1. Oklahoma
Oklahoma starts off the season with Louisiana Monroe at home but then grab a quick conference home game in West Virginia. The next few weeks do not get any easier as the Sooners play a tough Tulsa team out of the Conference USA then draw Notre Dame in South Bend. The second half of the schedule isn't as tough for an Oklahoma team normally, but the Sooners finish with two tough road games in Kansas State and Oklahoma State.
2. Iowa
Iowa kicks the season off with the defending MAC champions, Northern Illinois, who return QB Jordan Lynch. The Hawkeyes schedule two solid out of conference teams as they host Missouri but then travel to Ames to play Iowa State the following week. Iowa has to play Michigan State, Northwestern, Wisconsin, and Michigan but get all those tough competitors at home. They have a mid-season showdown with Ohio State in Columbus then finish off with a game in Lincoln versus Nebraska.
3. California
California leads off with a tough Northwestern team, who led in all 13 games last season in the fourth quarter. (Ended up with 10 wins) The Bears grab another Big Ten foe to play at home in Ohio State. Their toughest game will follow after the Buckeyes when the Bears travel to Oregon on September 28. Cal will host Oregon State, Arizona, and Southern Cal, and then make late trips to Colorado and Stanford.
4. Kansas
Kansas plays three non-AQ conference teams, one FCS, in the first three weeks of the season. Two of those teams, Rice and Louisiana Tech, could give Kansas a tough time and are in no way pushovers. Kansas gets Texas Tech first in conference play then go to TCU before facing Oklahoma at home. Kansas has road games at Texas, Oklahoma State, and Iowa State with West Virginia in between and finishing off with Kansas State. Ouch!
5. Utah
Utah draws in state foe Utah State in the opener then Weber State out of the FCS in week two. The Utes start conference play with Oregon State then play in Provo against BYU before hosting UCLA. The Utes will travel to Arizona, Southern Cal, Oregon, and Washington State within a five week span to end the season. Utah will need to win early to be in possible bowl consideration at the end of the year.
6. Purdue
Purdue starts off the season with two tough out of conference opponents: Cincinnati in the opening week then Notre Dame in West Lafeyette on September 14. Purdue starts conference play with a trip to Wisconsin then come back home to play a tough Northern Illinois team. Purdue also will have to travel to Michigan State and Penn State but are fortunate to get three evenly matched opponents (Indiana, Iowa, and Illinois) at home.
7. Arkansas
It's shocking to see the toughest SEC schedule only at seven when most of the time two or three will be in the top five. The Razorbacks could open up very smoothly with their first three games being Louisiana, Samford, and Southern Miss (only team to go winless in 2013.) But after that, no mercy takes place on the UA schedule. Arkansas travels to Rutgers then comes back home to host Texas A&M. The death stretch has only begun because after A&M the Hogs have to prepare a trip to Florida, come back home to play South Carolina then travel and play the national champions. No SEC schedule is ever easy and this one proves that statement.
8. Stanford
It's not so much that Stanford has the toughest road schedule, but just the quality opponents on the schedule give them the number eight ranking. Stanford draws home games from San Jose State, Arizona State, Washington, UCLA, Oregon, California, and Notre Dame. Quality opponents will get you a high strength of schedule ranking even if the games are at home. The Cardinal also face a rising Oregon State team in Corvallis while also playing Southern Cal on the road.
9. Notre Dame
Once again, Notre Dame finds themselves in the top ten in toughest schedules. The Irish will face their annual Big Ten opponents with Michigan and Purdue being on the road but will host Michigan State this time around. Oklahoma comes to town along with Arizona State and Southern Cal. The Irish put an end to their harsh schedule after a road game at Stanford.
10. Missouri
The SEC has not been kind to Missouri, scheduling wise, since entering the conference. Mizzou takes trips to Georgia, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, and Mississippi. If you want to travel in the SEC, those are the places to go with the exception of Georgia. Like Stanford, it may not be the road games that give the team a tougher schedule but just the quality of each opponent. Missouri gets Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Texas A&M at home. (three of the four finished in the top ten in 2012)
Oklahoma starts off the season with Louisiana Monroe at home but then grab a quick conference home game in West Virginia. The next few weeks do not get any easier as the Sooners play a tough Tulsa team out of the Conference USA then draw Notre Dame in South Bend. The second half of the schedule isn't as tough for an Oklahoma team normally, but the Sooners finish with two tough road games in Kansas State and Oklahoma State.
