ESPN Stats & Information has posted their 2017 Football Power Index (FPI), which includes college football strength of schedule rankings.
According to the preseason ESPN FPI, the California Golden Bears have the toughest schedule for the 2017 season. Georgia is second, followed by LSU, Florida, and South Carolina.
The SEC leads the ESPN FPI strength of schedule rankings with nine teams in the Top 25. The SEC is followed by the Pac-12 (7), ACC (6), Big 12 (1), Big Ten (1) and Notre Dame.
Below are the top 25 toughest 2017 college football schedules as ranked by the ESPN FPI, followed by 26 through 130.
1. California
2. Georgia
3. LSU
4. Florida
5. South Carolina
6. USC
7. Stanford
8. UCLA
9. Arizona State
10. Georgia Tech
11. Alabama
12. Utah
13. Florida State
14. Mississippi State
15. Vanderbilt
16. Texas A&M
17. NC State
18. Oregon State
19. Auburn
20. Clemson
21. Wake Forest
22. Notre Dame
23. Duke
24. Texas Tech
25. Maryland
26-50
(26) Pittsburgh, (27) Iowa State, (28) Oklahoma State, (29) Arkansas, (30) Tennessee, (31) Texas, (32) Kentucky, (33) Boston College, (34) Syracuse, (35) Oklahoma, (36) Ole Miss, (37) North Carolina, (38) Michigan State, (39) Washington State, (40) TCU, (41) West Virginia, (42) Miami (FL), (43) Washington, (44) Kansas, (45) Purdue, (46) Oregon, (47) Baylor, (48) Arizona, (49) Missouri, (50) Colorado
51-75
(51) Kansas State, (52) Ohio State, (53) Nebraska, (54) Virginia, (55) Michigan, (56) Virginia Tech, (57) Louisville, (58) Iowa, (59) Rutgers, (60) Penn State, (61) Illinois, (62) Indiana, (63) Wisconsin, (64) Minnesota, (65) Northwestern, (66) East Carolina, (67) Navy, (68) Tulane, (69) Tulsa, (70) Houston, (71) Fresno State, (72) BYU, (73) Temple, (74) UConn, (75) UMass
76-100
(76) SMU, (77) Nevada, (78) San Jose State, (79) Boise State, (80) Utah State, (81) Cincinnati, (82) Air Force, (83) UCF, (84) Colorado State, (85) New Mexico, (86) ULM, (87) Memphis, (88) Kent State, (89) Eastern Michigan, (90) Hawai’i, (91) Rice, (92) UTEP, (93) Akron, (94) San Diego State, (95) UL Lafayette, (96) Wyoming, (97) Central Michigan, (98) Georgia Southern, (99) Bowling Green, (100) Northern Illinois
101-130
(101) UNLV, (102) USF, (103) Army, (104) New Mexico State, (105) Western Michigan, (106) Toledo, (107) South Alabama, (108) Middle Tennessee, (109) Old Dominion, (110) Marshall, (111) Texas State, (112) Florida Atlantic, (113) Arkansas State, (114) Southern Miss, (115) FIU, (116) Idaho, (117) Ball State, (118) North Texas, (119) Buffalo, (120) Georgia State, (121) Miami (OH), (122) Louisiana Tech, (123) Troy, (124) Charlotte, (125) Coastal Carolina, (126) UTSA, (127) Western Kentucky, (128) UAB, (129) Appalachian State, (130) Ohio