The strength of schedule for all 126 FBS teams are ranked based on their average opponent ranking according to the CFU Preseason Top 126. 

California tops the strength of schedule rankings despite playing Portland State, but the Golden Bears did schedule two challenging non-conference matchups against No. 17 Northwestern and No. 2 Ohio State. Cal plays six CFU Top 25 teams and nine opponents in the top 40. 

Despite most teams scheduling a cupcake or two in non-conference play, many Pac-12 and SEC teams crowd the upper rankings mostly due to tough conference schedules. The SEC has five and the Pac-12 has three teams in the SOS top 10. 

It may be beneficial for the SEC to schedule nine conference games or ease up on the cupcakes since it would then easily ensure dominance in strength of schedule over other conference schools.
 

1. California 39.25

2. LSU 40.33

3. Arkansas 41.25

4. Stanford 41.42

5. Utah 41.83

6. Kentucky 42.08

7. Notre Dame 42.42

8. Purdue 43.25

9. Mississippi State 44

10. Florida 44.75

11. Missouri 46.08

12. Auburn 47

13. Arizona State 47.42

14. Illinois 47.5

15. South Carolina 47.58

16. Tennessee 47.67

17. Washington 49.83

18. Iowa 48.92

19. Ole Miss 49.58

20. Washington State 49.92

21. Colorado 50.08

22. Michigan 50.58

22. Oklahoma 50.58

24. UCLA 50.67

25. USC 52.15

26. Georgia 52.42

27. Texas A&M 53.25

28. Virginia 53.5

29. Indiana 55.33

30. Iowa State 55.5

30. Penn State 55.5

32. Texas 55.67

33. Minnesota 55.92

34. Vanderbilt 56.67

35. Alabama 56.92

36. Northwestern 57.25

37. Kansas 57.42

38. Georgia Tech 57.92

39. Oregon 58

40. TCU 58.08

41. Oregon State 59.08

42. BYU 59.83

43. Wisconsin 61.42

44. Pittsburgh 61.67

45. Baylor 61.75

46. Ohio State 61.92

47. Oklahoma State 62.17

48. Hawaii 63.08

48. Wake Forest 63.08

50. Nevada 63.33

51. Michigan State 63.50

52. Nebraska 63.58

53. Boston College 63.83

54. West Virginia 64.5

55. Texas Tech 64.75

56. South Florida 65.25

57. Syracuse 65.67

58. North Carolina 65.75

59. Arizona 66.58

60. Virginia Tech 67.25

61. Akron 67.5

62. Florida State 67.58

63. SMU 67.92

64. Kansas State 68

65. Connecticut 68.58

66. Miami (FL) 69.08

67. Clemson 69.5

68. Western Michigan 69.58

69. Houston 69.83

70. Duke 70

71. UNLV 70.58

72. Maryland 70.75

73. Temple 70.83

74. San Diego State 71.58

75. Rutgers 71.75

76. Eastern Michigan 71.83

77. North Carolina State 72.17

78. Colorado State 72.62

79. Massachusetts 73

80. UCF 73.58

81. San Jose State 74

82. Air Force 74.08

83. Boise State 74.17

84. Idaho 74.42

85. Navy 75.17

85. Wyoming 75.17

87. Memphis 76.5

88. Utah State 77.67

89. New Mexico 77.33

90. Kent State 78.33

91. Toledo 78.42

92. Buffalo 78.58

93. Southern Miss 79

94. Miami (OH) 80.17

95. Central Michigan 80.5

96. Tulsa 82.25

96. UTSA 82.25

98. Army 82.5

99. Cincinnati 82.58

100. Louisville 82.83

101. Troy 83.75

102. New Mexico State 83.92

103. North Texas 84.17

104. Bowling Green 84.25

105. Fresno State 84.33

106. UAB 84.5

107. East Carolina 85

108. FIU 85.08

109. South Alabama 85.25

110. FAU 86.17

111. Georgia State 87.5

112. Ohio 88.33

112. ULM 88.33

114. Ball State 89.5

115. Marshall 90.17

116. Tulane 90.25

116. UTEP 90.25

118. Arkansas State 90.75

119. Louisiana 90.83

120. Western Kentucky 91.75

121. Middle Tennessee 92.5

122. Northern Illinois 93.42

123. Rice 94.42

124. Texas State 94.75

125. Louisiana Tech 99.67

126. Old Dominion 104

Big 12 teams dominate the new strength of schedule rankings. The main reason is that there are almost no weak teams in conference, other than the Kansas Jayhawks. All 10 of the Big 12 conference members are ranked in the top 25 of the SOS. 

