By Vince Ferrara

Which SEC team has the toughest consecutive week stretch of 3 or 4 games in the 2017 season?

Who you play, where you play and when you play opponents matter.

Below you’ll find my rankings, why and each team’s schedule, so you can form your opinions with the schedules in front of you.

For some measure of what’s difficult, I’ve listed the Athlon preseason Top 25 rankings next to those schools, since that is the first common and popular preseason publication that’s out in stores and online.

In bold in the team schedules is the stretch of consecutive weeks that I’ve deemed the toughest 3 or 4 consecutive week stretch for each team. That means no open week or FCS opponent in-between tough games. One team has two stretches (LSU) that I think are most difficult.

My Toughest Consecutive Week Stretches In The SEC In 2017
*(3 or 4 straight weeks) 1 is toughest
1. Ole Miss (Sept. 30 to Oct. 21)
2. Mississippi State (Sept. 16 to 30)
3. Vanderbilt (Sept. 16 to Oct. 7)
4. Arkansas (Oct. 7 to 28)
5. LSU #2 (Nov. 4 to 18)
6. LSU #1 (Oct. 7 to 21)
7. Georgia (Oct. 28 to Nov. 11)
8. Kentucky (Nov. 11 to 25)
9. Missouri (Nov. 4 to 25)
10. Texas A&M (Sept. 23 to Oct. 14)
11. Florida (Oct. 28 to Nov. 11)
12. Tennessee (Oct. 14 to 28)
13. South Carolina (Oct. 28 to Nov. 11)
14. Auburn (Oct. 7 to 21)
15. Alabama (Oct. 7 to 21)

Vince’s View
Ole Miss will have to face perhaps the three best teams in the SEC in their 4-week rough stretch…at #1 Alabama, at #9 Auburn, vs. Vanderbilt and vs. #11 LSU. What will be left of Ole Miss after Alabama and Auburn (the two best teams in the SEC) back-to-back on the road when they return home for the last two? Brutal.

Mississippi State’s 3-week stretch against ranked opponents (vs. #11 LSU, at #15 Georgia and at #9 Auburn) features the 2nd, 3rd and 4th best teams in the league in my opinion, after Alabama. Two of those three games are on the road in back-to-back weeks.

Vanderbilt’s 4-week stretch of 4 straight ranked opponents is rough as well. It goes: vs. #22 K-State, vs. #1 Alabama, at #16 Florida, vs. #15 Georgia. You may argue it should have been at #1 or #2. Two factors pull from this a little. Three of the four games are at home, plus, I don’t think Kansas State is that good, not Top 25 at least. That’s Vandy’s best chance to win one of those games. Of the 14 SEC teams, Vandy is tied with Florida for the most games this season vs. ranked teams, 5.

Arkansas has a 4-game stretch that sees the Hogs on the road three times. Arkansas starts at SC followed by a road game at #1 Bama then home to #9 Auburn and closing out at Ole Miss. The Texas A&M game in Arlington is a “home” game this year, which means only three true SEC home games for Arkansas. That contributes to the bunched-up conference road games. It doesn’t help that the Razorbacks’ open week is so early in week 3. They could use it much more later in the season.

With two stretches of really tough games on the schedule, LSU has the toughest overall schedule in the league. Arkansas had the distinction of having two brutal stretches of games in 2016. The Fighting Orgerons could play all 12 games against teams with a winning record overall when it’s all said and done. Syracuse will be better, BYU is a regular 8-win team, Troy could be a 7-8 win team and UT-Chattanooga is a terrific FCS playoff level program. Both of LSU’s two tough stretches include 2 of 3 games vs. ranked opponents and 2 of 3 games on the road. Plus, LSU’s two tough stretches are only separated by an open week, so some may view that as 6 straight tough games against 4 ranked teams and 4 road games. Sheesh.

Georgia has #16 Florida in Jacksonville, South Carolina at home and then at #9 Auburn. SC is tricky because of what UGA emotionally invests in the UF game the week before, and I think the Gamecocks will be improved. Georgia only plays 3 ranked teams this season, but none are at home.

Kentucky’s toughest stretch is at the end of the season in the last three games: at Vanderbilt, at #15 Georgia and vs. #18 Louisville. Part of the reason for the tough stretch of games being late is the opponents. The other is the middle of SEC play for UK which features 4 of 5 conference games at home, leaving those last two road games before the rival Cardinals come to town.

Florida plays 5 ranked opponents this season, but the games are all spread out, and get this, none of the five are true road games. Therefore, UF’s most difficult three weeks is #15 Georgia in Jacksonville, at Mizzou and at South Carolina.

The last four games stand out as the most difficult for Missouri. It starts with ranked teams, #16 Florida and #19 Tennessee, before road games at Vandy and Arkansas. The tougher games are at home, so that helps ease the blow a touch. A September open date is not helpful, however.

Texas A&M has a 4-game stretch vs. Arkansas in Arlington, South Carolina at home, #1 Alabama at home and then at #16 Florida. It’s four games and includes Alabama, so that’s challenging in itself. Here’s a crazy note on A&M’s 2017 schedule. With the Arkansas game counting as a road game this season, Texas A&M won’t play it’s 2nd true conference road game until the second-to-last week of the season November 18!

