Same story, different book for this SEC program.
Major SEC Program Has College Football’s Toughest Schedule For Second Straight Year originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The SEC is renowned as the most competitive conference in college football, primarily due to its high-level teams. Now, with the addition of the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners in 2024, it's only getting tougher.
An SEC team has won the national championship in six of the last 10 seasons, and four straight from 2019-22. Given this, it's expected that a team within the SEC will endure the most challenging schedule, granted that the majority of their games will be conference play.
Last year, the program with the toughest schedule was the Florida Gators, who finished the year 8-5 overall, including a 4-4 conference record. For the Gators, it's a different book, same story in 2025.
Once again, the Gators are scheduled to endure the hardest schedule in college football. Florida is the only SEC team that will face all three of the league's highest-ranked preseason teams in No. 3 Texas, No. 4 Georgia and No. 6 LSU.
This will mark Coach Billy Napier's fourth season at the helm of the program. Many believe Napier, who closed last season 4-0, is on the hot seat this season and must meet expectations to keep the job.
During SEC media days, sophomore quarterback DJ Lagway adopted a saying that expressed his team's confidence entering a daunting 2025 season: "Spot the ball." He followed the three-word phrase by explaining that it doesn’t matter who they play, where or when — the fact remains the same: they have to face the Florida Gators.
The Gators are set to kick off the season in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, also known as "The Swamp," against LIU on Aug. 30.
Related: Major SEC Head Coach Under 'Most Pressure' After Disappointing Offseason
Related: Billy Napier Headlines List of College Football Coaches on the Hot Seat
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 31, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: General Sports
