Every Power 5 College Football Team's Toughest Nonconference Game
As college football enters the third season of the College Football Playoff, it has become clear that having a strong schedule is as important as it has ever been. The playoff doubles the number of teams with a legit shot at the national title following the regular season (from two to four), but it’s still incredibly tough to make the four-team field.
There is margin for error; after all, in two years, only two teams (Clemson and Florida State) have finished the regular season unbeaten. But when you lose a game, you fall into a pool of similarly accomplished teams. Strength of schedule matters: The College Football Playoff selection committee explicitly lists it as one of three key factors, alongside winning conference championships and head-to-head results, when comparing similar teams.
Getting marquee teams on your schedule makes the road to the playoff tougher, but succeeding in those big moments is a major plus for your resume. That’s why having a tough nonconference slate is crucial. Here’s a look at the toughest nonconference game for every Power Five team.
Alabama
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Since taking over at Alabama in 2007, Nick Saban has established a clear scheduling philosophy. Play a marquee nonconference neutral-site game to begin the season, then two lesser FBS foes and an FCS foe (typically in November). The plan has worked out well. Alabama is 6-1 in neutral-site games and is riding a six-game winning streak in such games following a 2007 loss to Florida State in Jacksonville. Per Aaron Suttles of the Tuscaloosa News, such games are very lucrative for Alabama.
And, by the way, the Crimson Tide have won four national championships.
Why mess with the formula? Saban won’t do so this season. Alabama will open up at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, against Southern California. It is the first meeting of the storied programs since the 1985 Aloha Bowl, a 24-3 Tide victory.
Saban has yet to settle on a quarterback among Cooper Bateman, David Cornwell and Blake Barnett, and recent history has shown that he isn’t afraid to play multiple quarterbacks in the opener. The Tide were already replacing their right tackle and center, and the offensive line situation was complicated by All-America left tackle Cam Robinson’s arrest on weapons and drug charges in Louisiana. The Tide could be far from a finished product in the opener, but that will only make it more intriguing.
It’s a far tougher game than Western Kentucky, Kent State or FCS foe Chattanooga.
Arizona
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Following a breakthrough 10-win season in 2014, Rich Rodriguez and Arizona took a step back last fall. Injuries to key contributors such as linebacker Scooby Wright and quarterback Anu Solomon hurt, and the Wildcats slipped to 7-6. Wright is off to the NFL, and Solomon needs to prove that he’s healthy and worthy of the starting role over sophomore Brandon Dawkins, who threw for 305 yards while starting in place of Solomon against Arizona State.
With nine league games, the Pac-12 leaves little wiggle room in nonconference schedules. Arizona will start strong with a neutral-site game against BYU at University of Phoenix Stadium. As an independent, the Cougars have an “anyone, anytime, anywhere” philosophy, and they won’t be cowed by what will essentially be a home-field advantage for the Wildcats.
The Arizona defense was shaky a year ago, and without Wright, it will have to figure out how to stop a potent Cougars offense with either Taysom Hill or Tanner Mangum under center.
Arizona State
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Arizona State has some questions as it enters 2016. The Sun Devils slipped to 6-7 following a pair of 10-win seasons and then watched as offensive coordinator Mike Norvell left to become Memphis’ head coach. New OC Chip Lindsey has a clean slate. Following Mike Bercovici’s graduation, ASU does not have a quarterback who has thrown a collegiate pass on its roster.
Brady White, Bryce Perkins and Manny Wilkins are battling for the role, and following an opener against FCS team Northern Arizona, the Sun Devils will need to be ready to score some points. Arizona State will host Texas Tech in its marquee game before the Pac-12 slate begins.
Tech features one of the nation’s most potent offenses, and quarterback Patrick Mahomes (who threw for 4,653 yards with 36 touchdowns and 15 interceptions last fall) will give the Sun Devils secondary a huge test. The Red Raiders and quarterback Davis Webb torched the ASU defense in a 37-23 win at the 2013 Holiday Bowl, and the Sun Devils need to be ready for more of the same this time around.
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Arkansas
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Bret Bielema and Arkansas finished 2015 strong. The beginning? That was a different story. Following a season-opening win over UTEP, the Razorbacks suffered home losses to Toledo and Texas Tech. Coupled with an overtime loss to Texas A&M, Arkansas finished September 1-3.
The Hogs hope for a September to remember this time around. They begin by hosting Louisiana Tech and then face their toughest test with a trip to high-powered TCU. Like Arkansas, the Horned Frogs are replacing multiple offensive weapons. Arkansas must find a replacement for graduated Brandon Allen under center and Alex Collins in the backfield.
Austin Allen, Brandon’s little brother, and Southern California transfer Ricky Town will battle for the role. TCU will be their biggest test before SEC play, and whoever starts will need to be efficient quickly. It’s the toughest test of nonconference play, far surpassing Texas State or Alcorn State beyond it.
Auburn
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Auburn and Gus Malzahn face a crucial season in 2016. Since making the national title game in 2013, Malzahn’s Tigers are just 15-11, including a 7-6 season in 2015 and 6-10 in SEC play. That’s unacceptable at a place with high standards such as Auburn, and Malzahn will surely feel pressure to improve this fall.
First, the Tigers must find a quarterback. Jeremy Johnson and Sean White combined for 11 touchdowns and 11 interceptions last fall. They spent the spring in a three-way battle with junior college transfer John Franklin III, who has skills reminiscent of Nick Marshall's, who was highly successful in the hurry-up, no-huddle offense.
Whoever emerges has a major test in the season opener when defending national runner-up Clemson comes to town for a prime-time kickoff on Sept. 3. Clemson has a potent offense led by junior Deshaun Watson, the returning third-place finisher in Heisman Trophy voting.
Auburn hopes its defense is improved under new defensive coordinator Kevin Steele (forced out at Clemson after West Virginia hung 70 on the Tigers in the 2012 Orange Bowl). This game is rife with storylines and far more important than nonconference tilts with Arkansas State, Louisiana-Monroe and Alabama A&M.
Baylor
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Baylor and coach Art Briles have issues as summer workouts begin. The program has been besieged by reports by ESPN and other outlets that the university failed to properly address reports of sexual assault by players (including former defensive end Shawn Oakman), which has placed the university in an embarrassing light.
On the field, Briles must choose between returning starter Seth Russell and Jarrett Stidham as his starting quarterback; the starter will play behind an offensive line replacing four starters. The pre-Big 12 schedule, however, won’t be an issue. It’s one of the nation’s softest.
Baylor begins with FCS foe Northwestern State and then hosts SMU. The Mustangs should be improved in Chad Morris’ second season with a hurry-up, no-huddle offense. That, not a trip to Rice (which Baylor beat 70-17 a year ago), appears to be the toughest game on the nonconference schedule. However, that’s like looking into a basket and picking the most dangerous kitten of a litter.
Boston College
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New Boston College offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler has a major task on his hands. Loeffler must improve one of the nation’s worst offenses—quickly. A year ago, BC had an outstanding defense but got no help from an offense that averaged 17.2 points per game, No. 120 nationally. Eagles quarterbacks combined to throw just eight touchdowns and nine interceptions.
