Ranking the difficulty of the SEC's crossover schedules
Late on Friday the Southeastern Conference announced the long-awaited two additional crossover opponents for each football program in the league.
Kentucky will play Alabama in Tuscaloosa and also host Ole Miss.
Here's an attempt at ranking all of the league's crossover schedules by degree of difficulty.
EAST
1. South Carolina
West opponents: Texas A&M, Auburn, @ LSU, @ Ole Miss
Will Muschamp and the Gamecocks avoid Alabama, the presumptive West favorite (though not by its typical country wide margin), but three of its four games against the division come against upper echelon teams on that side. Because of the likelihood of significantly reduced fan capacity or even no fans altogether this is not the year to draw your toughest opponents at home, either. Ole Miss will not be the cakewalk that Arkansas would be so USC may very well be staring at 1-3 or perhaps even 0-4 against the West.
2. Tennessee
West opponents: Alabama, Arkansas, @ Texas A&M, @ Auburn
The Volunteers added the Aggies and Tigers from the West on "Selection Friday" and that's a very tough draw when you throw in the traditional "Third Saturday in October" rivalry with the Top-5 Crimson Tide. Arkansas does balance things out a bit (with some calling for the Hogs to finish 0-10), but drawing three of the West's top four teams including Alabama, and with two of those games on the road is not easy. UT should handle Arkansas but will be underdogs in the other three games.
3. Missouri
West opponents: Arkansas, Alabama, @ Mississippi State, @ LSU
Eliah Drinkwitz must not have many friends in the league office yet. It was a given that Missouri would draw a tough pair of cross-division opponents in the recent release because it was previously only locked in for Arkansas and Mississippi State, two of the three teams expected to be at the bottom of the West. A first-year coach taking on Alabama and the defending national champions especially after an offseason like this? Brutal.
Of course, it wouldn't completely shock anyone paying attention if LSU finishes third or fourth in the West rather than first or second, so don't be too quick to judge a tough schedule as completely unfair here.
4. Kentucky
West opponents: Mississippi State, Ole Miss, @ Auburn, @ Alabama
While the teams ranked above Kentucky here are slated to face three of the top four teams in the West the Wildcats' cross-divisional slate appears to be more balanced: Two "contenders" from the top (Alabama, Auburn) and two of the divisions traditional have-nots. The less daunting games are in Lexington but the two road games are in the state of Alabama, where the program has rarely ever been successful.
5. Vanderbilt
West opponents: Ole Miss, LSU, @ Texas A&M, @ Mississippi State
Derek Mason has his work cut out this year with a floundering program and a team with holes but the Commodores were not hammered by the scheduling committee. Alabama is missing and the Commodores draw both Mississippi schools so that's as manageable as a schedule will get for the team picked to finish last in the East.
6. Georgia
West opponents: Auburn, Mississippi State, @ Alabama, @ Arkansas
Georgia had the game against Alabama already scheduled before the two additional games were announced. Going to Tuscaloosa will never be easy but the other three games don't appear too daunting. UGA will have a talent advantage against Auburn at home. The Bulldogs will be big favorites against Mississippi State and Arkansas.
7. Florida
West opponents: LSU, Arkansas, @ Ole Miss, @ Texas A&M
The Gators have the good fortune of avoiding Alabama and they also miss Auburn. Dan Mullen's crew has the ideal one-two punch. Arkansas is there and Alabama is not. Throw in Ole Miss as a road trip and LSU at home rather than on the road and this schedule is the envy of the East. It would have been more balanced if Arkansas were Mississippi State.