You won't find many more difficult nonconference schedules than what Southern Miss football has put together for its third season under Will Hall.
The Golden Eagles will play two road games against Power Five programs, with a visit from Tulane – the preseason favorite to win the American Athletic Conference – mixed in for good measure.
Those challenges mean that, if USM improves on its win total of seven from last season, it will have made considerable strides forward as a program. The bookmakers have set the Golden Eagles' preseason win total at 5.