The preseason AP Top 25 Poll rankings have been dropped, and not surprisingly, the list is riddled with SEC teams. Every team in the SEC has a tough road ahead, but that is not new territory for the conference.
LSU is tied for the national lead in preseason top-25 opponents for 2025. The Tigers are slated to play seven regular season games against teams featured in the first AP Top 25 Poll of the new season. Six are SEC opponents, with a Week 1 heavyweight battle against Clemson highlighting LSU's non-conference slate.
Three other teams also play seven preseason top-25 opponents. They all hail from the SEC. That means the SEC schedule is a gauntlet for just about every team in the league.
Number of Ranked Teams on Each Team’s Schedule 💪 pic.twitter.com/NR8557l1dN
— College Football Report (@CFBRep) August 12, 2025
Of the 16 teams that play five or more preseason top-25 teams, 13 are from the SEC. The lone exceptions are Wisconsin, Syracuse, and Purdue. The Badgers play six top-25 teams, while the Orange and Boilermakers each play five.
Florida, Oklahoma, and Mississippi State are all slated to battle seven teams featured in the first AP Top 25 Poll, along with LSU. No SEC team plays less than four preseason top-25 teams this season.
Now, this list will obviously be different at the end of the season. The number of preseason top-25 opponents for each team could be vastly different than the number of year-end top-25 opponents. But, it wouldn't be surprising to see plenty of SEC teams at the top of the year-end strength of schedule rankings. That's just life in the SEC.
LSU has a tough road ahead, but the talent is there to orchestrate a special season. ESPN's college football power index ranks LSU's strength of schedule this season at No. 11 in the country. Looking to capture his first SEC title and an appearance in the College Football Playoff, Brian Kelly needs to have his team ready from the jump. Week 1 against Clemson is almost here.