Non-conference games give SEC teams the chance to prove that they belong to the premier conference in college football.

There are several marquee games in 2015 — especially during “Rivalry Week” — that will help us gauge where the SEC stands among the Power 5 conferences. Let’s take a look at the 10 toughest non-conference games facing SEC teams this season.

We’ve ranked them all by the difficulty of the matchup, accounting for both the strength of the opponent and the likelihood of a loss.

10. Sept. 3 — South Carolina vs. North Carolina (Charlotte, N.C.)

The Carolinas open the season with a border war. This game will be on a neutral field — Bank of America Stadium where the Carolina Panthers play. And although the game is in North Carolina, the venue is slightly closer to Columbia than it is Chapel Hill. Both of these teams are predicted to have similar success this season, which should mean we’re in for a close one on opening weekend.

9. Sept. 5 — Western Kentucky at Vanderbilt

This will not be an easy early-season matchup for the Commodores even in front of the home crowd. The Hilltoppers won eight games last season, including the Bahamas Bowl against Central Michigan. This season, Western Kentucky has received a vote in the preseason Associated Press poll and will be looking to build off the momentum they generated last season as a new member of Conference USA. The Hilltoppers must not be intimidated by the SEC because they also scheduled a November meeting with LSU in Baton Rouge.

8. Sept. 5 — No. 3 Alabama vs. No. 20 Wisconsin (Arlington, Texas)

Just because this game is on the list doesn’t mean we think the Crimson Tide are in any jeopardy of losing. This a tough season-opener for both top 25 teams, but Alabama represents a decent favorite. These two teams have not squared off since 1928 when the Badgers won 15-0.

7. Sept. 12 — No. 19 Oklahoma at No. 25 Tennessee

A meeting between two top-25 teams early in the season is always fun. The Volunteers will have the luxury of playing in Knoxville, which they should be thankful for because a trip to Norman is never easy. Both of these squads will look to avoid the early-season loss, even if it is against a worthy opponent.

6. Sept. 5 — Texas A&M vs. No. 15 Arizona State (Houston, Texas)

This is a challenging season-opener for Texas A&M. The only reason this game ranks so far down the list is because the Aggies find themselves just outside the AP Poll, having received 61 votes, and because this essentially will be a home game for the Aggies. Instead of playing at Kyle Field, the game will take place at NRG Stadium, the home of the Houston Texans. So we’ll see if the 12th Man can travel a little bit and help Texas A&M start the season with a bang.

5. Nov. 28 — No. 9 Georgia at No. 16 Georgia Tech

Back to “Rivalry Week.” If the preseason rankings hold up, this could turn out to be a very competitive game. There’s never any love lost between these in-state rivals, so expect them to beat the stuffing out of each other in this post-Thanksgiving meeting.

4. Oct. 31 — Vanderbilt at Houston

Halloween presents a scary matchup for the Commodores. This is the first road game for an SEC on the list, but that’s mostly because there aren’t many non-conference away games to choose from. Things have been rough for Vanderbilt since James Franklin departed and losing to an American Athletic Conference team with a new coach won’t sit very well with fans. But that new coach — former Ohio State offensive coordinator Tom Herman — knows what he’s doing and will put a team on the field that is no easy out for any team.

3. Nov. 28 — No. 12 Clemson at South Carolina

Man, the last Saturday in November is shaping up to be a tough weekend for SEC teams. This is another in-state dual where the non-conference team probably will be favored. Clemson is sitting just outside the top 10 now and could be inside of it by this point in the season. This will also be a true test for coach Steve Spurrier’s reworked defense.

2. Nov. 28 — Louisville at Kentucky

Louisville isn’t a top-25 team yet, but it did receive 12 votes in the preseason AP Poll. Kentucky, although showing signs of improvement, isn’t that close to sniffing the polls yet. This is another tough non-conference game that the SEC team will have the liberty of playing at home, but the Wildcats might need more than crowd support to pull this one out.

1. Nov. 28 — No. 10 Florida State at Florida

This is the SEC’s only non-conference matchup against a preseason top-10 team. At least the Gators and their first-year head coach Jim McElwain won’t have to travel to Tallahassee to take on their in-state rival, but this will be a tough one for Florida to come away with. But perhaps the motivation from the home crowd and the fact that it’s a rivalry game can be a recipe for a late-season upset.