247Sports Names College Football's Toughest 2025 Schedule
Yesterday at 05:12 PM
A new conference will yield a brutal schedule for one college football team in 2025.
Brad Crawford of 247Sports ranked the 10 most "brutal" schedules for next season. Six SEC teams, including the four most arduous paths, comprise the list.
The hardest schedule belongs to Oklahoma. Crawford projects the Sooners to face eight ranked opponents in its second year as an SEC member.
"No one's taking up a plate and offering relief for Brent Venables' program in 2025, which is coming off a disappointing finish and landed quarterback John Mateer in the portal in hopes of reversing fortunes," Crawford wrote. "The Sooners have a prime opportunity in Week 2 for a statement win against Michigan, the first of eight ranked opponents over the final 10 games."
On Sept. 6, the Sooners will host a Wolverines program that ended Sherrone Moore's first season with victories over Ohio State and Alabama. The SEC schedule will get especially challenging for Oklahoma.
The Sooners and Texas Longhorns will reignite their Red River Rivalry in Dallas on Oct. 11. Oklahoma must play South Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama on the road while hosting Ole Miss, Missouri, and LSU.
Oklahoma also had a challenging path when joining the SEC in 2024. An upset over the Crimson Tide represented one of just two conference victories. Venables' squad lost ranked games to Tennessee, Texas, Ole Miss, and Missouri.
After losing Jackson Arnold to Auburn, Oklahoma replaced the quarterback by poaching Mateer from Washington State. One of the most coveted players in the transfer portal, the sophomore completed 64.6 percent of his passes for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns last season.
That addition could make the Sooners' offense more dangerous offense in 2025, but they'll still have an uphill climb to a winning season. They're not the only SEC team with a treacherous schedule.
Crawford gave Mississippi State and Florida the nation's second- and third-toughest schedules, respectively. They each play Texas, Georgia, and Tennessee, the conference's three College Football Playoff representatives.
Along with Texas and Tennessee, Arkansas has a non-conference game against Notre Dame. Crawford gave Wisconsin the most brutal slate of any non-SEC team because of games against Michigan, Ohio State, and Oregon.
Related: Oklahoma Sooners Quarterback Is Reportedly Transferring Out
