Hardest as well as weakest nonconference timetables going into the 2022 university football period

August 19, 2022

Among one of the most considerable variables the University Football Playoff Option Board thinks about when creating its positions is stamina of timetable. Some groups have tasteless nonconference documents however develop them versus creampuffs. Others might experience very early losses versus top-tier challengers.

There are countless means to gauge a group’s stamina of timetable, however it will certainly constantly be based upon some action of the high quality of its challengers. Groups do not have a selection what seminar video games get on their timetable, neither which nonconference challengers those seminar challengers play, however the nonconference slates of your seminar challengers are barely useless.

If an organization were mosting likely to attempt to video game the system, it would certainly have its ideal interplay at the very least one excellent challenger — to reveal the board they are major competitors — as well as have the noncontenders attempt to simply arrange success so they develop high quality documents for their challengers.

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That is an unbelievably challenging point to do in football due to the fact that many video games are arranged years beforehand.

Keeping that in mind, below is an examination of each organization’s nonconference timetables as we plan for the 2022 period. Listed here are the best as well as weakest in each seminar in addition to a position of the hardest in the whole FBS this period.

SEC

The SEC is among both Power 5 seminars still playing just 8 organization video games. SEC groups additionally understand specifically what to do with that said additional nonconference video game: Play an FCS challenger. Every group in the SEC has one on the timetable, which holds true practically every period. 2 of these video games are arranged on what I call “Recess Saturday,” the weekend break prior to Thanksgiving. There are 6 nonconference video games in the organization that day, a lot of which function as a good break prior to competition weekend break.

The SEC is generally the king when it involves playing residence nonconference video games as well as preventing journey. Nonetheless, it has actually been dismissed this period. Still, it is among just 2 organizations that plays majority its nonconference video games in your home as well as less than 20% when traveling.

There are definitely some notable face-offs, not the least of which is Alabama at Texas on Sept. 10. Crimson Trend instructor Nick Saban will certainly deal with previous aide Steve Sarkisian, that is trying to find a trademark win to show that the Longhorns are lastly “back.”

Various other highlights consist of Georgia playing a “neutral website” video game versus Oregon in Atlanta on Sept. 3 as well as Tennessee taking a trip to 2021 ACC champ Pittsburgh the adhering to Saturday.

Hardest timetable — Florida: The Gators will certainly open up by holding Utah, the ruling Pac-12 champs as well as the favored to duplicate atop the organization. They will certainly additionally organize South Florida as well as take a trip to Florida State.

Weakest timetable — Kentucky: The Wildcats are just one of 3 SEC colleges playing every one of their nonconference video games in your home. This year’s slate consists of Miami (OH) as well as North Illinois from the MAC, Youngstown State as well as in-state competing Louisville.

Huge 10

When it involves residence food preparation, the Big 10 is the brand-new king. The organization will certainly play a monstrous 62% of its nonconference video games in your home as well as simply 17% when traveling. That is the tiniest percent of roadway ready any kind of organization. 8 Huge 10 groups are playing all 3 of their nonconference video games in your home.

The SEC still has the Huge 10 beat, however, in tiniest percent of video games versus various other Power 5 resistance. The Big 10 goes to 26.2% this period, while the SEC will just play 25% of its nonconference video games versus its peers. The Big 10 obtains some credit rating though for arranging the tiniest percent of video games versus FCS groups.

That is not to state that there aren’t some excellent video games. Notre Dame check outs Ohio State to begin the period on Sept. 3 in a video game that is most likely to have University Football Playoff ramifications. Likewise, Penn State will certainly take a trip to Auburn as well as Michigan State will certainly go to Washington. We will certainly additionally obtain one more revival of the Oklahoma-Nebraska competition on Sept. 17.

Hardest timetable — No one: It’s awkward for this organization to not have the ability to take a look at any kind of one timetable as well as state that it will actually evaluate that certain group. Ohio State is worthy of a reference due to the fact that, besides Notre Dame, it holds MAC favored Toledo as well as Arkansas State.

Weakest timetable — Choose: Minnesota is my option with residence video games versus New Mexico State, Western Illinois as well as Colorado. Possibly you choose Michigan’s slate of Colorado State, Hawaii as well as UConn. It’s so poor that a press reporter asked Wolverines instructor Jim Harbaugh concerning it previously this summer season. Northwestern additionally obtains notorious reference for a Battle each other, Southern Illinois, Miami (OH) trifecta. There is nary a roadway video game amongst any one of those timetables.

ACC

Like the SEC, every group in the ACC will certainly play 4 nonconference video games as well as among those video games will certainly protest an FCS challenger. Well, at the very least they all attempted to play an FCS challenger. Louisville arranged James Madison, however the Dukes went up to FBS this period.

Still, the ACC once more has the highest possible percent of nonconference video games versus Power 5 competitors. That holds true basically every period due to the fact that there are 4 in-state competition video games with SEC groups as well as 5 video games versus Notre Dame. Those video games are a large reason the ACC has the highest possible percent of roadway video games amongst the power seminars.