This spring, Darius Wade competed with Kentucky graduate transfer Patrick Towles, but neither emerged victorious. BC failed to score a single touchdown in its spring game, and the competition will carry over to fall. The Eagles start with a high-profile ACC game against Georgia Tech in Ireland. Their biggest nonconference game is a regional rivalry against 2015 bowl team UConn set for Nov. 19. That’s a tougher test than a trip to UMass or home games with Buffalo and Wagner.
California
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Cal has shown steady improvement under Sonny Dykes, going from 0-12 to 8-5 with a bowl win in three seasons. Now comes the tough part: continuing the climb without Jared Goff under center.
Goff made the Bears’ Air Raid offense go, throwing for 4,719 yards with 43 touchdowns and 13 interceptions as a junior. He was rewarded as the top overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft, going to the newly relocated Los Angeles Rams. The Bears did land Texas Tech graduate transfer Davis Webb, a huge get who knows the Air Raid scheme well.
The Bears have three games before Pac-12 play begins to get acclimated. They’ll play the first game of the 2016 college football season against Hawaii in Sydney, the first college game in Australia since 1987. Following a week off, they’ll travel to San Diego State. The toughest test? Hosting Texas on Sept. 17.
Last fall, only a missed extra point blunted Texas’ wild late rally, and the Bears held on for a 45-44 win. With Sterlin Gilbert’s Air Raid offense in place, this game will be defense-optional and one both teams badly want to win.
Clemson
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Clemson enjoyed a magical run through the 2015 season. The Tigers rode Deshaun Watson’s breakout season with a potent offense and a highly capable defense all the way to the national title game before falling, 45-40, to Alabama. Dabo Swinney’s group doesn’t have a rematch scheduled with the Crimson Tide this fall, but it will begin 2016 with the next-best thing.
Clemson and Auburn share football roots (both had football legend John Heisman as their coach) and similar traditions (some call Clemson “Auburn with a Lake”). Their series dates back to 1899, but they’ve split four competitive games over the past decade, with three decided by a touchdown or less and two in overtime.
In Clemson’s last trip to the Plains in 2010, kicker Chandler Catanzaro hit what appeared to be a game-tying field goal in overtime that was called back for a procedural penalty. Catanzaro missed the ensuing try, and Cam Newton and Auburn survived.
This time around, Clemson has the marquee quarterback in Watson and a potent offense that will only get better with the return of 1,000-yard receiver Mike Williams from a broken bone in his neck. Watson and Co. will face off against former CU defensive coordinator Kevin Steele in his Auburn debut. Last time they saw Steele, he was on Clemson’s sidelines for a 70-33 rout at West Virginia’s hands in the 2012 Orange Bowl.
This will be a far more compelling game than Troy, South Carolina State or even South Carolina, for a number of reasons.
Colorado
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Coach Mike MacIntyre has yet to really get it going at Colorado. The Buffaloes are coming off a 4-9 season and could be without quarterback Sefo Liufau for the 2016 campaign because of a Lisfranc foot injury. Colorado suffered a major blow when Texas Tech graduate transfer Davis Webb backed out of his commitment to CU, heading to Cal instead.
The Buffs’ pre-Pac-12 slate isn’t easy. A rivalry matchup against in-state foe Colorado State in Denver is never easy, but the toughest trip will loom following a gimme game against Idaho State. On Sept. 17, Colorado travels to the Big House to face off with Jim Harbaugh and a vastly improved Michigan team.
MacIntyre will need a quarterback to emerge by then. Unfortunately, Kordell Stewart is out of eligibility.
Duke
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David Cutcliffe has done an excellent job at Duke. The Blue Devils enter 2016 riding a four-year bowl streak and a three-year streak of at least eight wins. That was unfathomable when Cutcliffe took over in 2008. But to extend that streak, the Devils will need a strong early season and likely an early return to health from quarterback Thomas Sirk, who is rehabbing after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in February.
Duke begins with North Carolina Central and a winnable ACC opener against Wake Forest, and follows that with a road trip to a Northwestern team that won 10 games last fall. But the real test will be a Sept. 24 trip to Notre Dame.
The teams have met just four times in their history, with the last meeting a 28-7 Notre Dame win in 2007. Duke will not be intimidated by Notre Dame Stadium, but Cutcliffe surely hopes that Sirk can make his way back onto the field by then. He’s the Devils’ best offensive weapon and leading returning rusher, and emerging with a win would be very difficult without him.
Florida
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Last fall, Florida saved its worst for last. The Gators impressed many with a 10-1 start under first-year coach Jim McElwain, but quarterback issues (including Will Grier’s suspension following a positive NCAA test for performance-enhancing drugs) sank the offense en route to a season-ending three-game losing streak that included a Citrus Bowl rout at Michigan’s hands.
However, the low point might have been a 27-2 loss home loss to Florida, with the Gators’ only points coming after a Sean Maguire fumble that squirted into the Seminoles end zone for a safety. FSU has won three consecutive games and five of the last six against its cross-state rival.
McElwain should have his quarterback situation figured out by the time UF travels to Tallahassee on Nov. 26. A win would go a long way toward ingratiating him with Florida fans, but the Gators will have trouble if they can’t muster more than a safety this time around. It’s by far the most challenging piece of a nonconference schedule that includes UMass, North Texas and Presbyterian.
Florida State
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Over the last decade, Labor Day evening has become a special showcase for college football. The rest of the nation is already done with its first week, and the NFL is a week away from monopolizing the time slot for its own purposes. It’s college football’s time to shine, and ESPN responds with a marquee game.
This year, it’s Florida State-Ole Miss from the Citrus Bowl in Orlando. The game features a pair of 10-win, "New Year’s Six" teams from a year ago with much higher hopes.
Florida State has some questions at quarterback but returns 11 offensive starters, led by junior tailback and Heisman Trophy candidate Dalvin Cook. FSU coach Jimbo Fisher told Brendan Sonnone of the Orlando Sentinel that Cook, along with Clemson's Deshaun Watson and Miami's Brad Kaaya, is a legit Heisman threat.
"You’ve got guys [in the ACC],” Fisher said. “It’s going to be loaded. I coached in the other league [the SEC] for 13 years. It’s a great league, but this one is, too.”
Ole Miss and athletic quarterback Chad Kelly will provide a challenge, but it will be an excellent gauge to see how realistic FSU’s hopes of a College Football Playoff run are.
FSU also faces off with rival Florida, travels to South Florida and hosts Charleston Southern this season, but the neutral-site date with the Rebels is the most intriguing non-ACC game.
Georgia
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Give it to Kirby Smart. He knows how to make an entrance. Following 15 years of Mark Richt, Georgia fans were ready for a change, and they got it with Smart, Alabama’s longtime defensive coordinator.
Smart’s debut will be hotly anticipated, and it won’t be easy. Georgia will play in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome for the first time since 2011, and the Bulldogs will face off against infrequent border rival North Carolina.
The Bulldogs and Tar Heels haven’t met since 1971, and this matchup should be delicious. North Carolina is coming off an ACC Coastal Division title and an 11-win season, and Georgia could start true freshman Jacob Eason, one of the nation’s top recruits, according to 247Sports, at quarterback.
