How tough is it to play in the SEC?

Games played since 2010 against teams that finished ranked in the Final AP Poll:

#1 Auburn- 33
#2 Florida- 32
#3 Ole Miss- 31
#4 Alabama- 30
#4 Arkansas- 30
#6 South Carolina- 29
#6 Texas A&M- 29
#6 Tennessee- 29
#9 LSU- 28
#9 Georgia- 28
#11 Stanford- 26
#11 Oklhaoma- 26
#11 Mississippi State- 26
#14- Clemson- 25
#14- Notre Dame- 25
#14- Washington- 25

11 of the Top 13 toughest schedules by this measure were played by SEC teams.

How about we go back to the year 2000?

#1 Florida- 86 (!)
#2 Auburn- 77
#3 Arkansas- 75
#4 Tennessee- 74
#5 LSU- 72
#6 Alabama- 70
#7 Oklahoma- 69
#7 Georgia- 69
#7 South Carolina- 69
#7 Texas A&M- 69
#11 Washington- 66
#12 Florida State- 65
#12 Michigan- 65
#12 Arizona- 65
#15 Ole Miss- 63
#15 Colorado- 63
#15 Mississippi State- 63
#15 Vanderbilt- 63

Going back to 2000, 12 of the Top 18 toughest schedules played over the last 18 seasons have been played by current SEC programs.

Every year you hear some of the National talking heads try to claim that programs like Stanford and Notre Dame play tougher schedules than the SEC. But the facts just don't support this.