TN has Nation’s 8th hardest schedule per ESPN

[Erich]

I hope Florida goes winless.

As long as we beat them (we will) they need to win just enough to keep Napier !

 

[first time caller]

All top 8 teams are from the SEC.
UF-#1 toughest
MSU
UGA
KY
AU
UA
OU
TN-#8 toughest

All I can say is poor Vandy...0-8. Take that to Vegas.

 

[secking]

I have a feeling you might be very wrong about USC this year. They could be very good, especially if the defense comes together.

Vegas has them at 7.5 wins this year and favored to be under. There is a world where they miss a bowl. Moving to the B10 without any sense of a physical OL/DL is a recipe for disaster.

 

[NEO]

You add Ok and TX to the SEC and increase SEC games and you get a killer schedule now matter team you are in the conference.

 

[BACKDOC]

All top 8 teams are from the SEC.
UF-#1 toughest
MSU
UGA
KY
AU
UA
OU
TN-#8 toughest

OU is overrated.

 

[dieseldaddy]

Mississippi St plays road games @
Arizona State at 10:30 at night .
UGA
Texas
Tennessee
Ole Miss

Home Games
Florida
Arkansas
Texas A&M (my sleeper team)
Mizzou

That’s insane.

My poor wife has lost sleep over State's schedule . I would give you some of her rants but i would be banned

 

[Rockytop10nessee]

The extent of our schedule strength over UGA is that we play Alabama every year and they don't. Going back to Richt's hire, we have played Alabama all 23 years and Georgia has played them 12 times (7 in-season, 5 post-season). So, as far as looking at final records are concerned, we have 11 more games against Alabama this century than Georgia.

On the flip side, our out of conference schedule usually has not compared favorably to other Eastern Division foes like Georgia, Florida and South Carolina, because those 3 have often played 2 P5 teams out of conference in a year and we haven't played more than 1 since 2003 (Duke and Miami). Going back the last 6 seasons (since one was the pandemic year and all OOC games were cancelled that year) as far as P5 teams are concerned:

Florida has scheduled OOC:

2024- Miami, Florida State
2023- Utah, Florida State
2022- Utah, Florida State
2021- Florida State
2020- Pandemic
2019- Miami, Florida State

Georgia has scheduled OOC:

2024- Clemson, Georgia Tech
2023- Georgia Tech
2022- Oregon, Georgia Tech
2021- Clemson, Georgia Tech
2020- Pandemic
2019- Notre Dame, Georgia Tech

Tennessee has scheduled OOC:

2024- NC State
2023- Virginia
2022- Pitt
2021- Pitt
2020- Pandemic
2019- BYU

So advantage FL/GA there. I still don't think the above OOC compensates for the fact that we played Alabama 11 more times this century than Georgia (and 12 more times than Florida) but otherwise our schedules have pretty much been the same. Of course who the permanent opponents have been in conference have been mandated, and a loss to Alabama never cost us the East title, sadly in the years we didn't win it, we either beat Bama or weren't close enough to the division leader for it to matter. We could have solved all of our division problems by beating Georgia and Florida, which we haven't done any more often this century than we've beat Bama.

We’re talking regular season here, so it’s 23 to 7. Georgia Tech is usually pretty bad so I don’t think they get much credit for that. I didn’t mention Florida, who usually has a tough schedule.

I’m not talking comparisons to our schedule, though, we’ve sucked for a while so it doesn’t matter. In 2022 they played Oregón week 1 and then didn’t play another high quality opponent til they played us in November.

In 2021, Arkansas was their toughest opponent in conference, and they played a decent Clemson. We were the second best conference team they faced (7-5).

Specifically in their two NC seasons, their schedule was a joke.

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

We’re talking regular season here, so it’s 23 to 7. Georgia Tech is usually pretty bad so I don’t think they get much credit for that. I didn’t mention Florida, who usually has a tough schedule.

