The Southeastern Conference has set the standard in college football for the past decade.
Seven of the last nine national champions have come from the SEC. Until last season, when Michigan beat Washington, an SEC school had appeared in the last eight national title games.
In the 10-year history of the College Football Playoff, at least one SEC team has been included every season. The point is: LSU football has always played in the league best equipped to put the Tigers in the College Football Playoff.
But the path LSU would have to take to the playoffs has changed drastically this season. The CFP is expanding from four to twelve teams and the SEC has added football heavyweights from Texas and Oklahoma to the conference.
One could argue that these changes will make it harder for any SEC team to make the playoffs.
Adding two teams with national championship aspirations, including Texas, which made the playoffs last season, means each team has at least one more difficult game on its schedule. For LSU, that means facing the Sooners on Thanksgiving weekend.
In theory, more top matchups mean more chances for big wins in this new version of the SEC and CFP. At least three to four teams, possibly even five, from the conference could secure a spot in this year’s playoffs. Their schedules have all become more demanding, but the additional playoff spots also give each team more room for error.
LSU could lose to Alabama and Texas A&M this season, but would still have a chance to make the playoffs if it beats Oklahoma, Ole Miss, USC and the rest of its schedule. In years past, a second loss would almost certainly have ended national title hopes.
Not all paths to the playoffs are equal in the SEC this year. Compared to some of their rivals, the Tigers’ schedule isn’t that difficult.
So which SEC teams have the toughest road to the CFP? Here are three programs that have particularly difficult trips ahead of them this season.
Oklahoma
The Sooners face a brutal schedule in their debut season in the SEC.
Three of their first five conference games are against No. 15 Tennessee, No. 4 Texas and No. 6 Ole Miss. They also finish the season on the road against No. 11 Missouri, at home against No. 5 Alabama and their season finale is in Death Valley against No. 13 LSU.
Four wins in those six games would give Oklahoma a strong case for the playoffs, as long as it hasn’t lost another game. But getting above .500 against six CFP contenders is a tall order for any team, especially one that hasn’t played SEC play yet.
Alabama
The SEC’s schedule officials have not made it easy for coach Kalen DeBoer in his first season at Alabama.
The Crimson Tide host No. 1 Georgia and play No. 16 Oklahoma on the road. Additionally, they play Tennessee, Missouri and LSU in consecutive weeks midseason, with the Tennessee and LSU matchups on the road.
An expanded CFP gives Alabama more room for error than ever before. But this schedule, which includes a trip to Wisconsin in Week 3, won’t be easy.
Georgia
Compared to the rest of the SEC, Georgia has had easier schedules in recent years, but that won’t be the case this season.
The Bulldogs play three top-six teams on the road this season: Alabama, Texas and Ole Miss. They also host Tennessee, travel to Kentucky and open the season against No. 14 Clemson in Atlanta.
Georgia has won two of the last three national championships and is the favorite to win the SEC again for good reason. The difference this year is that the road to more titles will be much more difficult.