Notre Dame's schedule was considered the most difficult during the preseason, but the Fighting Irish are now rated at 20 in the SOS ranking. The Florida Gators are a couple spots ahead at 18, but the Oregon Ducks are a little behind at 42; however, the Pac-12 Championship would boost the Ducks' SOS. The Kansas State Wildcats are sitting at 13, but of course the Big 12 no longer has a championship game. 

As you can see, five of the top ten teams in the SOS rankings have losing records: Kansas, California, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Auburn. 

The strength of schedule ranking is based on the average opponent rank for each team according to the College Football Universe power rankings previously posted for beginning week eight (non-FBS teams scheduled were rated at 124) and the full season schedule is calculated. The SOS is not necessarily perfect, but is a good estimate and better than a typical win-loss percent.


1. Kansas 39.3333

2. Iowa State 41.25

3. Texas 41.4167

4. California 42.8333

5. Oklahoma State 42.8333

6. Arkansas 43.0833

7. Kentucky 44.1667

8. Stanford 45.1667

9. Auburn 45.4167

10. Oklahoma 45.3333

11. Missouri 46

12. Arizona 46.5 

13. Kansas State 47.0833

14. Baylor 47.25

15. Michigan State 47.3333

16. West Virginia 48.0833

17. Texas Tech 48.25

18. Florida 50.25

19. Michigan 50.3333

20. Notre Dame 50.6667

21. Oregon State 51.3333

22. LSU 51.5833

23. Nebraska 51.75

24. USC 52.0833

25. TCU 52.1667

26. Tennessee 52.75

27. Washington 52.8333

28. Boston College 53

29. Illinois 53.75

30. Utah 54.5

31. Colorado 55.1667

32. Alabama 55.5

33. Washington State 55.75

34. Virginia 55.8333

35. UCLA 56.1667

36. Ole Miss 56.25

37. Syracuse 56.6667

38. Iowa 56.8333

39. Penn State 58

39. South Florida 58

41. South Carolina 58.3333

42. Oregon 58.4167

43. Vanderbilt 59.25

44. Texas A&M 59.9167

44. Wake Forest 59.9167

46. Arizona State 60.5833

47. Georgia Tech 60.6667

48. Wisconsin 61.9167

49. Purdue 62.3333

50. Miami FL 62.6667

51. Ohio State 63.4167

52. Temple 63.4545

53. Indiana 64.75

54. Clemson 65

55. Mississippi State 65.3333

56. Florida State 65.5833

56. Virginia Tech 65.5833

58. Maryland 65.6667

59. Northwestern 66.25

60. Pittsburgh 66.8333

61. Minnesota 67.4167

62. Idaho 68.3333

63. Duke 68.8333

64. Miami OH 69.0833

65. Connecticut 69.1667

65. North Carolina State 69.1667

67. North Carolina 70.5

68. Buffalo 70.5833

69. Eastern Michigan 70.9167

70. Florida Atlantic 71.6667

71. Hawaii 71.8333

72. North Texas 71.9167

73. Georgia 72.25

74. Ball State 72.5833

75. FIU 73.3333

76. New Mexico State 73.5

77. Texas State 73.5833

78. Fresno State 73.75

79. Cincinnati 74.0833

79. Massachusetts 74.0833

81. BYU 74.3333

82. Southern Miss 74.25

83. Akron 74.3333

84. UTEP 75

85. Wyoming 75.25

86. UNLV 75.5385

87. Army 75.5833

88. San Jose State 76.5

89. Rutgers 76.6667

90. Arkansas State 76.75

91. Tulane 76.8333

92. Navy 78.1667

93. Marshall 78.25

94. SMU 78.75

95. Troy 79

96. UAB 79.1667

97. Louisville 79.8333

98. New Mexico 80.3077

99. South Alabama 81.0769

100. Bowling Green 81.3333

101. Louisiana Lafayette 81.5

102. Boise State 81.6667

103. Utah State 82.0833

104. Tulsa 82.3333

105. Colorado State 82.5833

106. Houston 82.8333

107. Central Michigan 83.25

108. San Diego State 83.3333

109. Louisiana Monroe 84.3333

110. Western Kentucky 84.6667

111. Toledo 84.8333

112. Louisiana Tech 85.4167

113. Nevada 85.6667

114. Air Force 85.8333

115. Western Michigan 86.1667

