SEC Media Days Storylines: Most of the SEC is taking part in a significant out-of-conference showdown

The eight game vs. nine game league schedule debate in the SEC may rage on until the beginning of the 2025 season. That decision will have an outsized effect not just on 2026 schedules, but on schedules in the late 2020s and into the 2030s until the next major shakeup takes place.

[Sign up for Inside Texas for $1 and get PLUS access up to the Ohio State game!]

But with the 2025 schedule format still at eight games and with the SEC mandating that each team has to play one Power Conference opponent in its out-of-conference schedule, SEC members had opportunities in recent years to set up some marquee matchups.

And while these big-time, name-brand matchups are balanced out by some lower FBS and even FCS cupcakes, there are going to be fantastic helmet battles in 2025.

All point spreads are from FanDuel unless otherwise noted.

Texas at Ohio State

Date: August 30
Current spread: Ohio State -3.0 (via ESPN)

The defending national champions versus a title-contending team they beat to win that crown. Oh yeah, Arch Manning is starting for the Longhorns. Texas’ other non-conference matchups against San Jose State, Sam Houston State, and UTEP don’t do much to drum up excitement, but the battle with the Buckeyes is as big as non-conference matchups get.

Auburn at Baylor

Date: August 29
Current spread: Auburn -2.5 (via ESPN)

A tough opener for the Tigers. If Hugh Freeze and company fall at Baylor, how confident would they feel about entering a three-game opening stretch in the SEC of at Oklahoma, at Texas A&M, off, then Georgia with a 2-1 record? Or what if Ball State or South Alabama do the unthinkable? Important game for Baylor too in order to set the tone for what they hope is a College Football Playoff caliber year.

Alabama at Florida State

Date: August 30
Current spread: Alabama -13 (via ESPN)

Florida State will feature new everything, including an updated Doak Campbell Stadium, while Alabama will have a new starting quarterback. These schools are also only five hours apart from each other. You can see why, with 10 Power Conference opponents, Alabama is big into strength of schedule arguments.

LSU at Clemson

Date: August 30
Current spread: Clemson -3 (via ESPN)

The week one matchup most are paying attention to if they aren’t paying attention to Texas at Ohio State. Death Valley vs. Death Valley. Tigers vs. Tigers. Garrett Nussmeier vs. Cade Klubnik. The Clemson matchup is balanced out by two in-state contests against a flailing Louisiana Tech and FCS Southeastern plus a late-season game versus WKU.

Virginia Tech vs South Carolina

Date: August 31
Current spread: South Carolina -9.5 (via ESPN)

The Beamer Bowl! Unfortunately it is in a neutral site in Atlanta. However, South Carolina will also factor into the strength of schedule conversation thanks to their in-state opponent. More on that later.

Kansas at Missouri

Date: September 6
Current spread: Missouri -6.5

Texas vs. Texas A&M rivalry wasn’t the only annual showdown that went away in 2011. The Border War was played each year from 1891 to 2011 with one single interruption in 1918 due to the Spanish Flu. Then when Missouri left for the SEC, the rivalry went away with it. After a stretch of neutral site games from 2007 to 2011, this game heads back to Columbia for the first time since 2006. Good to see this one back.

Arizona State at Mississippi State

Date: September 6
Current spread: N/A

An intriguing cross-region game and a return contest from last year when the Sun Devils won 30-23. Good scheduling on both team’s part. MSU plays an interesting out-of-conference schedule. They travel to Southern Miss, play Arizona State, then host Alcorn State and NIU.

Michigan at Oklahoma

Date: September 6
Current spread: Oklahoma -2.5

Oklahoma welcomes native son Sherrone Moore back to Norman for Oklahoma’s only big test before the Red River Shootout. OU’s non-con includes a FCS team in Illinois State, an odd trip to Temple, and woeful Kent State.

Vanderbilt at Virginia Tech

Date: September 6
Current spread: N/A

Vanderbilt’s surprising run in 2024 took off thanks to an overtime win in Nashville. The Hokies will be playing a SEC opponent for the second straight week after their trip to Atlanta to play South Carolina. Vanderbilt can jump up but they can also play down, so don’t be surprised if they drop one to Georgia State for the second straight year.

Wisconsin at Alabama

Date: September 13
Current spread: N/A

The Crimson Tide torched the Badgers in Madison last year in a game that threw the rest of Wisconsin’s year into a spiral. Kalen DeBoer won’t want to enter SEC play with a loss.

Texas A&M at Notre Dame

Date: September 13
Current spread: Notre Dame -7.5

After last year’s thrilling game in College Station, the Aggies head to South Bend to try to enact revenge. A&M has a few interesting games on its future schedules but this is the biggest matchup for a while.

Florida at Miami

Date: September 13
Current spread: Miami -3.5

The Cam Ward Heisman campaign began last year when the Hurricanes marched into the Swamp and trounced the Gators in the resurrection of an old rivalry. Now the Gators get their chance in Miami. Florida keeps its schedule tough on purpose it seems like.

Notre Dame at Arkansas

Date: September 27
Current spread: N/A

Arkansas does several notable things on their 2025 schedule. Not only do they welcome the Fighting Irish, they also play Arkansas State for the first time ever.

Circumstances change

Ole Miss was supposed to play USC in Los Angeles to start the 2025 season in a series announced in 2020. The return game was supposed to take place in Oxford in 2026. Both schools decided to cancel the series around this time last year, and Ole Miss filled the hole in its schedule with Washington State. The Cougars do not currently retain Power Conference status but it appears as if some grace was given to the Rebels because of the late cancelation.

[Want to be the most informed Texas Longhorns football fan? Order the 2025 edition of Thinking Texas Football today!]

Left off the honor roll

• Syracuse at Tennessee

This was announced in 2021 when the Orange were coming off a 1-10 season in the COVID-afflicted year. They got up to 5-7 in 2021, but it was obvious when Tennessee agreed to this deal that the heights Dino Babers and company achieved in 2018 were a flash in the pan. They don’t get credit for Fran Brown turning in a fantastic debut campaign in 2024, nor for playing this at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Anything aside from 4-0 against Syracuse, East Tennessee State, UAB, and New Mexico State is a failure.

Letting in-state rivalries do the whole job

• Georgia at Georgia Tech
• Kentucky at Louisville

It’s a good thing that schools like Georgia and Kentucky continue to play in-state rivalries across conference lines. But for Georgia to let the Yellow Jackets function as their only Power Conference opponent outside the SEC schedule, especially when their remaining 2025 non-conference slate is Marshall, Austin Peay, and Charlotte, yeesh.

It looks like a one-off, though, as teams like Louisville, Florida State, Clemson, Ohio State, and NC State are on future schedules and in recent years Georgia has played Clemson, Oregon, and Notre Dame out of conference.

[Want to be the most informed Texas Longhorns football fan? Order the 2025 edition of Thinking Texas Football today!]

Kentucky is fine for relying on Louisville to satisfy the league’s requirement, but credit should then be shown to South Carolina and Florida. Both are taking on in-state rivals with Florida hosting Florida State and South Carolina hosting Clemson. Both also have another Power Conference game on the schedule in 2025. Florida heads to Miami while South Carolina welcomes Virginia Tech. If you want to win the strength of schedule argument, put together a strong schedule.