Edge Labs EDGE LABS Market intelligence
CFB NFL
CFB NFL Tools Record Research The Lab Vault Sign in Get full access
Edge Labs · College football · Strength of schedule

College football strength of schedule for 2026. All 136 slates, ranked.

One number per team: the mean EL Preseason Rating of every opponent on the actual 2026 regular season slate. FCS opponents count at -22, a couple of touchdowns below the worst rated FBS team, because a bought home game drags a schedule average the same way it pads a record.

Texas plays the hardest schedule in the country. Mean opponent rating 12.8, clear of Arkansas at 10.7 and Oklahoma at 10.4, with zero FCS games on the slate (only 10 of 136 FBS teams can say that) and Ohio State, the top team on our board, waiting on it. That slate is a big part of why our number has Texas at 7.78 expected wins while the market hangs 9.5. The full win total lean is on the futures board.

2026 season · n=136 FBS slates · EL Preseason Rating v1 · FCS at -22 · as of 2026-08-20
Hardest first 2026 strength of schedule · all FBS
n=136 · teams ranked
Rk Team Opp rating avg Hardest opponent FCS games
1 Texas 12.8 Ohio State (31.2) 0
2 Arkansas 10.7 Georgia (26.4) 1
3 Oklahoma 10.4 Georgia (26.4) 0
4 Kentucky 9.5 Texas A&M (25.5) 1
5 Florida 9.2 Georgia (26.4) 1
6 Alabama 9.1 Georgia (26.4) 1
7 LSU 8.4 Texas A&M (25.5) 1
8 Mississippi State 8.3 Texas (19.8) 1
9 Missouri 8.1 Georgia (26.4) 1
10 Ole Miss 8.0 Georgia (26.4) 1
11 South Carolina 8.0 Georgia (26.4) 1
12 Georgia 7.8 Ole Miss (18.5) 1
13 Ohio State 7.6 Oregon (26.2) 0
14 Michigan 7.6 Ohio State (31.2) 0
15 Auburn 7.5 Georgia (26.4) 1
16 Tennessee 6.8 Texas A&M (25.5) 1
17 Vanderbilt 6.6 Georgia (26.4) 1
18 Michigan State 6.2 Oregon (26.2) 0
19 Texas A&M 6.0 Texas (19.8) 1
20 USC 5.8 Ohio State (31.2) 0
21 Indiana 5.3 Ohio State (31.2) 1
22 Nebraska 5.2 Ohio State (31.2) 1
23 Washington 5.2 Oregon (26.2) 1
24 Northwestern 4.8 Ohio State (31.2) 1
25 Purdue 4.3 Notre Dame (24.2) 1
26 Oregon 4.1 Ohio State (31.2) 1
27 UCLA 3.8 Oregon (26.2) 0
28 North Carolina 3.7 Notre Dame (24.2) 1
29 Florida State 3.7 Miami (20.8) 1
30 Iowa 3.0 Ohio State (31.2) 1
31 Boston College 2.9 Notre Dame (24.2) 1
32 Stanford 2.8 Notre Dame (24.2) 1
33 Illinois 2.5 Ohio State (31.2) 1
34 Minnesota 2.5 Indiana (17.0) 1
35 Maryland 2.1 Ohio State (31.2) 1
35 Penn State 2.1 USC (18.4) 0
36 Arizona State 1.9 Texas A&M (25.5) 1
37 Wisconsin 1.8 Notre Dame (24.2) 1
38 Syracuse 1.8 Notre Dame (24.2) 1
39 Baylor 1.6 Texas Tech (15.6) 1
40 Georgia Tech 1.2 Georgia (26.4) 1
41 BYU 1.1 Notre Dame (24.2) 1
41 Cincinnati 1.1 Texas Tech (15.6) 1
42 TCU 1.0 Texas Tech (15.6) 1
43 Arizona 1.0 Texas Tech (15.6) 1
44 Clemson 0.8 Miami (20.8) 1
44 Rutgers 0.8 USC (18.4) 1
45 Oklahoma State 0.8 Oregon (26.2) 1
46 Colorado 0.7 Texas Tech (15.6) 1
46 Louisville 0.7 Ole Miss (18.5) 1
47 Virginia Tech 0.4 Miami (20.8) 1
48 Duke 0.3 Miami (20.8) 1
49 West Virginia -0.2 Texas Tech (15.6) 1
50 Miami -0.2 Notre Dame (24.2) 1
51 Wake Forest -0.3 Miami (20.8) 1
52 Iowa State -0.7 Utah (14.0) 1
53 Utah -0.8 BYU (10.9) 1
54 Kansas -0.8 Utah (14.0) 1
55 Notre Dame -0.8 Miami (20.8) 0
56 Utah State -1.3 Utah (14.0) 1
57 Pittsburgh -1.3 Miami (20.8) 1
