ESPN College Football

Posted by ESPN.com's Chris Low

We took a look earlier this week at the five scariest nonconference games involving SEC teams this season, those games against foes that aren't necessarily household names but could still cause major problems.

Well, here are the five toughest nonconference games involving SEC teams ranked in order of difficulty.

Serious question: Think the SEC will come out with a winning record in these five games?

1. Georgia at Oklahoma State, Sept. 5: It was tough picking between Georgia's opener and Alabama's opener as to which SEC team has the toughest nonconference game this season. But Georgia gets the nod based on having to travel out to Stillwater. And given the arsenal of playmakers the Cowboys have returning on offense, this stacks up as one of those games where the Bulldogs will probably have to score a lot of points to win. Are they ready to do that with so many new pieces to plug in at the offensive skill positions?

2. Alabama vs. Virginia Tech, in Atlanta, Sept. 5: For the second straight season, the Crimson Tide will open the season against a top 10 team in the Georgia Dome. It turned out pretty well for them last season. Virginia Tech, though, is a better team than Clemson was a year ago, a tougher team that won't back down and a team that plays defense the way Alabama does. This could easily be one of those bruising 14-10 type of games. One thing's for sure. We'll find out a lot about Nick Saban's third team at Alabama right out of the gate.

3. Georgia at Georgia Tech, Nov. 28: The Bulldogs are still wincing about what the Yellow Jackets did to them last season -- 409 yards rushing for the game and 33 second-half points. This time, the game's in Atlanta, and Georgia Tech should again be one of the ACC's better teams. The Bulldogs have a lot to prove on the defensive side of the ball, and it starts with tackling better. That's never an easy task against a triple-option team. What's more, facing a rival the caliber of Georgia Tech on the back end of the SEC grind is especially daunting.

4. Georgia Tech at Mississippi State, Oct. 3: That triple-option offense of Georgia Tech's is a nightmare to prepare for. The Bulldogs remember all too well. Last season, the Yellow Jackets rolled up 438 yards rushing in a 38-7 beatdown of the Bulldogs in Atlanta. At least the game's in Starkville this season. The timing of the game won't be ideal for Mississippi State. It comes on the heels of three straight SEC games -- road trips to Auburn and Vanderbilt and a home date with LSU.

5. Florida State at Florida, Nov. 28: Granted, Florida takes a lot of grief for its nonconference schedule and deservedly so when you consider most of the guys on this team were still in diapers the last time the Gators left the state of Florida to play a nonconference game -- 1991 against Syracuse. But facing Florida State every year is no picnic, and the Seminoles have that look of a Top 25 team again.

The next five:

6. Georgia Tech at Vanderbilt, Oct. 31

7. UCLA at Tennessee, Sept. 12

8. South Carolina at North Carolina State, Sept. 3

9. Clemson at South Carolina, Nov. 28

10. Arkansas vs. Texas A&M, in Arlington, Texas, Oct. 3