Creating a nonconference schedule is a little like trying to make your way across a tightrope. Balance is imperative.
So is awareness, a factor that sometimes gets overlooked when glancing at the myriad slates for teams in Power 5 conferences. Take Boston College and Duke as examples.
BC has the weakest nonconference schedule among Power 5 teams, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Duke, meanwhile, is playing two Power 5 nonconference opponents for the first time since David Cutcliffe became head coach in 2008.