Alabama is the best team of the young College Football Playoff era. The Crimson Tide have made both playoff fields with two SEC titles, winning the national championship last fall with a 45-40 win over Clemson. However, Nick Saban’s bunch is hardly infallible. In each of the last two seasons, Ole Miss has upended the Tide, with Alabama rebounding both times.

So, even though Alabama returns only 11 starters and must identify a replacement for quarterback Jake Coker, we can’t count its Sept. 17 visit to Oxford as a “trap.” The real trap? An Oct. 8 visit to Arkansas. Bret Bielema’s group has played the Tide very tough in each of the last two seasons.

Two years ago, Alabama escaped with a 14-13 win. Last fall, the Tide trailed 7-3 at halftime in Tuscaloosa and led only 10-7 after three quarters before riding its defense to a 27-14 win. Arkansas must replace its starting quarterback and prolific back Alex Collins, but Bielema knows how to attack Saban’s teams.

Coming at the beginning of a stretch that also features a trip to Tennessee and a home date with Texas A&M, there’s reason to be concerned about the Razorbacks in Fayetteville.

As he enters his fourth season at Arkansas, Bret Bielema is looking to build. Bielema has led Arkansas to bowl games in each of the last two seasons but overcame early-season adversity both times. A strong start is crucial to improving on 2015’s 8-5 record. September features high-profile games against TCU and Texas A&M, but it’s also important to build momentum.

That starts with the home opener against Louisiana Tech. The Bulldogs and their fast-paced offense might look like an easy mark, but so did Toledo, right? Arkansas will be breaking in a new starting quarterback in Austin Allen, the younger brother of the graduated Brandon Allen. A few mistakes could hurt his confidence, especially if he’s looking ahead to the following week’s road trip to TCU.

2015 was a disappointing season for Arizona. Coming off a 10-win season, Rich Rodriguez’s Wildcats struggled to maintain momentum and fell to 7-6, with quarterback Anu Solomon fighting through injuries and throwing for 2,667 yards (down from 3,793 as a freshman) and 20 touchdowns against five interceptions. Rodriguez made over his defense, firing his entire defensive staff and hiring former Boise State coordinator Marcel Yates.

Arizona has a high-profile neutral-site opener against BYU in Glendale, Arizona, and with Grambling State and Hawaii up next, the Wildcats could easily begin 2016 3-0. That would build confidence heading into the Pac-12 opener against Washington, especially with consecutive road trips to UCLA and Utah on tap.

The Huskies are coming off a 7-6 season of their own but could be one of the nation’s most improved teams with talented pieces such as quarterback Jake Browning, tailback Myles Gaskin and safety Budda Baker all returning. Arizona needs to be wary of Chris Petersen’s team, without question.

By any account, Arizona State took a step back in 2015. Following a pair of 10-win seasons under Todd Graham, the Sun Devils slipped, winding up with a 6-7 record after a Cactus Bowl loss to West Virginia. What’s worse, offensive coordinator Mike Norvell departed to become Memphis’ new head coach, and only four starters return from an offense that averaged 34.6 points per game.

While Demario Richard returns after rushing for 1,104 yards and seven scores, the Sun Devils must replace four offensive line starters and pick a quarterback from a group that includes Manny Wilkins, Brady White and Bryce Perkins. Making a bowl could be difficult. Per AZCentral.com’s Doug Haller, ASU Vice President of Athletics Ray Anderson is trying to keep expectations in check. 

“One of the things, very frankly, that we’re trying to do better around here is to talk less and deliver more,” Anderson said. “We’ll be minimum on the bravado and all the predictions about greatness and just let our play speak for us.”

An October stretch at Colorado, home against Washington State and at Oregon could prove crucial to that push. It’s a chance to build momentum, as Colorado will be one of the Pac-12’s worst teams. After that game, the Sun Devils could look ahead to Oregon. With Washington State’s high-powered offense in town on Oct. 22, that really wouldn’t be smart, especially for a defense that yielded 337.8 passing yards per game in 2015.

2016 is a crucial season for Gus Malzahn and Auburn. After a magical 2013 season that culminated with a run to the BCS title game and a 12-2 record, the Tigers are just 15-11 since and 6-10 in SEC play. Following last season’s ugly 7-6 mark, the pressure should be even higher on Malzahn this fall, even though he has yet to identify a quarterback from a group including Jeremy Johnson, Sean White and John Franklin III.

Getting off to a solid start is vital. National runner-up Clemson opens the season on the Plains, and home games with SEC foes Texas A&M and LSU follow on Sept. 17 and Sept. 24. In between? A visit from Malzahn’s old team, Arkansas State, on Sept. 10.

The Red Wolves are a perennial Sun Belt power, and their spread offense averaged 40 points per game last year. Coach Blake Anderson must replace quarterback Fredi Knighten but does return 13 starters. A year ago, the Tigers welcomed FCS foe Jacksonville State between games with Louisville and LSU, and went to overtime before escaping 27-20. If they aren’t careful, a similar fate could befall them in 2016.

