Strength of schedule is such a big deal in the FCS. And there's definitely a strategy to it.
The goal for teams outside of the Ivy League and HBCUs is to make the playoffs. For some weaker conferences, beefing up your nonconference schedule is a must if you don't want to be a two-loss team left out of the field. And on the flip side, teams from the top conferences sometimes don't want to schedule three ranked opponents before their grueling league play begins.
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At the end of the day, a team wants a strong 11-game schedule — or 12 in this year's case. We've seen several times where 7-4 teams get into the playoff bracket over 9-2 teams because of who they beat and who they lost to (although the importance of quality losses can be debatable).
So which FCS teams have the toughest schedules this year, either through scheduling strong opponents in the nonconference and/or getting dealt a tough hand in the conference slate? We break it down.
Here are the criteria:
- Number of Top 25 opponents in HERO Sports’ Preseason Poll
- FBS opponents
- Games vs. 2018 playoff teams
- Non-counter games
- The rest of the conference slate (example: Some non-Top 25 teams from one conference are stronger than some non-Top 25 teams from a different conference)
Honorable Mention: Central Arkansas, Southeastern Louisiana, Stephen F. Austin, Idaho, Weber State, James Madison
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30. Nicholls
2 FBS, 2 Top 25, 1 2018 playoff team
@ Kansas State (FBS)
@ Prairie View A&M
@ Stephen F. Austin
@ Texas State (FBS)
vs. Central Arkansas
vs. Northwestern State
@ Sam Houston State
vs. Abilene Christian
@ Incarnate Word
vs. Houston Baptist
vs. McNeese
@ Southeastern Louisiana
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29. Delaware
1 FBS, 3 Top 25, 4 2018 playoff teams
vs. Delaware State
@ Rhode Island
vs. North Dakota State
vs. Penn
@ Pitt (FBS)
@ Elon
vs. New Hampshire
vs. Richmond
@ Towson
vs. Albany
vs. Stony Brook
@ Villanova
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28. Incarnate Word
2 FBS, 3 Top 25, 2 2018 playoff teams
@ UTSA (FBS)
vs. Texas Southern
@ Sam Houston State
vs. Abilene Christian
@ Houston Baptist
@ Southeastern Louisiana
vs. Lamar
vs. Northwestern State
vs. Nicholls
@ Stephen F. Austin
@ New Mexico State (FBS)
vs. Central Arkansas
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27. McNeese
1 FBS, 4 Top 25, 2 2018 playoff teams
vs. Southern
@ Oklahoma State (FBS)
vs. Alcorn State
@ Abilene Christian
vs. Sam Houston State
vs. Southeastern Louisiana
@ Central Arkansas
vs. Houston Baptist
@ Stephen F. Austin
vs. Northwestern State
@ Nicholls
@ Lamar
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26. Furman
2 FBS, 1 non-counter, 3 Top 25, 2 2018 playoff teams
vs. Charleston Southern
@ Georgia State (FBS)
@ Virginia Tech (FBS)
vs. Mercer
vs. East Tennessee State
@ Samford
vs. The Citadel
@ Western Carolina
@ Chattanooga
vs. VMI
@ Wofford
vs. Point
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25. Abilene Christian
2 FBS, 1 non-counter, 3 Top 25, 3 2018 playoff teams
@ North Texas (FBS)
vs. Arizona Christian
@ Central Arkansas
vs. McNeese
@ Incarnate Word
@ Lamar
vs. Houston Baptist
vs. Stephen F. Austin
@ Nicholls
vs. Sam Houston State
vs. Southeastern Louisiana
@ Mississippi State (FBS)
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24. North Dakota State
0 FBS, 3 Top 25, 4 2018 playoff teams
vs. Butler
vs. North Dakota
@ Delaware
vs. UC Davis
@ Illinois State
vs. Northern Iowa