Clemson at Notre Dame as well as Miami at Texas A&M are the emphasize video games of the ACC nonconference slate. Both video games might have an effect on the playoff, though I do not have any one of those groups presently forecasted right into the CFP.

Hardest timetable — Georgia Technology … for the 2nd period straight. This moment, the Yellow Jackets obtain Georgia in Athens as well as Ole Miss in your home. They will certainly additionally deal with AAC challenger UCF when traveling.

Weakest timetable — Battle each other: Despite having 2 roadway video games versus Power 5 challengers, heaven Devils have actually handled to assemble the weakest nonconference slate in the ACC. Battle each other will certainly take a trip to Northwestern as well as Kansas, as well as it will certainly deal with Holy place as well as North Carolina A&T in your home.

Huge 12

As a result of the dimension of the organization as well as the complete round-robin seminar timetable, the Huge 12 has the least variety of nonconference video games at 30. That will certainly alter when adjustment begins to start following period. Since the organization plays so couple of nonconference video games in total amount, it remains in the weird placement of playing the least video games versus FCS groups (8) however additionally the 2nd highest possible percent of such video games (26.7%).

The abovementioned Texas-Alabama video game is by far the emphasize of the Huge 12 nonconference slate. The largest ready any one of the various other Huge 12 groups that show up in the preseason surveys is Baylor at BYU.

Hardest timetable — West Virginia: The Mountaineers have roadway video games with ruling ACC champ Pittsburgh as well as Virginia Technology sandwiched around a house video game with Towson.

Weakest timetable — Kansas State: The Wildcats will certainly invest the nonconference section of their timetable in your home encountering South Dakota, Missouri as well as Tulane.

Pac-12

Through its family member seclusion on the West Coastline as well as the truth that each interplay just 3 nonconference video games, organizing can be difficult. So, it needs to come as not a surprise that the organization has actually 8 video games arranged versus Hill West resistance as well as one more 2 versus BYU. That is a 3rd of the organization’s nonconference timetable. There are additionally yearly video games with Notre Dame for USC as well as Stanford.

It needs to additionally not be unexpected to find out that the Pac-12 plays the highest possible percent of video games versus FCS opponents amongst the power seminars. Just about 2 of those 10 video games protest various other Western groups.

The USC-Notre Dame video game highlights the Pac-12 nonconference timetable customarily. The abovementioned Oregon-Georgia as well as Utah-Florida video games ought to additionally be enjoyable.

Hardest timetable — Colorado:  The Buffaloes might require to leave to an excellent beginning to maintain instructor Karl Dorrell’s seat cool, however a routine of residence versus TCU as well as journeys to Flying force as well as Minnesota will certainly make that an obstacle.

Weakest timetable — UCLA: The Bruins ought to have the ability to do much better than a slate of Bowling Environment-friendly, Alabama State as well as South Alabama in your home.

AAC

The AAC is once more leading the Team of 5 in percent of residence nonconference video games — as well as by a broad margin. The organization will certainly play 41% of its video games in your home. The next-closest seminar is the Hill West with 31%.

Cincinnati will certainly want to duplicate as champs of the organization as well as make one more run for the CFP, however this period’s nonconference timetable will certainly avert that. Unlike last period, where a win at Notre Dame produced a flooring for the Bearcats in the CFP Positions, there is no such video game this period unless Arkansas is better than we anticipate. Cincy will certainly additionally play Indiana once more, this time around in your home.

Hardest timetable — Navy: The Midshipmen have actually 3 secured nonconference challengers yearly — Flying force, Military as well as Notre Dame. All 3 of those video games are far from residence this period.

Weakest timetable — Holy place:  You can barely condemn the Owls for attempting to obtain some success. They will certainly deal with Battle each other when traveling adhered to by residence turns versus Louisiana, Rutgers as well as UMass.

Various Other Team of 5 seminars

If you wish to seek this period’s Team of 5 gateway crasher when it involves the CFP, I can offer you a number of non-conference timetables that might work – if the group included can win all their video games. That is a lot easier claimed than done.

Boise State is the favored in the Hill West, however among the various other competitors, Fresno State, has a roadway video game at USC amongst its nonconference video games. The Bulldogs would certainly need to run the table as well as wish the Trojans provide for them what Notre Dame provided for Cincinnati in 2014.

Likewise, Appalachian State will certainly organize North Carolina as well as go to Texas A&M. Their various other 2 video games protest FCS groups, to make sure that might be a trouble for the CFP Option Board. Winning all their video games will certainly be a trouble for the Mountaineers.

5 hardest nonconference timetables

  • Kent State — at Washington, at Oklahoma, Long Island, at Georgia
  • ULM — at Texas, Nicholls State, at Alabama, at Military West Factor
  • Rice — at USC, McNeese State, Louisiana, at Houston
  • Navy — Delaware, at Flying Force, Notre Dame, Military West Factor
  • Central Michigan — at Oklahoma State, South Alabama, Bucknell, at Penn State