ESPN Ranks Toughest Schedules for SEC Teams in 2018

The recipient of a bachelor's degree in political science from Hobart College, Michael Koenig of Sudbury, Massachusetts, is a former regional vice president with Gartner. Beyond his work in the field of high tech and telecom marketing, Sudbury's Michael Koenig is an avid college football fan who particularly enjoys following the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

The 2018 SEC regular season kicks off on August 30 as Texas A&M takes on Northwestern, and continues for an additional 12 weeks. According to the ESPN Football Power Index (FPI), Louisiana State University (LSU) has the toughest season in regard to difficulty of schedule among the 14 teams in the SEC. Its schedule is also ranked as the third most-challenging in the country, behind UCLA and Florida State. LSU opens the season against the University of Miami before taking on SEC West teams like Auburn, Arkansas, and Texas A&M. Its other opponents include Alabama and Mississippi State. 

Eight SEC teams rank among ESPN FPI in regard to schedule difficulty. Alabama has the second toughest schedule in the conference and 28th in the country, followed by Texas A&M, Auburn, and Mississippi State. Other SEC teams in the top 40 nationwide include Missouri, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt.