How the NCAA ranks the 2014 college football strength of schedule
With spring football in full swing – two teams play spring games Saturday – let’s see how the NCAA would rank the 2014 college football strength of schedule.
RELATED: 2014 SEC Strength of Schedule
This is based on opponents’ win-loss record from the previous year; so, it’s not perfect. The opponents’ win percentage is calculated by adding up the total wins and losses for the 12 teams on the schedule.
A couple flaws exist ranking schedules this way, as noted by Phil Steele. The first flaw would be a 10-2 FCS opponent shouldn’t carry the same weight as a 7-6 FBS team. In this method, they carry more weight. Secondly, the records are from the previous season, which was an entirely different team.
But it’s fun to look at where the SEC’s strength of schedule compares to other teams around the country. SDS will rank our own schedules closer to the season.
The NCAA would say Arkansas has the country’s toughest schedule, followed by Tennessee, Texas A&M and Kentucky in the top 10. All SEC teams are bolded below:
RELATED: 2014 SEC football schedules
RANK | TEAM | WINS | LOSS | WIN% |
1 | Arkansas | 103 | 54 | 65.61% |
2 | Virginia | 102 | 54 | 65.38% |
3 | Tennessee | 101 | 54 | 65.16% |
4 | Notre Dame | 103 | 56 | 64.78% |
5 | Texas A&M | 100 | 55 | 64.52% |
6 | Kentucky | 98 | 55 | 64.05% |
7 | Iowa St | 97 | 57 | 62.99% |
8 | Syracuse | 96 | 57 | 62.75% |
9 | Rutgers | 97 | 58 | 62.58% |
10 | Wake Forest | 97 | 58 | 62.58% |
11 | Utah | 98 | 59 | 62.42% |
12 | West Virginia | 97 | 59 | 62.18% |
13 | South Carolina | 96 | 59 | 61.94% |
14 | Miami, Fl | 96 | 60 | 61.54% |
15 | Boston College | 95 | 61 | 60.90% |
16 | California | 94 | 61 | 60.65% |
17 | FIU | 92 | 60 | 60.53% |
18 | Auburn | 93 | 61 | 60.53% |
19 | Georgia | 92 | 61 | 60.13% |
20 | North Carolina | 92 | 62 | 59.74% |
21 | Illinois | 90 | 61 | 59.60% |
22 | NC State | 89 | 61 | 59.33% |
23 | Indiana | 93 | 64 | 59.24% |
24 | Nebraska | 90 | 63 | 58.82% |
25 | Texas | 89 | 63 | 58.55% |
25 | Mississippi | 89 | 63 | 58.55% |
27 | Clemson | 89 | 65 | 57.79% |
28 | USC | 89 | 66 | 57.42% |
29 | TCU | 87 | 65 | 57.24% |
30 | Wyoming | 88 | 66 | 57.14% |
31 | Oklahoma St | 86 | 65 | 56.95% |
31 | Army | 86 | 65 | 56.95% |
33 | Hawaii | 95 | 72 | 56.89% |
34 | Florida | 87 | 66 | 56.86% |
34 | Ohio St | 87 | 66 | 56.86% |
36 | Washington St | 88 | 67 | 56.77% |
37 | Temple | 85 | 65 | 56.67% |
38 | Kansas | 86 | 66 | 56.58% |
39 | Louisiana Tech | 85 | 66 | 56.29% |
40 | Maryland | 86 | 67 | 56.21% |
41 | San Jose St | 87 | 68 | 56.13% |
42 | Stanford | 86 | 68 | 55.84% |
43 | Purdue | 84 | 67 | 55.63% |
43 | Missouri | 84 | 67 | 55.63% |
43 | Georgia Tech | 84 | 67 | 55.63% |
46 | Minnesota | 85 | 68 | 55.56% |
47 | Florida St | 83 | 68 | 54.97% |
47 | SMU | 83 | 68 | 54.97% |
49 | Arizona | 84 | 69 | 54.90% |
49 | Oregon | 84 | 69 | 54.90% |