Georgia must find a way to slow down North Carolina’s potent fast-paced offense with new starter Mitch Trubisky under center. Regardless, this game will generate plenty of buzz among Dawgs fans, more so than nonconference games such as Nicholls State, Louisiana-Lafayette and archrival Georgia Tech, all in Athens.
Georgia Tech
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One of the most underrated college football rivalries takes place every Thanksgiving weekend within Georgia’s borders. Clean, Old Fashioned Hate pits Georgia against Georgia Tech, and there is no love lost between the two sides.
The rivalry dates back to 1893, and Georgia owns a 65-40-1 lead in the series. The Bulldogs have dominated the series recently, winning 13 of the last 15 meetings. In fact, Georgia Tech hasn’t beaten UGA in Atlanta since taking a wild 51-48 overtime win in 1999.
Georgia Tech’s only two wins in that span have come in Athens, which bodes well for the Yellow Jackets when they visit on Nov. 26. Tech is trying to rebound from an ugly 3-9 2015 campaign, and if Justin Thomas can build momentum with the flexbone offense throughout the season, beating Georgia would be a cherry on top of his Tech career.
Georgia is by far the biggest nonconference game on Tech’s 2016 schedule. The Yellow Jackets also host Mercer, Vanderbilt and a dangerous Georgia Southern program.
Illinois
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Illinois is, to be kind, a program in transition. Before the 2015 season began, the school fired coach Tim Beckman following an investigation into his conduct toward players. Bill Cubit replaced him as interim coach and was elevated into the full-time role following a 5-7 season. But after a change in athletic department leadership, Illinois summarily fired Cubit and replaced him with former NFL head coach Lovie Smith.
Smith faces a tough task early on. The Illini have only three nonconference games as the Big Ten moves to a nine-game league slate. The opener against Murray State should be an easy win, but North Carolina comes to Champaign the following week.
Unless Smith is a miracle worker, this will be a major challenge for the Illini defense. Western Michigan follows a week later, but the Tar Heels are the marquee portion of the nonconference schedule.
Indiana
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Last fall, Kevin Wilson took some heat off his seat at Indiana. Wilson finally guided the Hoosiers to a bowl game, squeezing six wins out of the schedule and getting to the Pinstripe Bowl, where Indiana lost in overtime to Duke.
In the Big Ten East, getting to a bowl with Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State on the schedule would be an admirable accomplishment. The Hoosiers’ nonconference schedule reflects those ambitions. It’s pretty soft. Indiana begins the season by traveling to Florida International, coming off a 5-7 season, and then hosts in-state foe Ball State.
The “marquee” game on the pre-league schedule is a visit from a woeful Wake Forest team that boasted one of the nation’s worst offenses a year ago, scoring 17.4 points per game (No. 119 nationally). On this Charmin-soft schedule, it’s the toughest test. Good tickets probably will be available right up to kickoff.
Iowa
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If you’re an Iowa fan and you enjoy marquee nonconference games, you’re going to be pretty disappointed for the foreseeable future. The Big Ten has moved to a nine-game league schedule, which means coach Kirk Ferentz and Iowa must maintain a seven-home-game slate to keep revenues high. That means eliminating prominent home-and-home series such as the entertaining one it just completed with Pitt.
In virtually all years, Iowa State will be the only Power Five nonconference foe on Iowa’s schedule. This season, the Cyclones will visit Iowa City for a prime-time rivalry kickoff. The game will be intense, as all games in the Cy-Hawk series are, but the rebuilding Cyclones won’t likely ping ESPN’s radar for the Sept. 10 kickoff.
Iowa State is the marquee team in a home non-league slate that includes Miami (Ohio) and FCS power North Dakota State, which has won five consecutive FCS titles.
Iowa State
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Iowa State is one of the toughest outposts in the Power Five, but even the Cyclones’ patience can run dry. Following a third consecutive season with three wins or fewer, the program showed Paul Rhoads the door and replaced him with Toledo coach Matt Campbell.
Campbell has brought energy and excitement to a program that does have some talent, including tailback Mike Warren and receiver Allen Lazard. But improving a 3-9 team won’t be easy. Campbell makes his ISU debut against FCS in-state foe Northern Iowa and then gets his first taste of the Cy-Hawk rivalry when ISU travels to Iowa on Sept. 10 for a prime-time kickoff.
Iowa State has been very competitive with Iowa, winning its last two trips to Iowa City in 2012 and 2014, and taking three of the last five meetings with the Hawks. But Iowa, coming off a 12-0 regular season, will have the clear talent advantage here. Campbell’s first road game on the Cyclone sidelines will be a tough test.
Kansas
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Kansas was clearly the worst program in the FBS last fall. Charlie Weis left new coach David Beaty a crater to dig out of, with a roster short on scholarship players and talent. So perhaps it wasn’t a surprise that the Jayhawks lost their opener to FCS foe South Dakota State and went downhill from there, finishing the season 0-12.
There’s nowhere to go from there but up, and the Jayhawks don’t have a terribly imposing nonconference schedule. The opener against Rhode Island is eminently winnable, and Ohio is a returning bowl team but hardly a marquee foe.
The toughest road game will clearly be a trip to Memphis to face off with new coach Mike Norvell on Sept. 17. The Tigers won 19 games in the past two seasons and will maintain a fast-paced style much like the one Justin Fuente employed. Kansas will be a clear underdog in this game; the Tigers knocked off SEC foe Ole Miss a year ago and won nine games.
Kansas State
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Under Bill Snyder’s second go-round as head coach, Kansas State hasn’t always shown interest in playing marquee nonconference games, but the current College Football Playoff climate is pushing the Wildcats into doing so. Two years ago, the 'Cats hosted a Top Five Auburn team in Manhattan and previously had a home-and-home with Miami.
This fall, K-State faces Florida Atlantic and FCS foe Missouri State, but the opener makes you take notice: Sept. 2’s trip to Stanford to take on David Shaw and the defending Pac-12 champions. It will be a big season-opening test for the Wildcats. Stanford boasts Heisman Trophy runner-up Christian McCaffrey, the nation’s returning all-purpose yardage leader.
K-State already harbors ugly memories from a 45-23 Liberty Bowl beating at Arkansas’ hands. In that game, tailback Alex Collins gashed the 'Cats defense for 185 yards and three touchdowns. The defense will have to be much better to have any shot at containing McCaffrey and pulling a big road upset.
Kentucky
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For the last two seasons, Kentucky has been on the cusp of turning the corner under Mark Stoops. For two seasons, the Wildcats have come frustratingly close to a bowl bid but wound up just short, finishing 5-7 and spending the holidays at home.
The stumbling block? Louisville.
Both years, Kentucky needed only to beat the archrival Cardinals in the season finale to ensure a sixth win and a bowl trip. In 2014, the ‘Cats led 40-37 with 5:31 to go, only to lose 44-40. Last fall, Stoops’ crew led 21-7 after one quarter but did little afterward, falling 38-24.
