(current AP ranking)
vs Old Dominion
@ Kentucky
vs #21 LSU
vs Akron
vs #10 Ole Miss
@ #9 Alabama
@ Oklahoma
vs #15 aTm
@ Vanderbilt
vs #24 Missouri
vs Wofford
@ #17 Clemson
That's 6 opponents ranked in the top 25 nine games into the season (so not paper tigers). BYU has two opponents in the top 25: #14 SMU and #20 KState. You really want to argue that SEC teams are taking it easy?