116. Middle Tennessee 86.25

117. Kent State 86.5

118. Rice 88.3333

119. UCF 89.3333

120. East Carolina 90.9167

121. Memphis 92.8333

122. Ohio 94.4167

123. Northern Illinois 95.1667

124. UTSA 98

Here are all 124 FBS teams' strength of schedule (SOS) ranked based on their average opponent ranking according to the CFU rankings on the College Football Preseason Guide 2012 (non-FBS teams scheduled were rated at 124). As many of you may have heard from various pundits this preseason, Notre Dame has the toughest schedule and they easily top these SOS rankings. The Irish have absolutely no easy opponents while playing three teams ranked in the top 10 and six ranked in the top 25 of the College Football Universe rankings. 

***Update*** College Football Strength of Schedule Mid-Season 2012

1. Notre Dame 36.667

2. Iowa State 41

3. TCU 43

4. Florida 43.333

5. Kansas 43.583

6. Ole Miss 43.833

7. Texas 44.75

8. South Carolina 45.583

9. Oklahoma 45.833

10. Oklahoma State 46.417

11. Kentucky 46.583

12. Baylor 47

13. Nebraska 47.083

13. Oregon State 47.083

15. Kansas State 47.25

16. Texas A&M 47.5

17. Missouri 47.583

18. Auburn 47.75

18. California 47.75

20. Arizona 48

21. West Virginia 48.083

22. Arkansas 48.333

22. Miami FL 48.333

24. Duke 48.667

25. Alabama 49

26. Tennessee 49.083

27. LSU 49.167

28. Penn State 49.25

29. Boston College 49.417

30. Maryland 49.583

31. Ohio State 50.5

32. Michigan 50.75

33. USC 51.417

34. Texas Tech 51.5

35. Vanderbilt 51.667

36. Washington 51.833

37. Michigan State 53.083

38. Virginia 53.167

39. Arizona State 53.833

40. Clemson 54.667

41. Minnesota 56.333

41. Washington State 56.333

43. Colorado 56.5

43. UCLA 56.5

45. Stanford 57

46. Syracuse 57.25

47. Virginia Tech 57.5

48. Georgia 58.083

49. Georgia Tech 58.333

50. Indiana 58.417

51. Purdue 58.5

52. Wake Forest 58.833

53. Mississippi State 59.25

54. Northwestern 60.583

55. Utah 61.5

56. Illinois 61.833

57. Oregon 62.167

58. NC State 62.25

59. South Florida 62.5

60. Florida State 63.083

61. Iowa 63.833

62. Louisville 63.917

63. North Carolina 64.5

64. Temple 65.909

65. Wisconsin 65.333

66. Pitt 67.25

67. Connecticut 67.5

68. UTEP 69.083

69. Cincinnati 70.583

70. Rutgers 72.583

71. Southern Miss 73.25

72. SMU 74.167

73. Marshall 74.333

74. BYU 74.667

75. UAB 74.75

76. Louisiana Monroe 75.333

77. UCF 75.5

78. Boise State 75.917

79. Fresno State 76.5

80. East Carolina 77.167

81. Army 77.833

82. Rice 78.833

83. Hawaii 79.167

84. Western Kentucky 79.25

85. North Texas 79.333

86. Idaho 79.667

87. Ball State 79.75

88. Tulsa 80

89. Troy 80.75

90. Buffalo 80.083

91. Tulane 80.917

92. Eastern Michigan 81.083

93. Florida Atlantic 81.333

94. Massachusetts 82.417

95. UNLV 82.538

96. New Mexico 83.083

97. Nevada 83.75

98. Central Michigan 84.25

99. Akron 84.333

100. Miami OH 84.5

100. Wyoming 84.5

102. San Diego State 84.917

103. Air Force 85.25

104. Arkansas State 85.333

105. San Jose State 85.917

106. New Mexico State 86

107. Louisiana Lafayette 86.25

108. Colorado State 86.333

109. South Alabama 87

110. Bowling Green 87.5

111. Houston 87.583

112. Memphis 87.75

113. Middle Tennessee 88.083

113. Utah State 88.083

115. Louisiana Tech 88.25

116. Kent State 88.5

117. Texas State 89.833

118. Florida International 90.167

119. Toledo 91.333

120. Western Michigan 94.25

121. Navy 94.833

122. Northern Illinois 97.667

123. Ohio 98.417

124. UTSA 110.333

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