College football top 25 rankings: Toughest games for national title contenders

The hardest game on the 2022 schedule for each college football national championship contender.

Playing a quality schedule is more important now than ever before as the College Football Playoff places a heavy premium on playing good teams.

But not all schedules are created equally, making it all important for some teams to play above and beyond against the quality opponents they line up against.

What's in store for the teams that will start the season in the national championship race? Let's look at the hardest games for each team in the AP top 10.

College football rankings: Toughest games for national title contenders

10. Baylor

Toughest game: Sept. 10 at BYU

What to expect: BYU plays a tough schedule and tends to win most of those games, setting up what should be a high quality win for Baylor if all goes according to plan. This game comes early enough to recover from if it's a loss, but the College Football Playoff selectors want to see wins against quality non-conference teams like this.

The other toughest game: Nov. 5 at Oklahoma

What to expect: It was a win over OU late last fall that helped put Baylor in the Big 12 title game, and the Sooners can easily be in CFP contention by November this time around. This is a crucial late season road game against a likely ranked conference foe that will seriously help or hinder Baylor's playoff credentials.

9. Oklahoma

Toughest game: Nov. 5 vs. Baylor

What to expect: OU wants to avenge last year's loss to Baylor while picking up what should be a quality, late season win over a likely ranked conference opponent. This game comes wedged between trips to Iowa State and West Virginia and sets up a crucial final month of the schedule.

The other toughest game: Nov. 19 vs. Oklahoma State

What to expect: Bedlam didn't go the Sooners' way last season, but this time around the Cowboys have to replace much of a defense that ranked third overall in college football and also just lost its top running back.

8. Michigan

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Toughest game: Nov. 26 at Ohio State

What to expect: Always the most important game on this schedule, Ohio State will likely be undefeated coming in, and if Michigan is perfect or at one loss, has a chance to use this game as another catapult into the College Football Playoff chase. Beating the Buckeyes is among the best quality wins you can have this season.

The other toughest game: Oct. 1 at Iowa

What to expect: Going to Iowa has a way of destroying your season — just ask Penn State in 2021 or Ohio State in 2017 — so Michigan will have to be on guard going against what should be a solid Hawkeyes defense in its first road game of the year.

7. Utah

Toughest game: Nov. 19 at Oregon

What to expect: A rematch of last year's Pac-12 title will have a major impact on which teams get back to that game. To make this one mean something, Utah can't be worse than one loss, and really neither can Oregon. The CFP committee has shown it doesn't like putting Pac-12 teams in contention, owing to its quality of schedule.

The other toughest game: Sept. 3 at Florida

What to expect: Opening up across the country on the road against an SEC team can be a resume-booster, provided the Gators don't completely fall apart in Billy Napier's first season. SEC Speed is a real thing, even on subpar teams, and this game is a good litmus test for how agile the Utes' skill players really are.

6. Texas A&M

Toughest game: Oct. 8 at Alabama

What to expect: Offseason beef between Jimbo and Saban aside, the Aggies were already facing a crucial matchup against the dynasty of the 21st century midseason. A&M beat the No. 1 Tide a year ago, but lost four other games, dooming their College Football Playoff chances.

The other toughest game: Sept. 24 vs. Arkansas

What to expect: There's an important non-conference game against Miami the week before this one, but putting on a good show against a ranked SEC West team should set the tone for the Aggies going forward going into three straight road games.

5. Notre Dame

Toughest game: Sept. 3 at Ohio State

What to expect: Just about every analyst and bookie says the Irish are starting 0-1 here, but that doesn't spell doom, not with several quality opponents upcoming on the schedule. Still, you need to not get blown out by the likes of Ohio State on the road, especially when you don't have a conference title to play for.

The other toughest game: Nov. 5 vs. Clemson

What to expect: ND used an upset over then-No. 1 Clemson in 2020 to get into the College Football Playoff and another win over this team — likely improved from last fall, though probably not the top-ranked team at the time — is an important piece in the puzzle to get back.

4. Clemson

Toughest game: Nov. 5 at Notre Dame

What to expect: Clemson would prefer the Irish be at one loss at best for this game and for itself to be perfect to get the most out of it. An undefeated Clemson is making the College Football Playoff regardless of the quality of schedule, but a loss here is late enough to make you nervous going into the ACC title game. 

The other toughest game: Oct. 1 vs. NC State

What to expect: Probably the toughest game on Clemson's conference schedule, beating a likely top 15 Wolfpack team is a solid addition to the playoff resume, not to mention revenge for the early loss here a year ago.

3. Georgia

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Toughest game: Sept. 3 vs. Oregon

What to expect: Georgia should win every other game on its schedule, but sort of does need to beat Oregon to impress the College Football Playoff pickers if it doesn't win the SEC title, which is a real possibility when looking ahead to a date against likely West champion Alabama.

The other toughest game: Nov. 19 at Kentucky

What to expect: If the Bulldogs beat Oregon in the opener, they should likely be undefeated coming into Lexington late in the season, but have to be on guard against the upset-minded Wildcats, who will have quarterback Will Levis back probably in tandem with talented rusher Chris Rodriguez. Any slip-up this late could doom Georgia's chance to get back to the final four.

2. Ohio State

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Toughest game: Sept. 3 vs. Notre Dame

What to expect: Notre Dame should be the one team on the Buckeyes' schedule with a roster that really compares to what OSU is putting on the field. ND's strong O-line will be a test for Ohio State's pass rush, an area that must improve for this team to belong in the College Football Playoff race.

The other toughest game: Nov. 26 vs. Michigan

What to expect: Getting revenge on Michigan is itself a goal worth playing for after last season's loss, but the Buckeyes are banking on The Game being their ticket back to the Big Ten title game and from there, a sure spot in the final four.

1. Alabama

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Toughest game: Oct. 8 vs. Texas A&M

What to expect: Alabama needs this game to make a statement to the country that it's still the boss of the SEC West and can hold off what looks like the up and comer in the division. That looks like a doable task looking at the Tide's roster, which returns the Heisman winner at quarterback in Bryce Young, and linebacker Will Anderson, arguably the single best player in college football at any position.

The other toughest game: Oct. 1 at Arkansas

What to expect: Heading into the Aggie game is a trip to a suddenly much-improved Razorback team that played Bama to a close, 7-point loss last fall. Arkansas can move the ball downfield, but has replacements to make defensively while the Tide look to install a new crop of downfield threats.

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