2. Iowa
Iowa kicks the season off with the defending MAC champions, Northern Illinois, who return QB Jordan Lynch. The Hawkeyes schedule two solid out of conference teams as they host Missouri but then travel to Ames to play Iowa State the following week. Iowa has to play Michigan State, Northwestern, Wisconsin, and Michigan but get all those tough competitors at home. They have a mid-season showdown with Ohio State in Columbus then finish off with a game in Lincoln versus Nebraska.
3. California
California leads off with a tough Northwestern team, who led in all 13 games last season in the fourth quarter. (Ended up with 10 wins) The Bears grab another Big Ten foe to play at home in Ohio State. Their toughest game will follow after the Buckeyes when the Bears travel to Oregon on September 28. Cal will host Oregon State, Arizona, and Southern Cal, and then make late trips to Colorado and Stanford.
4. Kansas
Kansas plays three non-AQ conference teams, one FCS, in the first three weeks of the season. Two of those teams, Rice and Louisiana Tech, could give Kansas a tough time and are in no way pushovers. Kansas gets Texas Tech first in conference play then go to TCU before facing Oklahoma at home. Kansas has road games at Texas, Oklahoma State, and Iowa State with West Virginia in between and finishing off with Kansas State. Ouch!
5. Utah
Utah draws in state foe Utah State in the opener then Weber State out of the FCS in week two. The Utes start conference play with Oregon State then play in Provo against BYU before hosting UCLA. The Utes will travel to Arizona, Southern Cal, Oregon, and Washington State within a five week span to end the season. Utah will need to win early to be in possible bowl consideration at the end of the year.
6. Purdue
Purdue starts off the season with two tough out of conference opponents: Cincinnati in the opening week then Notre Dame in West Lafeyette on September 14. Purdue starts conference play with a trip to Wisconsin then come back home to play a tough Northern Illinois team. Purdue also will have to travel to Michigan State and Penn State but are fortunate to get three evenly matched opponents (Indiana, Iowa, and Illinois) at home.
7. Arkansas
It's shocking to see the toughest SEC schedule only at seven when most of the time two or three will be in the top five. The Razorbacks could open up very smoothly with their first three games being Louisiana, Samford, and Southern Miss (only team to go winless in 2013.) But after that, no mercy takes place on the UA schedule. Arkansas travels to Rutgers then comes back home to host Texas A&M. The death stretch has only begun because after A&M the Hogs have to prepare a trip to Florida, come back home to play South Carolina then travel and play the national champions. No SEC schedule is ever easy and this one proves that statement.
8. Stanford
It's not so much that Stanford has the toughest road schedule, but just the quality opponents on the schedule give them the number eight ranking. Stanford draws home games from San Jose State, Arizona State, Washington, UCLA, Oregon, California, and Notre Dame. Quality opponents will get you a high strength of schedule ranking even if the games are at home. The Cardinal also face a rising Oregon State team in Corvallis while also playing Southern Cal on the road.
9. Notre Dame
Once again, Notre Dame finds themselves in the top ten in toughest schedules. The Irish will face their annual Big Ten opponents with Michigan and Purdue being on the road but will host Michigan State this time around. Oklahoma comes to town along with Arizona State and Southern Cal. The Irish put an end to their harsh schedule after a road game at Stanford.
10. Missouri
The SEC has not been kind to Missouri, scheduling wise, since entering the conference. Mizzou takes trips to Georgia, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, and Mississippi. If you want to travel in the SEC, those are the places to go with the exception of Georgia. Like Stanford, it may not be the road games that give the team a tougher schedule but just the quality of each opponent. Missouri gets Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina, and Texas A&M at home. (three of the four finished in the top ten in 2012)