vs. Missouri State
@ South Dakota State
@ Youngstown State
vs. Western Illinois
vs. South Dakota
@ Southern Illinois
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23. Maine
2 FBS, 2 Top 25, 3 2018 playoff teams
vs. Sacred Heart
@ Georgia Southern (FBS)
vs. Towson
@ Colgate
@ Villanova
vs. Richmond
@ Liberty (FBS)
vs. William & Mary
@ Albany
@ Elon
vs. Rhode Island
@ New Hampshire
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22. South Dakota
1 FBS, 3 Top 25, 3 2018 playoff teams
vs. Montana
@ Oklahoma (FBS)
vs. Houston Baptist
@ Northern Colorado
vs. Indiana State
@ Missouri State
@ Northern Iowa
vs. Southern Illinois
@ Western Illinois
vs. Youngstown State
@ North Dakota State
vs. South Dakota State
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21. Rhode Island
2 FBS, 3 Top 25, 5 2018 playoff teams
@ Ohio (FBS)
vs. Delaware
@ New Hampshire
vs. Stony Brook
@ Brown
@ Virginia Tech (FBS)
@ Albany
vs. Elon
vs. Merrimack
@ William & Mary
@ Maine
vs. James Madison
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20. Northern Arizona
1 FBS, 1 non-counter, 4 Top 25, 3 2018 playoff teams
vs. Missouri State
@ Arizona (FBS)
vs. Western New Mexico
@ Illinois State
@ Montana State
vs. Northern Colorado
@ Weber State
vs. Portland State
@ Eastern Washington
vs. Sacramento State
@ Southern Utah
vs. Idaho
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19. Idaho State
2 FBS, 1 non-counter, 2 Top 25, 3 2018 playoff teams
vs. Western Colorado University
@ Utah (FBS)
@ Northern Iowa
vs. Portland State
@ Montana
vs. North Dakota
@ Idaho
@ Southern Utah
vs. Northern Colorado
vs. Eastern Washington
@ BYU (FBS)
@ Weber State
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18. Richmond
1 FBS, 4 Top 25, 5 2018 playoff teams
vs. Jacksonville
@ Boston College (FBS)
vs. Elon
@ Fordham
vs. Albany
@ Maine
vs. Yale
@ Delaware
vs. Stony Brook
@ Villanova
@ James Madison
vs. William & Mary
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17. Cal Poly
1 FBS, 4 Top 25, 5 2018 playoff teams
vs. San Diego
@ Weber State
@ Oregon State (FBS)
@ Southern Utah
vs. Montana State
@ UC Davis
vs. North Dakota
vs. Sacramento State
@ Idaho
vs. Eastern Washington
@ Northern Colorado
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16. Montana
1 FBS, 4 Top 25, 4 2018 playoff teams
@ South Dakota
vs. North Alabama
@ Oregon (FBS)
vs. Monmouth
@ UC Davis
vs. Idaho State
@ Sacramento State
vs. Eastern Washington
@ Portland State
vs. Idaho
vs. Weber State
@ Montana State
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15. Towson
1 FBS, 4 Top 25, 5 2018 playoff teams
@ The Citadel
vs. NC Central
@ Maine
vs. Villanova
@ Florida (FBS)
vs. Albany
vs. Bucknell
@ James Madison
vs. Delaware
@ Stony Brook
@ William & Mary
vs. Elon
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14. Elon
1 FBS, 4 Top 25, 4 2018 playoff teams
@ NC A&T
vs. The Citadel
@ Richmond
@ Wake Forest (FBS)
vs. James Madison
@ New Hampshire
vs. Delaware
@ Rhode Island
vs. William & Mary
vs. Maine
@ Towson
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13. Western Illinois
1 FBS, 4 Top 25, 3 2018 playoff teams
@ North Alabama
@ Colorado State (FBS)
vs. Montana State
vs. Tennessee Tech
vs. Missouri State
@ Indiana State
vs. Illinois State
@ Youngstown State
vs. South Dakota
@ North Dakota State
vs. Southern Illinois
@ Northern Iowa
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12. Southern Utah
1 FBS, 4 Top 25, 5 2018 playoff teams
@ UNLV (FBS)
@ Northern Iowa
vs. Stephen F. Austin
@ South Dakota State
