the easiest schedules in the SEC.
“It’s just totally different, and these comparisons of other conferences and the ACC and Big 12, it’s just, like, we might as well be in different leagues. Not different conferences. Different leagues,” Kiffin said.
It is understandable why Kiffin preaches this narrative regardless of whether it is true. Alabama and South Carolina were said to be better than some of the teams selected for the playoff a year ago. The argument was that they lost the games they did because of how difficult their schedules were. Unfortunately for the SEC, both teams lost their bowl games, proving they weren’t as good as people believed.
Those outcomes should have ended that narrative, yet Kiffin continues to preach. Why? Because despite playing an easy schedule, Kiffin knows his team will most likely drop one or two games and needs a mulligan to try and get in the playoff. Now if that same message Kiffin was preaching came from a few other coaches like Billy Napier or Brent Venables, whose teams play the schedules Kiffin loves to talk about, it would be coming with a lot more context.
Kiffin is right that the SEC does bring in a lot of the top young talent. Just look at the recruiting ranks each year, and you can see just how talented the SEC is. In 2025, 12 of the top 20 class came from the SEC according to the On3 team rankings.
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“Like, here’s the NFL here’s the SEC. Here’s those few Big Ten teams and then here’s everybody else. So, you’re going to see it in the draft. It’s going to be different, just like it always is with the SEC, the amount of kids drafted out of here and there,” Kiffin said.
While they bring in a lot of talent, thanks to the transfer portal, some of that top recruiting talent ends up in another conferences now. According to the On3 transfer portal ranking in 2025, the SEC has six teams in the top 25 putting the conference third, behind the Big Ten Conference with eight teams and the Big 12 with seven. The ACC is fourth out of the Power Four conferences having four teams ranked. This could be one of the reasons that have led to the SEC losing some of its dominance these past few years.
The truth is, just like in other conferences, some things are not like the other in terms of schedules. Conference realignment and nonconference matchups have set some teams up with easy schedules, while others face the gauntlet Kiffin and other SEC defenders talk about. Remember, despite scheduling Power Four teams, almost all SEC teams have three wins built into their schedule with uncompetitive opponents, thanks to only playing eight conference games.
The teams that play schedules living up to Kiffin’s narrative should be looked at as different. Considerations should be made by the CFP selection committee giving those teams a little leeway with losses. Here are the SEC teams whose schedules truly live up to being a gantlet and the narrative of the SEC being different. (Homes games in bold).
Oklahoma Sooners
Aug. 30 Illinois State
Sept. 6 Michigan
Sept. 13 Temple
Sept. 20 Auburn
Sept. 27 Bye
Oct.4 Kent State
Oct. 11 Texas (Neutral)
Oct. 18 South Carolina
Oct. 25 Ole Miss
Nov. 1 Tennessee
Nov. 8 Bye
Nov. 15 Alabama
Nov. 22 Missouri
Nov. 29 LSU
Oklahoma is coming off a disappointing first year in the SEC after finishing 6-7 overall and 2-6 in conference play. This is the second time Venables lost six or more games. You have to go back to 1988 and John Blake to find the last coach who lost six or more games. Oklahoma went 5-6 that year. After two disappointing seasons in three years, fans’ patience for Venables to start winning is gone, putting him on the hot seat. Unfortunately, for Venables, the 2025 Oklahoma schedule will make it incredibly difficult to get anywhere near the number of wins people expect in 2025.
Brent Venables absolutely enters 2025 squarely on the hot seat right? Oklahoma is supposed to be a recession proof program and he has them at a multi-decade low just as they enter the SEC.
He’s just not good enough of a coach to be the head of that program.
— College Football Watcher (@CFBWatcher) October 12, 2024
Oklahoma’s nonconference schedule has three games against non-Power Four teams in Illinois State, Temple and Kent State. Michigan is the fourth nonconference team scheduled giving the Sooners a big test early. The week two matchup puts two of the biggest brands in the Big Ten and SEC against each other. Both teams are coming off a disappointing season and need a big win early to cool some of their critics.
The Sooners will win the three games following Michigan, heading into their annual showdown with Texas at no worse than 4-1. The Oct. 11 Red River Showdown from the Cotton Bowl in Dallas will start one of the most difficult starches in college football. The good news, if any, Georgia is not scheduled during the seven-game stretch. The bad news, every other top SEC team is on it. Oklahoma, in their last seven games will face: Texas on the road, South Carolina on the road, home to Ole Miss, Tennessee on the road, home to Alabama, Missouri on the road and finally LSU on the road.
The Sooner’s schedule is exactly what Kiffin described when speaking about the SEC being different.
Florida Gators
Aug. 30 LIU
Sept. 6 South Florida
Sept. 13 LSU
Sept. 20 Miami
Sept. 27 Bye
Oct. 4 Texas
Oct 11. Texas A&M
Oct. 18 Mississippi State
Oct. 25 Bye
Nov. 1 Georgia (Neutral)
Nov. 8 Kentucky
Nov. 15 Ole Miss
Nov. 22 Tennessee
Nov. 29 Florida State
FanDuel Sportsbook has set the over/under win projection for Florida at 6.5 and you can see why from the schedule. Unlike most SEC teams who play three, Florida only has two non-Power Four teams scheduled. Florida faced a tough schedule in 2024 and gets to do it all over again because all the SEC did was take the 2024 schedule and flip the locations. So a team like Ole Miss misses almost everyone again, while Florida is forced to run a gantlet again.
