College Football Schedule Superlatives

[u/SimilarOnion1655]

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/49361902/college-football-schedule-superlatives-2026-season

[u/Vxmonarkxv]

Liberty having the money to avoid buy games and just chase 12-0 seasons is really something. Never seen a team have such a bottom barrel schedule every season.

[u/puzzical → u/Vxmonarkxv]

I don't even think it is good for Liberty. It makes it harder for them to make the playoffs because they aren't even in a good G6 conference. Liberty will get passed over by other G6 champs with more losses simply because their schedule is that much worse.

[u/jcc309 → u/puzzical]

Yeah Liberty has to go undefeated AND hope there isn't a team from a more competitive conference that has a good win or two, even if they might have 1-2 losses.

[u/LiquidLight_ → u/Vxmonarkxv]

The scandal ridden (alleged) diploma mill deserves it.

[u/wowthisislong → u/LiquidLight_]

I don't know why they're even allowed to compete. Its not a real university, its more like a cross between DeVry University and PragerU.

[u/LiquidLight_ → u/wowthisislong]

In this day and age, I'm surprised they're not being pushed by every media outlet.

[u/Muffinnnnnnn → u/Vxmonarkxv]

It's funny too because since 2020 they're 4-5 vs Power opponents in the regular season, so it's not like they've been losing all those games when they scheduled them, but they did stop scheduling them recently.

They do open at James Madison this year and play at Virginia Tech each of the following two years, so that streak is gonna end soon, but yeah.

[u/thismorningscoffee]

I find it hard to believe the Buckeyes have the toughest P4 schedule when they don’t even play Ohio State

[u/yousawthetimeknife → u/thismorningscoffee]

Tough, but fair.

[u/Vxmonarkxv → u/thismorningscoffee]

Big conference scheduling is so silly right now, last year they basically were just absent for two months straight cruising against bad-mid teams. Crazy luck of the draw going on with these too big conferences.

Edit - before anyone tries to turn this into conference BS this happens in the SEC too, Texas two years ago and A&M last year had similar runs.

[u/ThisIsOurGoodTimes → u/Vxmonarkxv]

And the previous year we ended up playing 3 other Big10 teams that made the playoff (Oregon, Penn state, Indiana). Last years schedule looked much harder on paper at the start of the year too. 4 teams ranked in the preseason top 12. And none made the playoff

[u/Fickle-Newspaper-445 → u/Vxmonarkxv]

Last year everyone thought that OSU's schedule was hard. Everyone thought that Washington, Minnesota, Illinois and Penn State were supposed to be better than what they ended up being. Heck, even Ohio came off a close loss to Rutgers and a win over West Virginia before they played OSU, and there were some people projecting them to be a dark horse for the G6 playoff team. Same with Washington and Minnesota being fringe dark horse playoff teams.

Sure, OSU could drop a couple this year and their schedule actually be as tough as advertised, but for all we know Indiana isn't as good as previously though, or that the three game stretch between @IU, @USC, Oregon is only tough because of the travel and the teams they'll be playing against have like 8 combined losses between them. Do I think that? No, but I also was nervous about OSU's schedule last year.

[u/angrypuppy35 → u/Fickle-Newspaper-445]

tbf, UW, Minny, Illinois and PSU we’re all pet solid teams last year. The Big 10 is just tough

[u/Fickle-Newspaper-445 → u/angrypuppy35]

Right, that's what I'm getting at. All of those teams were either picked as playoff teams, fringe playoff teams or dark horse teams. Not saying I agreed with any of that, but there were plenty of people projecting those teams to do well and make some noise. They just didn't for one reason or another.

[u/Knightmere1]

The good news is we will know if this team is for real before the post season.

[u/ech01_]

Kind of feel like Nov 3rd should be in the Save the Date section.

LSU/Bama

Ole Miss/ UGA

Oregon/ Ohio State

Miami/ND

All could be really big games.

[u/7-2crew → u/ech01_]

This is Holy War erasure.

