4 SEC teams make USA Today’s 10 easiest non-conference schedules in 2017
By Andrew Olson
Published:
A week after naming the 10 toughest out-of-conference schedules, USA Today has shifted focus to the 10 easiest out-of-conference schedules for FBS teams. While the SEC avoids showing up in the top five, four conference teams – Missouri, Ole Miss, Arkansas and Mississippi State – show up in the bottom half of the list.
Missouri comes in the highest-ranked of the easiest schedules at No. 6. Outside of the SEC, the Tigers will play Missouri State (Sept. 2), vs. Purdue (Spet. 16), vs. Idaho (Sept. 21) and at Connecticut (Oct. 28). Those four games should certainly help Mizzou get back to bowl eligibility.
Ole Miss follows at No. 7 on the list. The Rebels play South Alabama (Sept. 2), vs. Tennessee-Martin (Sept. 9), at California (Sept.16) and vs. Louisiana-Lafayette (Nov. 11). Paul Myerberg, the author of the list, says Ole Miss’ trip to Cal “looks better on paper” than it will in person, and the other three non-SEC games are “a joke.”
Arkansas checks in at No. 8 on the list. The Razorbacks play Florida A&M (Aug. 31), vs. TCU (Sept. 9), vs. New Mexico State (Sept. 30) and vs. Coastal Carolina (Nov. 4). Myerburg notes that the Hogs would have been higher on his list if not for the TCU game.
Mississippi State closes out the list at No. 10. The Bulldogs play Charleston Southern (Sept. 2), at Louisiana Tech (Sept. 9), vs. Brigham Young (Oct. 14) and vs. Massachusetts (Nov. 4). Myerberg notes that the Louisiana Tech and BYU games should be competitive, but calls out MSU for lack of a Power 5 non-conference opponent.
A visual representation of the full top 10 can be viewed below thanks to ESPN graphics shared on Twitter by “The Paul Finebaum Show.”
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
