Some of these schedules are not like the others.

Combined 2024 records for every SEC team's 2025 schedule pic.twitter.com/7kylOPuQfY

— SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) January 21, 2025

Note that neither opponent win loss nor the traditional Strength of Schedule calculation fully address unbalanced schedules. And SoS works better with more data but it doesn't work well.

Polls and computer rankings also gloss over what I call schedule difficulty (SoS is a metric that attempts to rank schedule difficulty but only one approach) and insert personal preference or eye tests.

If we want best X number of teams this is a very important discussion. Note that the networks and College Football Playoff Committee actually want to maximize revenue not maximize best competition. So they say best 4 or best 12 but mean best money.

Which is why we got left out in 2020…

is it me or is it arky gets the hardest schedule every year.

Arkansas scheduled a home & home with Notre Dame

the Hogs don't play Alabama or Georgia

similarly State scheduled Arizona State in 2025

and drew the 3 SEC playoff teams from 2024

It would be interesting to see the combined 2024 SEC record for the 2025 opponents. The non-conf matches were set years in advance in many cases.

Mizzou was predicted to do fairly well last year not because people thought they were particularly good but because they had a fairly light schedule. Looks like the same will be true next year.

Missouri has gone back to playing Kansas as their marquee non-conference game

and the Tigers avoid the 3 SEC playoff teams in 2025