It would be no surprise if 2016 again came down to a must-win situation against Louisville for a bowl berth. It’s the toughest of a non-conference slate that also includes Southern Miss, New Mexico State and Austin Peay.
Louisville
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Louisville and Bobby Petrino certainly don’t shy away from tough scheduling. The Cardinals play in the same ACC Atlantic Division as national powers Clemson and Florida State but have put together a challenging nonconference schedule.
They’ve sandwiched a Sept. 24 trip to Marshall between facing the Seminoles and Tigers, and close the season, as usual, against archrival Kentucky in a game that is always emotional and intense.
But the most intriguing game on the slate is a Nov. 17 Thursday night trip to Houston. The Cougars were the best "Group of Five" team last season with a 13-1 record and Peach Bowl win over Florida State. This will be a matchup of dynamic quarterbacks with Louisville’s Lamar Jackson and Houston’s Greg Ward Jr. Can the Cardinals defense contain Ward? This is far from a guaranteed win for Petrino and Co., and it's a unique risk to take after they end their ACC slate against Wake Forest on Nov. 12.
LSU
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These days, it’s rare to see a Southeastern Conference team venture above the Mason-Dixon Line for a nonconference game. But as you know, little Les Miles does is conventional.
LSU and Wisconsin got together for a unique neutral-site series that really doubles as a home-and-home affair. Two years ago, the two met in Houston’s NRG Stadium in Leonard Fournette’s first collegiate game. LSU rallied for a 28-24 victory.
This fall, they’ll kick off the season at Green Bay’s Lambeau Field, a hallowed hall of football that rarely hosts college games. Fournette has fulfilled his potential as one of the game’s most feared runners, coming off a 1,953-yard sophomore season. Wisconsin will have a clear home-field advantage, but the Cajuns, who make their way north for the 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff, will make their presence known as well.
An additional subplot? New LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda will face off against his old Wisconsin team in his first game running the Tigers defense. This game was set years ago, but that funny coincidence makes the game extra special, as if it needed a boost.
Maryland
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D.J. Durkin takes over a tough situation from Randy Edsall as he attempts to create traction for Maryland in the Big Ten East. The Terrapins have just six home games this fall and must travel to Penn State and Michigan while hosting Michigan State and Ohio State. But a soft nonconference schedule could help Durkin get off to a strong start in College Park.
Maryland begins with FCS foe Howard at home and then embarks on a two-game road trip to Florida against Group of Five teams. The Terrapins travel to Florida International on Sept. 10 and follow a week later with a jaunt to Orlando to face Central Florida. Neither team had a winning record in 2015, but Central Florida is attempting to rebuild under Scott Frost following an 0-12 season. Florida International was 5-7.
We’ll say that the Golden Panthers offer a tougher challenge, but neither game will ping the national radar by any means.
Miami
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When Miami hired Mark Richt following Al Golden’s firing, it was a nod to the program’s past—the glory days, when the Hurricanes competed for national titles instead of being frustrated about poor showings in the ACC Coastal Division. Miami hopes Richt can restore the roar in South Florida, and a piece of that history resides in the 2016 nonconference schedule.
There are oddities, such as a trip to Appalachian State, and a pair of games against lower-level programs such as Florida A&M and Florida Atlantic, but the game that stands out is an Oct. 29 trip to Notre Dame. The programs were regular combatants in the 1970s and 1980s; from 1971 through 1990, they met every season but 1986.
The series became known as Catholics vs. Convicts, playing off Notre Dame’s religious image and Miami’s rebellious streak. Since 1990, however, they’ve met only twice, with Notre Dame taking a 33-17 win in the 2010 Sun Bowl and a 41-3 rout in 2012 at Chicago’s Soldier Field.
The ACC’s scheduling alliance with Notre Dame brings the teams together again. Notre Dame will likely be a Top 20 team, although it must settle on DeShone Kizer or Malik Zaire at quarterback. A win over the Irish in South Bend would certainly be a blast from the past for Richt and Co.
Michigan
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Jim Harbaugh has Michigan on the right track. In his first season coaching his alma mater. Harbaugh doubled the Wolverines’ win total (from five to 10) and attracted attention aplenty with a brash, social media-friendly style that never lacked for headlines.
Fans and media have big expectations for Michigan in Harbaugh’s second season, and it would be an absolute stunner if the Wolverines were not 3-0 entering their Big Ten opener against Penn State on Sept. 24. Each of Michigan’s nonconference games is at home, and none will be against a team with a winning record in 2015.
Hawaii and Central Florida were a combined 3-22 in 2015, and both are breaking in new head coaches. The “power” of the non-Big Ten schedule, as it were, is Colorado. The Buffaloes were 4-9 in 2015, and they do boast an experienced quarterback in Davis Webb, who arrived in Boulder from Texas Tech as a graduate transfer.
Webb could test Michigan’s strong secondary with his arm, but none of these programs will put up any sort of serious challenge. It’ll be the perfect way for Harbaugh to break in Jake Rudock’s successor at quarterback before Big Ten play.
Michigan State
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Last fall, Michigan State enjoyed a special season. The Spartans broke through to the program’s first College Football Playoff berth, winning a knock-down, drag-out Big Ten title game over Iowa, 16-13, with a 22-play touchdown drive that chewed over eight minutes from the clock in the fourth quarter. That drive showed guts, and it was the epitome of what Connor Cook could do for the Michigan State offense.
Cook graduated, and now Mark Dantonio must find his successor. The likely starting quarterback is Tyler O’Connor, who led the Spartans to a key road win at Ohio State last November when Cook sat with an injury. If O’Connor takes the helm, he’ll get an impressive first test as the full-time starter. Following a gimme season opener against FCS Furman, Michigan State travels to Notre Dame on Sept. 17.
The teams played yearly from 1997 to 2013, but Notre Dame’s scheduling alliance with the ACC pushed Michigan State off the schedule on a regular basis. Brian Kelly’s team should be a College Football Playoff contender again this fall, and the Fighting Irish will be a handful for a Michigan State team that is reloading after a magical 2015.
Minnesota
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Tracy Claeys earned his role as Minnesota’s full-time head coach last fall. Claeys impressed Gopher officials with his poise after taking over for Jerry Kill, who was forced to resign because of health issues. The Gophers finished 6-7 following a Quick Lane Bowl win over Central Michigan, and Minnesota believes the program is on solid ground.
An easy nonconference slate should also help Claeys curry favor. The Gophers begin by hosting Oregon State, coming off a 2-10 season in Gary Andersen’s debut. They then host FCS foe Indiana State and wrap up the out-of-league schedule by hosting Mike Bobo and Colorado State.
Like Minnesota, the Rams were 6-7 last season in Bobo’s debut. Quarterback Nick Stevens threw for 2,679 yards with 21 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, but it would be surprising if the Gophers weren’t 3-0 entering Big Ten play.
Mississippi State
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This fall, Dan Mullen and Mississippi State embark on a journey no one around the Bulldogs program wanted to see: life without Dak Prescott. The multitalented quarterback was one of MSU’s most decorated players ever and led the Bulldogs to a No. 1 ranking for a month during the 2014 season and nine wins last fall. But Prescott graduated, and now Mullen and his program must move on.
