Introduction

With the college football season now less than 40 days away, there’s plenty to be excited about. However, not every team shares that excitement—some are staring down the toughest projected schedules in their respective conferences. Let’s take a look at the Power Four teams facing the most difficult strength of schedule in their conference, and where their current over/under win totals are set.

ACC: Syracuse

With the 17th-toughest strength of schedule in the country, the Syracuse Orange are in for a challenging season. Their current win total on DraftKings is set at 5.5 (over +125; under -150), and they’ll be breaking in a new quarterback: Rickie Collins, a transfer from LSU. Syracuse is projected to face five ranked opponents—four of them on the road—and the fifth in their season opener against Tennessee, played on a neutral field in Atlanta. The Orange do have two early-season breathers against UConn and Colgate, but the rest of the schedule is filled with tough ACC matchups.

Big 10: Wisconsin

Entering Year 3 under head coach Luke Fickell and coming off a 5–7 record in 2024, Wisconsin won’t have an easy path to a rebound. The Badgers face the 12th-toughest schedule in the nation. Their win total on DraftKings is currently set at 5.5 (over +125; under -150), the same as Syracuse. One bright spot is that Wisconsin opens the season with two relatively manageable matchups—Miami (OH) and Middle Tennessee State. After that, the gauntlet begins with a trip to Tuscaloosa to face Alabama, followed by the start of Big Ten play. Of their nine conference games, five are against teams projected to be ranked.

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Big 12: Oklahoma State

With the “easiest” strength of schedule on this list—39th in the country—the Oklahoma State Cowboys are currently projected at an over/under win total of 4.5 (over -170; under +140). In non-conference play, Oklahoma State faces a tough test with a trip to Oregon in Week 2. The biggest thing working in their favor is the stability of longtime head coach Mike Gundy, who remains at the helm. If the Big 12 proves to be as unpredictable as it was last season, every conference game will be up for grabs. Oddsmakers seem particularly wary of the fact that the Cowboys are replacing nearly 60% of last year’s roster with incoming transfers.

SEC: Florida

With head coach Billy Napier on the hot seat heading into the season, it’s far from ideal that Florida faces the nation’s toughest projected strength of schedule. The Gators did end last season on a high note, picking up big wins over LSU and Ole Miss. Florida is currently listed with a win total of 7.5 (over +115; under -135), and fans are eager to see what they can get out of second-year quarterback DJ Lagway, a dynamic threat with the ball in his hands. The challenge, however, is that most of Florida’s toughest games are either on the road or at neutral sites—aside from home matchups against Texas and Tennessee.