By Micheal Germanese
If the 2024 season shows us anything, it’s the importance of a non-demanding schedule to maximize the chance of making the College Football Playoff. All teams have the goal of making the playoff, alongside winning their conference, but for three teams, the goal should just be making it through the season. These 2025 teams schedules are incredibly demanding, with one face the hardest end to a season we have ever seen.
Conference realignment has turned some schedules into a gantlet filled with some of the best programs in the country while other teams avoid all of them. In 2024. the knock-on Indiana for not being included in the playoff was they didn’t play anyone, for Syracuse, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin, if they make the playoffs no one will say that.
Syracuse
Away: Tennessee (Atlanta), Clemson, SMU, Georgia Tech, Miami, and Notre Dame
Home: Uconn, Colgate, Duke, Pitt, North Carolina, and Boston Colege.
Fran Brown took over a year ago and led the Orange to a 10-3 overall record, finishing 4th in the ACC. This was only the third time since 1001 that Syracuse won 10 or more games, as in 2018 and 2001 they finished with the same 10-3 record. On paper, it looks like year two won’t be as good as the first for Brown. The saying “the second time is a charm” might not apply for Brown’s second season, considering five of the teams could be ranked in the Top 25 when they play them.
A lot could change but at this point, Syracuse has the hardest schedule in the ACC and possibly the country. Last season, the Orange went 6-1 at home this season, barring an upset, they will need to be perfect if they want to make a bowl game. On the road this upcoming season the orange will face four teams that took part in the playoffs just a year ago, Tennessee, Clemson, SMU, and Notre Dame. Their biggest home game of the year looks to be North Carolina thanks to Bill Belichick’s arrival.
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Oklahoma
Away: Temple, Texas, South Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama
Home: Illinois State, Michigan, Auburn, Kent State, Ole Miss, Missouri, and LSU
The season was not even close but Brent Venables only took a hit when he couldn’t convince Jim Knowles to join him in Norman, instead electing to head to Happy Valley. The Sooners needed a defensive mastermind like Knowles to help Venables make it through the season, let alone make the playoffs. For the fourth-year coach, a schedule like this couldn’t come at a worse time, after going 6-7 last season.
It’s one thing to go 6-7 it is another when you go 6-7 for the second time in three years, something unacceptable at Oklahoma. After seeing a lot of success with Lincoln Riley, who went 55-10 in his five years in Norman, they haven’t seen the same with Venables who is 22-17. With his seat already hot, Venables needed a big season unfortunately for him he didn’t get a favorable schedule. What he did get is arguably the worst seven-game stretch to end a season made up of Texas on Oct. 11, South Carolina on Oct. 18, Ole Miss on Oct. 25, Tennessee on Nov. 1, Alabama on Nov. 15 Nov. 22 Missouri, and finally Nov. 29 against LSU. If Venables can’t find a way to pull some upsets year four could very well be his last.
Wisconsin
Away: Alabama, Michigan, Oregon, Indiana and Minnesota
Home: Miami (OH), Middle Tennessee, Maryland, Iowa, Ohio State, Washington, and Illinois
Luke Fickell took over in 2023 and it’s not the start Wisconsin fans wanted from their new head coach. Fickell went 7-6 in year one then followed it up going 5-7 this past season, missing a bowl game for the first time since 2001. Whatever Fickell has attempted to do with the Air Raid offense just doesn’t seem to work and like Venables, could find his seat very hot come Nov. 29 against Minnesota. And the schedule did him no favors, playing three of the four Big Ten teams that made the CFP a year ago, two being on the road.
For reference, in his seven full seasons, Paul Chryst never missed a bowl game, but was let go in 2022 after starting the season 2-3 while Fickell missed one in year two. If the former Cincinnati coach is going to calm the critics, a big month of October will be needed in 2025, with games against Michigan on Oct. 4, Iowa on Oct. 11, Ohio State on Oct. 18, and Oregon on Oct. 25. The Badgers have to pull one maybe two upsets if it’s going to be a good season. Because after embarrassing losses to Minnesota 24-7, Nebraska 44-25, and Alabama and Iowa 42-10 last season, if October is bad, Fickell could be out before Halloween.
