The five worst non-conference games on the 2025 SEC schedule

By Chris Marler

“We listen and we don’t judge.”

Isn’t that the new trend on TikTok and Instagram? I’m pretty sure it’s been a part of at least a third of the 928,374 reels my girlfriend sends me during the work day. 

Regardless, that phrase does not apply here. We are listening and we are absolutely judging these non-conference games slated for the 2025 SEC season. 

Here are the five dumbest games scheduled in the 2025 SEC football season. 

Kent State at Oklahoma 

During the COVID season, a report detailed Kent State’s financial losses. The Golden Flashes missed out on $5 million in revenue from scheduled games against Kentucky, Penn State, and Alabama. So, it feels rude to say this game is stupid, considering what these games mean for certain G5 and FCS schools. 

That being said, Kent State was not only the worst team in America last season, they were one of the worst teams in the history of college football. They went 0-12 and currently have a 21 game losing streak heading into the 2025 season. Last season, they had an average margin of defeat of over 30 points per game. If that metric sounds weird, it’s because it’s usually referred to as “average margin of victory.” 

Kent State endured a winless season last year, finishing 0-12. Their struggles included a crushing 71-0 loss to Tennessee, where they trailed 65-0 at halftime, and a defeat against St. Francis (PA), a team whose name sounds more like a preparatory school for Catholics, reformed juveniles, or both.

Florida vs Long Island University

Florida has never played a real murderer’s row of games to start the season. Keep in mind this is the same program that didn’t leave the state of Florida for a true non-conference road game in September from 1991 to 2023. 

No one should be shocked when seeing a cupcake on the schedule for any Power 4 teams to start the season. However, seeing a game against the Long Island University Sharks feels like the most create-a-team-in-College-Football-25-video-game moment of all time. To put their 2025 schedule into perspective, the Sharks will face teams like Sacred Heart, Mercyhurst, Stonehill, St. Francis, and Duquesne.

Those sound like locations for battles during the Crusades, not football teams. 

Georgia State at Vanderbilt 

I understand this is a home-and-home series and, against all odds, it’s also become a revenge game for Vanderbilt. That’s because last year they went to Atlanta and lost to the Panthers 36-32. It’s barely a joke to say that Vanderbilt is playing with fire here inviting Georgia State into their stadium this season. 

Georgia State is 2-6 all-time against SEC teams. However, both wins came against teams from the state of Tennessee, including everyone’s favorite Rocky Top rock bottom game from 2019 when the Panthers beat Jeremy Pruitt’s Vols 38-30.

Mercer at Auburn 

To be very clear, Mercer isn’t a bad football team. Mercer finished 11-3 last season and No. 8 in the country in the FCS. They’ve been a ranked FCS team for three consecutive seasons, and winning 11 games at any level is impressive—especially with one of their three losses coming on the road against Alabama.

This is more of an issue of optics. For whatever reason, throwaway games against FCS opponents for SEC teams, especially during cupcake week, are consistently generalized with Mercer. The Bears from Macon, Georgia’s finest institution, are almost always the face of the “issue” with SEC vs FCS games played in November. 

That’s partially because Mercer has played 72 games all-time against the SEC. It’s also partially because they’ve played Alabama and Auburn five times in their last seven seasons without any games against other Power 4 opponents. 

Oklahoma at Temple 

Temple finished 3-9 last season. They were ranked 121 in scoring offense (19.6 ppg) and 124 in scoring defense (35.4 ppg). They haven’t won more than three games in any of the last five seasons, including four straight 3-9 seasons. 

Absolutely none of that is the issue here. The issue is why the hell is Oklahoma playing this game on the road. 

As a program that has (incorrectly) claimed SEC belonging and boasted about its rich tradition at every transfer portal announcement— I mean hat drop— they’ve certainly found ways to embarrass themselves in their first year in the conference. This being the biggest offense.