Ranking College Football's 9 Easiest Schedules for 2022 Contenders

If we're lucky, college football season will be here before we know it. It's never too early to start looking ahead at the upcoming season.

As we preview 2022 a bit, let's run through some of the easiest schedules in college football as it relates to contenders. 

As far as criteria for this one goes, we'll rank these schedules by quality of out-of-conference games, including neutral-site games. We will also look at home and away games vs. divisional conference opponents, as well as current win streaks teams may hold against opponents they will face.

It's hard enough to be one of the four teams selected for the College Football Playoff, but it helps to have a more manageable schedule.

9. Ohio State Buckeyes

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The Buckeyes narrowly missed out on the playoff in 2021 thanks to the loss to Michigan, but with Heisman finalist quarterback C.J. Stroud returning in 2022, the Buckeyes are a playoff contender once again next season.

Furthermore, the Buckeyes' schedule looks pretty favorable.

OSU opens Week 1 by facing Notre Dame at home, which will certainly be challenging, but this one being in Columbus is a huge plus for the Buckeyes.

Ohio State then has back-to-back out-of-conference matchups against Arkansas State and Toledo, both in Columbus, before starting Big Ten conference play with Wisconsin at home on Sept. 24.

The Buckeyes have five of their nine conference games at home, and their only two difficult road games are Michigan State (Oct. 8) and Penn State (Oct. 29). Their remaining home schedule includes Rutgers, Iowa and Indiana.

They travel to Northwestern and Maryland in November, though Ohio State has a combined winning streak of 16 years between those two opponents.

Perhaps most importantly, the Buckeyes will get their biggest rival, Michigan, at home. The Wolverines haven't defeated Ohio State on the road since 2000, so getting this one at home for the Buckeyes gives them a definite edge.

The biggest tests for Ohio State will be Michigan State and Penn State, but depending on what both of those teams do against Michigan, the Big Ten East could once again be decided by The Game.

8. Utah Utes

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The defending Pac-12 champions will be looking to be playoff-relevant in 2022, and the good news for Utah is that its schedule sets up nicely.

The Utes open the year with a road trip to Florida and will likely be favored against the Gators, who will have a new head coach. Getting a win on the road against an SEC opponent would certainly count as a signature win in the selection committee's eyes.

The rest of Utah's road slate includes games against Arizona State, UCLA, Washington State, Oregon and Colorado.

Utah has defeated the Bruins five times since 2016, and it's beaten Arizona State in their last two matchups. Even if Utah loses to Washington State, the Utes would still have control of their own destiny in the Pac-12 South since Wazzu plays in the Pac-12 North.

The game that stands out the most here is Oregon, but Utah will likely have the edge, as the Ducks have a new head coach in Dan Lanning.

Utah's home schedule next season will give them an advantage for some of its bigger contests. It includes games vs. Southern Utah, San Diego State, Oregon State, USC, Arizona and Stanford.

SDSU defeated the Utes last season in San Diego, so getting this one at home is a big plus for Utah. Facing off against Lincoln Riley's USC team will be a challenge, so getting that one in Salt Lake City will certainly help.

For Utah to be in the playoff conversation, losing three games in the regular season like it did in 2021 can't happen.

7. USC Trojans

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New USC head coach Lincoln Riley will be looking to bring the Trojans back to national relevancy in his first season in Los Angeles.

Riley is no stranger to having success in his first year as a head coach—in his debut season with Oklahoma in 2017, the Sooners finished 12-2 and lost to Georgia in a thrilling Rose Bowl semifinal game.
Luckily for Riley, USC's schedule looks to be quite navigable.

USC's home slate includes games against Rice, Fresno State, Arizona State, Washington State, Cal, Colorado and Notre Dame. The game that stands out here is the Trojans closing out the season against Notre Dame at home.

The Fighting Irish have defeated USC four consecutive times, but this game will feel different. Both teams will have first-year head coaches with Riley and ND's Marcus Freeman on the sidelines. This one should be a great matchup and a fun way for both teams to close out the regular season.

The Trojans' road slate includes games at Stanford, Oregon State, Utah, Arizona and UCLA. Oregon State hasn't beaten USC at home since 2010, but it did win at the Coliseum last year.

The biggest road trip on USC's schedule is Utah on Oct. 15. To win the Pac-12 South, USC will likely have to beat the Utes.

Riley made a splash during his first year at Oklahoma. We'll see if he can do the same his first season in Los Angeles with this schedule.

6. Oregon Ducks

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Oregon has a new head coach, as former Georgia defensive coordinator Dan Lanning will take over for Mario Cristobal in 2022. Although first seasons for new head coaches are usually met with tempered expectations, the Ducks' 2022 schedule could give Lanning an edge.  

The biggest test for the Ducks will be in Week 1, as they open the year with Georgia in Atlanta. But aside from that, Oregon's schedule isn't too difficult. 

Their home schedule includes games against Eastern Washington, BYU, Stanford, UCLA, Washington and Utah.

Utah beat Oregon twice last season—once in Salt Lake and again in the Pac-12 Championship Game—so getting this one in Eugene is key for the Ducks.

The Ducks travel to face Washington State, Arizona, Cal and Oregon State. Oregon has beaten Wazzu the last three seasons in a row. And although the Beavers defeated the Ducks in 2020, Oregon State has only won the in-state rivalry twice in 14 years.

Oregon has been the Pac-12 North's best team the last three seasons. With Stanford in a rut and Wazzu and Washington having new head coaches, the Ducks' schedule sets up nicely for them to have immediate success under Lanning. 

5. Oklahoma Sooners

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Oklahoma is without head coach Lincoln Riley in 2022, but the Sooners will still likely be a contender under new head coach Brent Venables. 

The good news for the Sooners' new head coach is that Oklahoma's schedule shouldn't be too challenging.

Oklahoma opens with home games against UTEP and Kent State.

In Week 3, Oklahoma travels to Nebraska to take on its once-heated Big 12 rival. The Sooners played the Huskers last season at home and won 23-16. OU has a 46-38-3 edge in the all-time series. 

As for Big 12 play, Oklahoma gets its two biggest tests in Baylor and Oklahoma State at home on Nov. 5 and Nov. 19, respectively. Both of those teams defeated Oklahoma last season to keep the Sooners out of the Big 12 title game and the playoff conversation. 

The other game that stands out as a potential trap for the Sooners is on Oct. 27, a Thursday night contest at Iowa State. Luckily for OU, it gets a bye the week before, which should help preparations.

Oklahoma closes out the season on the road against Texas Tech on Nov. 26. The Sooners have won the last 10 meetings against the Red Raiders.

4. Texas A&M Aggies

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Sure, Texas A&M winning the SEC West sounds a bit unlikely, but don't forget it was one of two teams to knock off the Tide last season. And the Aggies' schedule is quite favorable in 2022, with most of their biggest SEC games being at home in College Station.

The Aggies open 2022 with home games vs. lesser opponents Sam Houston State and Appalachian State. In Week 3, Texas A&M faces Miami at home, followed by the annual game vs. Arkansas in Jerry World. 

The toughest stretch for the Aggies will come in the first two weeks of October. Texas A&M opens the month with back-to-back road trips to Mississippi State and Alabama. TAMU hasn't won in Tuscaloosa since Johnny Manziel knocked off the top-ranked Tide in 2012. 

The rest of Texas A&M's schedule is quite favorable. The Aggies get a bye week after the Alabama game before a road trip to SEC East opponent South Carolina.

Texas A&M then has back-to-back home games against Ole Miss and Florida before its last road game of the season vs. Auburn on Nov. 12. The Aggies then close out the season with home games vs. UMass on Nov. 19 and LSU on Nov. 26. 

Texas A&M likely won't be the SEC West favorite as long as Nick Saban is at Alabama, but the Aggies' schedule gives them an edge, aside from the first two weeks of October.

3. Notre Dame

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The Fighting Irish are always in the playoff conversation, and that isn't exactly expected to change now that they have a new head coach. In December, ND elevated defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman to the head coaching job, so there won't be too much of a transition period for the Fighting Irish. 

Although Notre Dame's 2022 schedule opens with a tough road test, the rest of it shakes out pretty nicely. As we mentioned above, Notre Dame will travel to Ohio State in Week 1. Sure, it's a tall order for Freeman, but even if ND were to lose to the Buckeyes, it could still make it into the final four with one loss. Let's take a look at how ND might do that. 

As for the rest of Notre Dame's schedule, it's pretty unique since it has a couple of neutral site games in the middle of it. On Oct. 8, ND plays BYU in Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Then on Nov. 12, Notre Dame faces Navy from M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. 

Otherwise, Notre Dame's home games include Marshall, Cal, Stanford, UNLV, Clemson and Boston College. Clemson is obviously the biggest game out of these, but getting the Tigers at home is a big plus. The Fighting Irish's remaining road games include matchups vs. North Carolina, Syracuse and USC. The season finale vs. USC is the biggest of those, but ND, as we mentioned above, has a four-game winning streak over the Trojans.

Notre Dame's 2022 schedule is unique, featuring a couple of neutral-site games vs. BYU and Navy. But as far as road trips go, aside from Ohio State in Week 1, ND gets at least some of its most important games either at home or at a neutral stadium. 

2. Clemson Tigers

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Clemson will be looking to rebound from a down year last season, finishing 10-3 and missing out on the ACC Championship and playoff. Luckily for Dabo Swinney and the Tigers, Clemson's 2022 schedule appears pretty manageable.

The Tigers open the season in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta to face Georgia Tech. Although this one is technically at a neutral site—the Yellow Jackets play their home games just a couple of miles away—Clemson should be the favorite in this one. GT hasn't beaten Clemson since 2014.

Other than the season opener, Clemson has home games against Furman, Louisiana Tech, N.C. State, Syracuse, Louisville, Miami and South Carolina.

For the Tigers to win the ACC Atlantic again, beating Louisville, Syracuse and N.C. State at home will be crucial. Both Syracuse and N.C. State have beaten the Tigers in the last five seasons—State did so last season, and Syracuse won in 2017. Both of those games were road games for Clemson.

The Tigers have three major ACC road tests in Wake Forest on Sept. 24, at Boston College on Oct. 8 and at Florida State on Oct. 15. Clemson hasn't lost to BC since 2010 or Wake Forest since 2008. Meanwhile, FSU's last win against the Tigers came in 2015.

The two biggest remaining games for Clemson will be the road trip to Notre Dame on Nov. 5 and the season finale against South Carolina.

The contest in South Bend is the biggest game on their schedule and has huge playoff implications, but even if Clemson were to lose that one and finish the rest of the year unbeaten, it could still make it to the playoff as a one-loss team.

South Carolina is improving under head coach Shane Beamer, but its last win at Clemson came in 2012 when Steve Spurrier was the head ball coach in Columbia.

All in all, the Tigers have a good shot at returning to the playoffs with how their schedule lines up.

1. Georgia Bulldogs

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The Bulldogs will attempt to defend their national title in 2022, and they have what looks like an incredibly favorable schedule. The biggest challenge for Georgia will be opening with Oregon, but that game is in Atlanta, so it will essentially be a home game. 

Other than that, Georgia has road trips to South Carolina, Missouri, Mississippi State and Kentucky. The Dawgs will likely be favored in all of those, but the South Carolina game looks like it might be one of the trickier ones. 

Georgia has won its last two games against the Gamecocks by a combined score of 85-29. The last time the Dawgs lost to the Gamecocks in Columbia, South Carolina, was in 2014 when Mark Richt and Steve Spurrier were the head coaches. The one intriguing matchup to watch is Georgia's defense against new Gamecocks QB Spencer Rattler, who transferred to South Carolina from Oklahoma in December.

The Dawgs' home opponents include Samford, Kent State, Auburn, Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Georgia Tech. Georgia should be the favorite in those. Per usual, the deciding matchup of the SEC East title will likely be the annual Florida-Georgia game played in Jacksonville. Georgia has won four out of the last five meetings against the Gators, and Florida will be playing its first season under head coach Billy Napier.

Georgia already has pieces of its 2021 national title team returning in 2022, including quarterback Stetson Bennett, defensive backs Christopher Smith and William Poole and linebacker Nolan Smith. With a schedule as favorable as this, a run to the playoff once again doesn't seem far-fetched.