The 25 Hardest College Football Schedules

The Top 25 Most Difficult College Football Schedules Scheduling remains one of the most high-profile controversies surrounding college football, particularly in the new Playoff era. The question for national title-aspiring programs remains: Do you schedule down in the non-conference and hope to pile wins ahead of league play, or do you test yourself against the best the nation has to offer? In our opinion the 25 teams with the nation's toughest schedules, as ranked below, seem to adhere to the latter philosophy. In addition to challenging conference schedules, they also play some marquee dates outside of the conference.

#1. Maryland No one can accuse the Terrapins of hiding in their shells. Head coach DJ Durkin's second season in College Park pits Maryland against one of the most brutal schedules any program has faced in recent memory. Playing the Big Ten East is bad enough, with games against Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State and Penn State. The Terps also draw road games at Minnesota and Wisconsin in cross-divisional competition — all that after opening the season at Texas. View Maryland Schedule & Tickets

2. Florida State A Week 1 dream matchup with Alabama sets the tone for Florida State's challenging 2017 schedule. The Seminoles book-end their campaign with non-conference dates against SEC competition, closing with the customary rivalry game vs. Florida. ACC play offers no reprieve: The conference proved to be the best in college football a season ago, with the Atlantic Division specifically setting the tone. The Seminoles have to deal with defending national champion Clemson on the road, as well as Heisman winner Lamar Jackson and Louisville in Tallahassee. Jackson solidified his case for the nation's top individual honor by running roughshod over Florida State a season ago. View Florida State's Schedule & Tickets

3. Michigan Michigan enters 2017 with lofty aspirations, and a difficult schedule that kicks off in Texas against an SEC opponent. The last time the Wolverines saw such a scenario was 2012, a disappointing campaign that started on the sour note of losing a blowout to Alabama in the Cowboys Classic. Florida presents a more manageable Week 1 opponent for Jim Harbaugh's team this time around, but the Gators set a fitting tone for a challenging docket. Michigan's other non-conference dates are against an always-tough Cincinnati, now with former Ohio State assistant Luke Fickell at the helm, and against the unorthodox offense of Air Force. View The Team From Up North's Schedule & Tickets

4. Oklahoma   Oklahoma plays 10 games against Power Five competition, which isn't rare for teams in the conferences that opt for nine league games. What differentiates the Sooners' slate from other 10-game Power Five dockets is a road trip to fellow powerhouse Ohio State. Just two weeks later, Oklahoma opens Big 12 competition away from home with a date against Baylor. That contest sets an interesting tone for the Sooners in conference, as they do not get back-to-back weekends in Norman at any point in the season. Games against contenders West Virginia and TCU are in Norman, but the Sooners travel to always-treacherous Manhattan, where Bob Stoops' mentor, Bill Snyder, awaits. View The Sooners Schedule & Tickets

5. Syracuse   A first-year head coach tasked with rebuilding a program always faces an arduous job. When that job requires facing the national champion and Heisman Trophy winner, as well as an annual powerhouse, it's especially challenging. Such was the fate of Dino Babers, now in his second year at Syracuse. Babers' team again draws Clemson, Louisville and Heisman quarterback Lamar Jackson, and Florida State, while the Orange also travel to LSU in non-conference play. View Syracuse's Schedule & Tickets

6. Florida   Florida's scheduling has been a target for derision some in recent years — not because the Gators don't see competition in the SEC, nor for playing an annual date with Florida State. However, UF has built a reputation for not leaving the Sunshine State unless the conference mandates that. Jim McElwain's club refutes that in 2017, opening the season in Texas for the Cowboys Classic against Michigan. Michigan and Florida State book-end a tough, but not overly cumbersome schedule. Florida avoids SEC West heavyweight Alabama, and gets each of Texas A&M, LSU and Tennessee at home. View Florida Schedule & Tickets

7. USC   Timing of games can be as taxing on a team as the quality of opponent. Such is the case for USC. The Trojans face an unusual slate in 2017 on two fronts: First, they play 11 games against Power Five opponents. The only deviation is Week 1 foe Western Michigan, which won 13 games a season ago. And while USC avoids defending Pac-12 champion Washington in league play, the Trojans have no bye week. That means 11 straight weeks of Power Five games for the presumptive preseason favorite in the Conference of Champions. View USC's Schedule & Tickets

8. Ohio State   Ohio State dives head-first into the season with a road game in Big Ten play. Indiana has given the Buckeyes fits in recent years, and the Hoosiers get Urban Meyer's bunch in Week 1 — a week before the Buckeyes play Oklahoma in Columbus. Ohio State's Big Ten schedule is somewhat more manageable than some of its league counterparts, with Wisconsin missing from cross-divisional competition.  However, the Buckeyes play Michigan on the road in the East, and go to both Nebraska and Iowa in matchups with the West. Two of the three come in the final month of the regular season. View Ohio State's Schedule & Tickets

9. Penn State We should learn within the first month if 2016 Big Ten champion Penn State is ready to compete for its first national championship in 30 years. James Franklin embarks on a surprising, breakout campaign with his best roster yet, and it will be challenged right out of the gate with games against Pitt and at Iowa in September. The first game of October takes the Nittany Lions to Northwestern, as well. The back half isn't much easier: Michigan and Nebraska are home dates, but Penn State must travel to Ohio State and Michigan State in consecutive weekends. View Penn State's Schedule & Tickets

10. Alabama   Nick Saban's juggernaut never shies from impressive Week 1 dates — even if they're played exclusively on neutral field sites. The opener against Florida State in 2017 joins recent Week 1 contests against Michigan, Virginia Tech, West Virginia and USC in the pantheon of Crimson Tide tone-setters. The rest of the non-conference slate is unimpressive, including a late-November tilt with Mercer, but the SEC West presents its share of potential pitfalls. An October trip to Texas A&M and the annual Iron Bowl are the two road dates to watch. View Alabama's Schedule & Tickets

10-25 click team name to view full schedule & ticket prices  11. Cal 12. Clemson 13. Notre Dame 14. Texas 15. Georgia Tech 16. Auburn 17. Rutgers 18. UCLA 19. Stanford 20. LSU 21. Purdue 23. Va. Tech 24. North Carolina 25. Pittsburgh