One of the biggest topics of conversation each college football season is the varying levels of difficulty teams have to deal with when it comes to their schedules. Some programs have relatively easy routes to a potential birth in the College Football Playoff, while others have absolutely brutal paths laid out in front of them.
Typically speaking, the squads that have the harder paths are the ones that receive more media attention, and for good reason. The more difficult a team’s schedule is, the more interesting the story surrounding their season tends to be.
Bleacher Report analyst David Kenyon recently put out a list of some of the programs with the most difficult regular-season paths this upcoming season, and it included five of the most brutal slates in the country.
Michigan Wolverines
Michigan pulled off one of the most underrated head coaching hires this past offseason following the Sherrone Moore saga that unfolded, bringing in longtime Utah head man Kyle Whittingham to take the reins.
Whittingham has proven to be one of the most consistent head coaches in the nation over the past 20 years, and he has inherited a team that is loaded with talent. Unfortunately for him and the Wolverines, though, he also inherited a very difficult schedule.
“Last season, Michigan took full advantage of an unusually soft Big Ten schedule and scrapped its way to a 10-3 campaign,” Kenyon writes.
“This year, a 10-win record would be hard-earned. If there’s a bright side, new coach Kyle Whittingham and his Wolverines are at home for their key matchups in September and October. Oklahoma, Iowa, Penn State and Indiana all travel to the Big House. Still, that’s a rough quartet—and merely an appetizer for trips to Oregon and Ohio State in November.”
Ohio State Buckeyes
The Wolverines aren’t the only traditional Big Ten power that will have to navigate a rough schedule, as Kenyon also has their bitter rivals, the Ohio State Buckeyes, included on his list as well. Unlike Michigan, however, the Buckeyes are being thrown into the fire right out of the gate.
“Ohio State’s opening two months feature several major road games,” Kenyon writes. “The team heads to Texas in Week 2, then to Iowa, Indiana and USC on every other October weekend. An extra wild card is a trip to Nebraska, which has an intriguing ceiling with UNLV transfer Anthony Colandrea at QB and a promising defense. If the Huskers are good, their stadium will be packed, loud and buzzing for an upset. Wrap up the campaign with November home games against Oregon and Michigan, and the Bucks have a taxing year ahead.”
Arkansas Razorbacks
The Arkansas Razorbacks are yet another major program that will be breaking in a new head coach in 2026, as they hire former Memphis head coach Ryan Silverfield to replace Sam Pittman, who was dismissed midway through the 2025 campaign.
Silverfield is probably the most unproven coaching hire from last cycle, and he also inherited one of the worst rosters in the country. Unfortunately for Silverfield, there won’t be much time for him to ease into his new role, as the Razorbacks also have an absolutely brutal schedule.
“The first-year Arkansas coach is staring down a terribly difficult slate in 2026. “…The Razorbacks play at Utah, host Georgia, travel to Texas A&M and have Tennessee come to town. Over those six games, Arkansas will face four likely preseason-ranked teams,” Kenyon wrote.
“As if that’s not enough, Missouri—a borderline Top 25 opponent—awaits in the second half, along with a trip to Auburn and a demanding finish at Texas and home to LSU. Throw in the possibility of a bounce-back season from South Carolina, led by high-upside QB LaNorris Sellers, and the Hogs may have a near-relentless season.”
Stanford Cardinal
Another program that has been struggling as of late with a brand new head coach, the Stanford Cardinal will be looking to quarterback Tavita Pritchard to right the ship in Palo Alto.
Much like the Razorbacks, though, Pritchard is inheriting a lackluster roster that is staring down one of the toughest schedules in the nation, with matchups against several of the nation’s top squads on deck.
“Wake Forest, Duke and Virginia Tech aren’t exactly a gauntlet, but flying cross-country to take on a trio of potential 8-4 teams is a burden,” Kenyon writes. “The rest of the slate includes Miami in Week 2, road games at Notre Dame and Louisville, and a home finale against SMU. Depending on Clemson, Miami, Louisville and SMU could be among the ACC’s best teams.”
Texas Longhorns
After entering 2025 as the top team in the country, the Texas Longhorns failed to live up to their immense preseason hype, finishing with 3 regular-season losses and narrowly missing the College Football Playoff.
Now, the Longhorns are gearing up for what they hope will be the National Championship-winning year that last year was supposed to be. Texas certainly has the tools to get the job done, but it won’t be easy getting there.
“The hype train has returned with intensity, not least because Arch Manning chose to stay in Austin, Kenyon writes. “That optimism will be tested quickly in a Week 2 rematch with Ohio State. Scattered through the rest of the docket is a trip to Tennessee, the showdown with rival Oklahoma in Dallas, a home date against Ole Miss and November games at LSU and Texas A&M. Florida deserves a nod after beating UT last season, too.”
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