The 2020 college football season is still flickering for now. Although the Big Ten and Pac-12 postponed their fall seasons because of the coronavirus pandemic, the ACC, Big 12 and SEC still plan to play.
This season won't be normal, as the truncated and insular schedule models show. But a favorite preseason activity, league predictions, can commence with the templates finally in place. Fans can start griping about inequitable division crossovers, launch conspiracy theories about the placement of open weeks, and start anticipating the biggest games on the calendar.
We are diving in with our thoughts and superlatives on each Power 5 schedule, projected conference champions, records for each team and much, much more.
ACC
Overall takeaways
Andrea Adelson: This is the most compelling schedule in ACC history, and not just because Notre Dame is playing a league schedule for the first time ever. The ACC finally has no division format, and even if it's just for this one year, I welcome the far better scheduling possibilities this presents. Who would have thought Wake Forest and North Carolina could play and it would not have to be scheduled as a nonconference game the way it was last season (and that game turned out to be one of the best of the 2019 ACC season). Adding Notre Dame obviously boosts the league's strength of schedule across the board, and giving North Carolina to the Irish as one of the extra ACC games adds another Top 25 matchup.
David Hale: The overall landscape of the league doesn't change much because of the new schedule, where Clemson remains king. The big impact is that there is a real blue-blood competitor for that crown now that Notre Dame has joined the ACC this season. In the end, however, Notre Dame is likely to be less of a challenger to Clemson's dominance than a thorn in the side -- or, perhaps, a step toward the big time -- for the ACC's up-and-comers, with Pitt, North Carolina and Louisville all on the docket for the Irish.
New schedule winner
Adelson: NC State. The only team in the ACC to avoid Clemson AND Notre Dame, NC State has to be feeling pretty, pretty lucky. Also taken off the Wolfpack's schedule is Louisville, which they would normally play in the Atlantic Division.
Hale: Louisville. The Cardinals were already among the fashionable underdogs for the 2020 season after a stellar turnaround in 2019 in Scott Satterfield's first year as coach. With the bulk of their offensive talent back and a year to rework the defense, things looked good. So, what's the cherry on top? The new schedule doesn't include Clemson. Yes, there's still that trip to Notre Dame, but that comes earlier in the year now, which is probably a good thing, and for a team with so much explosiveness on offense, there's really not another game on the slate that isn't winnable.
New schedule loser
Adelson: Georgia Tech. The Jackets are continuing their rebuild under coach Geoff Collins, and the new schedule did them no favors. They open with Florida State, then play UCF, and after an open week, get Louisville, Clemson and keep Notre Dame on the schedule. So the Jackets will get a true sense of Atlantic Division play with six opponents from that side.
Hale: Miami. The Hurricanes were going to be a huge wild card in this year's ACC regardless, but at least they had a favorable schedule working in their favor. Now? Well, not so much. Whereas annual rival Florida State and a road trip to face a solid Wake Forest team were already going to be tricky divisional crossovers, the Canes were gifted trips to both Louisville and Clemson with the new schedule. Good luck with that.
Biggest remaining question
Adelson: If this was a normal season, Clemson would go into the season with no margin for error for a spot in the College Football Playoff. But now, with Notre Dame in the ACC picture, what does that mean for the overall conference strength and the way the committee views the ACC? North Carolina is expected to be a preseason Top 25 team, and expectations will be high for Louisville as well. With no nonconference schedule to boost itself, how the selection committee views the ACC is a huge question.
Hale: Aside from whether these games will actually be played, the big question is what a wonky offseason means for the ACC's teams on the rise. Florida State got a new coaching staff and new energy, but there wasn't a real spring to jell. UNC and Louisville looked to be on the brink of something special, but does a lost offseason translate to a setback on that road? Pitt and Miami both looked to have stellar defenses, but both lost stars on the line due to opt-outs. So, questions? It's all questions right now except at Clemson. The Tigers are still good.
Final records
Adelson: Clemson: 10-1; Notre Dame: 9-2; North Carolina: 8-3; Louisville: 7-4; Pitt: 7-4; Florida State: 6-5; Miami: 6-5; Virginia Tech: 6-5; Wake Forest: 6-5; NC State: 5-6; Virginia: 5-6; Boston College: 4-7; Duke: 4-7; Syracuse: 3-8; Georgia Tech: 3-8.
Hale: Clemson: 11-0; Pitt: 9-2; Notre Dame: 8-3; North Carolina: 8-3; Louisville: 7-4; Virginia Tech: 6-5; Miami: 6-5; Florida State: 6-5; Wake Forest: 5-6; Syracuse: 5-6; Boston College: 5-6; NC State: 4-7; Virginia: 4-7; Duke: 3-8; Georgia Tech: 2-9.
