There’s no surprise that SEC teams will have some of the toughest schedules in college football this season. But what about the other teams in the other conferences that seem to be second-fiddle to the juggernauts of college football? There are a few Big Ten teams, an ACC team and a Big 12 team that come to mind that actually field a tougher regular-season schedule than you might think.
This is based on preseason AP rankings, too. That’s not to say their respective schedules won't get even tougher as the season kicks off and the rankings shuffle around. Here are four teams that have an underrated strength of schedule ahead of Week 1 of the 2025 season.
Note: All the strength of schedule rankings are based on ESPN's ranking.
Wisconsin Badgers
Strength of Schedule ranking: 10
Toughest opponents: at No. 8 Alabama; at No. 14 Michigan; vs. No. 3 Ohio State; at No. 7 Oregon; at No. 20 Indiana; vs. No. 12 Illinois
The Wisconsin Badgers don’t have it easy at all this season. Luke Fickell could potentially be on the hot seat if he fails to have a winning campaign; he went 7-6 with a bowl win in his first full season and won just five games last year. Another dud, and the Badgers could be making a change.
With half of their games against teams ranked in the preseason AP Top 25, it won’t be easy for Fickell to make a strong statement this season. But he turned Cincinnati into a Group of 5 power not too long ago and went to Wisconsin to do it in a bigger conference.
UCLA Bruins
SOS ranking: 16
Toughest opponents: vs. No. 2 Penn State; at No. 20 Indiana; at No. 3 Ohio State
Nico Iamaleava landed at UCLA hoping for a bigger pay day, and instead he settled for less than he would have made in NIL at Tennessee. That said, forcing his way out of Tennessee brought a spotlight on him. He doesn’t have any excuses as he looks to elevate this Bruins team. But unfortunately for him, it won’t be easy: Aside from the three ranked opponents, two of them on the road, UCLA will end the season against Washington and USC.
They also play at Michigan State and against Nebraska. While those two teams aren’t really considered strong opponents, per se, they could be trap games if Iamaleava actually turns UCLA into a solid team this year.
Florida State Seminoles
SOS ranking: 32
Toughest opponents: vs. No. 8 Alabama; vs. No. 10 Miami; at No. 4 Clemson; at No. 15 Florida
Florida State had a season to forget in 2024 and they could very well suffer that same fate this year thanks to a loaded schedule. They have four preseason AP Tp 25 opponents on the schedule; while they do get Alabama and Miami at home, those games certainly won’t be easy. Mike Norvell is running out of chances to prove he’s the right coach for this job on a consistent basis. This schedule doesn’t help his case, but at the same time, stringing together some wins could take this team to a new level. Godspeed to the Seminoles.
Baylor Bears
SOS ranking: 48
Toughest opponents: vs. Auburn; at No. 16 SMU; vs. No. 11 Arizona State; vs. No. 17 Kansas State
This is less about the ranked opponents and more about how bizarre the Big 12 really is. Utah could end up having a turnaround season after a let-down in 2024. If they manage to beat Auburn in the first game of the season, that could set a standard for a strong year for the Bears. Baylor was just on the outside of the AP top 25. They could very well be in the mix for the Big 12 Championship Game thnaks to a dynamic offense.