Why does this differ from other strength-of-schedule rankings?

Many popular lists rate opponents by predicted power or point margin. Ours uses only real results: how often a team's opponents have won, plus how often those opponents' own opponents have won.

2023 College Football Strength of Schedule Rankings

Ranked by opponents' records, adjusted for who those opponents played.

How this works

Results through Jan 8, 2024

Conference

RankTeamAdjusted scoreOpponents' combined record

2023 strength of schedule rankings
Rank	Team	Adjusted for opponents' schedules	Opponents' combined record	Team's record	Opponents' winning percentage	Opponents' record before playing them	Opponents' record since playing them
1	AlabamaSEC	.639	118-65	12-2	64.5%	68-22	48-31
2	WashingtonPac-12	.619	118-78	14-1	60.2%	80-26	37-38
3	TexasBig 12	.612	110-72	12-2	60.4%	65-26	43-34
4	MissouriSEC	.611	99-66	11-2	60.0%	52-26	45-29
5	Penn StateBig Ten	.609	103-65	10-3	61.3%	50-30	50-25
6	Ohio StateBig Ten	.609	101-67	11-2	60.1%	60-21	39-35
7	Michigan StateBig Ten	.608	103-55	4-8	65.2%	49-19	46-32
8	GeorgiaSEC	.605	104-73	13-1	58.8%	69-23	34-37
9	LSUSEC	.600	99-66	10-3	60.0%	49-27	47-29
10	MichiganBig Ten	.597	112-83	15-0	57.4%	77-26	35-42
11	Ole MissSEC	.595	98-70	11-2	58.3%	46-34	50-25
12	Iowa StateBig 12	.592	102-64	7-6	61.4%	54-24	42-33
13	South CarolinaSEC	.592	95-59	5-7	61.7%	44-26	44-28
14	Arizona StatePac-12	.592	100-56	3-9	64.1%	50-16	41-37
15	VirginiaACC	.590	97-58	3-9	62.6%	44-22	44-33
16	Kansas StateBig 12	.588	98-69	9-4	58.7%	50-30	44-30
17	StanfordPac-12	.585	98-59	3-9	62.4%	48-21	41-35
18	DukeACC	.584	100-67	8-5	59.9%	49-32	46-27
19	TennesseeSEC	.581	96-70	9-4	57.8%	49-32	43-29
20	Oregon StatePac-12	.580	98-68	8-5	59.0%	57-22	36-38
21	OregonPac-12	.578	103-78	12-2	56.9%	66-27	35-39
22	OklahomaBig 12	.577	97-71	10-3	57.7%	50-28	44-33
23	Texas TechBig 12	.576	97-68	7-6	58.8%	48-28	43-33
24	USCPac-12	.571	97-72	8-5	57.4%	53-20	39-44
25	Boise StateMountain West	.569	107-74	8-6	59.1%	55-35	46-31
26	AuburnSEC	.569	97-70	6-7	58.1%	52-30	38-34
27	UtahPac-12	.568	95-71	8-5	57.2%	52-28	38-35
28	Oklahoma StateBig 12	.567	98-79	10-4	55.4%	55-36	39-33
29	RutgersBig Ten	.566	97-70	7-6	58.1%	50-25	41-38
30	Georgia TechACC	.566	96-71	7-6	57.5%	48-30	42-34
31	ClemsonACC	.564	92-73	9-4	55.8%	52-26	36-38
32	CaliforniaPac-12	.563	96-72	6-7	57.1%	48-30	41-36
33	MiamiACC	.563	97-71	7-6	57.7%	52-27	39-37
34	Florida StateACC	.562	95-83	13-1	53.4%	57-36	37-34
35	Coastal CarolinaSun Belt	.561	96-72	8-5	57.1%	50-29	41-35
36	Notre DameFBS Independents	.560	89-74	10-3	54.6%	41-28	45-36
37	PurdueBig Ten	.560	92-64	4-8	59.0%	41-24	43-36
38	TCUBig 12	.558	88-65	5-7	57.5%	39-25	42-35
39	VanderbiltSEC	.557	90-63	2-10	58.8%	38-18	42-43
40	IowaBig Ten	.557	97-82	10-4	54.2%	56-32	37-40
41	MarshallSun Belt	.555	98-73	6-7	57.3%	50-32	41-35
42	KentuckySEC	.555	92-72	7-6	56.1%	55-24	31-41
43	WyomingMountain West	.554	95-74	9-4	56.2%	46-33	45-32
44	MinnesotaBig Ten	.554	96-72	6-7	57.1%	48-31	41-35