58 Boise State -1.6 Oregon (26.2) 1
59 Rice -1.6 Notre Dame (24.2) 1
60 Washington State -1.7 Washington (13.9) 1
61 Texas State -1.7 Texas (19.8) 1
62 NC State -1.8 Florida State (12.4) 1
63 Kansas State -1.9 Arizona (7.0) 1
64 SMU -1.9 Notre Dame (24.2) 1
65 California -2.0 Clemson (12.9) 1
66 Oregon State -2.3 Texas Tech (15.6) 1
67 UCF -2.4 BYU (10.9) 1
68 Virginia -2.5 Florida State (12.4) 1
69 Colorado State -2.6 BYU (10.9) 1
70 Houston -2.8 Texas Tech (15.6) 1
71 Charlotte -3.2 Ole Miss (18.5) 1
72 Tulane -3.4 Kansas State (5.2) 0
73 Florida Atlantic -3.8 Florida (12.9) 1
74 Navy -4.0 Notre Dame (24.2) 1
75 Temple -4.1 Penn State (12.7) 1
76 Fresno State -4.1 USC (18.4) 1
76 UTSA -4.1 Texas (19.8) 1
77 UAB -4.3 Illinois (5.4) 1
78 Southern Miss -4.3 Auburn (12.0) 1
79 Georgia Southern -4.6 Clemson (12.9) 1
80 San Diego State -4.6 Washington State (2.9) 1
81 Texas Tech -4.9 Arizona (7.0) 1
82 Army -5.0 South Florida (1.2) 1
83 Kent State -5.0 Ohio State (31.2) 2
84 Missouri State -5.1 Texas A&M (25.5) 1
84 North Texas -5.1 Indiana (17.0) 1
85 Louisiana Tech -5.1 LSU (14.1) 1
86 Memphis -5.4 South Florida (1.2) 1
87 East Carolina -5.6 Alabama (16.5) 1
88 South Alabama -6.2 Tulane (-0.6) 1
89 Western Kentucky -6.2 Georgia (26.4) 1
90 UL Monroe -6.3 Mississippi State (3.8) 1
91 UTEP -6.4 Oklahoma (18.1) 2
92 South Florida -6.5 UTSA (2.2) 1
93 Troy -6.8 Missouri (11.0) 1
94 Western Michigan -6.8 Michigan (15.2) 1
95 Old Dominion -7.1 James Madison (0.9) 1
96 Tulsa -7.2 UTSA (2.2) 1
97 New Mexico State -7.3 Florida State (12.4) 1
98 Sam Houston -7.3 Texas Tech (15.6) 1
99 San José State -7.4 USC (18.4) 2
100 UNLV -7.4 North Texas (1.4) 1
101 Arkansas State -7.5 TCU (3.7) 1
102 Ball State -7.5 Ohio State (31.2) 2
103 Georgia State -7.5 James Madison (0.9) 1
104 Coastal Carolina -7.6 James Madison (0.9) 1
105 James Madison -7.7 San Diego State (4.5) 1
106 Delaware -7.7 Vanderbilt (10.1) 1
107 UConn -7.8 James Madison (0.9) 1
108 Central Michigan -8.0 Miami (20.8) 2
109 App State -8.0 NC State (3.5) 1
110 Northern Illinois -8.1 Iowa (10.8) 2
111 Marshall -8.2 Penn State (12.7) 1
112 Louisiana -8.3 USC (18.4) 1
113 Akron -8.3 Minnesota (1.6) 1
114 New Mexico -8.5 Oklahoma (18.1) 2
115 Kennesaw State -8.6 Tennessee (14.5) 1
116 Miami (OH) -8.9 Pittsburgh (3.5) 1
116 Middle Tennessee -8.9 Western Kentucky (0.4) 1
117 Bowling Green -9.0 Nebraska (6.2) 2
118 Ohio -9.2 Nebraska (6.2) 2
119 Nevada -9.6 Western Kentucky (0.4) 2
120 Air Force -9.6 Army (0.3) 2
121 Wyoming -9.7 UNLV (-1.3) 2
122 Buffalo -9.8 Penn State (12.7) 2
123 Eastern Michigan -10.2 Toledo (1.9) 2
124 Florida International -10.3 South Florida (1.2) 1
125 Toledo -10.8 San Diego State (4.5) 2
126 Liberty -10.9 James Madison (0.9) 1
127 Massachusetts -11.0 Toledo (1.9) 3
128 Hawai'i -11.2 Arizona State (-0.9) 2
129 Jacksonville State -11.5 Western Kentucky (0.4) 2

How this is built. Opponent ratings come from the EL Preseason Rating v1, our own five component composite validated on two held out seasons. The slate is each team's actual 2026 regular season schedule, 12 games for most teams, and every average traces to those two tables. Tied averages share a rank. Research, not advice · 21+.
See the rating behind every opponent number →