The SEC has reached the point of self-inflicted chaos that everyone saw coming, and the league’s Week 9 strength-of-schedule picture says plenty about how brutal this season has been. With a ninth conference game now in the mix, the schedule has turned into a grind, and ESPN’s Football Power Index offers a clear look at which teams have already taken the hardest hits and which ones are still staring down the nastiest slates.
Oklahoma sits at the top of the league ranking for strength of schedule through Week 8. The Sooners are 4-3 overall and 2-2 in SEC play, and their remaining schedule checks in at 13th overall nationally and seventh in the SEC.
Ole Miss is right behind them at No. 2 in the SEC-wide list. The Rebels are 5-2 and 3-2, with a remaining strength of schedule ranked 30th nationally and 15th in the conference.
Auburn comes in third on the SEC list. The Tigers are 4-3, 2-3, and their rest-of-season schedule is 24th overall and 12th in the league.
Texas follows at No. 4. The Longhorns are 5-2 and 2-2, with a remaining schedule ranked 19th nationally and 11th in the SEC.
Mississippi State lands fifth. The Bulldogs are 4-3 overall and 2-3 in conference play, and their remaining slate is 25th nationally, 13th in the SEC.
Alabama is sixth in the SEC ranking. The Crimson Tide are 6-2 and 4-2, with a remaining strength of schedule that ranks 39th overall and 16th in the conference.
Kentucky, sitting at 7-1 overall and 5-1 in SEC play, comes in seventh. The Wildcats’ remaining schedule is 10th nationally and sixth in the league.
Florida checks in at No. 8. The Gators are 5-2 and 3-2, and their remaining schedule ranks 16th overall and eighth in the SEC.
Arkansas is ninth on the list. The Razorbacks are 3-4 and 1-3, and they face the fourth-hardest remaining schedule in the country, third toughest in the SEC.
Texas A&M lands at No. 10. The Aggies are 4-4 and 1-4, and their remaining schedule is the third-hardest nationally and second in the conference.
South Carolina is next at No. 11. The Gamecocks are 4-3 overall and 2-3 in SEC play, with a remaining schedule ranked 17th nationally and ninth in the league.
Vanderbilt sits 12th. The Commodores are 3-5 and 0-5, and their remaining slate is the sixth-hardest nationally and fourth in the SEC.
Tennessee is 13th in the ranking. The Volunteers are 6-2 and 3-2, with a remaining schedule ranked 18th overall and 10th in the conference.
LSU is the one everyone else is chasing in this category. The Tigers are 6-2 and 3-2, and they have the highest remaining strength of schedule overall, as well as the highest in the SEC.
Missouri rounds out the list at No. 15. The Tigers are 5-2 and 2-2, and their remaining schedule is seventh nationally and fifth in the SEC.
Georgia comes in 16th. The Bulldogs are 6-1 and 4-1, and their remaining strength of schedule ranks 26th overall and 14th in the conference.
There are also a few scheduling notes worth keeping in mind as the league moves into Week 9. Alabama, Kentucky, LSU, Tennessee, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt still haven’t had their bye week yet, but that changes this week.
Everyone else has already passed their bye, which means those 10 teams have no open date left. No SEC team will have a bye in November.
Four schools still have an FCS opponent left: Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi State, and Ole Miss. Another four - Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, and South Carolina - still have a non-conference rivalry game against an ACC opponent on the schedule. The rest of the league is all SEC from here on out.
In Other News...
Oklahomas Offensive Collapse Just Raised A Bigger Brent Venables Question
Oklahomas 42-25 loss to South Carolina was the kind of night that leaves a coaching staff with more questions than answers, and the Sooners offense was at the center of it. Brent Venables watched his team struggle to keep pace for much of the game while LaNorris Sellers put together a dominant performance for the Gamecocks, throwing for 301 yards and three touchdowns and adding 96 rushing yards with two more scores.
Venables was asked afterward about possible coaching changes, but he declined to get into that topic after the defeat. For a program trying to steady itself, the bigger issue now is whether this was just a bad offensive night or a sign that something more significant has to change before the season moves on. [Read more 🡒]
Sooners Fans Turned On The Offense As Pressure Mounted Fast
The frustration inside Norman was hard to miss as the Sooners offense labored through a 42-25 home loss to South Carolina, a game that left fans voicing their displeasure from the stands. Oklahoma never found much rhythm, even with John Mateer finishing 26 of 43 for 244 yards and two touchdowns, and the pressure only grew as the night wore on against a Gamecocks team that kept answering with big plays.
South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers helped keep the Sooners on their heels with both passing and rushing touchdowns, turning a difficult evening into a lopsided one. For Oklahoma, the defeat marked its second consecutive home loss for the first time since 2024, and the timing makes the next stretch even more important as the Sooners turn to Florida on November 7. [Read more 🡒]
Sooners Loss To South Carolina Raised A Bigger Problem Than One Bad Night
The loss to South Carolina at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium was ugly enough on its own, but the bigger concern for Oklahoma was how many parts of the offense seemed to be fighting the same battle at once. Quarterback Mateer finished 26 of 43 for 244 yards and two touchdowns, yet the night also brought decision-making issues and protection problems that made it hard for the Sooners to settle in and build any rhythm.
Oklahomas ground game never really gave the offense a way to reset, with no running back topping 32 yards, and the offensive line spent much of the night dealing with South Carolinas defense and its own penalties. One bad result can be shrugged off in a long season, but this was the kind of performance that leaves the Sooners with a lot more to sort through than the final score alone. [Read more 🡒]