2026 College Football Strength of Schedule Rankings

Strength of schedule is the hidden tax on every preseason college football prediction. SportsFormulator calculates each team’s rating as the average preseason power rating of its scheduled opponents; a higher number means a harder schedule.

The 10 Hardest Schedules

No. 1 Texas — 79.9. Projected record: 8-4; power rank: No. 7.

No. 2 Oklahoma — 78.5. Projected record: 8-4; power rank: No. 10.

No. 3 Michigan — 78.2. Projected record: 7-5; power rank: No. 18.

No. 4 USC — 78.1. Projected record: 7-5; power rank: No. 14.

No. 5 Ohio State — 78.1. Projected record: 11-1; power rank: No. 1.

No. 6 Michigan State — 76.8. Projected record: 5-7; power rank: No. 82.

No. 7 Arkansas — 76.1. Projected record: 4-8; power rank: No. 89.

No. 8 Nebraska — 76.1. Projected record: 5-7; power rank: No. 63.

No. 9 Missouri — 76.0. Projected record: 5-7; power rank: No. 64.

No. 10 UCLA — 75.9. Projected record: 4-8; power rank: No. 85.

Complete 2026 College Football Strength of Schedule Rankings

SOS Rank	Team	Conference	SOS Rating	Power Rank	Projected Record
1	Texas	SEC	79.9	7	8-4
2	Oklahoma	SEC	78.5	10	8-4
3	Michigan	BIG TEN	78.2	18	7-5
4	USC	BIG TEN	78.1	14	7-5
5	Ohio State	BIG TEN	78.1	1	11-1
6	Michigan State	BIG TEN	76.8	82	5-7
7	Arkansas	SEC	76.1	89	4-8
8	Nebraska	BIG TEN	76.1	63	5-7
9	Missouri	SEC	76.0	64	5-7
10	UCLA	BIG TEN	75.9	85	4-8
11	LSU	SEC	75.6	17	7-5
12	Florida	SEC	75.6	44	6-6
13	Alabama	SEC	75.6	15	7-5
14	Oregon	BIG TEN	75.4	2	11-1
15	Auburn	SEC	75.2	23	7-5
16	Purdue	BIG TEN	75.2	114	3-9
17	Vanderbilt	SEC	75.1	67	5-7
18	Mississippi State	SEC	74.9	47	6-6
19	Ole Miss	SEC	74.8	8	9-3
20	South Carolina	SEC	74.8	45	6-6
21	Northwestern	BIG TEN	74.8	59	6-6
22	Kentucky	SEC	74.7	75	5-7
23	Washington	BIG TEN	74.7	22	7-5
24	Stanford	ACC	74.6	115	3-9
25	North Carolina	ACC	74.2	117	3-9
26	Texas A&M	SEC	74.1	11	8-4
27	Illinois	BIG TEN	73.8	35	7-5
28	Arizona State	BIG 12	73.7	52	6-6
29	Tennessee	SEC	73.6	20	8-4
30	Georgia	SEC	73.6	4	11-1
31	West Virginia	BIG 12	73.1	73	6-6
32	Boston College	ACC	73.1	109	4-8
33	Maryland	BIG TEN	73.0	49	7-5
34	Florida State	ACC	72.8	43	7-5
35	Indiana	BIG TEN	72.8	3	11-1
36	Syracuse	ACC	72.8	95	5-7
37	Colorado	BIG 12	72.7	128	3-9
38	Minnesota	BIG TEN	72.6	81	6-6
39	Oklahoma State	BIG 12	72.5	41	7-5
40	UNLV	MWC	72.5	13	9-3
41	UTEP	MWC	72.5	136	2-10
42	Georgia Tech	ACC	72.4	94	5-7
43	Baylor	BIG 12	72.3	57	6-6
44	Penn State	BIG TEN	72.3	24	8-4
45	San Jose State	MWC	72.3	102	5-8
46	California	ACC	72.2	68	6-6
47	TCU	BIG 12	72.2	53	7-5
48	Wisconsin	BIG TEN	72.1	91	5-7
49	Cincinnati	BIG 12	72.0	77	6-6
50	Iowa	BIG TEN	71.8	34	7-5
51	Iowa State	BIG 12	71.8	99	5-7
52	BYU	BIG 12	71.7	16	9-3
53	Northern Illinois	MWC	71.7	135	2-10
54	SMU	ACC	71.5	25	8-4
55	Kansas	BIG 12	71.4	70	6-6
56	Arizona	BIG 12	71.3	21	8-4
57	Virginia Tech	ACC	71.3	39	7-5
58	Rutgers	BIG TEN	71.3	116	4-8
59	Miami (FL)	ACC	71.2	12	9-3
60	Clemson	ACC	71.2	46	7-5