I’m not talking comparisons to our schedule, though, we’ve sucked for a while so it doesn’t matter. In 2022 they played Oregón week 1 and then didn’t play another high quality opponent til they played us in November.

In 2021, Arkansas was their toughest opponent in conference, and they played a decent Clemson. We were the second best conference team they faced (7-5).

Specifically in their two NC seasons, their schedule was a joke.

You act like they (or any other team in the conference) have a choice about their conference schedule though. As to UGA for the past 12 or so seasons, 5 of the 8 conference teams we play are the exact same, 1 is each other, 1 is our permanent opponent (Alabama is normally tougher than Auburn, no doubt about that) and the final 1 rotates on a schedule, just like ours does (Georgia drew 9-4 Arkansas in 2021, 9-4 Miss State in 2022 and 11-2 Ole Miss last year). The OOC is a choice though, and GA (and FL and SC too for that matter all usually have stronger OOC schedules than we do). Even last year, when the SEC made Georgia and Oklahoma cancel their OOC matchup, Georgia Tech still beat the hell out of Virginia so we can't even claim an advantage there. But yes, Alabama under Saban was very good, it sucked playing them every year when our divisional rivals didn't, that's valid all day long, even though it never cost us a trip to Atlanta.

 

[stolitonic]

So what? Win, then nobody can accuse us of being a cheese champion.

Amen to that. Whoever does win it this year is going to go into the season young and hopeful. End of the season, they are gonna feel more like upside down on the mortgage and twice divorced.

Missouri actually got the gift from the gods schedule this year all things considered. Irritates me just a bit as that school (and Drink) have moved way up in my annoying rankings recently.

 

[Rockytop10nessee]

You act like they (or any other team in the conference) have a choice about their conference schedule though. As to UGA for the past 12 or so seasons, 5 of the 8 conference teams we play are the exact same, 1 is each other, 1 is our permanent opponent (Alabama is normally tougher than Auburn, no doubt about that) and the final 1 rotates on a schedule, just like ours does (Georgia drew 9-4 Arkansas in 2021, 9-4 Miss State in 2022 and 11-2 Ole Miss last year). The OOC is a choice though, and GA (and FL and SC too for that matter all usually have stronger OOC schedules than we do). Even last year, when the SEC made Georgia and Oklahoma cancel their OOC matchup, Georgia Tech still beat the hell out of Virginia so we can't even claim an advantage there. But yes, Alabama under Saban was very good, it sucked playing them every year when our divisional rivals didn't, that's valid all day long, even though it never cost us a trip to Atlanta.

I didn’t act like anything. I lament the fact that 9 out of 10 years, our path is harder than theirs, regardless of who makes the schedule. They don’t win either of their titles without arguably the easiest schedule in the conference.

 

[SpookyAction]

Super. We're on track for a future where everyone is pretty good but no one is excellent ... just a revolving door of 9-3 and 10-2 teams every season.

The SEC is like the ocean or an African river.
Home to Monsters.
Baby Sharks and Crocs are born, they lay low and eat tiny prey to survive. If they avoid bigger monsters and thrive on their easier prey, they become monsters themselves. Most don't make it.

10 wins in the New SEC will require a monster team. Teams have to be consistent every week, because MissSt and USCe can take you down if your team plays with their B effort.

 

[Elhanan]

This is why we don’t do a 9 game conference schedule.

Other conferences would never crack top 14 toughest schedules if we did.

 

[orangebloodgmc]

I have a feeling you might be very wrong about USC this year. They could be very good, especially if the defense comes together.

USC vs LSU at very beginning of season, at neutral site. I love it that one of them is gonna lose.

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

I didn’t act like anything. I lament the fact that 9 out of 10 years, our path is harder than theirs, regardless of who makes the schedule. They don’t win either of their titles without arguably the easiest schedule in the conference.

