"Ain't nobody played nobody." It's the rallying cry in every schedule debate, and 2026 is no exception. Schedules never shake out equal, not even for teams in the same conference. But as the season approaches, On3's Chris Low broke out the magnifying glass on every Power 4 team's schedule, handing out superlatives ranging from flattering to downright brutal. One reminder before diving in: strength of schedule looks a lot different in July than it will in October or November.
Toughest P4 non-conference schedule: Georgia Tech
Brent Key's Yellow Jackets aren't ducking anybody, loading up on three non-conference games against fellow Power 4 opponents. The Jackets open with back-to-back home dates against Colorado and Tennessee, the former being Alberto Mendoza's debut. Oh, and their end-of-season clash with Georgia is on the road this year.
Toughest P4 home schedule: USC
USC's Lincoln Riley is still chasing his first playoff appearance, and protecting the Coliseum won't make it any easier. The Trojans host Oregon and Washington in back-to-back weeks and close out October at home against Ohio State, with a sneaky trap game tucked in before any of that even starts.
Easiest P4 road schedule: Notre Dame
Marcus Freeman caught a break with Notre Dame's slate away from South Bend. The Irish have exactly one true road game against a preseason top-25 opponent all season, with the rest of their away dates coming against teams that combined to win barely a third of their games a year ago.
Chris Low's full breakdown declares who has the toughest and easiest schedules in the country, who has the easiest (and hardest) open to the season, and which fanbase is staring down the most brutal three-game stretch of the fall, among other things.
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