Champion
Adelson: Clemson
Hale: Clemson
Big 12
Overall takeaways
Dave Wilson: The league's top-ranked teams, Oklahoma and Texas, meet in Week 6 in the single-most important game for the College Football Playoff race among all schedules, according to ESPN Stats & Info research. Its playoff leverage projection says a win would give the Sooners a 46% chance of making the CFP, with the Longhorns at 43%. But with Chuba Hubbard and Tylan Wallace returning along with Spencer Sanders at quarterback, Oklahoma State is not far behind and could be a looming threat.
Sam Khan Jr.: The league's annual landmark games (the Red River Showdown and Bedlam) are going to be huge in determining the pecking order near the top of the league. Oklahoma State is going to be one to watch with its dynamic skill position trio and might have the best shot at challenging Oklahoma for the conference crown. Texas has a lot of talent returning but a reshuffled coaching staff -- and how new coordinators Mike Yurcich and Chris Ash impact the Longhorns will go a long way toward determining their chances. And don't forget about Iowa State; the combination of QB Brock Purdy and the Cyclones' defense will make them tough to deal with, too. The fight for the right to face Oklahoma in the Big 12 championship should be compelling.
New schedule winner
Wilson: For most teams, the Big 12's everyone-plays-everyone format just means the loss of a couple of tuneup cupcakes. But the SEC's retooled conference-only scheduled means Texas loses a marquee rematch with LSU. While the Longhorns would've welcomed the test and hoped to avenge last season's 45-38 loss, FPI gave LSU a 70% chance to win in Baton Rouge. Texas' remaining nonconference game is now its Sept. 12 opener against UTEP.
Khan: No doubt it's Texas. Losing the LSU game lightens the load a ton and having only UTEP on the non-conference slate is manageable for the Longhorns. Baylor's start to the conference slate is also forgiving for new coach Dave Aranda. The Bears will get Kansas and West Virginia to start league play; however, their nonconference game (likely Louisiana Tech) is no pushover.
New schedule loser
Wilson: You have to feel for Kansas, losing two of its best opportunities for wins, a home game against Boston College -- whom the Jayhawks beat on the road last season -- and another against FCS New Hampshire. KU now opens against Coastal Carolina, which beat Kansas 12-7 last season. From there, the conference season looks like tough sledding for a shot at a win, and its home opponents are all tough: Oklahoma State, Iowa State, Texas and TCU.
Khan: TCU's first half of the schedule will be a challenge. Three of their first four conference games are against teams that were in the top four of the league's preseason poll: Iowa State, Texas and Oklahoma. Squeeze a Kansas State game in between and a nonconference matchup vs. rival SMU -- which has QB Shane Buechele back -- to kick things off, and the Horned Frogs have a lot on their plate to start the year.
Biggest remaining question
Wilson: Is the Oklahoma defense ready for prime time?
Yes, all eyes are on Spencer Rattler taking over at quarterback. But Lincoln Riley's QBs, dating back to his time as East Carolina's offensive coordinator, have thrived in his offense no matter who's spreading the ball around. The final piece for the Sooners to break through with a College Football Playoff win is Alex Grinch's defense. Last season, the defense improved dramatically over 2018's implosion -- OU actually led the Big 12 in yards allowed per game, and gave up 26.3 points per game in conference play. But the Sooners have allowed an average of 54 points per game in Riley's three playoff losses, including 63 to LSU and Joe Burrow last season. Can they fix that fatal flaw? If so, look out.
Khan: What to make of Baylor under Dave Aranda?
The Bears were Big 12 title contenders last season, making an appearance in the league championship game. They fought Oklahoma tooth and nail both times the teams met, including the first meeting when Baylor led by 25 at one point before a furious Sooners comeback. Now Aranda, the former LSU defensive coordinator, takes over. He has a highly regarded coaching staff, but taking on this challenge during a pandemic-fueled offseason, which allowed for no spring football, affects first-year staffs the most. The less time they have on the field with their squad, the more challenging it makes things. Baylor has a veteran QB in Charlie Brewer but lost its entire starting defensive line. Aranda's predecessor, Matt Rhule, recruited well, but how quickly this team can jell will be worth watching.
Final records
Wilson: Oklahoma: 9-1; Texas: 9-1; Oklahoma State: 8-2; Iowa State: 7-3; Baylor: 6-4; TCU: 5-5; Kansas State: 4-6; Texas Tech: 3-7; West Virginia: 2-8; Kansas: 1-9.
Khan: Oklahoma: 9-1; Oklahoma State: 8-2; Iowa State: 8-2; Texas: 7-3; Baylor: 6-4; Kansas State: 5-5; Texas Tech: 5-5; TCU: 4-6; West Virginia: 2-8; Kansas: 1-9.
