SEC toughens up Mizzou’s schedule, adds ‘Bama and champion LSU

The Southeastern Conference made another step toward completing a 2020 football schedule deeply affected by the coronavirus pandemic, announcing the two additional “cross-over” games each league team will play, but stopping short of announcing dates for the 10 game season.

On paper, it appeared that the Missouri Tigers had one of the easier cross-over schedules among the 14-school SEC, with the season-ending home game against Sam Pittman’s upstart Arkansas Razorbacks, and a trip to Mississsippi State to play first-year coach Mike Leach and the Bulldogs.  Perhaps taking note of that fact, while attempting to make the two additional games added “fair for everyone”, the league hammered Missouri with a significant strength of schedule increase, as Alabama is now headed for Faurot Field in Columbia, while Missouri will get a road trip to Death Valley to play the defending national champion LSU Tigers.  The only three schools not on MU’s schedule for this fall are Auburn, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M.

In addition to the games with ‘Bama, LSU, Arkansas, and Mississippi State, Missouri will play its six SEC Eastern Division rivals, in Georgia, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Florida, Tennessee, and South Carolina.  There are indications that the completed schedule, including dates of the games, could be out by the end of this week.  

In the SEC West, Arkansas was walloped with a strength of schedule increase, much like Missouri, with the Razorbacks six SEC West games and cross-over games at Missouri and at home with Tennessee bolstered with a challenging road trip to Florida, in addition to a home tilt with the Georgia Bulldogs.

Here are the complete listing of “non-divisional” opponents for the Southeastern Conference in 2020:

ALABAMA

Previously scheduled : vs. Georgia, at Tennesseee

Added opponents : vs. Kentucky, at Missouri 

ARKANSAS

Previously scheduled : vs. Tennessee, at Missouri

Added opponents : vs. Georgia, at Florida

AUBURN

Previously scheduled : vs. Kentucky, at Georgia

Added opponents : vs. Tennessee, at South Carolina

FLORIDA

Previously scheduled : vs. LSU, at Ole Miss

Added opponents : vs. Arkansas, at Texas A&M

GEORGIA

Previously scheduled : vs. Auburn, at Alabama

Added opponents : vs. Mississippi State, at Arkansas

KENTUCKY

Previously scheduled : vs. Mississippi State, at Auburn

Added opponents : vs. Ole Miss, at Alabama

LSU

Previously scheduled : vs. South Carolina, at Florida

Added opponents : vs. Missouri, at Vanderbilt

OLE MISS

Previously scheduled : vs. Florida, at Vanderbilt

Added opponents : vs. South Carolina, at Kentucky

MISSISSIPPI STATE

Previously scheduled : vs. Missouri, at Kentucky

Added opponents : vs. Vanderbilt, at Georgia

MISSOURI

Previously scheduled : vs. Arkansas, at Mississippi State

Added opponents : vs. Alabama, at LSU

SOUTH CAROLINA

Previously scheduled : vs. Texas A&M, at LSU

Added opponents : vs. Auburn, at Ole Miss

TENNESSEE

Previously scheduled : vs. Alabama, at Arkansas

Added opponents : vs. Texas A&M, at Auburn

TEXAS A&M

Previously scheduled : vs. Vanderbilt, at South Carolina

Added opponents : vs. Florida, at Tennessee

VANDERBILT

Previously scheduled : vs. Ole Miss, at Texas A&M

Added opponents : vs. LSU, at Mississippi State