Vance Meek
May 17, 2024 8:23 pm ET
The 2024 Kentucky football season is getting closer and more details about their schedule is starting to come out. Teams have known their opponents for some time, but are now beginning to get some times for kickoffs in the early part of the season.
It’s an exciting time of year for fans, as teams have had Spring practices and their Spring games. Now, anticipation for the start of the season has begun. Part of that is taking a look at, and further examining, the schedule, and the match-ups that will happen throughout the season.
The Wildcats will always play a tough schedule as a part of the SEC, and with the additions of the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners, it becomes even tougher. However, all the SEC football teams operate with the same framework.
So, who has the toughest schedule in the SEC? There are a number of criteria that can be used to measure it, and therefore differing opinions on the answer. What follows is UKWildcatsWire’s ranking of the SEC football teams based on strength of schedule, from easiest, to hardest.
16
Ole Miss Rebels
Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
2024 Schedule: vs. Furman, vs. Middle Tennessee, at Wake Forest, vs. Georgia Southern, vs Kentucky, at South Carolina, at LSU, vs. Oklahoma, at Arkansas, vs. Georgia, at Florida, vs. Mississippi State
Ole Miss gets their two toughest opponents, Oklahoma and Georgia, at home, and a trip to play LSU is the biggest road game. They don’t have to play Alabama or Texas at all.
15
Missouri Tigers
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
2024 Schedule: vs. Murray State, vs. Buffalo, vs. Boston College, vs. Vanderbilt, at , at UMass, vs. Auburn, at Alabama, vs. Oklahoma, at South Carolina, at Mississippi State, vs Arkansas
The Tigers have just about as good a schedule as possible in the SEC. They miss Texas, and get Oklahoma at home. They’ll travel to Alabama and Texas A&M, but their other road games are very winnable. The non-conference foes should be easy wins.
14
LSU Tigers
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
2024 Schedule: vs. USC (neutral site), vs. Nicholls State, at South Carolina, vs. UCLA, vs. South Alabama, vs. Ole Miss, at Arkansas, at Texas A&M, vs. Alabama, at Florida, vs Vanderbilt, vs. Oklahoma
LSU has both Oklahoma and Alabama on their schedule, but both will travel to Baton Rouge for the games. Their toughest road game appears to be Texas A&M, while both USC and UCLA could have down seasons.
13
Tennessee Volunteers
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
2024 Schedule: vs. Chattanooga, vs. N.C. State (neutral site), vs. Kent State, at Oklahoma, at Arkansas, vs. Florida, vs. Alabama, vs. Kentucky, vs. Mississippi State, at Georgia, vs. UTEP, at Vanderbilt
The Volunteers play a relatively weak non-conference schedule, but have a couple of tough road games within the SEC. They’ll travel to play Oklahoma and Georgia, but they do get Alabama at home.
12
Texas Longhorns
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
2024 Schedule: vs. Colorado State, at Michigan, vs. UTSA, vs. Louisiana-Monroe, vs. Mississippi State, vs. Oklahoma (neutral site), vs. Georgia, at Vanderbilt, vs Florida, at Arkansas, vs. Kentucky, at Texas A&M
Texas will go on the road to play Michigan, but it will be a much different Wolverines team. Georgia is a home game, and Oklahoma will be played at a neutral site. All in all, not too bad.
11
Auburn Tigers
Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
2024 Schedule: vs. Alabama A&M, vs. California, vs. New Mexico, vs. Arkansas, vs. Oklahoma, at Georgia, at Missouri, at Kentucky, vs. Vanderbilt, vs. Louisiana-Monroe, vs. Texas A&M, at Alabama
Road trips to Missouri and Georgia in back to back weeks will be rough, and they travel to Alabama to end the season. The non-conference schedule isn’t too bad, though.
10
Kentucky Wildcats
Jordan Prather-USA TODAY Sports
2024 Schedule: vs. Southern Miss, vs. South Carolina, vs. Georgia, vs. Ohio, at Ole Miss, vs. Vanderbilt, at Florida, vs. Auburn, at Tennessee, vs. Murray State, at Texas, vs. Louisville
The Wildcats play road games against Ole Miss, Texas, and Tennessee, which will be no picnic, and they face Georgia at home. Louisville hasn’t beaten Kentucky in a few years, but were a good team last season.
