Strength of schedule: 2017 mid-season rankings

We’ve reached the mid-point of the 2017 college football season, which means it’s time to review the strength of schedule rankings (SOS) as they stand now.

There are several sources for strength of schedule, including several computer components. Note that these rankings are for strength of schedule to date and will differ from preseason rankings.

For comparison purposes, we will use Phil Steele’s preseason strength of schedule rankings. Click the title to view the complete rankings for each source.

Preseason Strength of Schedule Rankings

Phil Steele

1. LSU
2. California
3. UCLA
4. Syracuse
5. Mississippi State
6. Oregon State
7. South Carolina
8. Stanford
9. Georgia Tech
10. Arizona State

The LSU Tigers, currently 4-2 overall and 1-1 in the SEC, topped Phil Steele’s preseason list. The Tigers have remaining games at home vs. Auburn, Arkansas, and Texas A&M and on the road at Ole Miss, Alabama, and Tennessee.

Mid-Season Strength of Schedule Rankings

Anderson & Hester

Anderson & Hester’s strength of schedule rankings are led by the Pac-12 with four teams. The Big Ten follows with three. Florida State has played the toughest schedule according to this computer index.

1. Florida State
2. Florida
3. Boston College
4. Arizona State
5. Iowa
6. USC
7. Stanford
8. Michigan
9. Oregon State
10. Michigan State

Colley Matrix

Florida State tops the strength of schedule rankings in the Colley Matrix and was also first in Anderson & Hester. FSU is followed by Boston College and Arizona State. See Colley’s site for an explanation of FCS Groupings.

1. Florida State
2. Boston College
3. Arizona State
4. Florida
5. FCS Group 4
6. Iowa
7. Michigan State
8. Stanford
9. Oregon State
10. FCS Group 8

Jeff Sagarin

Jeff Sagarin also has the Florida State Seminoles ranked first. Oregon State comes in second and is actually ranked in the Top 5 of each computer ranking except Massey.

1. Florida State
2. Oregon State
3. Boston College
4. Maryland
5. Vanderbilt
6. Arizona State
7. Mississippi State
8. California
9. Michigan State
10. Pittsburgh

Kenneth Massey

Florida State tops the strength of schedule rankings in the Massey Ratings, followed by Boston College and Michigan State. Boston College’s 2017 schedule ranking has been in the top three of each index except Billingsley.

1. Florida State
2. Boston College
3. Michigan State
4. Clemson
5. North Carolina
6. Florida
7. California
8. USC
9. Notre Dame
10. Texas

Billingsley Rankings

Billingsley is the only computer ranking that ranks Vanderbilt first, and only the second that ranks them in the Top 10. This index also ranks Georgia 5th and Clemson 8th, team that are ranked 4th and 2nd in the AP Poll, respectively.

1. Vanderbilt
2. Oregon State
3. California
4. Stanford
5. Georgia
6. Florida
7. Mississippi State
8. Clemson
9. North Carolina
10. USC

Just looking at each of the rankings, Florida State has played the toughest schedule in the eyes of the computer indexes. The 2017 FSU football schedule is first in all of the rankings except Billingsley (18th). FSU’s 2017 schedule was ranked 16th in Phil Steele’s preseason rankings.

According to the Sagarin ratings, here are the top 10 divisions in schedule strength:

1. SEC West
2. Big Ten East
3. ACC Atlantic
4. Pac-12 North
5. ACC Coastal
6. Big 12
7. Pac-12 South
8. Big Ten West
9. SEC East
10. AAC West