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| Vanderbilt hits the street to face 4 prime 15 groups, together with nationwide title contenders Texas and Alabama. Diego Pavia at all times makes video games attention-grabbing, however the Commodores may simply buckle underneath the stress of the SEC’s most tough slate. I am undecided what Vanderbilt was pondering scheduling its three best video games within the first month of the season ( Charleston Southern , Georgia State , Utah State ). The again half of the schedule is brutal, with no respiration room or lower-tier opponent offering a break from the likes of Alabama, LSU, Texas and Tennessee . |
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| Jeff Lebby was 0-8 within the SEC final season, and the schedule in Yr 2 might be harder. The Bulldogs face 4 CFP groups from a 12 months in the past — the best complete within the nation — and should journey to Florida , Texas A&M and Missouri . MSU is extra proficient this fall however that schedule does them no favors. The five-week stretch from mid-October by way of November does not embrace a bye, and options street journeys to Florida, Arkansas and Missouri, whereas internet hosting SEC contenders Texas and Georgia. Week 1 is not a gimme both, with the Bulldogs touring to in-state rival Southern Miss . They return house to face CFP participant Arizona State in Week 2. |
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| Sam Pittman is on the new seat, and reaching bowl eligibility ought to in all probability be sufficient to avoid wasting his job (once more) towards this schedule. Discovering wins is tough. The simplest sport on the schedule is Arkansas State , however that carries significance as a result of the Razorbacks have by no means performed the Pink Wolves after earlier administrations refused to schedule them. What occurs if the Hogs, dare we are saying, lose in Little Rock? Additionally on the nonconference schedule is final 12 months’s nationwide runner-up Notre Dame and a visit to Memphis . Within the SEC, the Hogs journey to Ole Miss , Tennessee, LSU and rival Texas. Can you see six wins? |
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| Consider it or not, the schedule is manageable heading into November, however that is when the street will get bumpy. The Sooners journey to Tennessee and Alabama earlier than ending the 12 months towards Missouri and LSU. That could be a brutal remaining month. Week 2 options Michigan in Norman, as OU alum Sherrone Moore brings freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood to city. The Sooners play just one sport on the street within the first 5 week — at Temple — and get Auburn and Kent State earlier than touring to Dallas to face rival Texas on Oct. 11. There are eight legitimately tough matchups and three are on the street — South Carolina , Tennessee and Alabama. |
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| Florida might have performed the hardest schedule within the nation in 2024, and although it eases up a bit because of the slide of Florida State , it is nonetheless no cake stroll. Again-to-back September street journeys to LSU and Miami might outline the season. Billy Napier must get Florida again to that nine- or 10-win mark, even towards this schedule, to stay related. Little doubt he’ll present whether or not he can try this by midseason. The three-game stretch with LSU, Miami and Texas (after a bye week) will doubtless decide whether or not Napier continues to be the coach in 2026. Journeys to Texas A&M and Ole Miss are additionally on the docket earlier than closing the season at house towards Tennessee and Florida State. |
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| Texas A&M’s schedule contains three straight street video games — Arkansas, LSU and Missouri — and the Aggies end the season at Texas of their first journey to Austin in 15 years. The Week 3 go to to Notre Dame is daunting, however the Aggies get a bye week earlier than leaping into the SEC schedule in late September towards Auburn and Mississippi State . Two street video games towards CFP groups from final season? Tough. |
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| Brian Kelly’s seven-year streak of 10-win seasons led to 2024, however he is constructed a staff able to beginning a brand new run. The season opener at Clemson may as effectively be a CFP quarterfinal. LSU has misplaced 5 straight season openers, and you possibly can argue this can be a more durable problem than any of these. The primary month of the season additionally contains Florida and Ole Miss, with a visit to Oxford on the docket. In the meantime journeys to Alabama and Oklahoma await later within the season. The go to to Vanderbilt (Oct. 18) after internet hosting South Carolina is sneaky, too. |
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| Texas does not ease into the schedule like many and opens the season on the street towards reigning nationwide champion Ohio State . What follows is a trio of pushovers earlier than opening the SEC schedule on the street towards Florida (Oct. 4). The Longhorns are favored in each sport within the SEC apart from a visit to Georgia on Nov. 15, however that does not imply the schedule is straightforward. Nonetheless, the slate is evenly spaced out, with just one occasion of back-to-back street video games ( Kentucky , Mississippi State). The hardest stretch is likely to be the primary three weeks of the SEC schedule, with journeys to Florida and Kentucky sandwiching the Pink River Rivalry in Dallas. |
