ESPN hands out schedule superlatives for the 2019 SEC season
One of the most heated offseason debates centers on which team has the toughest schedule for the upcoming season. If you were to ask that question to ESPN’s Chris Low, he would tell you that no one faces a tougher road than Gus Malzhan’s Auburn program.
Not only has Low provided his thoughts on that question, but he’s also shared his thoughts on several other schedule superlatives for the 2019 season with many of his choices coming down to SEC programs.
You can check out his entire ESPN.com piece here.
We’ve taken the liberty of sharing the SEC teams featured on Low’s superlative list, as well as the schedules for each of them below:
Toughest overall Power 5 schedule — Auburn
This superlative was given to Auburn over South Carolina.
- vs. Oregon (in Arlington)
- vs. Tulane
- vs. Kent State
- at Texas A&M
- vs. Mississippi State
- at Florida
- Bye Week
- at Arkansas
- at LSU
- Ole Miss
- Bye Week
- vs. Georgia
- vs. Samford
- vs. Alabama
Cushiest close to the season — Kentucky
This superlative was given to Kentucky because the Wildcats get three home games in November against opponents that likely won’t be favored against Mark Stoops’ team.
- vs. Toledo
- vs. Eastern Michigan
- vs. Florida
- at Mississippi State
- at South Carolina
- Bye Week
- vs. Arkansas
- at Georgia
- vs. Missouri
- Bye Week
- vs. Tennessee
- at Vanderbilt
- vs. UT Martin
- vs. Louisville
Road weary — Texas A&M
This superlative was given out to the Aggies because of upcoming road trips to Clemson, Georgia and LSU.
- vs. Texas State
- at Clemson
- vs. Lamar
- vs. Auburn
- vs. Arkansas (in Arlington)
- Bye Week
- vs. Alabama
- at Ole Miss
- vs. Mississippi State
- vs. UTSA
- Bye Week
- vs. South Carolina
- at Georgia
- at LSU
Power 5 shy on steroids — Tennessee
This superlative was given to the Vols due to the fact Tennessee does not face a single Power 5 opponent outside of conference play.
- vs. Georgia State
- vs. BYU
- vs. Chattanooga
- at Florida
- Bye Week
- vs. Georgia
- vs. Mississippi State
- at Alabama
- vs. South Carolina
- vs. UAB
- at Kentucky
- Bye Week
- at Missouri
- vs. Vanderbilt
Beast of the East — Alabama
This superlative has to do with the Crimson Tide returning to South Carolina for the first time since 2010, when Steve Spurrier’s Gamecocks handled Nick Saban his worst defeat as Alabama’s head coach before last season’s College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
- vs. Duke (in Atlanta)
- vs. New Mexico State
- at South Carolina
- vs. Southern Miss
- vs. Ole Miss
- Bye Week
- at Texas A&M
- vs. Tennessee
- vs. Arkansas
- Bye Week
- vs. LSU
- at Mississippi State
- vs. Western Carolina
- at Auburn
On the road again — Mississippi State
This superlative relates to the six-week span in which MSU will be hitting the road for Auburn, Tennessee, Texas A&M and Arkansas with a home contest against LSU in the middle of that gauntlet.
- vs. Louisiana (in New Orleans)
- vs. Southern Miss
- vs. Kansas State
- vs. Kentucky
- at Auburn
- Bye Week
- at Tennessee
- vs. LSU
- at Texas A&M
- at Arkansas
- Bye Week
- vs. Alabama
- vs. Abilene Christian
- vs. Ole Miss
September to remember — Georgia
This superlative relates to the best matchup of the first month of the season with Notre Dame traveling to Athens.
- at Vanderbilt
- vs. Murray State
- vs. Arkansas State
- vs. Notre Dame
- Bye Week
- at Tennessee
- vs. South Carolina
- vs. Kentucky
- Bye Week
- vs. Florida (in Jacksonville)
- vs. Missouri
- at Auburn
- vs. Texas A&M
- at Georgia Tech