Three years ago, I came up with a scoring system to determine preseason strength of schedule.

Obviously that’s just a projection, and strength of schedule doesn’t really matter until after the games are played, but this scoring system is meant to settle some of the debates that I have with myself. It takes a lot of the subjectivity out of it.

It’s easy to let the nonconference slate skew one’s perception of schedule strength when in reality, that only accounts for 1/3 of it. Sometimes even a crossover draw can skew how a schedule is perceived in the preseason. Or, because a team is so dominant (Alabama, Georgia, LSU), we tend to think a schedule is easier than it is. It’s easier for me to score it using a system.

Oh, right. What does that entail?

Here’s the scoring system:

Yesterday, we looked at the SEC East. Today, we’ll break down the West using that scoring system. The points that each game earned are in parenthesis.

Let’s get into it:

7. Texas A&M (330)

  • vs. Abilene Christian (10)
  • vs. North Texas (10)
  • vs. Colorado (20)
  • vs. Arkansas (20)
  • at Mississippi State (30)
  • vs. Fresno State (10)
  • at Auburn (50)
  • at South Carolina (30)
  • vs. Ole Miss (20)
  • vs. Vanderbilt (20)
  • at Alabama (60)
  • vs. LSU (50)

Worth noting — And this is why we’re all talking about A&M’s favorable schedule. It’s not even close who has the weakest schedule in the West. In fact, this is the weakest schedule in the entire SEC. It’s baffling to think about the fact that A&M’s 2020 slate only racked up 100 points in the entire first half of the season. That’s an average of fewer than 17 points per matchup. It checks all the boxes. At least 3 cupcake nonconference games? Yep. A Power 5 nonconference home game against a non-bowl team? You bet. Crossover draws against non-bowl teams? That’s there, too. Auburn is the only 1 of A&M’s first 10 opponents that won more than 6 games last year. The ending is second to none, but it’s hard to draw up a much better West schedule than that.

6. LSU (380)

  • vs. UTSA (10)
  • vs. Texas (40)
  • vs. Rice (10)
  • vs. Ole Miss (20)
  • vs. Nicholls (10)
  • at Florida (60)
  • at Arkansas (30)
  • vs. Mississippi State (30)
  • vs. Alabama (50)
  • vs. South Carolina (20)
  • at Auburn (50)
  • at Texas A&M (50)

Worth noting — This is a great example of why just having a quality nonconference game doesn’t necessarily mean the entire schedule is tough. But working in LSU’s favor is that the other 3 nonconference games are 10-point cupcakes and the crossover draw is at home against South Carolina. Translation: 1/3 of the schedule is super favorable for the defending national champs. All the usual suspects are there, for sure, but that November is a different beast than usual with Auburn getting added because of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry getting moved.

5. Mississippi State (390)

  • vs. New Mexico (10)
  • at NC State (30)
  • vs. Arkansas (20)
  • vs. Tulane (30)
  • vs. Texas A&M (40)
  • at Alabama (60)
  • at LSU (60)
  • vs. Auburn (40)
  • vs. Mizzou (20)
  • at Kentucky (40)
  • vs. Alabama A&M (10)
  • at Ole Miss (30)

Worth noting — That middle chunk of the schedule is brutal. Absolutely brutal. A 4-game stretch with all preseason top 15 teams and 2 road games against top 5 teams is a gauntlet. How Mike Leach handles that in Year 1 is beyond me. Tip of the cap if he can do that. The good news for Leach is that the season is bookended pretty favorably, and there are worse crossover draws than at home against Mizzou.

4. Auburn (415)

  • vs. Alcorn State (10)
  • vs. UNC in Atlanta (35)
  • at Ole Miss (30)
  • vs. Southern Miss (30)
  • vs. Kentucky (30)
  • at Georgia (60)
  • vs. Texas A&M (40)
  • at Mississippi State (40)
  • vs. Arkansas (20)
  • vs. UMass (10)
  • vs. LSU (50)
  • at Alabama (60)

Worth noting — If you’re an Auburn fan, you’re probably grateful that there’s no Clemson/Pac-12 contender to start the season. There aren’t any 40-point games until Game No. 6, which is the good news. Ironically enough, it’s the Georgia matchup that’s finally not being played in November. This could set up really well for that inexperienced Auburn defense. But UNC, Kentucky and Georgia will all prove to be challenging defenses for Bo Nix and Co. to navigate. It’s still a difficult schedule by Power 5 standards, though it doesn’t project as challenging as last year’s slate.

3. Ole Miss (425)

  • vs. Baylor (35)
  • vs. Southeast Missouri State (10)
  • vs. Auburn (40)
  • at LSU (60)
  • vs. Alabama (50)
  • at Vanderbilt (30)
  • vs. Florida (50)
  • vs. UConn (10)
  • at Texas A&M (50)
  • at Arkansas (30)
  • vs. Georgia Southern (30)
  • vs. Mississippi State (30)

Worth noting — There are actually some favorable elements to this schedule in the controllable areas. Facing Baylor fresh off a Sugar Bowl appearance might not seem ideal, but at least it’ll be with Dave Aranda instead of Matt Rhule. Only 4 true road games all year isn’t bad, either. The challenge is besides the usual West gauntlet, facing Florida in the crossover draw will be a tall task and 8 bowl opponents don’t leave much room for error. Just getting to the postseason would be a decent accomplishment for Year 1 of the Lane Kiffin era.

2. Arkansas (430)

  • vs. Nevada (30)
  • at Notre Dame (60)
  • at Mississippi State (40)
  • vs. Texas A&M (40)
  • vs. Charleston (10)
  • vs. Alabama (50)
  • vs. LSU (50)
  • vs. Tennessee (40)
  • at Auburn (50)
  • vs. Ole Miss (20)
  • vs. UL Monroe (10)
  • at Mizzou (30)

Worth noting — Racking up 170 points in the first 4 games of the year is a major challenge, for sure. Those are all bowl teams. In fact, 9 of Arkansas’ first 10 opponents went to a bowl game in 2019. Six of those first 9 opponents are in the SDS way-too-early Top 25. Yikes. That’s a gauntlet for anyone, much less a first-time FBS head coach. Welcome to the SEC West, Sam Pittman.

1. Alabama (445)

  • vs. USC in Dallas (45)
  • vs. Georgia State (30)
  • vs. Georgia (50)
  • vs. Kent State (30)
  • at Ole Miss (30)
  • at Arkansas (30)
  • vs. Mississippi State (30)
  • at Tennessee (50)
  • at LSU (60)
  • vs. UT Martin (10)
  • vs. Texas A&M (40)
  • vs. Auburn (40)

Worth noting — Let’s squash the “Bama ain’t played nobody, Paaaaaaawl” narratives now. Alabama will indeed play plenty of people. Four of the final 5 games are against preseason Top 25 teams. That doesn’t include facing USC and Georgia in 2 of the first 3 games. This isn’t the type of schedule that’s going to make Alabama the butt of every joke. It shouldn’t, at least. USC isn’t Duke and Georgia isn’t South Carolina. Nobody scored higher than Alabama in the entire SEC, and with good reason. If Alabama gets back atop the college football mountain, it’ll absolutely be earned.