The Tennessee Volunteers don’t have the gauntlet in 2017 like they did a year ago. The tougher games are more spread out this season. There are no ranked teams in consecutive weeks as we view it now. South Carolina at home, at #1 Alabama and at Kentucky sets the bar for toughest stretch on the schedule for the Vols. South Carolina will be improved, Alabama needs no explanation and the week after playing the Tide (at UK) is usually rough on teams. Tough or not, Vols fans don’t want to hear about that or a UK team on the rise. With the series history and program history for both, losing to Kentucky cannot be comprehended. Relative to most UT schedules we see, this stretch is not too bad. One advantage that Tennessee did have with the schedule last season that it clearly won’t this year is that all 8 conference opponents had the Vols in their stretch of toughest games in 2016. This year, they are only in three: Alabama, LSU and Missouri. That should mean that teams may not be as beat-up this year when the Vols come around on the schedule as they were last year, especially since Tennessee was on the back-end of many of those tough stretches.

South Carolina opens it’s tough 3-week period with Vanderbilt at home, followed by at #15 Georgia then #16 Florida at home. Georgia and Florida should be the top two teams in the East, so it is not a Ric Flair (always heard at Williams-Brice Stadium) strut across the field by any means.

Auburn closes out it’s tough three-week stretch with two road games at #11 LSU and at Arkansas after a home game with Ole Miss. What helps is less is expected from Ole Miss and Arkansas this season, although still neither game will be easy.

Alabama, the best team on paper again, has the least challenging tough stretch of consecutive weeks in the SEC. It matches the schedule overall after the epic tilt vs. #3 FSU in the opener in Atlanta. Bama has another perfect open week (before LSU after 8 games) and it has no consecutive road games all season. Alabama and South Carolina are the only SEC teams without two-straight road games. In fact, several teams even have three in-a-row on the road.

2017 SEC Football Schedules – Team-by-Team
*Bold denotes toughest consecutive week (3 or 4) stretch
ALABAMA
Sept. 2 vs. Florida State (Atlanta) 3
Sept. 9 FRESNO STATE (G-Five)
Sept. 16 COLORADO STATE (G-Five)
Sept. 23 at Vanderbilt
Sept. 30 OLE MISS
Oct. 7 at Texas A&M
Oct. 14 ARKANSAS
Oct. 21 TENNESSEE 19
Oct. 28 Open date
Nov. 4 LSU 11
Nov. 11 at Mississippi State
Nov. 18 MERCER (FCS)
Nov. 25 at Auburn 9

ARKANSAS
Aug. 31 (Thu) FLORIDA A&M (Little Rock) (FCS)
Sept. 9 TCU
Sept. 16 Open date
Sept. 23 vs. Texas A&M (Arlington)
Sept. 30 NEW MEXICO STATE (G-Five)
Oct. 7 at South Carolina
Oct. 14 at Alabama 1
Oct. 21 AUBURN 9
Oct. 28 at Ole Miss
Nov. 4 COASTAL CAROLINA (G-Five)
Nov. 11 at LSU 11
Nov. 18 MISSISSIPPI STATE
Nov. 25 MISSOURI

AUBURN
Sept. 2 GEORGIA SOUTHERN (G-Five)
Sept. 9 at Clemson 7
Sept. 16 MERCER (FCS)
Sept. 23 at Missouri
Sept. 30 MISSISSIPPI STATE
Oct. 7 OLE MISS
Oct. 14 at LSU 11
Oct. 21 at Arkansas
Oct. 28 Open date
Nov. 4 at Texas A&M
Nov. 11 GEORGIA 15
Nov. 18 LOUISIANA-MONROE (G-Five)
Nov. 25 ALABAMA 1

FLORIDA
Sept. 2 vs. Michigan (Arlington) 10
Sept. 9 NORTHERN COLORADO (FCS)
Sept. 16 TENNESSEE 19
Sept. 23 at Kentucky
Sept. 30 VANDERBILT
Oct. 7 LSU 11
Oct. 14 TEXAS A&M
Oct. 21 Open date
Oct. 28 vs. Georgia (Jacksonville) 15
Nov. 4 at Missouri
Nov. 11 at South Carolina
Nov. 18 UAB (G-Five)
Nov. 25 FLORIDA STATE 3

GEORGIA
Sept. 2 APPALACHIAN STATE (G-Five)
Sept. 9 at Notre Dame
Sept. 16 SAMFORD (FCS)
Sept. 23 MISSISSIPPI STATE
Sept. 30 at Tennessee 19
Oct. 7 at Vanderbilt
Oct. 14 MISSOURI
Oct. 21 Open date
Oct. 28 vs. Florida (Jacksonville) 16
Nov. 4 SOUTH CAROLINA
Nov. 11 at Auburn 9
Nov. 18 KENTUCKY
Nov. 25 at Georgia Tech

