It’s the great fallacy of the SEC schedule debate: Alabama received the most difficult road of permanent opponents.

But because Tide coach Nick Saban is the loudest voice — and most respected voice — in the room, his misinformed statement carried the most weight.

No matter what you’ve heard from Saban, or any other narrative, Alabama doesn’t have the 3 toughest permanent opponents in a projected 9-game SEC schedule.

Florida does. And frankly, it’s not that close.

“We’re going to play who we’re told to play,” Florida coach Billy Napier said. “We’re more concerned about us, getting better and building our organization.”

One more thing: Alabama’s 9-game schedule isn’t even the 2nd-hardest in the SEC.

For now, the SEC will have 1 transitional, 8-game conference season in 2024, the year Texas and Oklahoma join the fray. The way things played out last week at the annual SEC spring meetings, don’t be shocked if the 16 schools can’t agree on 9 games for 2025 when next year’s spring meetings roll around. We’ve explained how we got to this point, who wants 8 games, who wants 9 and why.

Today, let’s take a different look at the puzzle and rank the 3 permanent opponents, easiest to hardest:

16. Vanderbilt: Auburn, Missouri, Tennessee

Auburn was legit a decade ago, and the Vols were the same in the early 2000s. Does either (or both) become consistently elite again?

15. Missouri: Arkansas, Oklahoma, Vanderbilt

3 SEC schools got Vanderbilt, and that move alleviates some stress for Missouri — which also gets a blossoming rivalry (Arkansas) and a top-10 program.

14. Arkansas: Missouri, Ole Miss, Texas

Hogs get old Southwest Conference rival Texas, an SEC-built rival in Missouri and an annually (potentially) winnable game (Ole Miss).

13. Mississippi State: Kentucky, Ole Miss, Texas A&M

The trio of if. If Lane Kiffin continues to build Ole Miss, if UK stays above the mid-tier of the conference, if Texas A&M finally reaches its massive potential, this is a difficult draw. If those things don’t happen, it’s much more manageable.

12. Tennessee: Alabama, South Carolina, Vanderbilt

No one benefited from the proposed permanent 3 quite like Tennessee. The Vols lost Florida and Georgia annually, and kept South Carolina and Vanderbilt.

11. Ole Miss: Arkansas, LSU, Mississippi State

Rebels made out like none other: They landed their 3 biggest rivals — and avoided Texas and Oklahoma.

10. Kentucky: Georgia, Mississippi State, South Carolina

A sneaky tough permanent trio. The best program in college football, and 2 programs with high ceilings.

9. Georgia: Auburn, Florida, Kentucky

It’s the permanent opponents of potential. Florida and Auburn are championship programs connected to collectives with deep pockets — the surest way to get elite again.

8. South Carolina: Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee

Much like Georgia, another permanent opponents of potential. Florida and Tennessee aren’t yet what they used to be, and Kentucky continues to grow out of its mid-tier status.

7. Texas A&M: LSU, Mississippi State, Texas

If Texas gets right, the combination of LSU and Texas would be 2nd only to Auburn’s Alabama-Georgia combo — and could move the Aggies all the way to the toughest permanent opponents.

6. Texas: Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M

In a perfect NIL world, all 3 of Texas’ permanent opponents would be built into formidable rivals. OU is already there; Texas A&M and Arkansas have the ability to make it 3.

5. Oklahoma: Florida, Missouri, Texas

The potential is there for this to move to No. 3. Florida and Texas are potential monsters, and will get well in the NIL era. Missouri hasn’t found its footing since winning back-to-back East Divisions in 2013-14.

4. LSU: Alabama, Ole Miss, Texas A&M

It begins with the annual rock fight with Alabama, and includes 1 team with enormous potential (Texas A&M). Ole Miss has 6 seasons of at least 9 wins since 2000 — Tennessee has 8.

3. Alabama: Auburn, LSU, Tennessee

The Vols have had h1 nationally relevant season since 2001, and they may as well be the Steelers in Saban’s world. LSU is heavy lifting, and Auburn — despite a national title in 2010 and playing for another in 2013 — has 67 wins over the past 9 seasons (7.4 wins a season).

2. Auburn: Alabama, Georgia, Vanderbilt

The Tigers get the 2 best programs in the nation — and the SEC’s annual tomato can (no offense, Clark). Let me say that again: Auburn gets the 2 best teams in all of college football.

1. Florida: Georgia, Oklahoma, South Carolina

The best team in the nation, the best team in the Big 12 (minus 1 transition season in 2022) and a mid-tier former East Division rival — who has had more 11-win seasons (3) than Tennessee (2) since 2000. One more pertinent number since 2000: Tennessee (167 wins), South Carolina (163).