61	New Mexico	MWC	71.1	9	9-3
62	Colorado State	PAC-12	71.0	119	4-8
63	Notre Dame	IND	71.0	5	11-1
64	Kansas State	BIG 12	71.0	38	8-4
65	Louisville	ACC	71.0	29	8-4
66	UCF	BIG 12	70.9	103	5-7
67	Boise State	PAC-12	70.8	48	7-5
68	Utah	BIG 12	70.8	37	8-4
69	Virginia	ACC	70.7	28	8-4
70	Duke	ACC	70.6	56	7-5
71	Wake Forest	ACC	70.5	51	7-5
72	Rice	AAC	70.4	126	4-8
73	Oregon State	PAC-12	70.2	129	4-8
74	Air Force	MWC	70.2	30	8-4
75	WKU	C-USA	70.0	79	6-6
76	Utah State	PAC-12	70.0	84	6-6
77	Hawaii	MWC	70.0	26	8-4
78	Houston	BIG 12	69.9	19	9-3
79	NC State	ACC	69.8	62	7-5
80	Fresno State	PAC-12	69.8	72	7-5
81	Washington State	PAC-12	69.7	78	6-6
82	Tulane	AAC	69.7	60	7-5
83	Pitt	ACC	69.6	33	8-4
84	Nevada	MWC	69.6	32	8-4
85	Texas Tech	BIG 12	69.6	6	11-1
86	Army	AAC	69.5	71	7-5
87	Wyoming	MWC	69.3	36	8-4
88	North Texas	AAC	69.3	120	5-7
89	North Dakota State	MWC	69.3	27	8-4
90	Southern Miss	SUNBELT	69.1	93	6-6
91	Charlotte	AAC	69.1	137	2-10
92	Texas State	PAC-12	69.0	65	7-5
93	Georgia Southern	SUNBELT	69.0	105	5-7
94	Memphis	AAC	68.9	42	8-4
95	San Diego State	PAC-12	68.8	54	8-4
96	New Mexico State	C-USA	68.5	130	4-8
97	Kent State	MAC	68.5	127	5-7
98	Navy	AAC	68.4	66	7-5
99	Old Dominion	SUNBELT	68.4	92	6-6
100	Temple	AAC	68.3	87	6-6
101	UAB	AAC	68.1	125	4-8
102	Florida Atlantic	AAC	68.1	122	4-8
103	Central Michigan	MAC	68.1	107	6-6
104	Louisiana Tech	SUNBELT	68.1	55	8-4
105	UTSA	AAC	67.8	31	9-3
106	Missouri State	C-USA	67.8	112	5-7
107	South Alabama	SUNBELT	67.7	104	6-6
108	Sam Houston	C-USA	67.4	132	4-8
109	USF	AAC	67.4	50	8-4
110	Arkansas State	SUNBELT	67.4	98	6-6
111	UConn	IND	67.1	74	7-5
112	Troy	SUNBELT	67.1	88	7-5
113	Coastal Carolina	SUNBELT	67.0	110	6-6
114	ULM	SUNBELT	66.9	121	5-7
115	Delaware	C-USA	66.8	86	7-5
116	Middle Tennessee	C-USA	66.7	113	6-6
117	James Madison	SUNBELT	66.7	40	9-3
118	East Carolina	AAC	66.6	58	8-4
119	Akron	MAC	66.5	131	4-8
120	Western Michigan	MAC	66.4	61	8-4
121	Marshall	SUNBELT	66.4	96	7-5
122	Kennesaw State	C-USA	66.3	97	7-5
123	Tulsa	AAC	66.0	101	6-6
124	Jacksonville State	C-USA	66.0	80	7-5
125	Georgia State	SUNBELT	65.9	124	5-7
126	Ball State	MAC	65.8	133	4-8
127	Appalachian State	SUNBELT	65.8	106	6-6
128	Louisiana	SUNBELT	65.7	90	7-5
129	Sacramento State	MAC	65.6	134	3-9
130	FIU	C-USA	65.0	111	6-6
131	Liberty	C-USA	64.8	108	7-5
132	Ohio	MAC	64.8	83	8-4
133	Miami (Ohio)	MAC	64.6	100	7-5
134	Toledo	MAC	63.9	69	8-4
135	Bowling Green	MAC	63.8	123	6-6
136	Eastern Michigan	MAC	63.6	76	8-4
137	UMass	MAC	62.3	138	2-10
138	Buffalo	MAC	62.2	118	7-5

How to Use the Rankings

A hard schedule is not automatically bad news for a playoff contender: it creates quality-win opportunities. But it shrinks the margin for error. For win totals and bowl projections, the best value often comes from spotting a solid team whose raw power rank hides an unusually soft path—or a famous team whose schedule is far more demanding than its market number suggests.

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