While the start of the season is still far off in the distance, it's never too early to obsess over some of the more interesting aspects of the 2018 college football schedule. We're talking off-the-wall quirks like teams playing each other twice in the regular season and a non-conference slate for a team in Pennsylvania that even Alabama wouldn't want to play.
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Teams Playing 3 Straight Road Games[divider]
Let's check out some of the strangest aspects of this year's schedule by starting off with an ACC team that somehow gets to enjoy an astounding five straight games at home.
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Wake Forest — 5 Straight Home Games
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AP Photo/Chuck Burton[/credit]
There's home field advantage and then there's the 2018 incarnation of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. After a season-opening trip to Tulane on August 30, Wake will remain home all the way until October 20.
With a home slate this favorable, which includes a bye week after the five-game home stint, there's no reason Dave Clawson's club can't play for its third straight bowl victory.
| Date | Opponent |
|---|---|
| September 8 | Towson |
| September 13 | Boston College |
| September 22 | Notre Dame |
| September 29 | Rice |
| October 6 | Clemson |
RELATED: ACC Championship Odds
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Arkansas — 4.5 Straight Home Games
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AP Photo/Michael Woods[/credit]
Similar to Wake Forest, Arkansas will enjoy a five-game stretch where it remains in its home state with just one caveat: The second of five straight home contests takes place in Little Rock.
The important SEC West showdown with Ole Miss will go down inside War Memorial Stadium as part of the venue's 70-year celebration. So it's a home game, but not really, but it is.
| Date | Opponent |
|---|---|
| October 6 | Alabama |
| October 13 | Ole Miss (Little Rock, AR) |
| October 20 | Tulsa |
| October 27 | Vanderbilt |
| November 10 | LSU |
RELATED: SEC Championship Odds
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Army — Double the FCS Fun
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AP Photo/Matt Rourke[/credit]
It's not often you see an FBS program play not just one but a pair of games against FCS foes in the same season.
Such is the case for the Black Knights in November as they'll face both Lafayette and Colgate inside Michie Stadium before getting three weeks to prepare for Navy in early December.
| Date | Opponent |
|---|---|
| November 10 | Lafayette |
| November 17 | Colgate |
RELATED: FBS Schools Without University in Name
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Navy — 20-Plus Hours in the Air
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AP Photo/Matt Rourke[/credit]
While the distance from Miami (FL) to the University of Washington might be the greatest divide between two FBS programs, Navy's opening week trek to Hawaii isn't that far behind.
A direct flight takes over 10 hours, and what's even more cruel is the Midshipmen must return straight home without a bye to face the always high-powered offense of Memphis on September 8.
| Date | Opponent |
|---|---|
| September 1 | at Hawaii |
| September 8 | Memphis |
RELATED: FBS Schools Farthest Apart
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Pittsburgh — Brutal Non-Conference Slate
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AP Photo/Keith Srakocic[/credit]
The 2017 Panthers lost two of their last three games to barely miss a bowl slot at 5-7. This year's non-conference schedule certainly isn't doing them any favors as they try to get back to bowl eligibility.
Pitt gets Penn State at home after a season-opening FCS matchup and will have to play at both UCF and Notre Dame to complete quite easily the most difficult non-conference schedule of any Power 5 team.
| Date | Opponent |
|---|---|
| September 8 | Penn State |
| September 29 | at UCF |
| October 13 | at Notre Dame |
RELATED: Week 1 FBS Point Spreads
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Liberty and New Mexico State — Let's Play Two
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AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis[/credit]
It's incredibly rare to see two programs face off twice: first during the regular season and again in a bowl game. It's even more rare to see a pair of universities play each other two times during the regular season.
That's just what's going to happen this season in a smart move by both Liberty and New Mexico State. The Flames left the FCS ranks last season and will be playing as an FBS Independent. The Aggies, spurned by the Sun Belt after last year, will also go the solo route.
| Date | Opponent |
|---|---|
| October 6 | Liberty at New Mexico State |
| November 24 | New Mexico State at Liberty |
RELATED: Next FCS Team to the FBS?
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Appalachian State — There's No Place Like Home (or The Road)
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AP Photo/Dan Anderson[/credit]
While three-game home stands are quite regular in college football, and a dozen teams this year will play three straight road games, it's not common to see the same squad have a run of both three straight home and away games in the same season.
That's the mountain App State is looking at as they try to improve on last year's impressive 9-4 record.
| Date | Opponent |
|---|---|
| September 15 | Southern Miss |
| September 22 | Gardner-Webb |
| September 29 | South Alabama |
| October 25 | at Georgia Southern |
| November 3 | at Coastal Carolina |
| November 10 | at Texas State |
RELATED: Appalachian State Football Stats