FanDuel has Florida football's 2025 season win total at 6.5 ('over' -138, 'under' +105). The Gators have 50/1 odds to win the CFP. Those are the 16th-shortest odds on the board. DJ Lagway has 20/1 odds to win the Heisman Trophy, which are the 11th-shortest odds on the board. pic.twitter.com/LoDh4AXBhu
— Brian Edwards (@vegasbedwards) January 24, 2025
Florida will play three in-state nonconference games against Miami, Florida State and South Florida and a game against LIU (Long Island University). Last season, the Gators split the in-state rivalry with a loss to Miami and a win over Florida State. Mario Cristobal is still the head coach at Miami, and you truly never know what you will get from his team, Florida could very well take both games this season.
Florida’s conference schedule is nothing to laugh at with almost every top SEC school on it. The only positive thing when looking at Florida’s schedule is it’s not as bad as Oklahoma with Missouri, Alabama and South Carolina missing. The negative with games against LSU, Texas A&M, Georgia, Ole Miss, Texas and Tennessee scheduled is not far off. When you add in Miami, and Florida State the Gators being ranked second in ESPN Strength of Schedule Ranking is spot on.
Florida will face a tough four and three-game stretch in 2025. The first stretch starts in week three at LSU followed by a road game at Miami, home for Texas and then on the road against Texas A&M. In 2024 Florida went 1-3 against the same four teams only beating LSU at home 27-16. If Florida hopes to improve on the 8-5 season a year ago, they need at least one upset in this stretch of games.
The final three-game Stretch has Ole Miss, Tennessee and Florida State. The Gators went 2-1 against these three in 2024. Ole Miss will be looking for redemption after the Gator’s win with just two weeks left in the season cost the Rebels a spot in the CFP. Florida beat Florida State 31-11 but will FSU be as bad as they were a year ago?
Napier is entering year four and was brought in to bring Florida back to being a national contender, something he has yet to do. If Napier can get Florida to nine or more wins, the narrative fits that they belong in the CFP even with the losses.
Vanderbilt Commodores
Aug. 30 Charleston Southern
Sept. 6 Virginia Tech
Sept. 13 South Carolina
Sept. 20 Georgia State
Sept. 27 Utah State
Oct. 4 Alabama
Oct. 11 Bye
Oct. 18 LSU
Oct. 25 Missouri
Nov. 1 Texas
Nov. 8 Auburn
Nov. 15 Bye
Nov. 22 Kentucky
Nov. 29 Tennessee
Vanderbilt had one of the most successful 7-6, 3-5 season in SEC conference history. The Commodores made their first bowl game since 2018 and beat Alabama 40-35. The win over Alabama was Vanderbilt’s first since 1984. Clark Lea has some work to do to try and get Vanderbilt in back-to-back bowl games for the first time since 2012-2013.
A year ago, Vanderbilt won seven games, but because of their schedule, the FanDuel Sportsbook has the over/under win total set at only 4.5 wins. It’s easy to see why the total is set so low when playing LSU and Missouri at home, and South Carolina, Alabama, Texas and Tennessee all on the road.
The Commodores’ most anticipated game is the Oct. 4 rematch against Alabama after Vanderbilt’s upset a year ago. Make no mistake, the Vandy loss cost Alabama a spot in the playoff. A two-loss Alabama would have gotten into the playoff, instead, Indiana took their spot.
Vanderbilt was outscored 148-3 in its previous 3 games vs. Alabama. 😳
The Commodores DROPPED 40 to upset the No. 1 Crimson Tide 🔥 pic.twitter.com/8N0jlncZN2
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) October 5, 2024
Vanderbilt’s nonconference schedule is must-win if they hope to be bowl-eligible in 2025. Like most SEC teams Vanderbilt will play three non-Power Four schools in Charleston Southern, Georgia State and Utah State. Vanderbilt lost 36-32 to Georgia State in 2024. It’s a game they can’t afford to lose again in 2025. Virginia Tech rounds out their scheduled nonconference slate. Vanderbilt beat Tech 34-27 in 2024 and should be able to do it again this season
If Vanderbilt can take care of their business in nonconference, they need to win two of their remaining eight games to be bowl-eligible. The hard part is finding two conferences wins with their schedule.
Auburn was a win in 2024 but after adding Oklahoma transfer QB Jackson Arnold this game will be a loss now. Kentucky should be a win again. Last season they played LSU and Missouri tight, and Vandy plays both in Nashville, Tenn. Out of the LSU and Missouri games, if Vandy is going to pull the upset it’s likely to come against Missouri. The Tigers will be coming off games against Alabama, Auburn and with Texas A&M the game after, this looks like a perfect game to pull the upset.
Vanderbilt’s success in 2025 will depend on having a perfect nonconference record and upset one SEC team. Unfortunately for Vanderbilt, they won’t have the advantage of teams overlooking them after upsetting Alabama a year ago.
