September schedules: The teams that have a tough first month – and those that don’t

Generally, coaches (and players and fans, for that matter) like to ease into a season. You play overmatched foes early in September to get the kinks out, then you’re – presumably – ready to play better teams as the season progresses.

But that’s not doable for everyone.

Here’s a look at both sides. We have picked 10 teams who have some hard work to do right out of the gate in September. We also have selected five teams whose September schedules are easier.

Yes, “easier” is relative; we fully understand that what’s easy for one team might not be easy for another. But a team’s merits were considered, on both sides. And it’s also noteworthy that there were far more candidates for the “tough” section than for the easy section, which is good news for fans who like competitive games.

Of note on some teams who are not included:

+ Louisville is the only Power 5 team to open the season with back-to-back road games. The flipside: Auburn and Ohio State both open with five consecutive homes games, Florida plays six of its first seven at home, and Pitt, Syracuse, UCLA and UCF play five of their first six at home.

+ It doesn’t necessarily have to do with early-season games, but Buffalo has an interesting schedule nonetheless. The Bulls have five home games total — and two of those are the final two contests of the season. That means Buffalo plays seven of its first 10 on the road. The Bulls have just two home games in the first seven weeks of the season.

Let’s dive into the details. (This is Part 2 of a four-part schedule series. Tuesday, we had a broad overview of conference schedules. Thursday will be a breakdown of the top non-conference games this fall. Friday, we’ll spotlight the most egregiously bad non-conference matchups.)

A tough September schedule

Arizona: The Wildcats were horrendous last season, but have brought in talent that should especially help on offense. Still, the early schedule is difficult. For one, while there is an FCS opponent in September, it’s North Dakota State, which is the best program in FCS. The opener is at defense-oriented San Diego State, which won 12 games last season. Mississippi State comes in a week after the SDSU game, which means the defense goes from facing a run-oriented offense to facing a Mike Leach offense in a week. And there’s also a conference road game at defense-minded Cal.

Colorado: The Buffs are the only team in the nation playing 11 games against Power 5 opponents. Colorado opens with TCU, then visits the one non-Power 5 on its schedule — but it’s Air Force, whose option offense is difficult to defend. Then comes a trip to play a physical Minnesota team, followed by a home game against UCLA, which is expected to be one of the better teams in the Pac-12.

Georgia Tech: Game 2 is against a struggling FCS program (Western Carolina), but the other three games in September are difficult. The opener is against Clemson. Game 3 is a visit from Ole Miss. And Game 4 is a trip to UCF. It’s not a stretch to think Clemson, Ole Miss and UCF will be ranked when the Yellow Jackets play them.

Kent State: Sean Lewis is a good coach and oversees a highly productive offense. But he must have done something to someone in a past life. The Golden Flashes open at Washington, then play at Oklahoma the next week. Game 3 is a breather against Long Island. But Game 4 is a trip to Georgia. Goodness. Kent State is the only non-Power 5 team in a conference that plays three Power 5 foes.

Penn State: The Nittany Lions had a tough early schedule in 2021, and it’s déjà vu for James Franklin and his guys. Week 1 is a visit to Purdue; opening on the road is bad enough but opening against a tough conference opponent? Game 2 is Ohio, which should be easy. Then comes a trip to Auburn, followed by a visit from Central Michigan, which should contend for the MAC title. Penn State could (should?) start 4-0, but the Nittany Lions will have put in some hard work to get there.

Texas: The opener is a breeze, against ULM. Then comes a visit from Alabama in Week 2. Week 3 sees UTSA coming to Austin for the first meeting between the programs; UTSA won’t be as good as it was last season, when it won 12 games, but it still is one of the better programs in Conference USA. And this provides a chance for little brother to stick a finger (or maybe even a fist) in big brother’s eye. Week 4 is the Big 12 opener, and it’s on the road against Texas Tech. It’s never fun to go to Lubbock (you can interpret that as you wish).

Texas Tech: The Red Raiders don’t have an easy first month, either. Well, there is an easy first game, against FCS member Murray State. But Game 2 is a visit from Houston, which won 12 games last season and figures to be strong again this season. Week 3 is a trip to NC State, which features star QB Devin Leary and is expected to contend for the ACC title. Week 4 is the visit from the Longhorns. Have fun in the first month of the season, new coach Joey McGuire.

ULM: Terry Bowden enters season two with the Warhawks with new coordinators on both sides of the ball. Those guys (and their players) won’t have time to get comfortable because of ULM’s September schedule. The opener is at Texas. Game 2 is easier, against FCS member Nicholls, but Game 3 is a trip to Alabama and Game 4 is a visit from archrival Louisiana, the defending Sun Belt champion.

Utah: The Utes open at Florida. While this doesn’t look to be a vintage Gators team, trust us when we say a team from Utah will not be used to the early September heat and humidity that will be present, even with a 7 p.m. kickoff. Game 2 for the Utes is an easy one against FCS member Southern Utah. But Game 3 is a visit from defense-minded San Diego State, which beat the Utes last season, and Game 4 is the Pac-12 opener at Arizona State.

UTSA: The Roadrunners were 12-2 last season but lost a number of key players. They open with a visit from Houston, which also was a 12-win team last season. Game 2 is a trip to Army, and playing the Black Knights’ option offense is a nightmare for every defense. The third game is a trip to Texas. Game 4, though, is a gimme against FCS foe Texas Southern.

An easy September schedule

Kentucky: The Wildcats play at Florida in Week 2, but this doesn’t appear to be anything close to a vintage Gators team. And getting a team with a new coach early in the season (like Florida with Billy Napier) generally is a good thing. UK’s other September games are at home, against Miami (Ohio), FCS foe Youngstown State and Northern Illinois. NIU won the MAC last season, but UK shouldn’t lose to a MAC school. A 4-0 start is a distinct possibility, and anything worse than 3-1 would be disastrous.

Michigan: The Wolverines are one of seven Power 5 teams nationally playing zero P5 opponents in non-conference play, and all four games in September are at home. The four: Colorado State, Hawaii, UConn and Maryland. The first three have new coaches and the Wolverines beat the Terps by 41 last season. If Michigan doesn’t start 4-0, it would be a shock.

NC State: The Wolfpack are expected to be one of the top teams in the ACC, and the September schedule lends itself to a fast start. The Wolfpack opens at East Carolina; while this will be just the fifth time in the 32-game history of the series that NCSU has deigned to play at ECU, the Wolfpack – who figure to open the season in the top 25 – should be fine. Games 2-4 are in Raleigh. Game 2 is against FCS member Charleston Southern. Game 3 is against a rebuilding Texas Tech squad. And Game 4 is against UConn. What does all that mean? It means NCSU should be 4-0 when it travels to Clemson for Game 5 on October 1.

Ole Miss: The Rebels’ September schedule features three home games, against Troy, FCS member Central Arkansas and Tulsa. The September road game is against Georgia Tech, which won three games last season and may not be much better this season. Even with the Rebels having a new quarterback, new running backs and a rebuilt passing attack, a 4-0 start looms.

UCLA: The Bruins are one of the seven teams with zero Power 5 non-conference opponents. They have three home games and a road contest in September. The road game is against Pac-12 foe Colorado, which looks to be one of the two worst teams in the conference. The home games: Bowling Green, FCS member Alabama State and South Alabama. If UCLA doesn’t start 4-0, something has gone wrong.