🏈 Toughest 2026 schedule in the SEC? Alabama's schedule ranked #5

[OldPlayer]

SEC Football Strength of Schedule Rankings 2026: Spring

5 Alabama​

CFN Spring Schedule Rank: 411.5

When Florida State and East Carolina are two of your easiest games, the schedule is a problem. On the plus side, most of the difficult games are in Bryant-Denny.

1 Nov 7 at LSU 3
2 Oct 10 Georgia 5
3 Oct 24 Texas A&M 14
4 Oct 17 at Tennessee 15
5 Nov 14 at Vanderbilt 17.5
6 Sept 26 South Carolina 21
7 Oct 3 at Mississippi State 25
8 Sept 12 at Kentucky 26
9 Nov 28 Auburn 29
10 Sept 19 Florida State 43
11 Sept 5 East Carolina 74
12 Nov 21 Chattanooga 139

 

[alabama mike]

We owe FSU big time bc of our dismal showing last year. Personally, I would not call E. Carolina and Chattanooga tough.

 

[OldPlayer]

We owe FSU big time bc of our dismal showing last year. Personally, I would not call E. Carolina and Chattanooga tough.

They didn't. That's why they were at the bottom of the list.

 

[TerryP]

@OldPlayer how do you differentiate "pre-season rankings" and "pre-season strength of schedule rankings?"

Often you've replied to others posting rankings in the pre-season with remarks like, "it doesn't mean anything." If so, how can the later mean anything?

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In a different, but related note.

10-15 years ago I'd would not only read, but link articles written by Pete Fuitak. I don't do either anymore. Looking back I'm not sure if it's because he has simply been passed; pro-wager/gambling sites offer far better information today. I weigh that against the thought "maybe he's just become lazy and is resting on his laurels." We see the laziness every day with broadcast media. It would be foolish to think it's secluded to them and doesn't include those in print.

Hell, Yahoo! paid ME to cover political races in SC several years ago. I have a handful of politically based articles I've penned: only for Yahoo! In other words, hired with no experience covering politics. (See Scab covering sports...based purely on resume, I'm not any better.)

We owe FSU big time bc of our dismal showing last year. Personally, I would not call E. Carolina and Chattanooga tough.

I wouldn't call it a simple "buy game" either. ECU gave both Tulane and Memphis good games last season. Both were considered playoff contenders through most of the later part of last season. IOW, with three weeks left, both teams were looking at good possibilities of being invited.

And, let's not forget, the Pirates closed out their season with a win over Pittsburgh (I HAD to write it that way.) If you recall, Pitt finished in a tie for 2nd in the ACC last year (Lost thetie-breaker with Miami, won it with GT, but didn't play SMU or UVA so the conference ended with weird tie-breakers. There's a thread where you and I talked about this, Mike.)

 

[OldPlayer]

@OldPlayer how do you differentiate "pre-season rankings" and "pre-season strength of schedule rankings?"

Often you've replied to others posting rankings in the pre-season with remarks like, "it doesn't mean anything." If so, how can the later mean anything?

---

---

---

In a different, but related note.

10-15 years ago I'd would not only read, but link articles written by Pete Fuitak. I don't do either anymore. Looking back I'm not sure if it's because he has simply been passed; pro-wager/gambling sites offer far better information today. I weigh that against the thought "maybe he's just become lazy and is resting on his laurels." We see the laziness every day with broadcast media. It would be foolish to think it's secluded to them and doesn't include those in print.

Hell, Yahoo! paid ME to cover political races in SC several years ago. I have a handful of politically based articles I've penned: only for Yahoo! In other words, hired with no experience covering politics. (See Scab covering sports...based purely on resume, I'm not any better.)

I wouldn't call it a simple "buy game" either. ECU gave both Tulane and Memphis good games last season. Both were considered playoff contenders through most of the later part of last season. IOW, with three weeks left, both teams were looking at good possibilities of being invited.

And, let's not forget, the Pirates closed out their season with a win over Pittsburgh (I HAD to write it that way.) If you recall, Pitt finished in a tie for 2nd in the ACC last year (Lost thetie-breaker with Miami, won it with GT, but didn't play SMU or UVA so the conference ended with weird tie-breakers. There's a thread where you and I talked about this, Mike.)

You're right. It means nothing. I just threw it in here as an FYI of what somebody thinks. Nobody knows how good/bad a team will be at this point. The majority of new freshman haven't reported in. Last year we thought Ryan Williams was going to be first team All-American.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

You're right. It means nothing. I just threw it in here as an FYI of what somebody thinks. Nobody knows how good/bad a team will be at this point. The majority of new freshman haven't reported in. Last year we thought Ryan Williams was going to be first team All-American.

And its late march/early April....and .....
Sports are boring as hell...
So....
Any football related stuff is....something...

 

[TerryP]

You're right. It means nothing. I just threw it in here as an FYI of what somebody thinks. Nobody knows how good/bad a team will be at this point. The majority of new freshman haven't reported in. Last year we thought Ryan Williams was going to be first team All-American.

I don't have any issues with the SP+ pre-season rankings. While it's still subective, at least Bill Connelly is using some real data. (FWIW, Bill C released his in the last few days; Bama was at 11.) Three of the four categories the SP+ uses are pretty accurate measurements: past success, returning production, and coaching. His fourth, recruiting, is where it gets subjective but it also falls out of the "means nothing" category.

.

 

[Kamikazi18627]

The new scheduling sucks. I don't see how it makes sense that we have Georgia in 2024, 2025 and 2026 but not in 2027.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

The new scheduling sucks. I don't see how it makes sense that we have Georgia in 2024, 2025 and 2026 but not in 2027.

I cant fugure after 2 years of uga.......Why we didn't get Florida for couple years instead of.....

Just to change things up.

 

[TerryP]

A lot of teams have little scheduling tweerks that seems abnormal. That's what happens when you add two teams to the conference and then a couple of years later add an extra game for everyone.

Bama got 'em at home. Take the win.

Catching UGA before the road trip to UT is the beginning of a three game stretch where we should expect a loss.