The Bulldogs will do so with an unusual schedule. They have only six home games and play a pair of interesting road games. MSU travels to UMass on Sept. 24, but the tougher game comes in the heart of the SEC schedule on Oct. 14. The Bulldogs head to Provo, Utah, to take on BYU, creating a culture clash of cowbells and Latter-day Saints.
BYU is still sorting out its quarterback competition between oft-injured sixth-year senior Taysom Hill and sophomore Tanner Mangum, but either is capable of testing the Bulldogs defense.
It will be a fascinating out-of-league jaunt for an SEC West team. And it’s clearly the toughest nonconference game, given that home games against South Alabama and Samford are also on the schedule.
Missouri
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Gary Pinkel was one of the most underrated coaches in college football. Pinkel led Missouri’s transition to the SEC and won a pair of SEC East titles, an impressive feat. But following a cancer diagnosis, Pinkel stepped aside at the end of a 5-7 2015 season. The Tigers opted for continuity, promoting defensive coordinator Barry Odom to Pinkel’s old role.
He won’t have an easy debut. Missouri travels to West Virginia to open the season on Sept. 3. Dana Holgorsen’s Air Raid offense will test the Tigers defense, and Missouri will need better offense than Pinkel got in his final season. Missouri averaged just 13.6 points per game last fall, No. 126 nationally. Drew Lock will need significant improvement in his first full season as a starter. He threw four touchdowns and eight interceptions, and completed just 49 percent of his passes.
N.C. State
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Dave Doeren has generated positive momentum at N.C. State, taking the Wolfpack to back-to-back bowl games and winning 15 games over two seasons. But taking N.C. State to another level of success will be tougher because of a much tougher nonconference schedule. Sure, William and Mary and Old Dominion are on the slate, but so is a trip to East Carolina.
The real test, though, comes when Notre Dame comes to Carter-Finley Stadium as part of the ACC’s scheduling alliance with the Fighting Irish. It’s the beginning of a three-game stretch that also features trips to Clemson and Louisville. By then, Doeren will need to identify a competent starter to replace dual-threat quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who graduated after accounting for over 3,000 yards of total offense and 26 touchdowns.
If anything, the Wolfpack will be truly prepared for a tough ACC slate that also includes Miami, Florida State and archrival North Carolina.
Nebraska
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For Mike Riley, the honeymoon is already over at Nebraska. Cornhuskers fans are nice, but the pressure is on Riley, a surprising hire from Oregon State who finished 6-7 in his first season. A sub-.500 NCAA waiver into a bowl game paid off with a Foster Farms Bowl win over UCLA, but losing records aren’t tolerated in Lincoln for long.
Is there reason to believe? Sure. None of Nebraska’s losses last fall came by more than 10 points, and five were decided by five points or fewer, including an overtime loss at Miami. Senior quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. should be more comfortable after throwing 22 touchdowns and 16 interceptions last fall, and he’ll get an opportunity to show it in a three-game nonconference homestand to start the season.
Games against Fresno State and Wyoming are both winnable, but fans will take notice if Nebraska can knock off Oregon Sept. 17. Oregon replaced both of its coordinators following last season and will feature a quarterback (to be determined) making his first career FBS road start. The Ducks could be ripe for a plucking if Nebraska can slow down a run game led by the powerful Royce Freeman.
North Carolina
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Despite an 11-win season and ACC Coastal Division title in 2015, North Carolina enters the 2016 season opener with something to prove. For Larry Fedora’s team, the memory of the 2015 season opener lingers. Quarterback Marquise Williams threw a pair of end-zone interceptions, and South Carolina held on for an ugly 17-13 victory at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium.
The Tar Heels reeled off an 11-game winning streak, while the Gamecocks finished 3-9, but UNC can flush that game on Sept. 3 at the Georgia Dome. The Heels will play Georgia for the first time since 1971 and could face a hostile crowd, even in a neutral-site game.
It will be an excellent way for Mitch Trubisky to ingratiate himself to UNC fans. Trubisky is Williams’ successor and, after spending two seasons as his backup, hopes for a seamless transition. Although the Heels travel to Illinois on Sept. 10, Georgia, by far, will be their most prominent and important nonconference game.
Northwestern
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For Pat Fitzgerald and Northwestern, 2015 was a year of redemption. Following a pair of 5-7 seasons, the Wildcats returned to form with a 10-3 season and Outback Bowl bid fueled by excellent defense. Early on, they showed that this would be a different team by stunning eventual Pac-12 champion Stanford, 16-6, in the season opener.
This year, there will be no such attention-grabbing opener. Northwestern opens against MAC foe Western Michigan and hosts FCS power Illinois State on Sept. 10. The biggest game before Big Ten play comes against a solid Duke program coming off an 8-5 season and Pinstripe Bowl win. It’s the back end of a home-and-home series.
Last fall, Northwestern played stingy defense at Duke and came away with a 19-10 win. Doing so again would be a solid warm-up for the hard-knock Big Ten West.
Ohio State
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There’s something to be said for finding out what kind of team you have under extreme pressure. That will be Urban Meyer’s operating theory this fall. After losing 12 players to the NFL draft (including nine underclassmen) from a roster that went 50-4 with a national title in Meyer’s first four seasons at Ohio State, the Buckeyes will be talented but quite raw in 2016.
Meyer has the perfect test, too. Following gimme home games against Bowling Green and Tulsa, Ohio State will travel to Oklahoma for a high-profile road game on Sept. 17. The Sooners are a returning College Football Playoff qualifier, and star quarterback Baker Mayfield will test a secondary that is replacing three starters from 2015.
Ohio State will lean heavily on junior quarterback J.T. Barrett for leadership, but win or lose, Meyer will have a much better idea about his team than he does on Sept. 16.
Oklahoma
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Ohio State and Oklahoma have established themselves as two of the biggest powers on the college football gridiron, but their meetings have been few and far between. In fact, the Buckeyes and Sooners have met just twice, splitting games in 1977 and 1983. That changes on Sept. 17 when Ohio State visits Norman in one of the best nonconference matchups of 2016.
Oklahoma returns 14 starters from last fall’s Big 12 champion and College Football Playoff qualifier, led by freewheeling, athletic quarterback Baker Mayfield. But one of the best matchups will be talented backfield duo Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon against a reloading defense led by standout middle linebacker Raekwon McMillan.
This game will be an early influencer of the playoff landscape, and it’s Oklahoma’s toughest nonconference game, ranking above a season opener versus Houston and a visit from Louisiana-Monroe.
Oklahoma State
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Last fall, Mike Gundy and Oklahoma State caught many by surprise in bolting to a 10-0 start. The Cowboys regressed to an 0-3 finish, including a Sugar Bowl loss to Ole Miss, but with 17 starters returning (10 on offense), they can reel off a hot start again in 2016.
Oklahoma State plays its first three games in Stillwater and doesn’t leave town until visiting Baylor on Sept. 24. Games against Southeastern Louisiana and Central Michigan all but guarantee a 2-0 start, but Pitt’s visit to Boone Pickens Stadium on Sept. 17 is a pivotal early-season matchup.
The Panthers are coming off an 8-5 season and hope to have 2014 ACC Player of the Year James Conner (undergoing treatment for lymphoma) back in their backfield this fall. Nathan Peterman is also a capable passer, but he’ll be tested without top wideout Tyler Boyd, who jumped to the NFL following his junior year. Regardless, they’ll provide the Cowboys with a solid test before Big 12 play.
Ole Miss
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Ole Miss had the kind of 2015 that makes opponents stand up and take notice. The Rebels won 10 games, won the Sugar Bowl and beat eventual national champion Alabama for the second consecutive season.
National TV executives noticed. Hugh Freeze’s Rebels will open 2016 in one of the primest spots on the season’s schedule: Labor Day night against Florida State in Orlando. It is an opportunity for Ole Miss to make a major statement about its program’s progress, but this won’t be easy. Although it’s technically a neutral-site game, the Citrus Bowl is firmly in FSU territory.
Ole Miss returns only eight starters from 2015 and must replace three first-round NFL draft picks. The team will lean heavily on athletic senior quarterback Chad Kelly to provide leadership. It’s by far the toughest game on the non-SEC slate, although a revenge game against Memphis will get attention as well.
Oregon
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Oregon is one of the nation’s flashiest, fastest teams, both in uniform style and offensive style. And the Ducks are not afraid to take on talented programs at a national level, either. A recent home-and-home series with Michigan State showcased both teams to a wide audience, and more games like that are on the way.
This fall, Oregon is replacing graduate transfer quarterback Vernon Adams with either Montana State graduate transfer Dakota Prukop or Travis Jonsen, and whoever wins the job will have a big first road test. The Ducks begin with UC Davis and Virginia at home but travel to Nebraska on Sept. 17.
Cornhuskers coach Mike Riley knows Oregon well from his long stint in Corvallis as Oregon State’s head coach, and quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr. could have a field day against a Ducks defense that struggled against mobile quarterbacks last fall. It’s by far Oregon’s toughest non-league test.
Oregon State
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Following the 2014 season, Mike Riley’s decision to jump from Oregon State to Nebraska was surprising on multiple fronts. But after watching 2015, maybe Riley knew something the rest of us didn’t. He didn’t leave much behind in Corvallis for Gary Andersen, who returned to the West Coast from Wisconsin.
Oregon State finished 2-10 in Andersen’s first season and ended the season on a nine-game losing streak, dropping only one game by fewer than 10 points. The Beavers will surely be better in 2016, because they can’t get much worse.
The pre-Pac-12 slate is challenging. Oregon State opens at Minnesota and then hosts FCS foe Idaho State. The toughest test? A Sept. 17 visit from Boise State. The Broncos are traditionally one of the best Group of Five teams. A year ago, they defeated Washington, 16-13, and Virginia, 56-14. Brett Rypien threw for over 3,300 yards. He’ll be a huge challenge for a porous OSU defense to contain.
Penn State
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Following a pair of 7-6 seasons, the pressure is building a bit on James Franklin at Penn State. Franklin will get a fresh start this fall. Talented but much-maligned quarterback Christian Hackenberg is off to the NFL, and the Nittany Lions have a pair of new coordinators. Offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead is the most interesting hire. The former Fordham head coach brings an uptempo spread scheme to Happy Valley.
The Lions have an interesting nonconference schedule. While the most intriguing game for fans will be the renewal of the Pitt rivalry for the first time since 2000, players and coaches will have Sept. 17’s game with Temple marked on their calendars.
Last fall, Temple embarrassed the Lions, 27-10, a marquee game in the Owls’ 10-win campaign. Losing two straight to the Owls would be simply unacceptable for Franklin and Co.
Pittsburgh
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Pat Narduzzi had a very solid 8-5 season in his debut as Pitt coach, but he certainly hopes for more in 2016. The Panthers should have a shot at challenging North Carolina for the ACC Coastal title, and they’ll get ready with a tough nonconference schedule.
Pitt opens with FCS Villanova but then gets serious with one of the most anticipated games in recent program memory. In-state rival Penn State visits in the teams’ first meeting since 2000; the game was a casualty of expanded conferences, among other things, but its return is welcome for Panther fans. However, with a trip to Oklahoma State looming the following week, it’ll put pressure on the Pitt offense to perform against a very good Nittany Lion defense.
Purdue
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Darrell Hazell enters 2016 planted on the hot seat at Purdue. In three seasons, he is 6-30 as the Boilermakers’ head coach, including an ugly 2-22 in Big Ten play. Hazell received the dreaded “vote of confidence” from Purdue officials late in a 2-10 season last fall, which means if the Boilers don’t improve significantly this fall, it’s likely his last year in West Lafayette.
So it’s probably a good thing that Purdue has a rather weak nonconference schedule with no Power Five programs. The Boilers start with Ohio Valley Conference foe Eastern Kentucky and also host Nevada at Ross-Ade Stadium. But the toughest test will be when coach Tommy Tuberville and Cincinnati come to town. Gunner Kiel is one of the best Group of Five quarterbacks, and the Bearcats are coming off a 7-6 season. They’ll likely be favored against Purdue, even on the road.
Rutgers
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One of the nation’s most tumultuous programs made an excellent hire when Rutgers grabbed Chris Ash from Ohio State. No one expects a quick turnaround from a team that went 4-8 last season in a division that also includes Michigan, Ohio State, Michigan State and Penn State, but Ash, who learned from Urban Meyer, should be able to build gradually.
The beginning? That might be tough. Ash’s debut as Scarlet Knights coach will be on the road at Washington, the back end of a home-and-home series. The Huskies could be one of the nation’s most improved teams and return a talented offense led by sophomores Jake Browning and Myles Gaskin. Bringing home a win would portend well for Ash’s Rutgers future, but it’s unlikely.
Southern California
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Congratulations, Clay Helton. You finally became Southern California’s full-time head coach after succeeding Steve Sarkisian as the Trojans’ leader and guiding them to the Pac-12 South title. Your reward to begin your first full season? A date at AT&T Stadium against defending national champion Alabama.
While the Crimson Tide will be sorting through their share of issues, Helton must decide which quarterback will throw to JuJu Schuster-Smith and do-everything talent Adoree’ Jackson. Will it be Max Browne? Sam Darnold? Either will suffer through his share of growing pains against Alabama. It’s the Trojans’ toughest nonconference test, surpassing a season finale against Notre Dame on Nov. 26.
South Carolina
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Not too long ago, South Carolina was the dominant college football program within South Carolina’s borders. The Gamecocks owned a five-game win streak over archrival Clemson, the longest in program history, and Steve Spurrier fired constant barbs at the Tigers and Dabo Swinney.
That seems like a long time ago, doesn’t it? Clemson has ascended to become one of the nation’s elite programs, finishing 14-1 and national runner-up in 2015. Meanwhile, Spurrier left the Gamecocks in dire straits. South Carolina slipped from 11-2 to 7-6 in 2014, and Spurrier walked away midway through a 3-9 disaster last fall.
Now, Will Muschamp hopes to revive his head coaching career and the Gamecock program all at once, but it won’t be easy. Home nonconference games against East Carolina, UMass and Western Carolina should be winnable (although a team that lost to The Citadel last fall can take nothing for granted), but Clemson’s visit on Nov. 26 will be difficult.
The Palmetto Bowl is always emotional and hard-fought, but Clemson, led by Heisman Trophy contender Deshaun Watson, is so much more talented than South Carolina that it would be an achievement for USC just to stay close this season.
Stanford
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If you tune into Stanford-Notre Dame Oct. 15, don’t forget the antacid. You might not realize it, but the Cardinal and the Fighting Irish have forged one of the nation’s most underrated and competitive rivalries. Each of the teams’ last four meetings has been decided by seven points or fewer. That includes Stanford’s 38-36 win last season, which was clinched on a final-play field goal.
Each of the last five meetings has also been a Top 25 matchup, which adds some extra attention to a series that has been contested annually since 1988. Expect Christian McCaffrey to be in the thick of the Heisman Trophy race by mid-October, and a Notre Dame defense that will be replacing linebacker Jaylon Smith must figure out ways to stop him.
Notre Dame’s quarterback (DeShone Kizer or Malik Zaire) is unknown at this time, but either will challenge the Cardinals defense. It’s the toughest non-Pac-12 game on the Stanford slate, including an underrated opener against Kansas State.
Syracuse
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Dino Babers likes to move fast. A hurry-up, no-huddle offense has fueled Babers’ rise from the coaching ranks, from FCS Eastern Illinois to Bowling Green and, last winter, to Syracuse. The fast-paced scheme is a refreshing change from Scott Shafer’s plodding pro-style scheme, which led to seven wins in two seasons.
It’s a smart move for the Orange, but betting on it paying off immediately in the tough ACC Atlantic might be asking a bit much. Babers will need to get personnel in to run his scheme, although sophomore quarterback Eric Dungey showed some promise last fall.
The nonconference slate is challenging for a team that is coming off a 4-8 season. The opener against FCS foe Colgate is a good confidence-builder; games against South Florida and UConn, both bowl teams a year ago, will be tougher.
But the most difficult test will come against Notre Dame on Oct. 1 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Irish are a College Football Playoff contender and will show Syracuse just how far it has to go to reach an elite level.
TCU
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Two years ago, TCU found out the importance of a strong nonconference schedule. The Horned Frogs played Minnesota, SMU and Samford before hitting Big 12 play, routing all three. A narrow 51-48 loss to Baylor was their only blemish, but that was enough to keep them out of the College Football Playoff.
This fall, the Frogs have upgraded their nonconference slate. A Sept. 10 visit from Arkansas and Bret Bielema is particularly interesting as a clash of styles. Gary Patterson loves to move the ball through the air with the Air Raid scheme, while the Hogs pound the ball on the ground.
This will be the first real test for either Kenny Hill or Foster Sawyer, who are battling to replace Trevone Boykin as the starting quarterback. Nothing against opening-game foe South Dakota State or SMU, but the Hogs will provide the biggest pre-Big 12 test for TCU.
Tennessee
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Tennessee is a popular pick to win the SEC East in preseason polls after three years of steady improvement under Butch Jones. The Volunteers have yet to win the truly “big” game, however. Well, they don’t get much bigger than the Battle at Bristol.
The first college football game at Bristol Motor Speedway is officially a sellout, per Mike Strange of the Knoxville News-Sentinel, and more than 150,000 fans are expected. That would smash the previous single-game record of 115,109, which was set when Notre Dame visited Michigan in 2013.
"I don't think any reasonable person could anticipate that with 150,000-plus seats that the track would be announcing a sellout well ahead of the game," Tennessee athletic director Dave Hart said ."To me, that was not anticipated by very many people."
How will Justin Fuente’s fast-paced scheme match up with an improving Tennessee defense? Will Joshua Dobbs and Jalen Hurd be able to solve Bud Foster’s nasty Virginia Tech front? It’s a fascinating game for a lot of reasons. And it’s the Vols’ first chance to validate themselves as a team to be reckoned with before SEC play—far more than Appalachian State, Ohio or Tennessee Tech.
Texas
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Charlie Strong’s second season at Texas went off the rails right from the start. The Longhorns began with a much-anticipated visit to Notre Dame but were never competitive in a 38-3 defeat that set the tone for a disappointing 5-7 year that ended short of postseason play.
Given his 11-14 record in two years in Austin, Longhorns fans are running short of patience with Strong. Texas’ talent level has improved, and new offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert will run the fast-paced, wide-open Air Raid scheme (potentially with freshman Shane Buechele under center), but the program needs results quickly.
That makes the opener with those same Fighting Irish in Austin crucial. The game will have a prime-time Sunday night spotlight on ABC, giving it plenty of nationwide attention. Notre Dame’s quarterback situation will also get plenty of focus, and the Irish are retooling a bit, returning 10 starters from last season’s 10-3 team.
Texas should be more competitive this time around, but it’ll be the toughest test of a nonconference slate that also includes UTEP and a trip to Cal.
Texas A&M
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Ever break up with someone, for whatever reason, and then run into them when you’re out at the grocery store, the gym or the bar? Well, imagine what Noel Mazzone feels like. He left UCLA to become Texas A&M’s offensive coordinator following Jake Spavital’s departure.
Well, guess who’s first up on the Aggies’ 2016 schedule? Yep, UCLA. Awkward, right?
Kevin Sumlin and Mazzone probably don’t have time to worry about appearances. This is a crucial season for Sumlin in College Station. After an 8-5 record in 2015, blue-chip quarterbacks Kyler Murray and Kyle Allen both transferred out of the program, leaving Oklahoma graduate transfer Trevor Knight as the A&M starter.
The Bruins are the first real test for the 2016 Aggies, as well as the biggest nonconference test with Prairie View A&M, New Mexico State and UT-San Antonio also on the slate. It will say plenty about how A&M fans view their team this fall.
Texas Tech
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Texas Tech took a solid step forward in 2015. Kliff Kingsbury’s team made a nice rebound from an ugly 4-8 record in 2014, going 7-6 and making the Texas Bowl. The Red Raiders averaged 45.1 points per game, ranking second nationally in scoring offense behind only Baylor. Patrick Mahomes was excellent, throwing for 4,653 yards with 36 touchdowns against 15 interceptions.
If you like watching Mahomes throw, make sure you find a feed of Tech’s Sept. 10 visit to Arizona State. The Sun Devils feature a porous defense that allowed 33.5 points per game last fall, No. 99 nationally. That said, this will be Tech’s toughest test outside the Big 12. The other nonconference opponents are Stephen F. Austin and Louisiana Tech.
UCLA
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Josh Rosen had some ups and downs last fall, starting as a true freshman quarterback for UCLA. One of the downs came early on against BYU. Rosen threw three interceptions at the Rose Bowl, but the Bruins rallied past the Cougars, with Nate Starks’ touchdown with 3:35 making the difference in a 24-23 win.
