Florida State’s road to the College Football Playoff is a relative cakewalk without a single game against a ranked team the rest of the way, but several SEC elites, including defending league champ Auburn, have a much less advantageous path to the postseason.

Placing a heavy emphasis on number of games against quality opponents and traveling to hostile environments, we’ve deemed the one-loss Tigers’ remaining schedule as the SEC’s toughest down the stretch and there’s no margin for error.

Ranked from most difficult to least challenging, here’s a game-by-game look at Auburn’s treacherous six-game journey to Atlanta or the Playoff as an at-large selection:

1. at Alabama, Nov. 29 — Considering this game could determine the West depending on how the seasons unfold with both Magnolia State unbeatens, you could be looking at a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup in this year’s Iron Bowl. The Crimson Tide’s playing for revenge with an offense capable of posing serious problems for a front four struggling with the pass rush.

2. at Ole Miss, Nov. 1 — The first of two showdowns in November against teams that tackle well and rarely give up big plays, points will come at a premium against the No. 1 scoring defense in the country. We initially thought the Rebels would be Auburn’s most difficult remaining opponent, but based on matchups, we think the Tigers’ run game may have a shot at neutralizing what Ole Miss does best and that’s forcing turnovers through the air.

3. at Georgia, Nov. 15 — Not only does Auburn have to take on two Western Division favorites in their own stadium, the Tigers must travel to potential East champ Georgia to try and tackle the Bulldogs. A win here for Mark Richt’s club essentially wraps up a trip to Atlanta for Georgia and diminishes the Tigers’ hopes of anything past a New Year’s bowl invite. Even if Todd Gurley remains suspended, there’s The Chubb Factor to deal with for Ellis Johnson’s defense.

4. vs. Texas A&M, Nov. 8 — Based on the coaching staff’s comments on Tuesday, you can expect to see a different and more focused Texas A&M team take the field two weeks from now. During the bye week, coach Kevin Sumlin said he and his staff will re-evaluate all starting positions and make the necessary changes if need be. This won’t be the same Aggies squad that fell by 59 points at Alabama.

5. vs. South Carolina, Oct. 25 — The Gamecocks are a shell of who we expected them to be at this point and come into Saturday night’s game as 17-point underdogs. South Carolina hasn’t beaten Auburn since 1933 and without a defense that can stop the rush, it’ll likely be a long night for Lorenzo Ward’s crew on that side of the football.

6. vs. Samford, Nov. 22 — An easy win sandwiched between two heavyweights, Auburn could use a breather on Senior Day at Jordan-Hare Stadium.