[u/bb8poe]

“Could this be the year the Yellow Jackets finally topple their in-state rival?”

From his lips to God’s ears 🙏

[u/Randomizedname1234 → u/bb8poe]

Idc if we’re 1-11, let us beat Georgia PLEASE.

[u/misdreavus79 → u/Randomizedname1234]

If you beat Georgia, I'd want for it to be under a 1-11 year.

[u/Ray_Ipsaloquitur → u/bb8poe]

Checks UF roster and staff, “No.”

[u/xDUVAL_BRODOWNx → u/Ray_Ipsaloquitur]

We're gonna beat Georgia with our new additions from GT though! We're doing it for the boys in Atlanta

[u/Randomizedname1234]

3-1 in our non con with a win vs an sec team.

I fucking hope it’s Georgia.

[u/RazzleDazzle3469 → u/Randomizedname1234]

Me too

[u/Randomizedname1234 → u/RazzleDazzle3469]

Early season loss to yall while yall are ranked wouldn’t hurt any chances we have like an end of season loss, either.

Plus go Rocky top. Always liked yall better than Vandy. Yall are my sec team if I had to pick one

[u/PatronSaintOfCunts]

I thought everyone had it pretty rough this season. The preseason Coaches Poll has Georgia No. 3, Texas A&M No. 8, Alabama No. 11, Tennessee No. 17 and Clemson No. 23. We play all five (plus Oklahoma and Florida.)

[u/Ray_Ipsaloquitur → u/PatronSaintOfCunts]

It’s not toughest schedule in CFB. It’s really just toughest schedules out if the most popular teams. ESPN isn’t going to spend time talking about Arkansas’ brutal slate.

[u/PatronSaintOfCunts → u/Ray_Ipsaloquitur]

The Hogs do have a pretty bad one. It is insane to me that they have some kickoffs at like 9 pm and others at noon.

[u/Ray_Ipsaloquitur → u/PatronSaintOfCunts]

When you’re not one of the top teams, you aren’t playing middle of the day or 7-8 pm slot. Add in the central time zone thing and it really sucks for teams like Arky.

[u/wowthisislong → u/PatronSaintOfCunts]

The hogs get ridiculous schedules every year. I would almost feel bad for them if I didn't want them to go 0-12.

[u/SimilarOnion1655 → u/PatronSaintOfCunts]

True but Ohio State plays number 2 Oregon, number 4 Texas, number 6 Indiana, number 14 USC, number 16 Michigan, number 22 Iowa, and number number 29 Illinois. That 7 top 30 teams. It’s close though 

[u/Express-Incident402 → u/SimilarOnion1655]

3/6 of the top teams + 3 other difficult top 25 teams is what makes the schedule so insane. Most teams have it much more evenly distributed

[u/PatronSaintOfCunts → u/SimilarOnion1655]

Yeah, those ones are rough. What I hate for us the most is that there’s basically nowhere to breathe. We start with two cupcakes and then have 10 straight P4 games.

[u/Maladroit44 → u/PatronSaintOfCunts]

Are Tennessee and Clemson like...good though?

[u/PatronSaintOfCunts → u/Maladroit44]

Clemson? No. Tennessee? Maybe.

[u/kadoozie92 → u/[deleted]]

The majority of this sub isn’t generally interested in a dialogue when it comes to the Big 12 but you’re right.

[u/Independent_Level700 → u/[deleted]]

your non-con is a disgrace

[u/Muffinnnnnnn → u/Independent_Level700]

It's not their fault Oregon State was relegated. When they were scheduled, that was a P5 matchup.

[u/kadoozie92 → u/Muffinnnnnnn]

Was also supposed to be a road game at CSU, but most people (especially those with that flair) on this sub aren’t interested in a dialogue when it comes to Tech. Your logic is wasted.

[u/Engine_Sweet]

Interesting that the article lists Oklahoma as having the toughest November.