On Sept. 17, UCLA returns the favor by traveling to the Wasatch Mountains to take on BYU in the return of the home-and-home series. It’s unclear whether first-year coach Kalani Sitake will settle on sixth-year senior Taysom Hill or Tanner Mangum as his starting quarterback, but either way, the Cougars will give the Bruins a major challenge in Provo, Utah. A season-opening trip to Texas A&M to face former offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone won’t be easy, either.
Utah
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In some ways, the 2015 Las Vegas Bowl was a bit of a letdown. Utah and BYU battle in one of the nation’s most underrated rivalries, the Holy War. The teams had played every year from 1922 to 2013, but scheduling issues connected with Utah’s move to the Pac-12 briefly ended the series (with a renewal set to begin in 2016 through at least 2020).
But the teams’ pairing in the Las Vegas Bowl, a 35-28 Utah win, robbed some of the luster from their scheduled Sept. 10 meeting at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Well, at least for the moment. Expect another intense installment between the Utes and the Cougars.
Utah is riding a five-game win streak in the series, and BYU will be bent on breaking that in the “official” renewal of the rivalry. Coupled with games against Southern Utah and San Jose State, this is the marquee game of Utah’s nonconference schedule.
Vanderbilt
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Vanderbilt showed some progress in Derek Mason’s second season at the helm. The Commodores improved from 3-9 to 4-8, and a pair of narrow misses likely separated them from postseason eligibility (a 14-12 loss to Western Kentucky and a 9-7 loss to Florida). Vandy must improve its offense, but the defense, now coordinated by Mason, can keep the team in games.
Moving forward in 2016 will mean pulling an upset or two. One of the biggest would be a Sept. 17 visit to Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets were 3-9 in 2015 but boast a flexbone offense, led by quarterback Justin Thomas, that can be tough for opposing defenses to stop.
The other nonconference games are against Middle Tennessee, Tennessee Tech and at Western Kentucky. Emerge from the Flats victorious and take care of business elsewhere, and Vandy could go bowling this winter.
Virginia
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Virginia scored a coup when it lured Bronco Mendenhall away from BYU to lead its program last winter, replacing Mike London. Mendenhall has a proven track record as a winner, but he’d be wise to advise the Cavaliers to pull back on the nonconference scheduling. Last year, the Cavs faced UCLA, Notre Dame and Boise State in non-ACC play, losing all three games.
This fall’s slate is a bit easier, but a Sept. 10 trip to Oregon is a monster following a winnable opener against Richmond. Virginia has one of the nation’s best safeties in Quin Blanding and a first-team All-ACC linebacker in Micah Kiser, but they can’t do it alone against a potent, fast Ducks offense. It’s too tall a task to expect the Cavs to fly home with a victory.
Virginia Tech
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Justin Fuente has come a long way in a short time. Four years ago, he was TCU’s offensive coordinator. Memphis plucked him to turn around a moribund program, and after seven wins in his first two seasons, he broke through with a 10-win season in 2014, following it up with nine in 2015. That got Virginia Tech’s attention, and the Hokies hired him to replace Frank Beamer.
In his second game, he’ll really be in the big time. The Battle at Bristol at Bristol Motor Speedway will pit the Hokies and border rival Tennessee and is expected to attract over 150,000 fans, smashing college football single-game attendance records.
Fuente has yet to settle on a quarterback between junior college transfer Jerod Evans and senior Brenden Motley, and Bud Foster’s defense has a big task in stopping a UT offense led by experienced quarterback Joshua Dobbs. Tech also faces Notre Dame, East Carolina and Liberty in nonconference play, but this will be the toughest test on the slate.
Wake Forest
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Rebuilding Wake Forest has been a difficult task for Dave Clawson. In two years, he is 6-18 at the Demon Deacons’ helm, and offense has been an issue; the Deacons averaged 17.4 points per game in 2015, No. 119 nationally. Incumbent quarterback John Wolford faced a challenge for his job this spring.
The Deacons will need a more potent attack to be successful against their nonconference schedule. They’ll begin against Tulane and also face Army and FCS team Delaware. But the toughest test will be a Sept. 24 trip to Pinstripe Bowl qualifier Indiana. The Hoosiers are by no means a power, but compared to the Deacs, they’re a challenging foe.
Washington
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Coming off a 7-6 record, Washington has been mentioned as a prominent sleeper team entering 2016. The Huskies return 15 starters, including eight on offense, led by quarterback Jake Browning (2,955 yards, 16 touchdowns, 10 interceptions) and tailback Myles Gaskin (1,302 rushing yards, 14 touchdowns).
Maybe those who are bullish about UW got a look at its nonconference schedule. It’s primed for success. The toughest test? A 4-8 Rutgers team that will be traveling cross-country in coach Chris Ash’s first game. Beyond that, Idaho and Portland State (which did defeat Washington State last September) comprise the pre-Pac-12 schedule.
There’s no excuse for the Huskies not to be 3-0 entering league play.
Washington State
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If anyone knows not to take a nonconference foe lightly this fall, it’s Mike Leach and Washington State. The Cougars put together an excellent season with a 9-4 record and a Sun Bowl win over Miami, but it started with a major low in the form of a home loss to FCS Portland State.
So you’d better believe Leach will take the opener against Eastern Washington seriously. But the toughest test will come Sept. 10 when Washington State travels to Boise State. The Broncos are one of the nation’s best Group of Five programs and a Mountain West power, and led by emerging quarterback Brett Rypien, this year will be no different. Prolific Cougars quarterback Luke Falk (4,561 yards, 38 touchdowns, eight interceptions in 2015) will need to be on the top of his game.
West Virginia
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Dana Holgorsen took some of the pressure off himself last fall with a solid 8-5 record, capped by a wild 43-42 Cactus Bowl win over Arizona State. Moving up in the Big 12 won’t be easy, and success in the nonconference schedule is paramount.
Missouri provides a tough test while visiting Morgantown in the Sept. 3 season opener, but the toughest test will be a Sept. 24 neutral-site game against BYU at FedEx Field outside Washington, D.C. West Virginia should have the home-field edge, although the Cougars do have a national fanbase and a potent offense. New coach Kalani Sitake was left a solid talent base by former coach Bronco Mendenhall, and it will test the Mountaineers.
Wisconsin
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Green Bay Packer fans would appreciate a guy like Leonard Fournette. LSU’s junior tailback runs with power and fury, churning out yardage and leaving countless tacklers in his wake. He’s a violent, quick runner and one of the best players in college football.
But when Fournette takes the field at Lambeau Field on Sept. 3, he’ll be the enemy. Such is life in college football for one of the most anticipated games of the season. Wisconsin will take on LSU in the back half of a neutral-site series. In 2013, LSU rallied past the Badgers in Houston in Fournette’s first college game.
Since then, Fournette has become a full-grown man, rushing for 1,953 yards last fall. He’ll be the main priority of Wisconsin’s stingy defense. Meanwhile, coach Paul Chryst must settle on a quarterback to replace Joel Stave and face off with an LSU defense coordinated by former coordinator Dave Aranda. It’s Wisconsin’s toughest nonconference game of 2016, and going against an SEC West and College Football Playoff contender makes it one of the toughest the Badgers will have this season.
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