Duke opens against Alabama and hosts Notre Dame in November
Scheduling continues to be a major talking point in the college football world. The conferences that have had teams left out of the College Football Playoff have been leagues with nine-game conference schedules. Of course, it helps that the SEC and ACC — the two conferences that play eight conference games — are led by Alabama and Clemson, two programs that would have made the four-team field over the past few years no matter what league they were in.
As things stand, Clemson remains a part of the Atlantic Coast Conference and that group plays eight conference games. Well, except this year when two ACC members play nine conference games, though only eight of those will count in the standings.
Here is from top to bottom the most difficult non-conference ACC schedules.
1. Duke
Aug. 31 vs. Alabama (Atlanta)
Sept. 7 vs. North Carolina A&T
Sept. 14 at Middle Tennessee
Nov. 9 vs. Notre Dame
By opening with Alabama and then facing Notre Dame in November, the Blue Devils will battle two of last season’s four playoff teams. Plus, the trip to Murfreesboro, Tennessee, to play the Blue Raiders won't be easy.
2. Florida State
Aug. 31 vs. Boise State (Jacksonville, Fla.)
Sept. 7 vs. ULM
Nov. 16 vs. Alabama State
Nov. 30 at Florida
The Seminoles always have that season-ending clash with the Gators and this year it will be in the Swamp. But Florida State usually lines up another big non-conference game and this year it's the opener against Boise in nearby Jacksonville.
3. Clemson
Sept. 7 vs. Texas A&M
Sept. 21 vs. Charlotte
Nov. 2 vs. Wofford
Nov. 30 at South Carolina
For the fourth year in a row (and the 10th time in 12 years), Clemson double dips with SEC games. The Tigers go to Columbia this year while A&M comes to Death Valley after nearly knocking off Clemson in College Station last September.
4. Georgia Tech
Sept. 7 vs. South Florida
Sept. 14 vs. The Citadel
Sept. 28 at Temple
Nov. 30 vs. Georgia
Beyond the meaningful Coastal Division games and the annual crossover with Clemson, Geoff Collins will have to deal with this challenging slate in his first year leading the Yellow Jackets. There's always Georgia looming at the end, but Collins will go back to his old stomping grounds at Temple and face another tough AAC team in South Florida.
5. Pittsburgh
Sept. 7 vs. Ohio
Sept. 14 at Penn State
Sept. 21 vs. UCF
Sept. 28 vs. Delaware
The good news: Ohio replaces Notre Dame on this year's schedule. The bad news: Penn State and UCF remain. In 2019, the Panthers will go to Happy Valley for one last time and the Knights will come to Pittsburgh.
6. North Carolina
Aug. 31 vs. South Carolina (Charlotte, N.C.)
Sept. 13 at Wake Forest
Sept. 21 vs. Appalachian State
Nov. 23 vs. Mercer
There's no big, traditional power on the Tar Heels' schedule, but FCS opponent Mercer is shaping up as the only sure win. Appalachian State should be one of the country’s best Group of 5 teams even with a coaching change while the Gamecocks and the Demon Deacons, who Carolina plays in a conference non-conference game, will be favored over Mack Brown's team.
7. Louisville
Sept. 2 vs. Notre Dame
Sept. 7 vs. Eastern Kentucky
Sept. 14 vs. Western Kentucky (Nashville, Tenn.)
Nov. 30 at Kentucky
Scott Satterfield's Cardinals play three in-state teams and host Notre Dame in the season opener. The emergence of Kentucky has made this schedule much more problematic.
8. Boston College
Sept. 7 vs. Richmond
Sept. 13 vs. Kansas
Sept. 21 at Rutgers
Nov. 23 at Notre Dame
Technically, the Eagles have three Power 5 non-conference games, though Kansas and Rutgers barely qualify. The game in South Bend in the next-to-last week of the regular season could be very important to the Irish.
9. Miami
Aug. 24 vs. Florida (Orlando, Fla.)
Sept. 14 vs. Bethune-Cookman
Sept. 21 vs. Central Michigan
Nov. 23 at FIU
College football’s 150th season will open up with a big-time matchup between the Hurricanes and the Gators in Week Zero. Beyond that contest, there's not much on the Miami slate, though visiting former Canes head coach Butch Davis and FIU could be interesting.
10. Wake Forest
Aug. 30 vs. Utah State
Sept. 6 at Rice
Sept. 13 vs. North Carolina
Sept. 21 vs. Elon
The Demond Deacons play that non-conference game against Carolina and also go to Houston to battle Rice. But the most interesting game on this list is the opener against Utah State and dynamic quarterback Jordan Love.
11. Syracuse
Aug. 31 at Liberty
Sept. 7 at Maryland
Sept. 21 vs. Western Michigan
Sept. 28 vs. Holy Cross
Power 5 teams hardly ever open the season with two true road games, but that is exactly what the Orange will do this fall. Maryland should be improved under new head coach Mike Locksley and Western Michigan gave Syracuse trouble in last year's opener.
12. NC State
Aug. 31 vs. East Carolina
Sept. 7 vs. Western Carolina
Sept. 14 at West Virginia
Sept. 21 vs. Ball State
The Wolfpack's slate features two of the nation's bottom 20 FBS teams and an FCS opponent. There is a road game in Morgantown, but after losing their head and quarterback (among others), the Mountaineers will be re-tooling in 2019.
13. Virginia
Sept. 6 vs. William & Mary
Sept. 21 vs. Old Dominion
Sept. 28 at Notre Dame
Nov. 23 vs. Liberty
The Cavaliers have a trip to Notre Dame and three lay-ups on their schedule. It's nice that they will play teams from the Commonwealth, but none of those games should be competitive.
14. Virginia Tech
Sept. 7 vs. Old Dominion
Sept. 14 vs. Furman
Oct. 12 vs. Rhode Island
Nov. 2 at Notre Dame
Looks a lot like UVA’s non-conference schedule, doesn't it? The only difference is that ODU won't be sneaking up on the Hokies this year and Tech has two games against FCS competition.
— Written by Jon Kinne, who has been part of the Athlon Contributor Network for three years, covering the ACC and Notre Dame. Follow him on Twitter @JonRKinne.