51 | Southern Miss | 83 | 69 | 54.61% |
52 | Arizona St | 84 | 70 | 54.55% |
52 | Tulane | 84 | 70 | 54.55% |
54 | Florida Atlantic | 81 | 69 | 54.00% |
55 | Michigan St | 83 | 71 | 53.90% |
55 | Virginia Tech | 83 | 71 | 53.90% |
57 | LSU | 82 | 71 | 53.59% |
58 | Eastern Michigan | 80 | 70 | 53.33% |
59 | Michigan | 81 | 71 | 53.29% |
60 | UCLA | 82 | 72 | 53.25% |
60 | Oregon St | 82 | 72 | 53.25% |
62 | Mississippi St | 80 | 71 | 52.98% |
62 | Tulsa | 80 | 71 | 52.98% |
64 | Nevada | 81 | 73 | 52.60% |
65 | Kansas St | 79 | 72 | 52.32% |
66 | Colorado | 81 | 74 | 52.26% |
67 | Baylor | 78 | 72 | 52.00% |
68 | Penn St | 79 | 73 | 51.97% |
69 | Vanderbilt | 78 | 73 | 51.66% |
70 | Toledo | 80 | 75 | 51.61% |
71 | New Mexico | 79 | 75 | 51.30% |
72 | Georgia St | 75 | 72 | 51.02% |
73 | UCF | 77 | 74 | 50.99% |
74 | Pittsburgh | 78 | 75 | 50.98% |
74 | Boise St | 78 | 75 | 50.98% |
76 | UTEP | 76 | 74 | 50.67% |
77 | Washington | 85 | 83 | 50.60% |
78 | Northwestern | 76 | 76 | 50.00% |
78 | Miami, Oh | 76 | 76 | 50.00% |
80 | Louisville | 75 | 76 | 49.67% |
81 | Texas Tech | 74 | 75 | 49.66% |
81 | Connecticut | 74 | 75 | 49.66% |
83 | East Carolina | 74 | 76 | 49.33% |
83 | USF | 74 | 76 | 49.33% |
85 | Iowa | 68 | 70 | 49.28% |
86 | Fresno St | 74 | 77 | 49.01% |
87 | Wisconsin | 74 | 78 | 48.68% |
88 | WKU | 73 | 77 | 48.67% |
88 | Massachusetts | 73 | 77 | 48.67% |
90 | South Alabama | 72 | 76 | 48.65% |
91 | UNLV | 73 | 79 | 48.03% |
91 | Kent St | 73 | 79 | 48.03% |
93 | Oklahoma | 71 | 78 | 47.65% |
94 | Akron | 72 | 80 | 47.37% |
95 | Alabama | 71 | 79 | 47.33% |
96 | Navy | 69 | 78 | 46.94% |
97 | BYU | 71 | 81 | 46.71% |
98 | UTSA | 70 | 80 | 46.67% |
99 | Ohio | 71 | 82 | 46.41% |
100 | Western Michigan | 70 | 81 | 46.36% |
101 | Duke | 69 | 82 | 45.70% |
102 | Cincinnati | 68 | 82 | 45.33% |
103 | Bowling Green | 67 | 81 | 45.27% |
103 | Louisiana | 67 | 81 | 45.27% |
105 | UAB | 67 | 82 | 44.97% |
106 | Air Force | 68 | 84 | 44.74% |
107 | Old Dominion | 67 | 83 | 44.67% |
108 | Idaho | 65 | 81 | 44.52% |
109 | San Diego St | 66 | 83 | 44.30% |
110 | Central Michigan | 66 | 84 | 44.00% |
111 | New Mexico St | 64 | 82 | 43.84% |
111 | Appalachian St | 64 | 82 | 43.84% |
113 | Memphis | 65 | 85 | 43.33% |
114 | Houston | 64 | 84 | 43.24% |
114 | Arkansas St | 64 | 84 | 43.24% |
116 | Rice | 64 | 85 | 42.95% |
117 | Utah St | 68 | 94 | 41.98% |
118 | ULM | 61 | 87 | 41.22% |
119 | Troy | 60 | 87 | 40.82% |
120 | Ball St | 60 | 89 | 40.27% |
121 | Buffalo | 59 | 88 | 40.14% |
122 | Marshall | 59 | 89 | 39.86% |
123 | Texas St | 57 | 88 | 39.31% |
124 | Middle Tennessee | 58 | 90 | 39.19% |
125 | Colorado St | 57 | 91 | 38.51% |
126 | Northern Illinois | 55 | 91 | 37.67% |
127 | North Texas | 55 | 92 | 37.41% |
128 | Georgia Southern | 51 | 95 | 34.93% |
Photo Credit: Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports