Every Power 5 College Football Team's Toughest Nonconference Game
In just 15 (!!!) short weeks, the 2015 college football season will be upon us, and it won't waste any time getting to the good stuff thanks to a whopper of an opening-week lineup.
Now that almost every power program has seemed to buy in to the importance of lining up quality out-of-league competition, the weeks before conference play gets into full swing are no longer reserved for just walkover games. Nearly every team from a power conference has at least one nonconference game that has some level of difficulty to it, and in many cases, these contests are toss-ups that could go either way.
Here's a look at the toughest nonconference game that every team from the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC (as well as Notre Dame) has on its 2015 schedule.
Alabama
1 of 65
Sept. 5 vs. Wisconsin (in Arlington, Texas)
While Alabama might not show much interest in playing a true nonconference road game—its last one was in 2011, and none are set for future seasons—it isn't shy about lining up quality neutral-site matchups for its season opener. This year is no different, as the Crimson Tide will open with a power-league foe for the fourth straight year.
The Tide have previously opened with Michigan, Virginia Tech and West Virginia the last three seasons, and next year they will play USC in Arlington.
Last year's win over West Virginia was closer than expected, but Alabama was breaking in a new quarterback. The same could be the case this year, as an untested passer will be going up against a Wisconsin team that brings back eight starters on defense but also will be without 2,500-yard rusher Melvin Gordon.
Arizona
2 of 65
Sept. 12 at Nevada
Rich Rodriguez has done a masterful job turning around Arizona's program in his three seasons in the desert. It helps that he's been able to take advantage of some of the softest nonconference schedules of any power team, going 9-0 outside of the Pac-12 with only one opponent coming from another power league.
It won't be surprising at all for the Wildcats to get off to a fourth straight 3-0 start, though if there's a potential hiccup early on, it would be the trip to Reno. Nevada is rebuilding, having graduated dynamic quarterback Cody Fajardo and standout defensive end Brock Hekking, but last year the Wolf Pack knocked off Washington State and San Diego State at home.
Arizona State
3 of 65
Sept. 5 vs. Texas A&M (in Houston)
Riding one of the best stretches in program history, Arizona State could be a legitimate contender for a playoff spot this season if it can manage to navigate the tough Pac-12 South without too many blemishes. But before that can happen, it must face a very strong opening opponent in a hostile environment.
The matchup with Texas A&M is technically a neutral-site game, but considering the Aggies have improved their market share in that part of Texas, the crowd will be decidedly anti-Sun Devil. It will also mark quarterback Mike Bercovici's first game as full-time starter, and while he looked good in relief of Taylor Kelly last year, this is now his team to run.
ASU's aggressive defense will also get tested by A&M quarterback Kyle Allen and his bevy of receiving targets, while a renewed effort to run the ball will make for a double-edged sword to deal with.
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Arkansas
4 of 65
Sept. 12 vs. Toledo (in Little Rock, Arkansas)
Arkansas doesn't leave its home state for nonconference play this year, playing UTEP, Texas Tech and an FCS team in Fayetteville and selecting its fourth non-SEC game for the annual contest held in War Memorial Stadium in the state capital. And the alumni in that region will end up seeing the Razorbacks in their toughest non-league matchup and face one of the strong running backs in the country.
Toledo's Kareem Hunt averaged 163.1 yards per game in 2014, topping 100 yards in all 10 games he played while scoring 16 touchdowns and averaging nearly eight yards per carry.
Arkansas was 12th against the run last season, holding five opponents under 70 yards but getting torn up by Auburn and Georgia's rushing attacks. And that was with stout defensive linemen Darius Philon and Trey Flowers, both of whom are in the NFL now.
Auburn
5 of 65
Sept. 5 vs. Louisville (in Atlanta)
It's the goal of every SEC team to make it to the Georgia Dome in December for the conference title game. Auburn has a shot of doing that if it can get through the West Division gauntlet, and it also gets to open the 2015 season with an early scouting trip to the Atlanta stadium.
Auburn will have a new look on offense this season, with quarterback Jeremy Johnson expected to give the Tigers a far more dangerous passing attack than what was seen the past two years with Nick Marshall. And Louisville will provide a solid test for the junior, as its 26 interceptions last season were tied for the FBS lead.
Most of the players who contributed to that pick tally have moved on, but the Cardinals reload in the secondary with former Georgia defensive backs Josh Harvey-Clemons and Shaq Wiggins eligible after transferring. Harvey-Clemons will get a chance to atone for a ill-timed tipped ball that ended up in Auburn receiver Ricardo Louis' hands at the end of Auburn's 2013 "Prayer at Jordan-Hare" win over Georgia, a game that also featured current Louisville defensive coordinator Todd Grantham coaching for the Bulldogs.
Baylor
6 of 65
Sept. 4 at SMU
In case you weren't aware of how unimposing Baylor prefers its non-league slate to be, take notice that we've selected a road game against a team that was 1-11 last season as the Bears' toughest pre-Big 12 opponent. In other words, we didn't have much to work with when the other two options were an FCS team and a home contest with a rebuilding Rice team.
The only thing that should concern Baylor about this opener, besides being on the road—albeit only 100 miles to the north in Dallas—is the uncertainty that comes with a team under new leadership. Former Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris has taken over and is trying to fix a club that scored an FBS-worst 11.1 points per game last season.
Boston College
7 of 65
Nov. 21 vs. Notre Dame (in Boston)
Boston College gets to renew its series with Notre Dame in a unique atmosphere, playing the first football game in Fenway Park (home of the Boston Red Sox baseball team) since 1968, when the NFL's New England Patriots were based there.
The Eagles are rebranding themselves again this year, replacing eight starters on offense, including quarterback Tyler Murphy—who set an ACC record for rushing yards by a quarterback in 2014—and their entire offensive line. By this point in the season, though, they should have a firm grasp on whichever direction coach Steve Addazio ended up going with.
"I'm going to do whatever our talent level will allow us to do," Addazio told Chris Vannini of CoachingSearch.com. "My goal is to win as many games as we can each year, so we’re going to adapt to our talent level."
Notre Dame will be one of the most experienced teams in the country, bringing back 18 starters.
California
8 of 65
Sept. 19 at Texas
Sonny Dykes made great strides last year to get California moving in the right direction, improving from 1-11 to 5-7 behind a potent Air Raid passing offense that ranked sixth in FBS. Its worst performance came against Stanford, one of the best defensive teams in the country and the closest thing to what the Golden Bears will face in 2015 opener Texas.
The Longhorns were 11th in pass defense last season, holding Baylor to just seven completions and 111 yards along the way. Half of that starting unit is gone, but with defensive-minded head coach Charlie Strong putting his stamp on the program, the lineup this year could be even more stout.
Cal is 0-5 all-time against Texas, including a loss in the 2011 Holiday Bowl.
Clemson
9 of 65
Nov. 28 at South Carolina
Clemson ended a five-game losing streak to in-state rival South Carolina last season, but the Tigers accomplished that feat at home. They haven't won in Columbia since 2007, before Steve Spurrier had elevated the Gamecocks to one of the top programs in the country.
Behind promising quarterback Deshaun Watson and a lineup of talented young skill players, Clemson has high aspirations for 2015 that include winning the ACC and being in play for the semifinals. The Tigers will have wrapped up league play by this point, but in order to stay in the hunt for the playoffs, it would likely need to win this regular-season finale.
Colorado
10 of 65
Sept. 19 vs. Colorado State (in Denver)
There hasn't been much for Colorado to be proud of the past decade, with its only winning season in that span coming in 2005 when it went 7-6. It also beat in-state rival Colorado State that year, an achievement that has managed to make many of the bad years since then less painful if they include a victory over the Rams.
Colorado has a 62-22-2 edge in this series, which is known as the Rocky Mountain Showdown and will be played in Denver for the 18th time in the past 21 years. Colorado State won last year's game, 31-17, to spark a 10-win season, while Colorado dipped to 2-10.
Because Colorado opens the season at Hawaii and thus is allowed to play a 13th game, it would need to win seven in 2015 to be bowl-eligible. With only four Pac-12 wins in the past four seasons, the Buffaloes can't afford to drop any nonconference games if they want to go bowling.
Duke
11 of 65
Oct. 10 at Army
Duke's school-record three straight bowl appearances have been heavily impacted by its performance in nonconference play, as the Blue Devils have earned 11 of their 25 regular-season wins during that span outside of the ACC. They've won 10 straight non-league games, a streak that should extend to 14 with a 2015 slate that doesn't feature any FBS opponents who had winning records a year ago.
There are two road games, but neither are particularly daunting. We chose Army over Tulane because of its placement on the schedule, in the middle of ACC play and in between a homecoming game against Boston College and a bye week before a trip to Virginia Tech.
Army wasn't very good last year and might not be much better this year, but its option-run game is always a challenge to defend and could provide the perfect ingredient for a letdown performance if Duke overlooks the Black Knights in anticipation of a week of rest.
Florida
12 of 65
Nov. 28 vs. Florida State
Jim McElwain faces very high expectations for a first-year coach, but that's how it goes at programs like Florida. He might not be able to turn the Gators around in one season, not without a reliable quarterback or an offensive line with any semblance of experience, but that doesn't mean he can't play spoiler here or there.
His predecessor, Will Muschamp, went out with a bang of sorts by throwing a wrench into Georgia's hopes for the SEC East title, and he also nearly derailed national champion Florida State's push to repeat. McElwain will get similar opportunities, including getting FSU in Gainesville to end the regular season.
Depending on how the year goes, the Gators could be in need of a win over the Seminoles to get to six victories and bowl eligibility.
Florida State
13 of 65
Nov. 28 at Florida
Florida State has won four of the past five against Florida, including the last two in Gainesville, but the Seminoles might be at their most vulnerable point in years after seeing 29 players get selected in the last three NFL drafts. If there's a time for the Gators to jump on them, it would be this season.
FSU would have wrapped up ACC play two weeks earlier, and that might mean another conference title game is in line for the following Saturday. But if the Seminoles are still entertaining playoff hopes at this point, there's no margin for error by slipping up out of league play.
Georgia
14 of 65
Nov. 28 at Georgia Tech
Georgia once again finds itself among the favorites to win the SEC East in 2015, and it will have done all it could to make this happen by the time the latest edition of "Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate" is played in Atlanta. If the Bulldogs have already wrapped up the division and a spot in the SEC title game, there could be the temptation to take it easy in this game, but not if they're also hoping to remain in the mix for the playoffs.
Nick Chubb ran for 129 yards and a touchdown against Tech last year, but it was the choice to have Hutson Mason throw in overtime (and get intercepted) that turned the game and led to the Yellow Jackets ending a five-game skid in the series. Georgia's new quarterback, whoever that may be, can't afford to make similar mistakes.
Georgia will also be faced with having to slow down one of the most potent rushing attacks in the country. Tech ran for 399 yards last year, more than double the 166.85 yards per game Georgia allowed all season.
Georgia Tech
15 of 65
Sept. 28 vs. Georgia
Georgia Tech's 2014 season featured several notable achievements, including reaching the ACC title game and knocking off Mississippi State in the Orange Bowl. But the overtime win at rival Georgia topped everything else, as it ended a five-game skid in the longstanding series and was just its third win this century.
But the Yellow Jackets haven't won at home against Georgia since 1999, and until they can do so, the state will still belong to the Bulldogs.
Georgia had no answer for Tech's option-run game a year ago, and while it has to replace every major contributor other than quarterback Justin Thomas, it should have a strong group of ball-carriers in line by this point in the season.
Illinois
16 of 65
Sept. 19 at North Carolina
Illinois' nonconference schedule is set up very similar to last year, which might not be a good thing when it comes to visiting North Carolina in Week 3. The trip will come after home games against a mid-major (Kent State) and an FCS team (Western Illinois), compared to 2014, when it narrowly escaped FCS Youngstown State and Conference USA's Western Kentucky before getting blown out at Washington.
The Fighting Illini were 1-5 away from home last season, the lone victory coming up the road at Northwestern in a must-win game that secured bowl eligibility. They lost the other five by an average of 28 points.
Indiana
17 of 65
Sept. 19 vs. Western Kentucky
Indiana opens the 2015 season with coach Kevin Wilson very much on the hot seat and in need of a fast start. Three straight nonconference home games can help that cause, but the last of that trio has the potential to produce a pink slip if the Hoosiers can't slow down the nation's leading passer from a year ago.
Western Kentucky's Brandon Doughty threw for 4,830 yards and 49 touchdowns in 2014, and Indiana was very susceptible to the pass last year.
"IU ranked in the 90s in Passing Success Rate+ last year, and that was with two good corners in Tim Bennett and Michael Hunter," Bill Connelly of SB Nation wrote. "Bennett graduated, and Hunter transferred to Oklahoma State, and they leave behind a hefty set of sophomores."
Iowa
18 of 65
Sept. 19 vs. Pittsburgh
Iowa managed to go on the road and knock off an unbeaten Pittsburgh team a week after losing at home to in-state rival Iowa State. The Hawkeyes will be hosting the Panthers right after visiting ISU this season, but that won't make the game any less difficult.
The Hawkeyes won that game despite giving up 155 rushing yards to Pitt bulldozer James Conner and 153 receiving yards to Tyler Boyd. If they yield similar numbers, they'll likely lose this time out.
Iowa State
19 of 65
Sept. 19 at Toledo
Iowa State has its annual grudge match with Iowa as well as another tough FCS opponent (Northern Iowa) to deal with, but those are known quantities. The toughest test for the Cyclones before Big 12 play will come from Toledo's Kareem Hunt, who was injured and did not play when the teams met last season.
Even without Hunt, who averaged more than 163 yards per game in 2014, Toledo ran for 236 yards and two touchdowns. Just imagine what the Rockets will do against an ISU defense (which ranked 123rd against the run) with him in the lineup.
Kansas
20 of 65
Sept. 26 at Rutgers
New coach David Beaty was already facing a major uphill battle this season before starting quarterback Michael Cummings suffered a knee injury in Kansas' spring game last month and was lost for the year. Even with Cummings, his Jayhawks would be hard-pressed to end their 33-game road losing streak during nonconference play.
Kansas hasn't won on the road since 2009, at UTEP, and while Rutgers only brings back 10 starters, that's still more than what Beaty has at his disposal.
Kansas State
21 of 65
Sept. 19 vs. Louisiana Tech
Faced with somewhat of a rebuilding job after losing quarterback Jake Waters, receivers Tyler Lockett and Curry Sexton and defensive end Ryan Mueller, Kansas State was wise to go light in the nonconference scheduling department for 2015. No need to have an Auburn, like last year, for a team that's not ready for such a challenge.
But when the Wildcats added Louisiana Tech in January 2014, they had no idea how good the Bulldogs could be this fall.
The Bulldogs, who went 9-5 and played in the Conference USA title game last season, have a potent senior duo in running back Kenneth Dixon and quarterback Jeff Driskel (who started 20 games for Florida before transferring as a graduate student).
Kentucky
22 of 65
Nov. 28 vs. Louisville
The move to shift the annual clash with Louisville to the end of the season—thus aligning it with other ACC/SEC rivalry games like Clemson-South Carolina, Florida-Florida State and Georgia-Georgia Tech—might look good from a marketing standpoint, but it doesn't bode well for Kentucky coach Mark Stoops' rebuilding project.
Last year's game at Louisville had a bowl bid on the line for the Wildcats, but instead of pulling it out, they dropped a sixth straight game following a 5-1 start. It could be a similar scenario this season, though this time around they'll have an easier contest against FBS newcomer Charlotte the week before.
Kentucky last beat the Cardinals in 2010.
Louisville
23 of 65
Sept. 5 vs. Auburn (in Atlanta)
Bobby Petrino's circuitous return to Louisville began years earlier with an ill-fated turn as an NFL head coach, and now he gets to face some of those old demons by bringing the Cardinals into the stadium where he lasted less than a season before quitting.
Petrino went 3-10 with the Atlanta Falcons in 2007, losing five of seven home games at the Georgia Dome. He's probably got a better chance of winning there with Louisville than he did with his pro team, though Auburn will bring in a potent offense that will likely test its revamped defense that lost seven starters, including six NFL draft picks.
LSU
24 of 65
Sept. 26 at Syracuse
LSU doesn't play many true nonconference road games, as its last one was in 2011 at West Virginia and the next isn't until a 2019 visit to Texas. The choice to do a home-and-home with Syracuse is an odd one, and the fact it will come after the Tigers have already played two SEC games is even stranger.
Last year LSU struggled dealing with mobile quarterbacks, as Auburn's Nick Marshall, Mississippi State's Dak Prescott and Notre Dame's Malik Zaire all ran free against it. Syracuse's Terrel Hunt presents a similar challenge, assuming he's able to return to his old form after missing most of last season with a broken leg.
Maryland
25 of 65
Sept. 26 at West Virginia
The fact that the trip to West Virginia is shorter than for most of Maryland's Big Ten road trips doesn't make the journey any less difficult. Not when the Terrapins haven't won in Morgantown since 2002.
With league games at Ohio State, Iowa, Michigan State and Rutgers, Maryland doesn't have an easy road trip this year. It also doesn't have fond recent memories of West Virginia, as last year it rallied from a 28-6 deficit at home only to lose when West Virginia kicker Josh Lambert hit a 47-yard field goal as time expired.
Miami (Florida)
26 of 65
Oct. 1 at Cincinnati
With coach Al Golden needing a big season to avoid losing his job, Miami faces a year full of pressure-filled games. Having to go to Cincinnati on a Thursday right before ACC play begins isn't likely to do well for Golden's stress levels.
The Hurricanes romped to a 55-34 win over the Bearcats at home last year, but Cincy is a different team at home. It was 5-1 there last season, averaging 38.2 points per game, and quarterback Gunner Kiel had 18 of his 31 touchdown passes and both of his 400-yard games in Paul Brown Stadium.
Michigan
27 of 65
Sept. 3 at Utah
In a perfect world, the Jim Harbaugh era at Michigan would begin with a cream-puff opponent at home, someone his Wolverines could pound on, gaining some early confidence they could build off of for the rest of the season. Instead, Harbaugh's debut will be in a setup that's designed for failure.
Utah won nine games a year ago, including at Michigan, and brings back a top-tier running back in Devontae Booker who is getting Heisman hype from his coach. Being able to have a big opener against a power program can go a long way toward building an award campaign, and because of Harbaugh, the game will get plenty of national attention.
Michigan hasn't opened on the road since 1998, and according to Nick Baumgardner of MLive Media Group, it's the Wolverines' first ever Thursday night game.
Michigan State
28 of 65
Sept. 12 vs. Oregon
Despite being a potential first-round NFL draft pick this spring, Connor Cook decided to return to Michigan State for his senior year. According to Dan Murphy of ESPN.com, Cook cited several factors that influenced this decision, using the umbrella of "unfinished business" to refer to missed opportunities such as the loss last September at Oregon.
Michigan State held a 27-18 lead in the second half only to lose 46-27. Cook threw for 343 yards and two touchdowns, but he was also intercepted twice, and those picks contributed to the loss.
Cook had second billing in the quarterback matchup last time because of Oregon's Marcus Mariota, who went on to win the Heisman, but this time he'll be the featured attraction.
Minnesota
29 of 65
Sept. 3 vs. TCU
Minnesota was humbled in a September loss at TCU last season, unable to hang with a buzz saw of a team that was just getting started on its push toward a 12-1 campaign. Now the Golden Gophers get a chance to seek revenge, and in doing so, they could potentially derail TCU's hopes of making the playoffs.
This is likely to be the marquee game on the opening night of the 2015 season, at least in terms of national championship implications, and Minnesota should sell out the game. But it will take more than a partisan crowd to stop the Horned Frogs, who averaged 46.5 points and 533 yards last season.
TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin had 350 yards of total offense against the Gophers, including 92 on the ground.
Mississippi State
30 of 65
Oct. 17 vs. Louisiana Tech
Mississippi State's soft nonconference schedule didn't do it any favors last year when, after losing for the first time following a 9-0 start, it became evident the Bulldogs weren't likely to qualify for the playoffs. With only nine starters back from that team, the playoffs probably aren't a realistic goal, but a good bowl bid is still doable.
Therefore, having another weak non-league slate won't be as hurtful in 2015, but losing any of those games will be damaging if MSU struggles in SEC play. The odd opener at Conference USA doormat Southern Mississippi shouldn't be an issue, but the midseason visit from C-USA West Division winner Louisiana Tech could pose problems.
For one, it's in the middle of a three-game homestand and the second straight non-league game, following a visit from Troy. And Louisiana Tech has a running back (Kenneth Dixon) who has rushed for more than 20 touchdowns in two different seasons and a quarterback (Florida transfer Jeff Driskel) who has SEC experience.
Missouri
31 of 65
Nov. 14 vs. BYU (in Kansas City)
The addition of Missouri to its 2015 schedule was a huge boon for independent BYU, but for the Tigers it's the kind of game that can cause major headaches at the wrong time of year.
SEC teams traditionally litter their conference slate with non-league opponents, and the vast majority of these are mid-majors or FCS teams that don't pose much of a threat and allow for a brief break from the stress of SEC play. BYU doesn't meet those criteria, especially if dual-threat quarterback Taysom Hill is healthy and playing with the form he showed in dominating Texas and Virginia early last season.
Mizzou will be playing this game in between home games against Mississippi State and Tennessee, both of which also feature dual-threat passers. By the time that stretch is over, the Tigers defense could be brimming with confidence or lacking it altogether.
Nebraska
32 of 65
Sept. 19 at Miami (Florida)
A trip to Florida has usually been looked at by Nebraska as a reward for a season of hard work, since it means playing in one of the major bowl games in the Sunshine State. The Cornhuskers have played in Florida bowls four times since 2009, have made 17 trips to the Orange Bowl in Miami and have claimed four of their five national championships in that game.
Playing a regular-season game in Miami just doesn't have the same sizzle, but it could still burn Nebraska if it hasn't fully settled into new coach Mike Riley's system by the third game of the season.
Last year's meeting in Lincoln was a bit of a coming-out party for Miami freshman quarterback Brad Kaaya. Now he's a grizzled vet as a sophomore and ready to avenge that 2014 loss.
North Carolina
33 of 65
Sept. 5 vs. South Carolina (in Charlotte)
The past two seasons have seen North Carolina get off to horrible starts only to rebound with a big push in the second half to get into a bowl game. A third straight poor first half could doom coach Larry Fedora, whose win total has gone down every year, which puts added pressure on his team's performance in the opener against South Carolina.
Meant to be a neutral-site game, Charlotte is actually closer to South Carolina's campus than the Tar Heels' digs, and as a result, the crowd should have a heavy helping of both teams' fans. UNC gave up 254 points in five road games a year ago.
North Carolina last beat an SEC team in 2010, knocking off Tennessee in the Music City Bowl, and two years ago it opened with a blowout loss at South Carolina.
North Carolina State
34 of 65
Sept. 19 at Old Dominion
No one wants to be the first.
Old Dominion enters its third season in FBS—and first when it is eligible for the postseason—having never beat a team from a power conference. It lost three such matchups in 2013, and last year it fell at Vanderbilt and North Carolina State. This season the Monarchs host a power opponent for the first time with the Wolfpack coming to Norfolk.
NC State used a 4-0 mark outside of the ACC to head into league play with confidence last year and nearly parlayed that into an upset of defending national champion Florida State. It won't want to enter the conference schedule with a momentum-sapping loss, which falling to an FBS newcomer would constitute.
Northwestern
35 of 65
Sept. 5 vs. Stanford
Any hope Northwestern had its second-half collapse in 2013 was a thing of the past went out the window when it dropped its opener last year at home to a California team that was 1-11 the previous season. The Wildcats have a much tougher first game in 2015, getting to host a Stanford squad that woefully underachieved last year.
Northwestern ended up starting 0-2 last season, also losing at home to Northern Illinois, yet somehow went to Notre Dame and pulled out an overtime victory.
Notre Dame
36 of 65
Oct. 3 at Clemson
Notre Dame's scheduling agreement with the ACC means it will be making some trips to places it hasn't been to in a while, if ever. Last year it went to Florida State for the first time since 2003, and next season it will visit North Carolina State for the first time.
This season's unique journey is to Clemson, where the Fighting Irish haven't played since 1977.
"Both teams could be undefeated heading into the early October matchup with playoff implications very much on the line," Bleacher Report's Ben Kercheval wrote.
Notre Dame does have two other strong opponents on the schedule before this one, but both Texas and Georgia Tech come to South Bend.
Ohio State
37 of 65
Sept. 7 at Virginia Tech
Ohio State won't be lacking in motivational options for 2015, seeing as it's the defending national champion and brings back a nearly intact lineup that has a very good chance to win it all again. But from an individual game standpoint, after tearing through most teams last year, it could be hard to get up for some games knowing the Buckeyes have such a distinct advantage.
There are a few notable exceptions, including late-season Big 10 opponents Michigan and Michigan State, but right off the bat OSU gets a chance to avenge its only loss of last year. It's hard to find more inspiration than that.
Virginia Tech rolled into Columbus and smacked around Ohio State last year, taking advantage of a team that hadn't yet gotten itself organized to win by two touchdowns. Had the game happened a month later, it probably would have been a completely different result, as once OSU got on a roll it couldn't be stopped.
Tech rattled J.T. Barrett, who was making just his second career start. Now OSU will be throwing out one of three quarterbacks who have all been through the fire.
Oklahoma
38 of 65
Sept. 12 at Tennessee
After a disappointing 8-5 season, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops decided to do some program remodeling by shaking up his staff and bringing in an offensive coordinator (Lincoln Riley) who would return the Sooners to the Air Raid passing attack. It'll make its debut Sept. 5 against Akron, but the real test will come on the road in Knoxville a week later.
The Tennessee team that Oklahoma rolled at home last season hadn't come into its own at the time; instead, it was an extremely young group that didn't know how to play together. By season's end, though, the Volunteers were one of the most dangerous teams in the country, and they figure to be in a similar place this fall.
Oklahoma didn't have to contend with mobile quarterback Joshua Dobbs, while freshman defensive end Derek Barnett was still getting his feet wet.
Oklahoma State
39 of 65
Sept. 3 at Central Michigan
Central Michigan athletic director Dave Heeke deserves some sort of an award for his ability to not only schedule home-and-home series with power-conference teams but also convince them to come to Mount Pleasant first. The Chippewas hosted Syracuse last year and now get Oklahoma State to open its 2015 season there.
And to make matters worse for the visiting Cowboys, it's a Thursday night game that just screams of a potential pitfall.
Granted, it will be far less of a challenge than last season's opener, against Florida State in Arlington, Texas, but OK State still plays better in Stillwater than on the road.
Ole Miss
40 of 65
Oct. 17 at Memphis
Just as is the case with in-state rival Mississippi State, Ole Miss has a two-game hiatus from SEC play smack dab in the middle of the league schedule. But while MSU gets to spend that break at home, the Rebels must play on the road at an opponent that is far better than expected when the game was scheduled years ago.
Memphis is coming off of arguably the best season in program history, winning 10 games and claiming a share of the American Athletic Conference title. It lost at Ole Miss early in the season but then got on a roll that never stopped.
Ole Miss last lost a nonconference game in 2012, when it was blown out at home by Texas.
Oregon
41 of 65
Sept. 12 at Michigan State
Oregon's home win over Michigan State in 2014 provided it with an early boost in the playoff race, so much so that a surprising loss a few weeks later to Arizona didn't end up hurting the Ducks too much. If they can repeat that performance, but this time on the road, the Ducks might be pushing for the semifinals again.
But while they're heading to East Lansing with a new quarterback and some key defensive contributors missing, Michigan State has a lot of the same team that led by nine points in the second half in Eugene last year. Quarterback Connor Cook and defensive end Shilique Calhoun returned for their senior years for just such a game, one of two the Spartans dropped last season.
This will be Oregon's first trip to Big Ten territory since a shocking 39-7 win at Michigan in 2007.
Oregon State
42 of 65
Sept. 12 at Michigan
Besides wanting to move closer to his Western roots, Gary Andersen's decision to leave Wisconsin for Oregon State also stemmed from the belief that his style of play wasn't the best fit in the Big Ten. Yet his first road game with the Beavers will be in his old Midwest stomping grounds, serving as the potential first home victim of new Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh.
Wisconsin and Michigan didn't play during Andersen's two seasons in Madison.
For Oregon State, this game will mark the first real test for its new offense, which goes from pass-first attack under Mike Riley to a more run-heavy system. It will still require heady quarterback play, and after Pac-12 career passing leader Sean Mannion graduated, the Beavers will be sending out an untested quarterback in front of 100,000 fans in Michigan Stadium.
Penn State
43 of 65
Sept. 5 at Temple
In years past, having Temple be the toughest game on the nonconference slate would mean Penn State was going really heavy on the cream-puff opponents since the Owls were routinely one of the worst programs in FBS.
But Temple brings back 19 starters from a team that went 6-6 last season but didn't get invited to a bowl, and those returners will still be feeling the sting of that snub when they host the Nittany Lions for the first time since 2011.
Penn State has won 39 of 43 all-time meetings and hasn't lost to the Owls since 1941.
Pittsburgh
44 of 65
Sept. 19 at Iowa
A home loss last September to Iowa sent Pittsburgh's season into a tailspin, going from 3-0 to 4-6 before the Panthers could get things corrected. A return trip to Iowa City could prompt another slide, since it will come at the tail end of a two-game road trip.
Iowa saw starting quarterback Jake Rudock transfer to Michigan in the offseason, but while that might have been seen as a positive for most opponents, that's not the case with Pitt since the Hawkeyes' new starter, C.J. Beathard, had his coming-out party against the Panthers last year.
Beathard came off the bench and completed seven of eight passes for 98 yards and led Iowa on two second-half scoring drives to pace the 24-20 comeback win.
Purdue
45 of 65
Sept. 6 at Marshall
Purdue showed improvement on defense last season but still finished the year 99th in scoring allowed at 31.7 points per game. And the Boilermakers didn't have Ohio State on their Big Ten schedule; otherwise, they'd at least have an idea what they were in store for against Marshall.
Though the personnel will be different because of graduation, Marshall is still expected to have one of the most dominant offenses in the country. Last year the Thundering Herd averaged 45.6 points and 559.2 yards per game.
Rutgers
46 of 65
Sept. 12 vs. Washington State
Rutgers has one of the easiest four-game nonconference slates of any power league team, even with a late-season game at Army that was originally supposed to be played in Yankee Stadium. The Scarlet Knights' other three are at home, and neither FCS Norfolk State or a rebuilding Kansas pose anywhere near the threat that Washington State does.
Don't let WSU's 3-9 record from a year ago fool you; the Cougars are dangerous as long as they continue to throw with the frequency they have under coach Mike Leach. They attempted 771 passes last season and averaged 477.7 yards per game, with Connor Halliday throwing for 532 yards and five touchdowns in a 41-38 loss to Rutgers in Seattle last August.
Halliday is gone, but replacement Luke Falk threw for 1,773 yards and 12 TDs in four games after taking over for an injured Halliday in November.
South Carolina
47 of 65
Nov. 28 vs. Clemson
South Carolina's five-year run of in-state dominance came to an end in 2014 with a 35-17 loss at Clemson, which contributed to the Gamecocks' worst season since 2009. Despite having the more experienced quarterback, they had no answer for young Clemson passer Deshaun Watson even though he was apparently playing with a torn ACL.
Could whoever ends up winning South Carolina's quarterback battle return the favor and dictate the outcome this time around? This will be the final game of the regular season, when teams tend to be hitting their stride and playing at full potential, but Spurrier's past reputation of shuffling QBs could come into play and have an impact on this game.
Stanford
48 of 65
Nov. 28 vs. Notre Dame
None of Stanford's nonconference games are particularly easy, as it opens on the road against Northwestern and also hosts dangerous mid-major foe UCF. But neither of those will be as big of a challenge as the biannual home finale against Notre Dame, a game it has won the last three times it was played in Palo Alto but against far less talented Fighting Irish teams.
Notre Dame brings back the vast majority of its starting lineup from a year ago, and even with quarterback Everett Golson transferring to Florida State there's still mobile passer Malik Zaire to deal with. And the Cardinal will be doing it with a defense that lost seven starters.
Syracuse
49 of 65
Sept. 26 vs. LSU
Syracuse landed a plum home-and-home series in the form of LSU, and getting the Tigers to come to the Carrier Dome first is even better. But that also means the Orange have to deal with one of the nation's top young running backs with a defense that lost eight starters.
Leonard Fournette set an LSU freshman rushing record last year, and that was without much preparation ahead of that season. With a full offseason of training to get bigger, faster and stronger, he will be the toughest rusher Syracuse faces in 2015.
TCU
50 of 65
Sept. 3 at Minnesota
After last year, TCU knows what it might take to get into the playoffs: zero losses.
And while most of the attention is focused on the Horned Frogs' last (and most difficult) game against co-Big 12 champion Baylor, the dream of being in the semifinals could end before it ever gets started if they were to slip in a dangerous road opener.
Minnesota might have lost its two best players from 2014 in running back David Cobb and tight end Maxx Williams, but quarterback Mitch Leidner is an underrated passer who is far better than the 12-of-26, 151-yard, three-touchdown performance he had last year in a 30-7 loss at TCU.
"TCU will be looking for its first true road win in a season opener since beating Virginia 30-14 in Charlottesville in 2009," Ryan Gerbosi of the Dallas Morning News wrote.
Tennessee
51 of 65
Sept. 12 vs. Oklahoma
Whether Tennessee is able to continue to rise under coach Butch Jones will ultimately be determined by how it fares in SEC play, but it can get a jump on that with a confidence-building win over one of the best power programs in the country over the past 15 years.
Oklahoma has won at least eight games every season since 2000, topping 10 wins on 12 occasions. Last year wasn't one of those times, as the Sooners went 8-5, but they still handled Tennessee 34-10 in Norman.
And that was before Oklahoma freshman running back Samaje Perine took off, eventually breaking the FBS single-game rushing record and finishing with more than 1,700 yards. He only had 67 (on nine carries) against the Volunteers, but run defense was a weakness all season.
Texas
52 of 65
Sept. 5 at Notre Dame
If Texas is indeed able to take a step forward in Charlie Strong's second season, being able to play well in an environment like Notre Dame would be a heck of a place to show that. Add in the atmosphere of a night game on the opening weekend, and everything is set up for the Longhorns to make a big splash.
Or fall flat on their face.
Texas stumbled in both of their notable nonconference games last year, getting thumped at home by BYU and then losing to UCLA in Arlington.
Texas A&M
53 of 65
Sept. 5 vs. Arizona State (in Houston)
After three straight years of super-soft nonconference competition—one of many ways Texas A&M has managed to assimilate with the SEC—the Aggies jumped onto the neutral-site bandwagon for their 2015 opener. Playing it super safe, though, they made sure to play somewhere that's as much like a home game as possible.
But while Houston is only 95 miles from College Station, this won't make the game a walkover because of the quality of the opponent. Arizona State has won 10 games each of the past two years and brings back 15 starters, including most of its defense.
A&M is also loaded, however, with Kyle Allen getting a full offseason to settle in as the No. 1 quarterback and Myles Garrett getting a chance to work alongside highly touted tackle prospect Daylon Mack. Those two will be champing at the bit to take down ASU quarterback Mike Bercovici.
Texas Tech
54 of 65
Sept. 19 at Arkansas
There were already chinks present in Texas Tech's armor last season even before it was steamrolled at home by Arkansas in the third game of the year. The Red Raiders ended up stumbling to a 4-8 record, their worst since 1983.
Now they get to play that same Arkansas team on the road, but while a lot of the personnel will be the same, the 2015 Razorbacks will be brimming with far more confidence than last September. That's because the Hogs ended 2014 as one of the most dangerous teams in the country, posting shutout wins over ranked opponents in consecutive weeks and then stifling Texas in a bowl game.
The same team that Arkansas posted a 31-7 win over in the Texas Bowl had beat Texas Tech by 21 points in Lubbock earlier that season.
UCLA
55 of 65
Sept. 19 vs. BYU
UCLA's 2015 schedule features six teams that played in bowl games a year ago, including four straight early in the season. That run begins with a visit from BYU, a dangerous opponent no matter where the locale if it has multi-threat quarterback Taysom Hill in the lineup.
Before Hill was lost for the year with a broken leg last October, the Cougars were 4-0 with wins over Texas, Houston and Virginia. After he went down, BYU lost four in a row and struggled to gain consistency.
USC
56 of 65
Oct. 17 at Notre Dame
When USC hosts Notre Dame every other year, it has the luxury of that game coming at the end of the schedule, after Pac-12 play is over with and without any worry of how it could impact the rest of the season. That's not the case when the Trojans make their every-other-year trip to South Bend in the middle of October.
While USC has won five of its last six on the road in the series, when it lost there in 2013, the result lingered into the following week and the Trojans looked sluggish. They can't afford to have a similar aftereffect, because a week after visiting the Fighting Irish they host Utah in a game that should have major Pac-12 South Division implications.
Utah
57 of 65
Sept. 3 vs. Michigan
Utah coach Tyrone Willingham believes he has a Heisman candidate in running back Devontae Booker, though he acknowledges that as of now, "I don't think there's a lot of people that know about him," per Stewart Mandel of Fox Sports.
For better or worse, the nation will have a much better idea who Booker is after the Utes open the 2015 season against Michigan in a game that will mark the debut of Wolverines coach Jim Harbaugh.
Booker ran for 1,512 yards last season but didn't become a key piece of Utah's offense until its fourth game, when he had 178 yards against Washington State. The week before, in a road win at Michigan, Booker had just 34 yards on 11 carries.
Vanderbilt
58 of 65
Oct. 31 at Houston
With as tough as the SEC schedule is expected to be, Vanderbilt needs every nonconference win it can get if it wants to get back into a bowl game. But the Commodores are more likely to get tricked than receive a treat when playing a dangerous mid-major on the road on Halloween.
After Vandy played all four nonconference games at home in 2014, this year it has two on the road. An Oct. 3 trip to Middle Tennessee will also be tough, but Houston has a chance to win the American Athletic Conference's West Division under first-year coach Tom Herman.
Virginia
59 of 65
Sept. 5 at UCLA
It might have been easier to illustrate which of Virginia's four nonconference opponents was the easiest rather than the most difficult, since its three FBS foes won a combined 30 games in 2014 and each is tough in its own right. In picking between visits from Notre Dame and Boise State and a trip to UCLA, we went with the road game that also happens to be the season opener.
"The nonconference schedule reflects my belief that it is important to play elite competition," Cavaliers coach Mike London said in a news release, via the Washington Post.
London's statement didn't include any mention of how such a rigorous slate lessens his chance to get to six wins—which he's done only once in his five seasons—and avoid getting fired.
Virginia Tech
60 of 65
Sept. 7 vs. Ohio State
Once is a surprise, but twice is a trend.
Virginia Tech pulled off one of the biggest shockers of 2014 by going into Ohio Stadium and knocking off Ohio State last September, a result made more astonishing by how both teams played after that point. Tech ended up losing six games last season, including an overtime stinker to Wake Forest, while OSU went on to bulldoze the competition en route to the national title.
Now the Hokies get a chance to show that previous result wasn't a fluke, and they get a prime-time holiday (Labor Day) slot to do it in.
The date was agreed upon long before last year's game, but now it will serve as the perfect capper to a great opening week of action.
Wake Forest
61 of 65
Nov. 14 at Notre Dame
If Wake Forest is able to improve from last year's 3-9 record in Dave Clawson's first season into a team that has a chance to be bowl-eligible, odds are that down the stretch the Demon Deacons will be clawing for those last few victories. Having to go to South Bend in the final month of the season isn't exactly what you'd like to deal with in such a scenario.
There are two things that could potentially work in Wake's favor with the placement of this game, which will be its 10th of the year. First, it comes after a bye week, so Clawson will have extra time to prepare for the Fighting Irish. Second, Notre Dame has a veteran team that has a playoff-or-bust mindset and will be coming off of back-to-back road games.
Last year Notre Dame was in a similar place, coming home after a loss at Arizona State, and basically laid an egg in an overtime loss to a struggling Northwestern team.
Washington
62 of 65
Sept. 4 at Boise State
Chris Petersen knew this day was coming. In fact, he helped schedule it.
The Washington coach was in charge of the Boise State program when his athletic director set up a home-and-home series with his future employer. Washington hosted Petersen's Boise team in 2013, handing him a 38-6 loss that was the worst of Petersen's career with the Broncos.
Now comes the return game, though Petersen will be bringing the Huskies back to the blue turf he helped make famous while winning 92 games from 2006-13.
Washington State
63 of 65
Sept. 12 at Rutgers
A kickoff time hasn't been set for Washington State's cross-country trek to New Jersey, but if its opponent has anything to say about it, the game will be as early as possible to further the Cougars' discomfort at playing more than 2,600 miles from home.
When WSU hosted Rutgers in Seattle a year ago, the game began after 10 p.m. ET.
The Cougars dropped that game, however, a back-and-forth affair involving two veteran quarterbacks trading long pass plays. Both Connor Halliday and Gary Nova are gone now, and instead we'll see WSU sophomore Luke Falk slinging it against an inexperienced Rutgers passer.
West Virginia
64 of 65
Sept. 5 vs. Georgia Southern
Georgia Southern was the best team not to make a bowl game in 2014, and it wasn't even close. In fact, the Eagles were probably better than a good number of the 76 teams that went bowling, but because they were in their first season of FBS play, they were not eligible for the postseason.
The Eagles can play in a bowl after this season, and they'll be even more of an attractive selection if they can knock off a power-conference team. Of the two on the schedule this fall, the one that's more winnable is the opener at West Virginia because the Mountaineers will have to base their game plan on last year's game film.
West Virginia allowed 200-plus rushing yards to six teams in 2014, which doesn't bode well considering that Georgia Southern led FBS at 379.9 yards per game.
Wisconsin
65 of 65
Sept. 5 vs. Alabama (in Arlington, Texas)
A year ago it was LSU in Houston; this time around, Wisconsin opens with Alabama in another Texas NFL stadium. The quality of the opponent and the locale are similar, but there's one major difference between the Badgers' 2014 opener and this one: There's no Melvin Gordon to hand off to.
The loss of the 2,500-yard rusher is one of several things that will put Wisconsin at a disadvantage in this game, along with a rebuilt offensive line and continued uncertainty at quarterback. Last year Gary Andersen's insistence on trying to throw the ball rather than continually handing off to Gordon and Corey Clement led to the Badgers blowing a big lead, something new coach Paul Chryst will do his best to avoid.
Wisconsin will again be running the ball with much frequency, but Clement might not see much daylight because of Alabama's stacked defensive line.
Follow Brian J. Pedersen on Twitter at @realBJP.
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