The true measure of a college football team's strength of schedule cannot be determined until the regular season approaches its end. That said, some schedules stand out as obviously better than others before a game is ever played.
The 2016 college football season opens with one of the best single days in the sport's history, which sets a fitting tone for the fall to follow. Some of the most likely College Football Playoff contenders face the sport's most difficult schedules.
1. USC
The most difficult schedule in the 2016 college football season, if not one of the single most treacherous slates in recent memory, welcomes Clay Helton to his first campaign as USC's full-time head coach.