45	NC StateACC	.554	89-76	9-4	53.9%	50-27	35-40
46	Texas A&MSEC	.553	90-74	7-6	54.9%	51-27	33-40
47	FloridaSEC	.552	86-66	5-7	56.6%	45-21	34-40
48	KansasBig 12	.550	89-77	9-4	53.6%	49-29	36-39
49	Wake ForestACC	.548	86-67	4-8	56.2%	41-28	37-35
50	BYUBig 12	.547	85-67	5-7	55.9%	45-23	33-39
51	ArkansasSEC	.544	84-66	4-8	56.0%	42-23	34-39
52	LouisvilleACC	.543	94-84	10-4	52.8%	54-36	36-38
53	App StateSun Belt	.542	97-83	9-5	53.9%	58-32	34-42
54	Southern MissSun Belt	.541	91-65	3-9	58.3%	34-32	48-30
55	NorthwesternBig Ten	.541	87-78	8-5	52.7%	46-32	36-38
56	Mississippi StateSEC	.541	82-69	5-7	54.3%	35-32	40-32
57	ArizonaPac-12	.539	84-79	10-3	51.5%	52-26	29-43
58	IllinoisBig Ten	.538	85-69	5-7	55.2%	38-27	40-37
59	Georgia StateSun Belt	.537	91-76	7-6	54.5%	49-29	36-40
60	Boston CollegeACC	.537	90-76	7-6	54.2%	39-39	45-30
61	Bowling GreenMid-American	.537	95-72	7-6	56.9%	36-43	53-22
62	North CarolinaACC	.536	86-79	8-5	52.1%	48-31	33-40
63	San José StateMountain West	.536	92-76	7-6	54.8%	41-32	45-37
64	TroySun Belt	.535	93-85	11-3	52.2%	48-41	42-33
65	PittsburghACC	.534	87-67	3-9	56.5%	45-23	33-41
66	MarylandBig Ten	.534	85-78	8-5	52.1%	48-29	32-41
67	UCFBig 12	.534	90-77	6-7	53.9%	43-35	40-36
68	Virginia TechACC	.533	89-79	7-6	53.0%	50-26	33-46
69	UTEPConference USA	.533	90-64	3-9	58.4%	30-30	51-31
70	James MadisonSun Belt	.532	85-82	11-2	50.9%	44-34	39-37
71	MassachusettsFBS Independents	.531	91-65	3-9	58.3%	31-25	51-37
72	UCLAPac-12	.529	84-80	8-5	51.2%	49-33	30-39
73	East CarolinaAmerican Athletic	.528	90-66	2-10	57.7%	31-34	49-30
74	Western KentuckyConference USA	.528	90-76	8-5	54.2%	42-40	43-28
75	Old DominionSun Belt	.525	90-77	6-7	53.9%	50-26	33-45
76	UNLVMountain West	.524	93-85	9-5	52.2%	53-40	35-36
77	IndianaBig Ten	.524	84-69	3-9	54.9%	39-29	36-37
78	SyracuseACC	.523	85-78	6-7	52.1%	40-36	38-36
79	ColoradoPac-12	.523	80-71	4-8	53.0%	37-27	35-40
80	BaylorBig 12	.522	82-70	3-9	53.9%	35-31	38-36
81	UL MonroeSun Belt	.522	86-68	2-10	55.8%	37-32	39-34
82	Western MichiganMid-American	.521	86-67	4-8	56.2%	37-29	41-34
83	TulaneAmerican Athletic	.520	90-86	11-3	51.1%	46-43	41-32
84	MemphisAmerican Athletic	.520	84-81	10-3	50.9%	40-39	41-32
85	West VirginiaBig 12	.520	81-82	9-4	49.7%	41-37	36-36
86	HoustonBig 12	.519	82-72	4-8	53.2%	33-32	41-36
87	CincinnatiBig 12	.518	82-70	3-9	53.9%	38-29	35-38
88	WisconsinBig Ten	.517	83-81	7-6	50.6%	48-33	29-41
89	NebraskaBig Ten	.516	81-73	5-7	52.6%	36-31	38-37
90	ArmyFBS Independents	.516	78-72	6-6	52.0%	42-28	30-38
91	NevadaMountain West	.516	85-69	2-10	55.2%	37-32	38-35
92	Washington StatePac-12	.514	80-73	5-7	52.3%	36-31	37-37
93	South AlabamaSun Belt	.513	88-79	7-6	52.7%	42-35	40-37
94	Middle TennesseeConference USA	.510	83-70	4-8	54.2%	32-34	43-32
95	Air ForceMountain West	.509	82-82	9-4	50.0%	45-37	33-36
96	South FloridaAmerican Athletic	.509	85-79	7-6	51.8%	34-41	45-31
97	San Diego StateMountain West	.503	80-73	4-8	52.3%	29-31	43-38
98	UConnFBS Independents	.502	79-73	3-9	52.0%	37-31	33-39
