Breaking Down The Top-25...One Schedule At A Time!

By Ben Johnson - Special to SBNation.com

As I was writing my weekly Trojan column on My Favorite 5 this week, I broke down the infamous hype surrounding the SEC and the fact that most of the giants within this super conference do not play each other every year and it inspired me to take a closer look at the overall schedules for the entire Top-25.

I use PhilSteele.com due to the fact that he and I are on a similar page in terms of breaking down statistics and knowing how to apply them, so I will use Phil Steele's Top-25 because I think it is pretty accurate, other than Florida State at #1.

Just a side note, if the NCAA is serious about creating a subcommittee to determine the final four for the first ever college football playoffs in 2014, they lose all credibility in my mind if Phil Steele is left off the list.

The guy is consumed by college football...perhaps one day we can work together in creating some statistical metrics that accurately reflect the true power grid for college football.

Breaking Down Phil Steele's Top-25...One Schedule At A Time:

Rank/Team	Conference	Non Conference	Who They Miss (Conference)	Schedule Rank
1. Florida St.	Wake, Clemson, @ NC State, BC, @ Miami, Duke, @ VTech, @ Maryland	Murray St, Savannah St, USF, Florida	UNC, GTech, Virginia	70th
2. Oklahoma	KState, @ TTech, Texas, Kansas, @ Iowa St, Baylor, @ W. Virginia, Oklahoma St, @ TCU.	UTEP, Florida A&M, Notre Dame	None	20th
3. LSU	@ Auburn, @ Florida, S. Carolina, @ Texas A&M, Alabama, Miss. St, Ole Miss, @ Arkansas.	N. Texas, Washington, Idaho	Kentucky, Georgia, Missou, Tennessee.	29th
4. USC	@ Stanford, Cal, @ Utah, @ Washington, Colorado, @ Arizona, Oregon, ASU, @ UCLA.	Hawai'i, Syracuse, Notre Dame	Oregon St, Washington St.	30th
5. Alabama	@ Arkansas, Ole Miss, @ Missou, @ Tennessee, Miss State, @ LSU, Texas A&M, Auburn.	Michigan, WKU, FIU.	Florida, Georgia, Vandy, S. Carolina.	28th
6. Oregon	Arizona, @ WSU, Washington, @ ASU, Colorado, @ USC, @ Cal, Stanford, @ OSU	Arkansas St, Fresno St, Tennessee Tech.	Utah, UCLA.	55th
7. Texas	@ Oklahoma St, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Baylor, @ Kansas, @ TTech, Iowa St, TCU, @ KState.	Wyoming, New Mexico, Ole Miss.	None.	36th
8. Georgia	@ Missou, Vandy, Tennessee, @ S. Carolina, @ Kentucky, Florida, Ole Miss, @ Auburn	Buffalo, FIU, Georgia Southern.	LSU, Alabama, Texas A&M, Arkansas.	72nd
9. Wisconsin	@ Nebraska, Illinois, @ Purdue, Minnesota, Michigan St, @ Indiana, Ohio State, @ Penn St.	N. Iowa, Oregon St, Utah St, UTEP.	Michigan, Iowa, Northwestern.	56th
10. Florida	@ Texas A&M, @ Tennessee, Kentucky, LSU, @ Vandy, S. Carolina, Georgia, Missou,	Bowling Green , Louisiana, Jacksonville St, Florida St.	Alabama, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Miss St.	5th
11. Ohio St.	@ Michigan St, Nebraska, @ Indy, Purdue, @ Penn St, Illinois, @ Wisconsin, Michigan	Miami (OH), UCF, Cal, UAB	Iowa, Minnesota, Northwestern.	23rd
12. Oklahoma St.	Texas, @ Kansas, Iowa St, TCU, @ KState, West Virginia, TTech, @ Oklahoma, @ Baylor.	Savannah St, @ Arizona, Louisiana.	None.	22nd
13. UNC	@ Wake, VTech, @ Miami, @ Duke, NC State, GTech, @ Virginia, Maryland.	Elon, @ Louisville, ECU, Idaho.	BC, Clemson, FSU.	85th
14. Clemson	@ FSU, @ BC, GTech, VTech, @ Wake, @ Duke, Maryland, NC State,	Auburn, Ball State, Furman, S. Carolina.	UNC, Virginia, Miami.	49th
15. UCF	ECU, S. Miss, @ Memphis, @ Marshall, SMU, @ UTEP, @ Tulsa, UAB	@ Akron, @ Ohio St, FIU, Missouri.	Houston, Rice, Tulane.	83rd
16. Arkansas	Alabama, @ Texas A&M, @ Auburn, Kentucky, Ole Miss, @ S. Carolina, @ Mississippi St, LSU.	Jacksonville St, ULM, Rutgers, Tulsa.	Tennessee, Vandy, Florida, Missou.	18th
17. Nebraska	Wisconsin, @ Ohio St, @ Northwestern, Michigan, @ Michigan St, Penn St, Minnesota, @ Iowa.	S. Miss, @ UCLA, Arkansas St, Idaho St.	Illinois, Indiana, Purdue.	25th
18. Stanford	USC, @ Washington, Arizona, @ Cal, WSU, @ Colorado, Oregon St, @ Oregon. @ UCLA.	SJSU, Duke, Notre Dame.	Utah, ASU	12th
19. Michigan St	Ohio St, @ Indiana, Iowa, @ Michigan, @ Wisconsin, Nebraska, Northwestern, @ Minnesota.	Boise St, C. Michigan, Notre Dame, E. Michigan.	Penn St, Purdue, Illinois.	21st
20. USF	Rutgers, @ Temple, @ Louisville, Syracuse, UCONN, @ Cincinnati, PITT.	Chattanooga, @ Nevada, @ Ball St, Florida St.	None.	57th
21. Notre Dame	Navy, Purdue, @ Michigan St, Michigan, Miami (FL), Stanford, BYU, @ Oklahoma, PITT, @ BC, Wake, @ USC	N/A	N/A	1st
22. Michigan	@ Purdue, Illinois, Michigan St, @ Nebraska, @ Minnesota, Northwestern, Iowa, @ Ohio St.	Alabama, Air Force, UMASS, Notre Dame.	Wisconsin, Penn St, Indiana.	4th
23. S. Carolina	@ Vandy, Missou, @ Kentucky, Georgia, @ LSU, @ Florida, Tennessee, Arkansas.	ECU, UAB, Wofford, Clemson.	Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss, Miss St.	13th
24. VTech	GTech, @ UNC, Duke, @ Clemson, @ Miami, FSU, @ BC, Virginia.	Austin Peay, @ PITT, Bowling Green, Cincinnati.	NC State, Maryland, Wake.	44th
25. West Virginia	Baylor, @ Texas, @ TTech, KState, TCU, @ Oklahoma St, Oklahoma, @ Iowa St, Kansas.	Marshall, James Madison, Maryland.	None.	31st