Champion
Wilson: Oklahoma
Khan: Oklahoma
SEC
Overall takeaways
Chris Low: The SEC is quick to point out the totality of each team's schedule, including the games that were already scheduled. That said, the three SEC teams ranked in the top five of the preseason Amway Coaches Poll -- No. 3 Alabama, No. 4 Georgia and No. 5 LSU -- all made out pretty good when the league doled out the two additional games for the 2020 season. In fact, the rest of the league would say so good that something smells rotten. Alabama drew Kentucky at home and Missouri on the road. Georgia got Mississippi State at home and Arkansas on the road, while LSU added Missouri at home and Vanderbilt on the road. There was no way the league was going to make everybody happy. But sometimes the rich just get richer.
Mark Schlabach: There is reason to believe, on paper at least, that the SEC went out of its way to protect its highly ranked teams that might have a chance at reaching the College Football Playoff (if we have one this season) -- Alabama, Florida, Georgia and LSU. Instead of having to travel to the Swamp to play the Gators, which would have been the case if the SEC had simply added each team's next two cross-divisional opponents, the Crimson Tide will instead go to Missouri and play Kentucky at home. Georgia drew Mississippi State at home and Arkansas on the road; LSU plays Missouri at home and Vanderbilt on the road. Conversely, the league certainly didn't go out of its way to help its teams that aren't expected to do much this coming season, such as Arkansas, Missouri and Vanderbilt.
New schedule winner
Low: The feeling initially by most coaches and athletic directors was that the additional games would come from the rotating cross-divisional foes in 2021 and 2022, which meant Alabama would have traveled to Florida. So scratch that trip to the Swamp for a trip to Mizzou. The Crimson Tide will happily take that swap all day long.
Schlabach: Asking for a friend: Is the SEC office still located in the 205? Alabama is the clear winner for the reasons discussed above, but the Gators are a close runner-up. If the SEC had simply added Florida's next two rotating SEC West opponents, the Gators would have hosted Alabama and played Texas A&M on the road. The Gators still have to travel to Kyle Field, but they will play rebuilding Arkansas at home instead of the mighty Crimson Tide.
New schedule loser
Low: What did Eli Drinkwitz do to get on the SEC's bad side? In his first season as Mizzou's head coach, he gets a home game against Alabama and a trip to LSU added on to a schedule that already included a road date against Florida and a home game against Georgia. For those keeping count in the Show Me State (and who is not keeping count when it comes to SEC football?), that's four games against teams ranked in the top eight of the preseason coaches' poll.
Schlabach: If coaching in a global pandemic in your first season at a school wasn't enough, the SEC's four new coaches face steep uphill climbs thanks to their schedules. Arkansas coach Sam Pittman's first season as a head coach includes games against six foes ranked in the coaches' poll. Both of the new coaches in the Magnolia State -- Mississippi State's Mike Leach and Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin -- will face five such opponents, and Eli Drinkwitz's Missouri team will face four teams -- Alabama, Florida, Georgia and LSU -- ranked in the top eight of the coaches' poll.
Biggest remaining question
Low: Defending national champion LSU caught a break with its two add-on games (Missouri at home and Vanderbilt on the road), but the Tigers still have to play at Florida, at Auburn, at Texas A&M and Alabama at home. Losing 14 players to the NFL draft, including Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Joe Burrow, makes for a daunting challenge if LSU is going to get back to championship contention in 2020.
Schlabach: Tennessee is trying to get over the hump under coach Jeremy Pruitt, but the Volunteers face an arduous schedule, which includes road games at Georgia and Auburn and home games against Florida, Alabama and Texas A&M. At least the Volunteers won't have to face Oklahoma in a nonconference game as well.
Final records
Low: Alabama: 9-1; Georgia: 9-1; Florida: 8-2; Auburn: 7-3; LSU: 7-3; Texas A&M: 7-3; Tennessee: 6-4; Kentucky: 4-6; South Carolina: 4-6; Mississippi State: 3-7; Ole Miss: 3-7; Missouri: 1-9; Vanderbilt: 1-9; Arkansas: 1-9.
Schlabach: Alabama: 9-1; Georgia: 9-1; Florida: 8-2; LSU: 8-2; Auburn: 7-3; Texas A&M: 7-3; Tennessee: 5-5; South Carolina: 5-5; Kentucky: 4-6; Mississippi State: 3-7; Ole Miss: 3-7; Missouri: 2-8; Vanderbilt: 0-10; Arkansas: 0-10.
Champion
Low: Alabama
Schlabach: Alabama