As I mentioned in the ACC grades, the SEC presents me with a dilemma.
The first three power conferences, I graded each only played three non-conference games. I made my expectations pretty clear. With a few exceptions (either for teams who are expected to be College Football Playoff favorites or who are expected to lose just about every game), I expected a team to play a Power 5 team of equal caliber, a mediocre-to-good Group of 5 team, and one tune-up/”cupcake”.
Now, though, I have to grade teams that play four non-conference games each. On the one hand, it wouldn’t be fair to those first three conferences if I didn’t expect ACC and SEC teams to play an additional P5 opponent, something that Pac 12, Big 12, and Big Ten schools have to do in conference play. On the other hand, no one does this, so I would be forced to give out lots of bad grades to SEC and ACC teams. I will try to split the difference somehow. I won’t give out very high grades as often to ACC and SEC teams unless the non-conference schedules are exemplary enough to make up for that missing P5 game in-conference. On the other hand, I won’t give out a grade too low unless a team’s schedule is weak compared to others that play four non-conference games.
The ACC and SEC also present a second issue in that they usually play late-season cupcake games before rivalry week. Again, I don’t want to be a bad guy here, so I won’t directly punish for that. Whether or not it’s actually an advantage (because it necessitates tougher early-season matchups) is a discussion far too long for this introduction here.
Keep in mind, of course, that all grades are subjective. It would be unfair to expect Vanderbilt to schedule the same way I expect Alabama to. So, for the most part, the West will be subject to tougher scrutiny than the East, which is just what we would expect from the generally-recognized best division in college football.
SEC East Non-Conference Schedule Grades
Florida Gators
September 3rd: Massachusetts
Florida starts another year of not leaving the state (detractors won’t be able to say this anymore next year) with one of the worst teams in FBS.
Grade: D
September 17th: North Texas
Is North Texas better than UMass? I honestly don’t know. I do know that that makes the Mean Green not such a mean foe.
Grade: D
November 19th: Presbyterian
A pretty bad FCS team makes for a good preparation for Rivalry Week.
Grade: F
November 26th: @Florida State
A road trip to Tallahassee is always tough. This rivalry game could very well have CFP implications when we roll around to it, and it’s a rivalry that we are very thankful for its existence.
Grade: A+
Overall:
It has the road trip to Florida State, but there is nothing else on this schedule. It is three very weak games and one great one. The CFP committee might overlook that, but compared to teams that play nine in-conference games, this doesn’t quite stack up.
Grade: B
September 3rd: vs North Carolina (in Atlanta, GA)
We would again like to thank the folks at Chik-Fil-A for providing us with an excellent season kickoff event matching two teams that ended last season ranked in the Top 25.
Grade: A+
September 10th: Nicholls State
Georgia gets an FCS team to prepare for Missouri. It’s kind of a waste on that spot in the schedule, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles sometimes.
Grade: F
November 19th: Louisiana-Lafayette
The Ragin’ Cajuns will visit Athens as a tune-up for the rivalry game against Georgia Tech. They’re not an awful Sun Belt team, but they’re not a good one either.
Grade: D+
November 26th: Georgia Tech
The Yellow Jackets had a bad year last year, but this rivalry always provides close games. This Georgia Tech team has lots of talent, too, so last year’s 3-9 was probably just an aberration.
Grade: B+
Overall:
The Bulldogs face two ACC teams, both of them above-average ones (probably), and two cupcakes. One of those cupcakes isn’t completely awful, though, so this is a solid schedule overall.
Grade: A-
Kentucky Wildcats
September 3rd: Southern Miss
Did the Wildcats expect Southern Miss to be anything but awful when they scheduled this home-and-home series? Highly unlikely. Regardless, Kentucky is opening its season against a nine-game winner that some think is the top team in Conference USA.
Grade: B
September 17th: New Mexico State
This, on the other hand, is a game against one of the worst teams in FBS year after year. Kentucky will get what it expects from this one–an easy win.
Grade: D
November 19th: Austin Peay
Preparing for a rivalry game with an FCS team? Check.
Grade: F
November 26th: @Louisville
Louisville, with quarterback Lamar Jackson and a literal ton of returning talent on defense, looks to be a very good team this year. The Cardinals are possibly out of Kentucky’s league, but anything can happen during Rivalry Week.
