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Just how important is strength of schedule? It’s a question asked every year when the College Football Playoff Selection Committee judges one 10-2 record against another, or when it judges a 9-3 team better than a 10-2 one.
It’s difficult to judge because the game is fluid. Preseason expectations or recruiting rankings don’t always accurately tell how good a team is on the field. Still, it’s a worthwhile endeavor to look at what should be the five toughest schedules in college football this season.
Texas opens the season with Texas State, which will give it its best shot, but should be overwhelmed. After that, things get interesting, with Ohio State coming down to Austin.
SEC play then includes several helmet games to keep an eye on. The first road trip is in Knoxville against Tennessee. Then, the Longhorns have to play Oklahoma, Ole Miss and Texas A&M, all of whom were in the College Football Playoff last season. Not to mention what should be a much-improved LSU team.
It’s three non-conference games this season for Michigan, including one that the Wolverines are going to have circled. Oklahoma is coming to the Big House. A year removed from going to the College Football Playoff and better on paper than it was a year ago, it’s a major test for new head coach Kyle Whittingham.
There are a couple of question marks to play in the Big Ten, including Iowa and Penn State. A few teams that won’t be question marks are Indiana, Oregon and Ohio State. It’s a murderers’ row in Big Ten play.
Opening the season with North Alabama, Arkansas needs to get its footing under new head coach Ryan Silverfield quickly. In non-conference play, it is quickly going to have to go on the road to Utah, which expects to compete at the top of the Big 12. There’s no rest for the weary, though, as one week later, Arkansas hosts Georgia.
SEC play has some hard hitters, like Texas A&M, coming off a trip to the College Football Playoff. That’s before considering the likes of Tennessee, Texas and LSU. It’s a challenge being picked 16th in the SEC. You’re looking up at everyone.
The non-conference slate for Ohio State includes a couple of usual suspects, with two MAC schools. It also includes a road trip to Texas that’s impossible to ignore.
Big Ten play is no easier. There’s a road trip to defending national champion Indiana in October. Not to mention back-to-back weeks against USC and Oregon. At least the Buckeyes get what should be an improved Michigan at home this year.
On paper, the non-conference schedule isn’t devastating for Missouri. Certainly, a road trip to rival Kansas is tricky. There’s a lot of passion there, but the Jayhawks are coming off a down year.
It’s SEC play where Missouri is going to run into issues. Four schools that played in the College Football Playoff a season ago are sitting on the schedule. That’s before considering Texas, which is regarded as being in championship-or-bust mode. That’s not an easy schedule to bounce back against.
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