Here is final strength of schedule, based on who was actually played, the last 3 years:

2023:



2022:



2021:

 

[Rockytop10nessee]

Here is final strength of schedule, based on who was actually played, the last 3 years:

2023:

View attachment 647558

2022:

View attachment 647559

2021:

View attachment 647560

Got this to be relevant, you’d have to show regular season numbers. Pretty easy to finish high when you play in the playoffs. I’m saying their path to the playoffs has been weak. They obviously play tough comp in Atlanta and the playoffs, but getting there wasn’t that hard.

 

[Carp]

Here is final strength of schedule, based on who was actually played, the last 3 years:

2023:

View attachment 647558

2022:

View attachment 647559

2021:

View attachment 647560

That takes into account UGA's post-season opponents, of which they played 2 top 4 teams in 2023, 3 top 10 teams in 2022. and 3 top 4 teams in 2021.

Through the end of the regular season last year, UGA had he 59th ranked SOS. We had the 14th ranked for what it's worth.

Final 2023 SEC football regular-season strength of schedule rankings

Final 2023 SEC football regular-season strength of schedule rankings.

volswire.usatoday.com

Through the end of the regular season in 2022, TN ranked 8th nationally in SOS. UGA ranked 35th.

Updated strength of schedule rankings for CFP contenders after TCU’s loss

A look at updated strength of schedule rankings for College Football Playoff contenders after TCU's loss.

sports.yahoo.com

All of this to say, their path to get to Atlanta and the playoffs has been significantly easier.

 

[unfrozencvmanvol]

All of this to say, their path to get to Atlanta and the playoffs has been significantly easier.

Agree, but it's because they don't play Alabama every year and can't play themselves. That's pretty much it, it's not because they schedule cream puff OOC opponents, that's simply not true, as I said, both they and Florida (and South Carolina) generally are more aggressive scheduling OOC opponents than we have been. I don't think that's a knock on us, because we did play Saban every year and they didn't and that outweighs the OOC schedule, but it's the truth. Over the years I've gotten annoyed with the conspiratorial overtone a lot of people have about us playing Alabama/scheduling, when it's what we as a school want (to play Alabama) and we could have avoided our problems simply by beating Georgia and Florida directly, and have done that no more often than we have beaten Alabama.

 

[Carp]

Agree, but it's because they don't play Alabama every year and can't play themselves. That's pretty much it, it's not because they schedule cream puff OOC opponents, that's simply not true, as I said, both they and Florida (and South Carolina) generally are more aggressive scheduling OOC opponents than we have been. I don't think that's a knock on us, because we did play Saban every year and they didn't and that outweighs the OOC schedule, but it's the truth. Over the years I've just gotten annoyed with the conspiratorial overtone a lot of people have about us playing Alabama, when we could have avoided the whole problem by beating Georgia and Florida directly.

Mostly, true. However GT has been Vandy level bad for much of the last 5 years, 2023 notwithstanding.

Their SEC West schedule has mostly been mediocre, aside from Ole Miss this year. Considering getting to Atlanta is step 1 in getting into the playoffs, I would say it's pretty meaningful to their success that their SEC schedule has been so weak, along with getting to face a terrible GT team most of those seasons.

 

[SpookyAction]

That takes into account UGA's post-season opponents, of which they played 2 top 4 teams in 2023, 3 top 10 teams in 2022. and 3 top 4 teams in 2021.

Through the end of the regular season last year, UGA had he 59th ranked SOS. We had the 14th ranked for what it's worth.

Final 2023 SEC football regular-season strength of schedule rankings

Final 2023 SEC football regular-season strength of schedule rankings.

volswire.usatoday.com

Through the end of the regular season in 2022, TN ranked 8th nationally in SOS. UGA ranked 35th.

Updated strength of schedule rankings for CFP contenders after TCU’s loss

A look at updated strength of schedule rankings for College Football Playoff contenders after TCU's loss.

sports.yahoo.com

All of this to say, their path to get to Atlanta and the playoffs has been significantly easier.

The numbers of SOS will always skew low for both UGA and Bama because they can't play themselves, since they are the two best team in the conference.