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| Kentucky is aware of all too effectively how mediocre quarterbacks can get you beat — and beat badly — within the SEC. Mark Stoops is betting on veteran switch Zach Calzada to repair the Wildcats’ woes underneath middle. Boy, he higher present one thing that we have not fairly seen for the Wildcats to get again heading in the right direction. Journeys to South Carolina, Georgia, Vanderbilt, Auburn and Louisville are on the schedule. At house, video games towards Ole Miss, Texas and Tennessee are definitely gonna promote tickets, however how a lot will a home-field benefit assist the Wildcats in video games they could already be tabbed as double-digit underdogs? |
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| Consider it or not, the strain is on Kalen DeBoer to ship a 10-win season and playoff look. Something much less will lead followers to stroll into the Gulf of Mexico. It is tough to get a learn on Florida State, however opening the season towards a staff of unknown expertise goes to come back with a studying curve. Street journeys to Georgia, Missouri and South Carolina await later within the 12 months. The excellent news is LSU, Wisconsin , Tennessee and Oklahoma are coming to Tuscaloosa. The schedule units up for a bounce-back 12 months and CFP look, however there are pitfalls, notably with Vanderbilt — which upset then-No. 1 Alabama final season — the week after the street journey to Georgia and subsequent video games towards Missouri (street), Tennessee and South Carolina (street) and not using a bye week. |
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| Auburn’s schedule isn’t straightforward with rivals Alabama and Georgia completely within the rotation, however each come to Auburn this season, and with an abundance of expertise returning at receiver and a former blue-chip prospect at quarterback in Oklahoma switch Jackson Arnold , that is the 12 months for Hugh Freeze to problem for 10 wins. The Tigers open the season on a Friday at Baylor . Again-to-back street rips to Oklahoma and Texas shut September. Solely two street video games stay on the docket in October and November (at Arkansas and Vanderbilt). As at all times, the season will outlined by Georgia (Oct. 11) and Alabama (Nov. 29). If Freeze is ever going to win at Auburn, it is towards this schedule. |
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| Ole Miss is likely to be the most important wildcard within the CFP race. The schedule is navigable, even when an immense quantity of expertise should be changed from final season’s three-loss staff. Probably the most tough stretch begins in late October with back-to-back street journeys to Georgia and Oklahoma earlier than internet hosting South Carolina on Nov. 1. The Rebels host LSU (Sept. 27) and Florida (Nov. 15). |
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| You gotta love the spacing on the schedule if you happen to’re Shane Beamer. The one back-to-back street video games are in November (Ole Miss and Texas A&M) and people opponents are separated by an open date. If the Gamecocks get previous Mizzou on Sept. 20, quarterback LaNorris Sellers can be on early Heisman Trophy lists with a 5-0 report heading right into a showdown with LSU in Dying Valley. The hardest stretch contains LSU, Oklahoma, Alabama, Ole Miss and Texas A&M in a six-week span. That run may break even one of the best groups within the nation. |
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| Any schedule with Alabama, Tennessee and Texas is tough, however the setup is about pretty much as good as it will possibly get for Georgia. The Bulldogs journey solely to Tennessee, Auburn and Mississippi State, and would not have back-to-back street video games. The Bulldogs additionally get per week to relaxation and put together for Alabama (Sept. 27) after touring to Tennessee (Sept. 13). Internet hosting Alabama and Texas is big. In any other case, the Bulldogs get to feast on the underside half of the SEC (Kentucky and Mississippi State) and play payout video games towards Marshall , Austin Peay and Charlotte . The Georgia Tech sport may also be performed inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium as an alternative of Bobby Dodd Stadium, and it is positive to be crammed principally with Bulldog followers. |
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| May Tennessee be a playoff staff as soon as once more? If the Volunteers maintain enterprise at house and break up street video games towards Alabama (Oct. 18) and Florida (Nov. 22), they may have a transparent runway. The season opener towards Syracuse is severely underrated on the nationwide scene. Journeys to Mississippi State and Kentucky are laughers, and getting Arkansas and Vanderbilt at house must be straightforward wins, too. Circle the Week 3 sport towards Georgia (Sept. 13) in Neyland Stadium. We’ll know if the Vols are a legit contender after that night. |
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| Missouri ought to problem for 10 wins with this schedule. The Tigers do not play a street sport till Oct. 18 at Auburn and face at the least three SEC groups more likely to end within the backside half of the standings. The nonconference slate is highlighted by a Sept. 6 matchup with Kansas and contains much less compelling video games towards Central Arkansas, Louisiana and UMass. Nonetheless, the comparatively manageable schedule does characteristic two units of back-to-back street games-both inside a one-month span. The Tigers journey to Auburn and Vanderbilt, then shut the season at Oklahoma and Arkansas. |