A couple things to think about with the scheduling.

Florida opens with Bowling Green an then plays 8 straight conference games before ending the season with three consecutive non-conference games (Louisiana, Jacksonville St and Florida State).

If the Gators run the gauntlet of 8 straight SEC games and remain a one-loss or undefeated team, it will make things mighty interesting across the country in the race to the BCS.

Florida misses Alabama and Arkansas, but they gain Florida State and they play the 5th ranked (Pre-Season) schedule in terms of overall strength.

Nebraska and Michigan State are the only Big Ten teams in the national championship conversation to play all five of the heavyweights (Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa (they play each other) , so it will be interesting to see how that shakes out.

The Huskers miss Illinois but gain UCLA in the non-conference; the Spartans miss Illinois too, but gain Notre Dame and Boise State.

If either of those teams makes a run, compare that schedule with any in the SEC and you have a sizable argument.

Michigan misses Wisconsin (but both teams could play each other in the Big Ten Conference Championship Game), but gains Notre Dame and Alabama. It could be very interesting in the State of Michigan this year.

In the SEC, Georgia is the front runner to threaten with an undefeated season since they miss Arkansas, LSU, Alabama and Texas A&M, so remember that when Georgia is ranked within the Top-5 or higher and is touted as playing an SEC schedule.

West Virginia plays at Texas and at Oklahoma State while hosting Oklahoma and TCU. The Mountaineers will find life inside the Big-12 a little different than the Big East.

Oklahoma could make a run at it since they may play 5 teams ranked in the Top-25 in Texas, TCU, Oklahoma St, West Virginia and Notre Dame, plus there is no conference championship game hurdle that they can stub their toe on.

Steele has Florida State ranked as his number one, but even if FSU ends up undefeated, which I highly doubt they will, how can you push them to the top of the rankings after all these years when Boise State will have played a much more difficult schedule.

I mean my god folks, look at that schedule....totally ridiculous, which exposes the fraud of this system...it's all about going undefeated, even if you play a brutally easy schedule in the process.