Phil Steele Ranks the Top 20 Hardest Schedules in College Football for 2025

20) Alabama Crimson Tide

Toughest Matchups: at Florida State, at Georgia, at Missouri, vs Tennessee, at South Carolina, vs LSU, vs Oklahoma

Win Total: Over 9.5 (-110) Under 9.5 (-110)

ALABAMA IN THE POLLS
 AP Poll: 8 | Coaches Poll: 8

2) Mississippi State Bulldogs

Toughest Matchups: vs Arizona State, vs Tennessee, at Texas A&M, at Florida, vs Texas, vs Georgia, vs Ole Miss

Win Total: Over 3.5 (-162) Under 3.5 (+132)

MISSISSIPPI IN THE POLLS
 AP Poll: NR | Coaches Poll: NR

3) Arkansas Razorbacks

Toughest Matchups: at Ole Miss, vs Notre Dame, at Tennessee, vs Texas A&M, at LSU, at Texas

Win Total: Over 5.5 (+108) Under 5.5 (-122)

ARKANSAS IN THE POLLS
 AP Poll: NR | Coaches Poll: NR

4) South Carolina Gamecocks

Toughest Matchups: at LSU, vs Oklahoma, vs Alabama, at Ole Miss, at Texas A&M, vs Clemson

Win Total: Over 7.5 (+130) Under 7.5 (-160)

SOUTH CAROLINA IN THE POLLS
 AP Poll: 13 | Coaches Poll: 13

5) Syracuse Orange

Toughest Matchups: vs Tennessee, at Clemson, at SMU, at Miami, at Notre Dame

Win Total: Over 5.5 (+154) Under 5.5 (-192)

SYRACUSE IN THE POLLS
 AP Poll: NR | Coaches Poll: NR

6) LSU Tigers

Toughest Matchups: at Clemson, vs Florida, at Ole Miss, vs South Carolina, vs Texas A&M, at Alabama, at Oklahoma

Win Total: Over 8.5 (-170) Under 8.5 (+138)

LSU IN THE POLLS
 AP Poll: 9 | Coaches Poll: 9

7) Oklahoma Sooners

Toughest Matchups: vs Michigan, at Texas, vs Ole Miss, at Ohio State, vs LSU, at South Carolina, at Tennessee, at Alabama

Win Total: Over 7.5 (+106) Under 7.5 (-130)

OKLAHOMA IN THE POLLS
 AP Poll: 18 | Coaches Poll: NR

8) UCLA Bruins

Toughest Matchups: vs Penn State, at Indiana, vs Nebraska, at Ohio State, at USC

Win Total: Over 5.5 (+128) Under 5.5 (-158)

UCLA IN THE POLLS
 AP Poll: NR | Coaches Poll: NR

9) Kentucky Wildcats

Toughest Matchups: at Ole Miss, at South Carolina, at Georgia, vs Texas, vs Tennessee, vs Florida, at Louisville

Win Total: Over 4.5 (-106) Under 4.5 (-114)

KENTUCKY IN THE POLLS
 AP Poll: NR | Coaches Poll: NR

10) Stanford Cardinal

Toughest Matchups: at BYU, at SMU, at Florida State, at Miami, vs Notre Dame

Win Total: Over 3.5 (+136) Under 3.5 (-168)

STANFORD IN THE POLLS
 AP Poll: NR | Coaches Poll: NR

11) TCU Horned Frogs

Toughest Matchups: vs SMU, at Arizona State, at Kansas State, vs Baylor, vs Iowa State, at BYU

Win Total: Over 6.5 (-184) Under 6.5 (+148)

TCU IN THE POLLS
 AP Poll: NR | Coaches Poll: NR

12) Florida Gators

Toughest Matchups: at LSU, at Miami, vs Texas, at Texas A&M, vs Georgia, at Ole Miss, vs Tennessee, vs Florida State

Win Total: Over 7.5 (+104) Under 7.5 (-128)

FLORIDA IN THE POLLS
 AP Poll: 15 | Coaches Poll: 17

13) Texas A&M Aggies

Toughest Matchups: at Notre Dame, vs Florida, at LSU, at Missouri, vs South Carolina, at Texas

Win Total: Over 7.5 (-170) Under 7.5 (+138)

TEXAS A&M IN THE POLLS
 AP Poll: 19 | Coaches Poll: 21

T-14) Texas Longhorns

Toughest Matchups: at Ohio State, at Florida, vs Oklahoma, at Georgia, vs Texas A&M

Win Total: Over 9.5 (-188) Under 9.5 (+152)

TEXAS IN THE POLLS
 AP Poll: 1 | Coaches Poll: 1

T-14) Purdue Boilermakers

Toughest Matchups: vs USC, at Notre Dame, vs Illinois, at Michigan, vs Ohio State, vs Purdue

Win Total: Over 3.5 (+198) Under 3.5 (-250)

PURDUE IN THE POLLS
 AP Poll: NR | Coaches Poll: NR

16) Auburn Tigers

Toughest Matchups: at Baylor, at Oklahoma, at Texas A&M, vs Georgia, vs Missouri, vs Alabama

Win Total: Over 7.5 (-164) Under 7.5 (+134)

AUBURN IN THE POLLS
 AP Poll: NR | Coaches Poll: NR

17) Colorado Buffaloes

Toughest Matchups: vs BYU, at TCU, vs Iowa State, vs Arizona State, at Kansas State

Win Total: Over 5.5 (-122) Under 5.5 (+100)

COLORADO IN THE POLLS
 AP Poll: NR | Coaches Poll: NR

18) Oregon Ducks

Toughest Matchups: at Penn State, vs Indiana

Win Total: Over 10.5 (+128) Under 10.5 (-158)

OREGON IN THE POLLS
 AP Poll: 7 | Coaches Poll: 7

19) USC Trojans

Toughest Matchups: at Illinois, vs Michigan, at Notre Dame, at Oregon

Win Total: Over 7.5 (-164) Under 7.5 (+134)

USC IN THE POLLS
 AP Poll: NR | Coaches Poll: NR

20) Alabama Crimson Tide

Toughest Matchups: at Florida State, at Georgia, at Missouri, vs Tennessee, at South Carolina, vs LSU, vs Oklahoma

Win Total: Over 9.5 (-110) Under 9.5 (-110)

ALABAMA IN THE POLLS
 AP Poll: 8 | Coaches Poll: 8