Pro Football Focus reveals five toughest remaining schedules in college football
Pro Football Focus revealed the five programs with the toughest remaining schedules after seven weeks of the 2021 college football season.
Half of the programs are fighting for favorable bowl selections while the others are trying to hang on to a shred of bowl hope.
Here are the five toughest remaining schedules, according to PFF.
Nebraska Cornhuskers own toughest remaining schedule
The 3-4 Nebraska Cornhuskers have the hardest schedule as they look ahead to games 8-12, according to Pro Football Focus. With wins over Fordham, Buffalo and Northwestern, Scott Frost’s squad has No. 25 Purdue, No. 5 Ohio State, Wisconsin and No. 11 Iowa to close out the season. The Cornhuskers started the season with the 10th toughest schedule and are clearly struggling through it. Their losses are to Illinois, Oklahoma, Michigan State, Michigan and Minnesota.
Nebraska hasn’t been to a bowl game since the Music City Bowl in 2016. Nebraska’s no Kansas but the bowl drought is still one of the longest-running amongst Power 5 programs.
Michigan State faces uphill battle, according to Pro Football Focus
The No. 9 Michigan State Spartans are undefeated through the first seven weeks of the season but it’s going to be tough to maintain, according to Pro Football Focus. Their remaining schedule is the second toughest in the country and it’s similar to Nebraska’s doozy. The Spartans take on No. 6 Michigan, No. 25 Purdue, Maryland, No. 5 Ohio State, and No. 7 Penn State to end the season.
Michigan State’s schedule was not originally one of the hardest in the country but as its Big 10 opponents have proved more formidable through Week 7, the landscape took a steep incline.
Auburn to finish season with three ranked opponents
Auburn’s schedule is always tough, so it’s no surprise to see the Tigers high up on PFF’s list with five games remaining. Auburn beat a ranked Arkansas team but couldn’t escape No. 1 Georgia or No. 7 Penn State.
Bryan Harsin’s squad needs just one more win to attain bowl eligibility. They’re very likely to get it with South Carolina and Mississippi State still remaining but Ole Miss, Alabama and Texas A&M could hinder them from getting to a primetime bowl.
Texas Tech, Indiana fighting to finish strong
Texas Tech and Indiana round out Pro Football Focus’s top five toughest remaining schedules. The Hoosiers have six more games left, not five, and only have two wins so far in 2021. They have Michigan, Ohio State and Purdue left to play, as well as Maryland, Rutgers and Minnesota.
The Texas Tech Red Raiders need one more win to clinch bowl eligibility, which should be easy, but their ride to the postseason won’t be without bumps. They take on No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 8 Oklahoma State and No. 20 Baylor to end the regular season.