9
Texas A&M Aggies
Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
2024 Schedule: vs. Notre Dame, vs. McNeese State, at Florida, vs. Bowling Green, vs. Arkansas (neutral site), vs. Missouri, at Mississippi State, vs. LSU, at South Carolina, vs. New Mexico State, at Auburn, vs. Texas
Texas A&M opens and closes with two very tough games at home, but their road schedule isn’t bad. They’ll also play Missouri and LSU this season, but Auburn is their toughest game away from home.
8
Vanderbilt Commodores
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
2024 Schedule: vs. Virginia Tech, vs. Alcorn State, at Georgia State, at Missouri, vs. Alabama, at Kentucky, vs. Ball State, vs. Texas, at Auburn, vs. South Carolina, at LSU, vs. Tennessee
Vandy’s non-conference foes aren’t exactly a gauntlet, but they have Missouri and LSU on the road. They also have home games against Alabama, Texas, and Tennessee.
7
Arkansas Razorbacks
Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports
2024 Schedule: vs. UAPB (in Little Rock), at Oklahoma State, vs. UAB, at Auburn, vs. Texas A&M (neutral site), vs. Tennessee, vs. LSU, at Mississippi State, vs. Ole Miss, vs. Texas, vs. Louisiana Tech, at Missouri
Arkansas faces a good Oklahoma St team on the road early in the season. They also play Missouri at their place. However, Texas, LSU, and Ole Miss are home games for the Razorbacks.
6
Georgia Bulldogs
Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
2024 Schedule: vs. Clemson (neutral site), vs. Tennessee Tech, at Kentucky, at Alabama, vs. Auburn, vs. Mississippi State, at Texas, vs. Florida (neutral site), at Ole Miss, vs. Tennessee, vs. UMass, vs. Georgia Tech
The Bulldogs get Alabama, Texas, and Ole Miss on the road, but they’re broken up pretty well. They open the season with Clemson, but the schedule isn’t brutal outside of those three road games.
5
Alabama Crimson Tide
Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK
2024 Schedule: vs. Western Kentucky, vs. South Florida, at Wisconsin, vs. Georgia, at Vanderbilt, vs. South Carolina, at Tennessee, vs. Missouri, at LSU, vs. Mercer, at Oklahoma, vs. Auburn
Alabama has a touch non-conference road game in Wisconsin, and gets LSU and Oklahoma on the road. They’ll play Georgia and Missouri at home, but have some easier games sprinkled throughout the schedule.
4
South Carolina Gameco*cks
Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
2024 Schedule: vs. Old Dominion, at Kentucky, vs. LSU, vs. Akron, vs. Ole Miss, at Alabama, at Oklahoma, vs. Texas A&M, at Vanderbilt, vs. Missouri, vs Wofford, at Clemson
A three-game stretch against Ole Miss, Alabama, and Oklahoma is as tough as it gets. They close the year at Clemson as well, which will be a hard game to win.
3
Mississippi St Bulldogs
Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
2024 Schedule: vs. Eastern Kentucky, at Arizona State, vs. Toledo, vs. Florida, at Texas, at Georgia, vs. Texas A&M, vs. Arkansas, vs. UMass, at Tennessee, vs. Missouri, at Ole Miss
The Bulldogs face a gauntlet. They face a couple of solid non-conference foes, then face Texas and Georgia back to back on the road. They also close at Ole Miss, which will be difficult.
2
Oklahoma Sooners
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
2024 Schedule: vs. Temple, vs. Houston, vs. Tulane, vs. Tennessee, at Auburn, vs. Texas (neutral site), vs. South Carolina, at Ole Miss, vs. Maine, at Missouri, vs. Alabama, at LSU
The Sooners play Texas at a neutral site mid-season. However, they close the year with road games at Ole Miss, Missouri and LSU plus a home game with Alabama.
1
Florida Gators
Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
2024 Schedule: vs. Miami, vs. Samford, vs. Texas A&M, at Mississippi State, vs. UCF, at Tennessee, vs. Kentucky, vs. Georgia (neutral site), at Texas, vs. LSU, vs. Ole Miss, at Florida State
Florida has it rough. They have Miami and Tennessee early, then their final five games are versus Georgia, Texas, LSU, Ole Miss, and Florida St in a row.
