BC, Duke and the way they scheduled for 2016

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.

Boston College coach Steve Addazio makes no apologies for his nonconference schedule.The Eagles have taken their fair share of criticism for a schedule that includes UMass, Wagner,…