Missouri and Texas A&M (along with the rest of the SEC) found out today exactly what their schedules will look like next season as they prepare to exit the Big 12.
Let's start with the Tigers who open their SEC schedule on September 8th when Georgia pays a visit to Columbia. These things tend to by cyclical, but Mizzou will find out next season that life in the SEC East will be just a bit easier than their counterparts, Texas A&M, faces in the SEC West.
Missouri's 2012 SEC schedule:
| Sept. 1 | |
| Sept. 8 | Georgia |
| Sept. 15 | Arizona St. |
| Sept. 22 | @ South Carolina |
| Sept. 29 | |
| Oct. 6 | Vanderbilt |
| Oct. 13 | Alabama |
| Oct. 20 | |
| Oct. 27 | Kentucky |
| Nov. 3 | @ Florida |
| Nov. 10 | @ Tennessee |
| Nov. 17 | |
| Nov. 24 | @ Texas A&M |
How does it compare to the schedule Mizzou faced this past season in the Big 12? Well, it's all a matter of opinion, but next year they will play three teams currently ranked in the BCS top 25. This season they played five. That's not necessarily to say next year's schedule will be easier, but the assumption their SEC schedule would be tougher might not be so automatic with the current strength of several teams in the Big 12
Their road schedule will be challenging, however. South Carolina should be very good again next season and while Florida, Tennessee, and Texas A&M all had their share of struggles this season, playing in Gainesville, Knoxville, and College Station is never an easy chore.
It may just be a coincidence, but Missouri won't have a home conference game after their October 27th game against Kentucky and will finish the season with three straight conference road games. Maybe the SEC didn't want to send any of its teams to the northern most location in the conference in November. That might be entirely not true, I have no idea. After all, it's not like Columbia, Missouri is located in the north pole.
As for the Aggies, their schedules figures to be tougher because of the current strength in the west division. They will get LSU in College Station but will have to make a trip to Alabama and will play Arkansas at a yet to be determined location.
Texas A&M 2012 SEC schedule:
| Sept. 1 | |
| Sept. 8 | Florida |
| Sept. 15 | @ SMU |
| Sept. 22 | |
| Sept. 29 | vs. Arkansas (site TBD) |
| Oct. 6 | @ Ole Miss |
| Oct. 13 | |
| Oct. 20 | LSU |
| Oct. 27 | @ Auburn |
| Nov. 3 | @ Mississippi St. |
| Nov. 10 | @ Alabama |
| Nov. 17 | |
| Nov. 24 | Missouri |
In total they will play four teams currently ranked in the BCS top 25 (as opposed to five this year) but keep in mind, that includes three of the top six teams (Alabama, LSU, Arkansas). Their crossover games will be Florida and Missouri from the eastern division.
The game against Missouri will be played on Thanksgiving weekend and will replace their rivalry game against Texas although it won't be on Thanksgiving day as the Texas game had been.
Both Missouri and Texas A&M have some holes to fill on their schedule as it relates to the non conference slate. Each school has only one game officially on the schedule as of now, and each will need to add three more games.
The SEC likes to play November non conference games so with both schools having an opening on November 17th, it wouldn't be surprising to see them add a home game against Creampuff U on that date.
