6 Toughest College Football Non-Conference Schedules in 2020 NCAAF Season

Even though we're still roughly half the year away from the return of college football in 2020, some programs don't have to wait until late August to understand the scheduling challenges that await them this fall.

Using a combination of NCAA.com's first 2020 preseason Top-25 rankings and the final AP Top-25 Poll of the 2019-20 as a quantifiable reference, here's a look at which six programs arguably have the hardest college football non-conference schedules ahead of them this season.

Way too early look at the NCAAF Top 25 ?https://t.co/cLV5TwDjXD
— The Duel (@TheDuelSports) January 16, 2020

Toughest Non-Conference Schedules in College Football 2020 Season

6. Buffalo Bulls

Buffalo QB Matt Myers attempts a pass in a game against Penn State. / Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

Buffalo Non-Conference Schedule 2020:
- (Sat., 9/5) @ Kansas State Wildcats
- (Sat., 9/12) vs. Saint Francis Red Flash
- (Sat., 9/19) @ Ohio State Buckeyes
- (Sat., 10/24) @ Army Black Knights
Beyond a true road game against a sure top-5 team with the second-best odds of winning the 2021 College Football Playoff in Ohio State, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, Buffalo must also face three of its four non-conference challenges away from home.

5. Wisconsin Badgers

Wisconsin QB Jack Coan celebrates scoring a TD in a game against the Michigan Wolverines. / Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Wisconsin Non-Conference Schedule 2020:
- (Sat., 9/12) vs. Southern Illinois Salukis
- (Sat., 9/19) vs. Appalachian State Mountaineers
- (Sat., 10/3) vs. Notre Dame (Lambeau Field – Green Bay, WI)
Wisconsin has one of the more competitively balanced non-conference schedules it's faced in recent memory between matchups with Appalachian State and Notre Dame, but the Badgers still don't have to leave the state of Wisconsin among all three of their non-conference games.

4. Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Wake Forest RB Kenneth Walker III shakes a tackle in a game against North Carolina State. / Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images

Wake Forest Non-Conference Schedule 2020:
- (Fri., 9/4) @ Old Dominion Monarchs
- (Fri., 9/11) vs. Appalachian State Mountaineers
- (Sat., 9/19) vs. Villanova Wildcats
- (Sat., 10/3) vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Bank of America Stadium – Charlotte, NC)
Wisconsin and Wake Forest have nearly identical cores to their 2020 non-conference schedules between a home matchup with App State and a neutral-site game against Notre Dame. However, the Demon Deacons get the nod here given they must hit the road for at least one of their non-conference bouts, even if it's against a weaker opponent in Old Dominion.

3. North Carolina Tar Heels

UNC QB Sam Howell signals during a game against the South Carolina Gamecocks. / Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

North Carolina Non-Conference Schedule 2020:
- (Fri., 9/4) @ UCF Knights
- (Sat., 9/12) vs. Auburn Tigers (Mercedes-Benz Stadium – Atlanta, GA)
- (Sat., 9/19) vs. James Madison (JMU) Dukes
- (Sat., 11/7) vs. UConn Huskies
North Carolina is the only team on this list that almost certainly has to face ranked non-conference opponents in back-to-back weeks, with both matchups coming away from home, no less. Beyond bouts with UCF and Auburn in the first two weeks of the year, the Tar Heels turn around and host a JMU opponent coming off a run to the 2019-20 FCS National Championship Game. UNC could be in for a brutal three-week start to the 2020-21 season.

2. USC Trojans

Kedon Slovis attempts a pass in the 2019 Holiday Bowl Game against the Iowa Hawkeyes. / Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

USC Non-Conference Schedule 2020:
- (Sat., 9/5) vs. Alabama Crimson Tide (AT&T Stadium – Arlington, TX)
- (Sat., 9/12) vs. New Mexico Lobos
- (Sat., 11/28) vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Unlike North Carolina, USC's two biggest non-conference games are separated by the entire length of the 2020-21 season. However, the Trojans must face two of the nation's likely top-10 teams between Week 1 and Week 13. Considering the Crimson Tide walloped USC, 52-6, the last time these two teams met in a neutral-site battle at AT&T Stadium in 2016, Alabama could be a challenging Week 1 wake-up call for the Trojans.

1. Kent State Golden Flashes

Kent State QB Dustin Crum scrambles in a game against the Penn State Nittany Lions. / Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

Kent State Non-Conference Schedule 2020:
- (Sat., 9/5) @ Penn State Nittany Lions
- (Sat., 9/19) @ Kentucky Wildcats
- (Sat., 9/26) @ Alabama Crimson Tide
While UNC may be the only team on this list with likely back-to-back matchups against ranked opponents, Kent State takes the crown as the only team facing two true road games against likely top-10 programs. It's hard to argue against a team that has to hit the road for bouts in Happy Valley and Tuscaloosa in the same month. That's not even to mention visiting Lexington for a second true SEC road game against the Wildcats the week prior to Alabama.

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David Hayes is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, David Hayes also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username DavidWHayes. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.