vs. Cal Poly
@ Portland State
@ Weber State
vs. UC Davis
vs. Idaho State
@ Montana State
vs. Northern Arizona
@ North Dakota
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11. Western Carolina
2 FBS, 1 non-counter, 4 Top 25, 2 2018 playoff teams
vs. Mercer
@ NC State (FBS)
vs. North Greenville University
@ Chattanooga
vs. Gardner-Webb
@ The Citadel
@ Wofford
vs. Furman
@ VMI
vs. ETSU
vs. Samford
@ Alabama (FBS)
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10. VMI
2 FBS, 1 non-counter, 4 Top 25, 2 2018 playoff teams
@ Marshall (FBS)
vs. Mars Hill
@ East Tennessee State
vs. Robert Morris
vs. Wofford
@ The Citadel
vs. Samford
@ Mercer
vs. Western Carolina
@ Furman
@ Army (FBS)
vs. Chattanooga
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9. Sacramento State
2 FBS, 1 non-counter, 4 Top 25, 4 2018 playoff teams
vs. Southern Oregon
@ Arizona State (FBS)
vs. Northern Colorado
@ Fresno State (FBS)
vs. Eastern Washington
@ Montana State
vs. Montana
@ Cal Poly
vs. Weber State
@ Northern Arizona
@ Idaho
vs. UC Davis
[divider]
8. Southern Illinois
2 FBS, 4 Top 25, 3 2018 playoff teams
@ SEMO
@ UMASS (FBS)
vs. UT Martin
@ Arkansas State (FBS)
@ South Dakota State
vs. Illinois State
vs. Youngstown State
@ South Dakota
@ Indiana State
vs. Missouri State
@ Western Illinois
vs. North Dakota State
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7. William & Mary
2 FBS, 4 Top 25, 5 2018 playoff teams
vs. Lafayette
@ Virginia (FBS)
vs. Colgate
@ East Carolina (FBS)
@ Albany
vs. Villanova
vs. James Madison
@ Maine
@ Elon
vs. Rhode Island
vs. Towson
@ Richmond
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6. Eastern Illinois
1 FBS, 5 Top 25, 2 2018 playoff teams
@ Chattanooga
@ Indiana (FBS)
vs. Illinois State
@ Indiana State
vs. Tennessee Tech
@ Murray State
vs. Jacksonville State
@ UT Martin
vs. Eastern Kentucky
@ Tennessee State
vs. Southeast Missouri
@ Austin Peay
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5. The Citadel
1 FBS, 5 Top 25, 4 2018 playoff teams
vs. Towson
@ Elon
@ Georgia Tech (FBS)
vs. Charleston Southern
@ Samford
vs. VMI
vs. Western Carolina
@ Furman
vs. Mercer
@ East Tennessee State
@ Chattanooga
vs. Wofford
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4. Northern Iowa
1 FBS, 5 Top 25, 3 2018 playoff teams
@ Iowa State (FBS)
vs. Southern Utah
vs. Idaho State
@ Weber State
vs. Youngstown State
@ North Dakota State
vs. South Dakota
@ Missouri State
@ Illinois State
vs. Indiana State
@ South Dakota State
vs. Western Illinois
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3. Missouri State
1 FBS, 5 top 25, 4 2018 playoff teams
@ Northern Arizona
@ Tulane (FBS)
vs. Kennesaw State
@ Western Illinois
vs. South Dakota
@ North Dakota State
vs. Northern Iowa
vs. South Dakota State
@ Southern Illinois
@ Illinois State
vs. Indiana State
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2. Chattanooga
1 FBS, 5 Top 25, 4 2018 playoff teams
vs. Eastern Illinois
@ Jacksonville State
@ Tennessee (FBS)
vs. James Madison
vs. Western Carolina
@ Mercer
vs. East Tennessee State
@ Wofford
vs. Furman
@ Samford
vs. The Citadel
@ VMI
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1. North Dakota
0 FBS, 6 Top 25, 5 2018 playoff teams
vs. Drake
@ North Dakota State
vs. Sam Houston State
@ Eastern Washington
vs. UC Davis
@ Idaho State
@ Cal Poly
vs. Montana State
@ Weber State
vs. Northern Colorado
vs. Southern Utah
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NEXT: The Best Traditions in the FCS
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