Florida Gators have toughest overall schedule among Power 5 programs, ESPN reporter says
Year after year, the Florida Gators play one of college football’s most challenging schedules and the 2023 season will be more of the same.
In fact, the Gators have the most difficult overall Power 5 schedule in all of college football according to one well-known and well-respected reporter.
“How would you like to play the nation’s toughest schedule as a second-year coach coming off a losing season in Year 1? Welcome to Billy Napier’s world,” wrote Chris Low of ESPN.com in a column titled, “2023 CFB superlatives: Who has the hardest, easiest schedule?“
Florida, coming off a 6-7 season, has few gimmes on the slate this season. Here’s what the schedule looks like:
Aug.31: at Utah
Sept. 9: vs. McNeese
Sept. 16: vs. Tennessee
Sept. 23: vs. Charlotte
Sept. 30: at Kentucky
Oct. 7: vs. Vanderbilt
Oct. 14: at. South Carolina
Oct. 28: vs. Georgia (Jacksonville, Fla.)
Nov. 4: vs. Arkansas
Nov. 11: at LSU
Nov. 18: at Missouri
Nov. 25: vs. Florida State
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The Florida Gators have several challenging games
“Florida opens the season on the road against two-time defending Pac-12 champion Utah and closes at home against bitter rival Florida State, which is ranked No. 3 and is one of the favorites to win the ACC,” Lowe wrote. “In between, the Gators have trips to Kentucky, South Carolina and LSU. They face No. 11 Tennessee at home two weeks after opening the season at Utah, and there’s also the annual clash with No. 1 Georgia in Jacksonville — two weeks before visiting LSU on Nov. 11. If you’re counting, that’s six preseason top-25 opponents, with four in the top 15.”
Who has the next toughest overall Power 5 schedule? Low pointed toward a school in the SEC West.
Said Low: “Ole Miss isn’t far behind Florida on the challenge meter. The Rebels are the only SEC team playing both Alabama and Georgia on the road.”
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As for the easiest overall schedule among Power 5 programs? Low gave that honor to Boston College.
Additionally, he wrote that Pitt had the toughest Power 5 non-conference schedule and Michigan the easiest.
Michigan’s non-conference is lacking big-name opponents
“We have a repeat winner. For the second season in a row, Michigan has earned the ‘honor’ of playing the nation’s cushiest nonconference schedule. The two-time defending Big Ten champion doesn’t face a single Power 5 opponent. This was also the case a year ago, marking the first time in 78 years the Wolverines didn’t play a nonconference game against a current Power 5 member or Notre Dame. Michigan opens this season with three straight home games against East Carolina, UNLV and Bowling Green. .. The only team rivaling Michigan in this category is Georgia, which plays UT Martin, Ball State and UAB at home and closes the regular season against in-state rival Georgia Tech on the road.
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