College Football News said the Florida Gators have the toughest strength of schedule ahead of the 2025 college football season on Monday.
The way CFN decides the strength of schedule rankings is by assigning a number value for each team and adding the points up. Basically, the lower the numbers, the tougher the schedule. For example, San Diego State earned a 100 value after "spring looks," and playing the Aztecs at home would add 100 points to the SOS score. Playing the Aztecs at their field gets 50 points.
Florida checks in at the top spot with a 343.5 strength of schedule rating. To compare, No. 10 Oklahoma is at 440.5, No. 25 Texas A&M is at 486.5, No. 50 BYU is at 556, No. 68 (the halfway point) Wake Forest is at 683 and No. 136 Liberty faces the easiest schedule in DI football at 1,066.5.
Being in the SEC means the Gators will always be in the mix, and Florida has two in-state Power Four programs on its non-conference slate. Every member of the conference ranks inside the top 63, with Missouri getting the easiest go (625.5) and Tennessee (598.5) not too far behind at No. 60. The other 14 teams rank No. 46 or higher in terms of strength of schedule, with seven programs inside the top 12.
Keep in mind that Florida's season opener against FCS Long Island accounts for 137 of the 343.5 SOS points, and playing Georgia at a neutral site is treated like a home game. Playing at LSU, Miami, Ole Miss and Texas A&M also beefs up the schedule.
No one is picking Billy Napier's squad to go undefeated against this type of schedule, but it could benefit Florida in the expanded College Football Playoff format. The 2025 CFP saw more than half of the 12 teams get in with two losses (including conference championships) and a pair of three-loss teams made it in too. Facing the toughest schedule in the country is a good thing in this day in age, and Florida could theoretically find itself in the hunt with losses to Georgia, Texas and one more SEC loss.
Florida football's 2025 regular season schedule (by opponent strength)
- Nov. 1; vs Georgia (Jacksonville)
- Sept. 13; at LSU
- Sept. 20; at Miami
- Oct. 11; at Texas A&M
- Oct. 4; Texas
- Nov. 15; at Ole Miss
- Nov. 22; Tennessee
- Nov. 29; Florida State
- Nov. 8; at Kentucky
- Sept. 6; USF
- Oct. 18; Mississippi State
- Aug. 30; LIU
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida football strength of schedule ranking College Football News
