The Buckeyes are staring at the toughest road left in college football.
According to the latest College Football Power Index simulations, Ohio State has the No. 1 most difficult remaining strength of schedule in the country entering Week 7. That’s a brutal label, but it fits what’s ahead for a team already sitting at 5-1 after a grind that included a one-point loss at Texas, a game in which the Buckeyes once led by 20.
Now comes the part that will tell the whole story. Ohio State goes to undefeated Indiana this week, then still has road trips to USC and Nebraska, plus home games against Oregon and Michigan. That kind of finish can burnish a College Football Playoff résumé in a hurry - or wreck it just as fast.
The SEC dominates the rest of the list, owning eight of the 10 most difficult remaining schedules. Missouri checks in at No. 2, followed by LSU at No. 3, with Texas A&M, Florida, Auburn, Tennessee, Ole Miss and Arkansas also stacked into the top 10.
Missouri, also 5-1, gets Ole Miss this week before a punishing stretch that runs through Texas at home, Georgia on the road, Kentucky at home, and then Oklahoma. It’s the sort of closing run that could push the Tigers into the playoff picture or expose where they stand against elite competition.
LSU, meanwhile, is 4-2 after a narrow overtime loss at Kentucky and still has a gauntlet to survive. The Tigers have Mississippi State, Auburn, Alabama and Texas left at home, plus a trip to Tennessee. It’s a schedule that leaves almost no margin for error.
USC lands at No. 5 on the remaining-schedule list thanks to a difficult Big Ten finish that includes a home date with Ohio State.
Florida and Auburn also face additional ranked tests that will help define where they stand in the postseason race, while Tennessee’s remaining home slate against Alabama, Kentucky and LSU keeps the Vols in the conversation - or knocks them out of it.
The bigger picture is hard to miss: the teams with the roughest roads ahead are mostly the ones in the power conferences, and the next few weeks should do plenty to separate the real contenders from the pretenders. In a playoff race where every late-season result gets magnified, these schedules are going to matter.
In Other News...
Vols Grind Out Road Win As One Arkansas Moment Steals Attention
Tennessees trip to Fayetteville ended with a 24-17 win over Arkansas, a result that steadied the Volunteers after a road battle that never really let either side get comfortable. The victory pushed Tennessee to 5-1 overall and 2-1 in SEC play, while Arkansas slipped to 2-4 and 0-3 in conference action, leaving the Razorbacks searching for answers after another tough league loss.
The football itself had plenty to discuss, but one camera shot from the afternoon quickly took on a life of its own and became part of the conversation around the game. For Tennessee, the bigger takeaway is that a hard-fought road win can travel well in October, especially in a league where every possession seems to matter and where the Volunteers are still trying to sort out who they are as the season moves deeper into SEC play. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Defense Could Catch A Huge Break Against Alabama
Alabamas offensive line picture has become a little murkier heading into the Tennessee matchup after center Racin Delgatty went down with a lower-body injury in a recent game. His status for Saturday is still uncertain, and that matters for a Volunteers defense looking to keep pressure on a Crimson Tide front that may have to adjust on the fly.
If Delgatty is sidelined, Alabama would likely turn to backup Mal Waldrep in the middle, a spot Tennessee will be watching closely. Xavier Gilliam has been one of the Vols more reliable defensive players this season, and any instability up front could give him and the rest of the defense a better chance to win key snaps in the trenches. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Alabama Just Got Even Bigger In Knoxville
The buildup around Tennessees showdown with Alabama just picked up another layer, with SEC Nation set to spend Saturday morning in Knoxville before the Vols and Crimson Tide kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC. The pregame show will air from 9 a.m. to noon on SEC Network, giving the campus a full-day spotlight ahead of one of the seasons biggest SEC matchups.
The setting should feel as big as the stakes, with Neyland Stadium already sold out and fans expected to pour in early for a rare chance to make a long Saturday of it. Tennessee is also sweetening the game-day experience with half-price concessions for the first hour after gates open, which figures to help fuel the kind of atmosphere the Vols hope to ride once the broadcast lights move from campus to the stadium. [Read more 🡒]