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Of the 64 members of Power conferences coming in to 2018, only 13 (or 20%) are scheduled to double-up on non-conference Power opponents.
It’s a crucial, potential one-game disadvantage against the rest of the field.
The 13-team honor roll is listed by conference, a key designation because of the varying number of league games members are required to play. In the ACC, teams play eight conference games each season – for schools doubling-up, it means 10 Power opponents (assuming each member already meets the minimum requirement of one non-conference Power foe). In the Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-12 – all of which legislate nine league games annually – it means 11 Power opponents for those mentioned here.
The SEC, like the ACC, has an eight-league game format. But, that’s irrelevant in this specific case as no SEC member has two non-conference Power opponents scheduled for 2018.
As a note, to maintain consistency we’ve counted BYU as a Power opponent across the board.
ACC
Clemson – at Texas A&M (Sept. 8) and vs. South Carolina (Nov. 24)
Clemson has added a non-conference game against a Power opponent to its annual meeting with South Carolina consecutively since 2010. That’s eight years of doubling up, putting the Tigers in the scheduling hall of fame. Also worth noting is the quality of that second opponent; Auburn in 2010-12 and 2016-17, Georgia in 2013-14 and Notre Dame in 2015.
Duke – at Northwestern (Sept. 8) and at Baylor (Sept. 15)
This is Duke’s third-straight season with two non-ACC Power opponents. Last year it hosted Northwestern and Baylor and in 2016 it traveled to Evanston to play the Wildcats and visited Notre Dame. Before that it was 2008, when both Northwestern and Vanderbilt were on the schedule.
Florida State – at Notre Dame (Nov. 10) and Florida (Nov. 24)
Florida State added a kick-off game against an SEC foe to its annual finale with Florida each of the last two seasons; meeting (1) Alabama last year and squaring off with (11) Ole Miss in 2016. In 2014, the Seminoles similarly started with Oklahoma State in Arlington, Texas.
Louisville – Alabama (Sept. 1, at Orlando, Fla.) and Kentucky (Nov. 24)
Louisville joins Clemson in 2018 in facing two SEC foes during the regular season. The Cardinals also double dipped last season, adding Purdue to its regular fixture with Kentucky. The last time they played two SEC members was in 2015, when they met Auburn in Atlanta to open the season and then visited Lexington for the finale with the Wildcats.
Pitt – Penn State (Sept. 8) and at Notre Dame (Oct. 13)
This is Pitt’s fourth-consecutive season to play two Power opponents outside of its ACC slate. In both 2016 and 2017, it was Penn State combined with Oklahoma State and in 2015 it was Iowa and Notre Dame. Prior to that, it was 2012, also the Panthers’ final season in the Big East, when they hosted Virginia Tech and visited Notre Dame.
It’s a crucial, potential one-game disadvantage against the rest of the field.
The 13-team honor roll is listed by conference, a key designation because of the varying number of league games members are required to play. In the ACC, teams play eight conference games each season – for schools doubling-up, it means 10 Power opponents (assuming each member already meets the minimum requirement of one non-conference Power foe). In the Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-12 – all of which legislate nine league games annually – it means 11 Power opponents for those mentioned here.
The SEC, like the ACC, has an eight-league game format. But, that’s irrelevant in this specific case as no SEC member has two non-conference Power opponents scheduled for 2018.
As a note, to maintain consistency we’ve counted BYU as a Power opponent across the board.
ACC
Clemson – at Texas A&M (Sept. 8) and vs. South Carolina (Nov. 24)
Clemson has added a non-conference game against a Power opponent to its annual meeting with South Carolina consecutively since 2010. That’s eight years of doubling up, putting the Tigers in the scheduling hall of fame. Also worth noting is the quality of that second opponent; Auburn in 2010-12 and 2016-17, Georgia in 2013-14 and Notre Dame in 2015.
Duke – at Northwestern (Sept. 8) and at Baylor (Sept. 15)
This is Duke’s third-straight season with two non-ACC Power opponents. Last year it hosted Northwestern and Baylor and in 2016 it traveled to Evanston to play the Wildcats and visited Notre Dame. Before that it was 2008, when both Northwestern and Vanderbilt were on the schedule.
Florida State – at Notre Dame (Nov. 10) and Florida (Nov. 24)
Florida State added a kick-off game against an SEC foe to its annual finale with Florida each of the last two seasons; meeting (1) Alabama last year and squaring off with (11) Ole Miss in 2016. In 2014, the Seminoles similarly started with Oklahoma State in Arlington, Texas.
Louisville – Alabama (Sept. 1, at Orlando, Fla.) and Kentucky (Nov. 24)
Louisville joins Clemson in 2018 in facing two SEC foes during the regular season. The Cardinals also double dipped last season, adding Purdue to its regular fixture with Kentucky. The last time they played two SEC members was in 2015, when they met Auburn in Atlanta to open the season and then visited Lexington for the finale with the Wildcats.
Pitt – Penn State (Sept. 8) and at Notre Dame (Oct. 13)
This is Pitt’s fourth-consecutive season to play two Power opponents outside of its ACC slate. In both 2016 and 2017, it was Penn State combined with Oklahoma State and in 2015 it was Iowa and Notre Dame. Prior to that, it was 2012, also the Panthers’ final season in the Big East, when they hosted Virginia Tech and visited Notre Dame.
