ESPN Stats & Information has posted their 2020 Football Power Index (FPI), which includes college football strength of schedule rankings.
the ESPN FPI defines their strength of schedule as the “rank among all FBS teams of remaining schedule strength, from perspective of an average FBS team.”
According to the preseason ESPN FPI, the Maryland Terrapins have the toughest schedule for the 2020 season. South Carolina is second, and they are followed by Alabama, LSU, and Iowa.
The SEC leads the ESPN FPI strength of schedule rankings with nine teams in the Top 25. The SEC is followed by the Big Ten with eight, Big 12 with four, Pac-12 with two, and the ACC and FBS Independents with one apiece.
Below are the top 25 toughest 2020 college football schedules as ranked by the ESPN FPI, followed by 26 through 130. Keep in mind these rankings are based on computer data and are subject to change due to game cancellations.
1. Maryland
2. South Carolina
3. Alabama
4. LSU
5. Iowa
6. Nebraska
7. Arkansas
8. Georgia Tech
9. Ole Miss
10. USC
11. Auburn
12. Michigan
13. Notre Dame
14. Tennessee
15. Michigan State
16. Mississippi State
17. Texas
18. Georgia
19. Illinois
20. Colorado
21. West Virginia
22. Purdue
23. Baylor
24. Wisconsin
25. Kansas
26-50
(26) Penn State, (27) Indiana, (28) Iowa State, (29) Ohio State, (30) Vanderbilt, (31) Virginia, (32) Kentucky, (33) Kansas State, (34) TCU, (35) Texas A&M, (36) Northwestern, (37) Oklahoma, (38) Texas Tech, (39) Stanford, (40) Florida State, (41) Florida, (42) Oklahoma State, (43) Rutgers, (44) Oregon State, (45) Washington, (46) Oregon, (47) Wake Forest, (48) California, (49) Louisville, (50) North Carolina
51-75
(51) Boston College, (52) Arizona, (53) Minnesota, (54) Missouri, (55) NC State, (56) Arizona State, (57) Virginia Tech, (58) Kent State, (59) USF, (60) Syracuse, (61) Washington State, (62) Clemson, (63) Utah, (64) Pitt, (65) Tulsa, (66) BYU, (67) UCLA, (68) Tulane, (69) Duke, (70) Houston, (71) Miami FL, (72) Cincinnati, (73) Temple, (74) Memphis, (75) Hawaii
76-100
(76) San Jose State, (77) Buffalo, (78) East Carolina, (79) Navy, (80) Georgia State, (81) ULM, (82) UCF, (83) UTSA, (84) UNLV, (85) Arkansas State, (86) Bowling Green, (87) Utah State, (88) UConn, (89) Ball State, (90) Rice, (91) WKU, (92) New Mexico, (93) Akron, (94) South Alabama, (95) New Mexico State, (96) Appalachian State, (97) SMU, (98) UTEP, (99) UMass, (100) North Texas
101-130
(101) Georgia Southern, (102) Fresno State, (103) Southern Miss, (104) Western Michigan, (105) Colorado State, (106) Eastern Michigan, (107) Central Michigan, (108) Wyoming, (109) Army, (110) Air Force, (111) FIU, (112) Boise State, (113) Northern Illinois, (114) Middle Tennessee, (115) Florida Atlantic, (116) Troy, (117) San Diego State, (118) Coastal Carolina, (119) Liberty, (120) Charlotte, (121) Louisiana, (122) Nevada, (123) Marshall, (124) Louisiana Tech, (125) Miami OH, (126) Toledo, (127) Old Dominion, (128) Texas State, (129) Ohio, (130) UAB