Grade: A
Overall:
Kentucky might struggle to reach a bowl game, which is why having two total cupcakes is fine. Southern Miss might be the difference between 6-6 or 5-7 for the Wildcats, so I can’t fault them for trying to get a bit of a weaker schedule.
Grade: B+
Missouri Tigers
September 3rd: @West Virginia
This is a potential great game, though the Missouri program went through a very tough spell last season. I like the matchup, though. A lot.
Grade: A
September 10th: Eastern Michigan
EMU is one of the worst programs in FBS right now. I still have no idea how it was within one possession of LSU during the third quarter in their game last year.
Grade: D-
September 24th: Delaware State
Eastern Michigan and an FCS school? That’s pushing it.
Grade: F
October 22nd: Middle Tennessee State
MTSU is an up-and-down Group of 5 program that looks to be trending it the right direction for now.
Grade: C
Overall:
For a program that will probably be rebuilding after a down year last year, this looks like a decent schedule. Two automatic wins, one likely win, and one real test. I don’t know if Missouri will make a bowl this year, but this is a schedule that will both give the Tigers the chance to do so and keep some pride while doing it.
Grade: B
South Carolina Gamecocks
September 17th: East Carolina
It’s not against a Power 5 team, but ECU is a good program and this should be a good game. ECU routinely upsets P5 teams (Virginia Tech, for example) so this game takes some guts from the Gamecocks to schedule.
Grade: B
October 22nd: Massachusetts
South Carolina follows up a bye with… UMass? This feels like a waste.
Grade: F
November 19th: Western Carolina
In-state FCS school to prepare for a rivalry game. I’ll allow it.
Grade: D
November 26th: @Clemson
South Carolina’s built-in rivalry is against a team that will probably be a consensus preseason top two squad. Ouch.
Grade: A+
Overall:
South Carolina will probably be in rebuilding mode this year, so the two cupcakes make sense. ECU is a game with which the Gamecocks can test themselves, and barring anything crazy Clemson is an automatic loss. This is a decent schedule.
Grade: B+
September 1st: Appalachian State
The opening night of the season (let’s forget about Cal/Hawaii in Australia for a minute) will see Tennessee riding a tremendous hype train against a potentially deadly Group of 5 foe. Don’t underestimate App State. The Mountaineers are a good program with a talented, veteran team. If Tennessee is caught looking ahead to Virginia Tech, the Volunteer hype train may stall before it even leaves the station.
Grade: B+
September 10th: Virginia Tech
This will be the first real test for Justin Fuente’s Hokies but the second test of Tennessee’s season. Virginia Tech is not the power it once was, but it is still a strong and proud program.
Grade: A
September 17th: Ohio
I cannot stress how impressed I am with this Tennessee schedule. Yes, there’s only one P5 opponent on it. But the two G5 teams that Tennessee is facing are far from pushovers.
Grade: B-
November 5th: Tennessee Tech
Finally, a cupcake. But as I’ve said many times, I’m more lenient for in-game FCS schools.
Grade: F
Overall:
Tennessee is expected to be a potential CFP contender this year. While the schedule is not over-the-top good and doesn’t contain any crazy high-profile games, this is still a very good non-conference slate. Well, assuming I’m right that Appalachian State will be a very good team this year, at least.
Grade: A
Vanderbilt Commodores
September 10th: Middle Tennessee State
MTSU is a decent program that looks headed in a decent direction. This should be a good test for Vanderbilt.
Grade: C
September 17th: @Georgia Tech
I like this game. The Commodores will test themselves against an ACC program that is better than Vanderbilt, but not by a significant amount most years.
Grade: A+
September 24th: @Western Kentucky
The Vanderbilt defense held the Hilltoppers to their lowest offensive output last year. I don’t expect that to happen again, but this is another game that Vanderbilt gets props for playing.
Grade: B+
October 22nd: Tennessee State
Finally, a well-deserved cupcake.
Grade: D
Overall:
Vanderbilt has a tendency to bite off more than it can chew in non-conference scheduling. If the Commodores want to reach a bowl game, this schedule is likely a big mistake. If they want to impress me, well, then color me impressed.
Grade: A
Other Non-Conference Scheduling Grades
Big 12
Pac-12 North
Pac-12 South
Big Ten East
Big Ten West
ACC Atlantic
ACC Coastal