KENTUCKY
Sept. 2 at Southern Mississippi (G-Five)
Sept. 9 EASTERN KENTUCKY (FCS)
Sept. 16 at South Carolina
Sept. 23 FLORIDA 16
Sept. 30 EASTERN MICHIGAN (G-Five)
Oct. 7 MISSOURI
Oct. 14 Open date
Oct. 21 at Mississippi State
Oct. 28 TENNESSEE 19
Nov. 4 OLE MISS
Nov. 11 at Vanderbilt
Nov. 18 at Georgia 15
Nov. 25 LOUISVILLE 18

LSU
Sept. 2 vs. BYU (Houston)
Sept. 9 UT-CHATTANOOGA (FCS)
Sept. 16 at Mississippi State
Sept. 23 SYRACUSE
Sept. 30 TROY (G-Five)
Oct. 7 at Florida 16
Oct. 14 AUBURN 9
Oct. 21 at Ole Miss
Oct. 28 Open date
Nov. 4 at Alabama 1
Nov. 11 ARKANSAS
Nov. 18 at Tennessee 19
Nov. 25 TEXAS A&M

OLE MISS
Sept. 2 SOUTH ALABAMA (G-Five)
Sept. 9 UT-MARTIN (FCS)
Sept. 16 at California
Sept. 23 Open date
Sept. 30 at Alabama 1
Oct. 7 at Auburn 9
Oct. 14 VANDERBILT
Oct. 21 LSU 11
Oct. 28 ARKANSAS
Nov. 4 at Kentucky
Nov. 11 LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE (G-Five)
Nov. 18 TEXAS A&M
Nov. 23 (Thu.) at Mississippi State

MISSISSIPPI STATE
Sept. 2 CHARLESTON SOUTHERN (FCS)
Sept. 9 at Louisiana Tech (G-Five)
Sept. 16 LSU 11
Sept. 23 at Georgia 15
Sept. 30 at Auburn 9
Oct. 7 Open date
Oct. 14 BYU
Oct. 21 KENTUCKY
Oct. 28 at Texas A&M
Nov. 4 UMASS (G-Five)
Nov. 11 ALABAMA 1
Nov. 18 at Arkansas
Nov. 23 (Thu.) OLE MISS

MISSOURI
Sept. 2 MISSOURI STATE (FCS)
Sept. 9 SOUTH CAROLINA
Sept. 16 PURDUE
Sept. 23 AUBURN 9
Sept. 30 Open date
Oct. 7 at Kentucky
Oct. 14 at Georgia 15
Oct. 21 IDAHO (G-Five)
Oct. 28 at UConn (G-Five)
Nov. 4 FLORIDA 16
Nov. 11 TENNESSEE 19
Nov. 18 at Vanderbilt
Nov. 25 at Arkansas

SOUTH CAROLINA
Sept. 2 vs. NC State (Charlotte)
Sept. 9 at Missouri
Sept. 16 KENTUCKY
Sept. 23 LOUISIANA TECH (G-Five)
Sept. 30 at Texas A&M
Oct. 7 ARKANSAS
Oct. 14 at Tennessee 19
Oct. 21 Open date
Oct. 28 VANDERBILT
Nov. 4 at Georgia 15
Nov. 11 FLORIDA 16
Nov. 18 WOFFORD (FCS)
Nov. 25 CLEMSON 7

TENNESSEE
Sept. 4 (Mon.) vs. Georgia Tech (Atlanta)
Sept. 9 INDIANA STATE (FCS)
Sept. 16 at Florida 16
Sept. 23 UMASS (G-Five)
Sept. 30 GEORGIA 15
Oct. 7 Open date
Oct. 14 SOUTH CAROLINA
Oct. 21 at Alabama 1
Oct. 28 at Kentucky
Nov. 4 SOUTHERN MISS (G-Five)
Nov. 11 at Missouri
Nov. 18 LSU 11
Nov. 25 VANDERBILT

TEXAS A&M
Sept. 3 (Sun) at UCLA
Sept. 9 NICHOLLS STATE (FCS)
Sept. 16 LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE (G-Five)
Sept. 23 vs. Arkansas (Arlington)
Sept. 30 SOUTH CAROLINA
Oct. 7 ALABAMA 1
Oct. 14 at Florida 16
Oct. 21 Open date
Oct. 28 MISSISSIPPI STATE
Nov. 4 AUBURN 9
Nov. 11 NEW MEXICO (G-Five)
Nov. 18 at Ole Miss
Nov. 25 at LSU 11

VANDERBILT
Sept. 2 at Middle Tennessee (G-Five)
Sept. 9 ALABAMA A&M (FCS)
Sept. 16 KANSAS STATE 22
Sept. 23 ALABAMA 1
Sept. 30 at Florida 16
Oct. 7 GEORGIA 15
Oct. 14 at Ole Miss
Oct. 21 Open date
Oct. 28 at South Carolina
Nov. 4 WESTERN KENTUCKY (G-Five)
Nov. 11 KENTUCKY
Nov. 18 MISSOURI
Nov. 25 at Tennessee 19