99	LibertyConference USA	.501	85-95	13-1	47.2%	49-48	35-34
100	BuffaloMid-American	.501	85-69	3-9	55.2%	38-29	38-37
101	Hawai'iMountain West	.500	87-82	5-8	51.5%	36-34	43-43
102	ToledoMid-American	.498	85-91	11-3	48.3%	47-45	35-35
103	UABAmerican Athletic	.498	80-72	4-8	52.6%	31-32	41-36
104	Utah StateMountain West	.495	82-82	6-7	50.0%	34-43	41-33
105	New MexicoMountain West	.494	79-77	4-8	50.6%	32-38	39-35
106	Arkansas StateSun Belt	.493	81-83-1	6-7	49.4%	37-42	37-35-1
107	Georgia SouthernSun Belt	.492	82-83	6-7	49.7%	47-31	28-46
108	Ball StateMid-American	.485	79-75	4-8	51.3%	33-33	38-38
109	SMUAmerican Athletic	.484	80-94	11-3	46.0%	49-42	28-41
110	NavyAmerican Athletic	.484	74-75	5-7	49.7%	34-37	33-33
111	TulsaAmerican Athletic	.483	78-75	4-8	51.0%	30-35	40-36
112	RiceAmerican Athletic	.482	81-83	6-7	49.4%	38-40	36-37
113	Central MichiganMid-American	.482	74-76	5-7	49.3%	35-32	32-39
114	North TexasAmerican Athletic	.481	75-75	5-7	50.0%	37-33	31-37
115	UTSAAmerican Athletic	.480	75-88	9-4	46.0%	40-40	31-39
116	Texas StateSun Belt	.478	76-88	8-5	46.3%	42-36	29-44
117	Florida AtlanticAmerican Athletic	.476	74-76	4-8	49.3%	31-38	35-34
118	Jacksonville StateConference USA	.474	76-88	9-4	46.3%	36-38	36-41
119	CharlotteAmerican Athletic	.472	74-76	3-9	49.3%	32-35	33-38
120	Sam HoustonConference USA	.471	75-74	3-9	50.3%	31-40	35-31
121	TempleAmerican Athletic	.469	74-76	3-9	49.3%	32-30	33-43
122	New Mexico StateConference USA	.469	87-101	10-5	46.3%	52-42	30-49
123	Louisiana TechConference USA	.460	75-77	3-9	49.3%	27-30	39-44
124	Fresno StateMountain West	.459	71-94	9-4	43.0%	39-41	28-44
125	Miami (Ohio)Mid-American	.457	76-100	11-3	43.2%	48-44	25-45
126	Colorado StateMountain West	.453	67-84	5-7	44.4%	35-37	25-42
127	Northern IllinoisMid-American	.449	73-90	7-6	44.8%	32-46	35-37
128	LouisianaSun Belt	.448	72-92	6-7	43.9%	40-38	25-48
129	Florida InternationalConference USA	.438	67-83	4-8	44.7%	23-38	36-41
130	Kent StateMid-American	.437	72-79	1-11	47.7%	31-35	30-43
131	OhioMid-American	.434	65-96	10-3	40.4%	30-44	32-42
132	Eastern MichiganMid-American	.432	68-94	6-7	42.0%	32-47	29-41
133	AkronMid-American	.428	67-82-1	2-10	45.0%	31-35	26-45-1

133 teams shown.

Finished games only. Each opponent counts once per game played, so a team met twice counts twice. Ties count as half a win. FBS teams only.

Opponents' combined record adds up three parts: their record before playing the team, their record in the games against the team, and their record since.

Adjusted for opponents' schedules = (2 × opponents' winning percentage + opponents' opponents' winning percentage) ÷ 3, from finished games only. Each opponent's winning percentage leaves out its games against the team being ranked. Ties count as half a win.

Questions

Why does this differ from other strength-of-schedule rankings?: Many popular lists rate opponents by predicted power or point margin. Ours uses only real results: how often a team's opponents have won, plus how often those opponents' own opponents have won.