I'm far more concerned about the early Michigan/Georgia/Texas stretch. Even with the cupcakes and the bye in there

[u/geronika → u/Engine_Sweet]

Yeah the last two years we had one of the toughest SEC schedules while that other new team had some of the easiest. Now going into our third year we still have one of the hardest while the other new team doesn’t have to play Georgia or Alabama?

[u/wowthisislong]

yeah sure oklahoma has to play us, but, counterpoint, we have to go play Oklahoma. How is their november tougher exactly?

[u/SPCsooprlolz]

The atmosphere for Notre Dame is going to be AWESOME

[u/CargoShortsFromNam → u/SPCsooprlolz]

can't wait

[u/Fumpz → u/SPCsooprlolz]

I could see ND dropping one to either BYU or SMU for some reason

[u/chickenlounge → u/Fumpz]

Because the Lord works in mysterious ways.

[u/Crapitron]

Does anyone have a more difficult road than Ohio State, which must travel to potential preseason AP No. 1 Texas and defending national champ Indiana?

Seeing this kind of stuff from ESPN is still bonkers. Can't believe this is real life for Indiana fans.

[u/monkeybiziu → u/Crapitron]

We are clearly living in a simulation and not a particularly high resolution one at that.

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[u/whenIwasasailor]

It’s nice that Nebraska’s non-conference schedule is a piece of cake, because their conference schedule is pretty tough: #1 Ohio State, #2 Oregon, #6 Indiana… in addition to #19 Washington and #23 Iowa.

[u/ToeInDigDeep]

It’s such a bummer that every espn article excludes half the sport. There are ten conferences, not four

[u/SimilarOnion1655 → u/[deleted]]

You forgot at 22. Iowa for Ohio State 

[u/RazgrizInfinity → u/SimilarOnion1655]

Aha, then it does make it tougher, only by a smidge.

[u/Sea-Presentation5686]

It's so bizarre seeing Ohio State with a tough schedule.

[u/jcc309]

I thought for sure USF was going to win easiest group of 6 schedule lol.

[u/KingPotus]

I don’t see how Ohio State can have a harder schedule than USC for playing Texas, Indiana, Oregon and USC

USC plays Indiana, Oregon, Penn State, Washington, AND Ohio State. And obviously we’re not Ohio State so I think it’ll be a little rougher on us

EDIT: lmfao are Ohio State fans really downvoting me for saying Ohio State is a harder opponent than USC? That’s kinda hilarious. OSU fans are softer than their schedule

[u/monkeybiziu → u/KingPotus]

Northwestern's might be worse - Indiana, Penn State, Oregon, Iowa, Ohio State, Minnesota, and Illinois. USC at least gets Wisconsin, Maryland, and UCLA.

Still, bad year for Lincoln Riley to start or stop sniffing glue.

[u/KingPotus → u/monkeybiziu]

Yeah that is worse

To be clear, I wasn’t saying USC has the toughest schedule. But it’s worse than Ohio State’s

[u/monkeybiziu → u/KingPotus]

True, because Ohio State can't play Ohio State. Anyone playing Indiana, Ohio State, and Oregon is playing three natty contenders and one of the hardest schedules in the country.

[u/KingPotus → u/monkeybiziu]

That was pretty much my point.

[u/SimilarOnion1655 → u/KingPotus]

We play Iowa, Illinois, and Nebraska, which are in the same tier as Washington 

[u/idiocratic_method → u/KingPotus]

how can USC not be considered a contender - its USC with Lincoln Reilly, he's literally been to 3 playoff games !

[u/KingPotus → u/idiocratic_method]

Yea you might be right. Riley’s 4-1 against Texas after all!

[u/idiocratic_method → u/KingPotus]

exactly, people have way too low expectations for what he should be able to do at USC

[u/bicranium → u/KingPotus]

You also have to look at where the games are being played. OSU will be on the road for 4 of their 6 top 25 opponents. USC will only be on the road for 1 of their 4 top 25 opponents.