The SEC is never a cakewalk, but some teams are staring down absolute gauntlets in 2025. With Texas and Oklahoma now fully settled into the conference, the league’s depth is stronger than ever, making the road to Atlanta even tougher. Some teams caught a break in the schedule, while others will have to fight every week just to stay afloat.
Here’s a look at the five hardest schedules in the SEC for the 2025 season.
Ranking the 5 toughest SEC schedules in 2025
5. Arkansas Razorbacks
Notable Games: vs. Notre Dame, at Tennessee, vs. Texas A&M, at Texas, vs. LSU, at Ole Miss
Sam Pittman is entering a make-or-break season, and the 2025 schedule isn’t giving him any favors. Arkansas has to battle three teams that finished in the top 10 last season (Tennessee, Texas, and LSU) while also taking on Notre Dame in a marquee non-conference matchup.
Road trips to Texas and Ole Miss make things even tougher, ensuring that the Razorbacks will have little room for error. If Pittman wants to keep his job, he’ll need to pull off some serious upsets. Getting bowl eligible will be difficult for Arkansas, to say the least, next season.
4. Kentucky Wildcats
Notable Games: at South Carolina, at Georgia, vs. Texas, vs. Tennessee, at Auburn, vs. Florida
Kentucky’s schedule starts off with a brutal four-game stretch that could define their season early. Road games at South Carolina and Georgia are daunting, and they have to host Texas and Tennessee back-to-back. The Wildcats haven’t fared well against ranked opponents in recent years, and this schedule isn’t doing them any favors. If they want to compete in the SEC East, they’ll have to prove they can win big games—something they’ve struggled to do historically.
3. Mississippi State Bulldogs
Notable Games: at Texas A&M, at Florida, vs. Texas, at Arkansas, vs. Georgia, at Missouri, vs. Ole Miss
Jeff Lebby’s second year in Starkville is shaping up to be an uphill battle. The Bulldogs have to face both Georgia and Texas, two of the deepest rosters in the country, while also dealing with road trips to Texas A&M, Florida, and Missouri. Those are some of the most difficult stadiums to play in, which makes a tough schedule even worse. Throw in a season-ending Egg Bowl rivalry game against Ole Miss, and Mississippi State is looking at a season where just getting bowl eligible would be an achievement.
2. Florida Gators
Notable Games: at LSU, at Miami, vs. Texas, at Texas A&M, vs. Tennessee, vs. Florida State
Billy Napier is still trying to get Florida back to national relevance. The good news? He has DJ Lagway and improved talent. The bad news? The 2025 schedule is going to make that incredibly difficult. The Gators have to go on the road to Baton Rouge, College Station, and Miami, all of which are challenging environments.
On top of that, they have home games against Texas, Tennessee, and in-state rival Florida State. The first half of the season could be particularly brutal, and if Florida isn’t careful, this schedule could derail any progress they’ve made under Napier.t
1. Oklahoma Sooners
Notable Games: vs. Michigan, at Alabama, vs. Texas, at LSU, vs. Ole Miss
There’s no debate—Oklahoma has the hardest schedule in the SEC for 2025. After a rough introduction to the conference in 2024, where they went 2-6 in SEC play, things aren’t getting any easier.
The Sooners have to face Michigan in a huge non-conference game in Week 2, and after a couple of winnable games, they enter a brutal six-game stretch featuring Alabama, Texas, LSU, and Ole Miss. If Oklahoma wants to prove they belong in the SEC elite, they’ll have to navigate one of the most grueling schedules in all of college football.