Baylor has fought through a tumultuous summer. After an independent investigation found that coach Art Briles and his staff had obstructed and misled investigations into allegations of sexual assault and dating violence against his players, Briles was fired, while chancellor Kenneth Starr was stripped of his power and athletic director Ian McCaw resigned.

Baylor is down to 12 recruits for the 2016 class, per John Werner of the Waco Herald Tribune, but the Bears should still be Big 12 contenders after returning a talented roster led by quarterback Seth Russell, tailback Shock Linwood and receiver KD Cannon. However, standout backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham announced he will transfer, per Werner.

The Baylor offense averaged 48.1 points per game last fall, best in the FBS, and if the pieces come together again, the Bears will be in contention for a league crown in November. They face a tough stretch at Texas on Oct. 29, against TCU on Nov. 5 and at Oklahoma on Nov. 12. Come through that gauntlet unscathed, and they should feel pretty good about themselves.

However, overlooking Kansas State, which visits Nov. 19, would be a mistake. The Wildcats didn’t have one of Bill Snyder’s vintage teams last fall but still pushed Baylor before falling, 31-24. They certainly have the toughness to potentially ruin a special season in Waco.

Let’s face it. Boston College didn’t scare anyone last season. Following consecutive bowl seasons, the Eagles fell to 3-9, going winless in ACC play. The main culprit? The offense. BC was putrid on that side of the ball, winding up No. 126 nationally in total offense and No. 121 in scoring offense, scoring just 17.2 points per game.

New offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler will pick between Kentucky transfer Patrick Towles and Darius Wade, who emerged as the starter last fall before suffering a season-ending broken ankle against Florida State.

The Eagles begin the season in Dublin against Georgia Tech and open their home season on Sept. 17 against Virginia Tech. In between, they travel to Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, to take on in-state foe UMass. The now-independent Minutemen went just 3-9 last season, but they’ll surely be fired up to face the Eagles. With two important games flanking the trip, Steve Addazio should have his team on upset watch.

Cal and Sonny Dykes enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2015. Two years removed from an 0-12 season, the Bears went 8-5 and won the Armed Forces Bowl. However, building on that success won’t be easy. Cal returns just eight starters, three on offense, and lost prolific quarterback Jared Goff to the NFL as the top overall draft pick.

Dykes and new offensive coordinator Jake Spavital scored a coup by landing Texas Tech transfer Davis Webb, well versed in the Air Raid offense, as the new starter. However, after losing the top six receivers from 2015, Webb will have a period of adjustment.

The Bears open the season on Aug. 27 against Hawaii in Sydney and then have a week off before making a much shorter road trip to San Diego to face off with San Diego State. Fans might be focused on the Sept. 17 home opener against Texas, but the Aztecs, the defending Mountain West champs, are no easy mark.

Speedy tailback Donnel Pumphrey will test a defense that returns just five starters from a year ago. SDSU should make this much closer than 2015’s 35-7 score.

Clemson has accomplished plenty in seven-plus seasons under Dabo Swinney. The Tigers have shed their image as a team that can’t get it done in the clutch after putting together five consecutive seasons of at least 10 wins, with two ACC titles, a College Football Playoff appearance and a national runner-up finish.

They’re a legit national power and will be a strong College Football Playoff pick again this fall while returning eight offensive starters, including Heisman Trophy third-place finisher Deshaun Watson, the nation’s best quarterback. But one thing Clemson hasn’t done under Swinney? Win at Georgia Tech.

In fact, Clemson hasn’t won at Bobby Dodd Stadium since taking a 39-3 victory in 2003. Tech owns a five-game winning streak over the Tigers on the Flats, including a 28-6 victory two years ago when Watson left early with a knee injury.

The Tigers head to Tech on Sept. 22 for a Thursday night clash televised nationally by ESPN. The Yellow Jackets are coming off a 3-9 season, but quarterback Justin Thomas and the flexbone offense will test a defense that has just three returning starters. Paul Johnson’s bunch isn’t a great team, but Clemson has to be wary of Tech’s hex in Atlanta.

Colorado has yet to really get it going in three years under Mike MacIntyre. MacIntrye is 10-27 at Colorado, and it might be tough for the Buffaloes to make a move up the Pac-12 South standings in 2016.

The Buffs return 16 starters from a 4-9 team but have uncertainty at quarterback. Starter Sefo Liufau is recovering from a Lisfranc foot fracture that ended his 2015 season early, and Texas Tech quarterback Davis Webb originally committed to CU but spurned Boulder for Berkeley, signing with Cal. If Liufau isn’t ready, the road will be rough.

CU’s early schedule is tough, with a trip to Michigan on Sept. 17 followed by a trip to Oregon a week later. That’s followed by one of the best hopes for a Pac-12 win, with Oregon State (2-10 in 2015) coming to town.

The Buffs should win this game, but it won’t be easy. They battled to a 17-13 win over the Beavers in Corvallis last fall. If they aren’t careful, Oregon State will steal a crucial league win.

Duke and coach David Cutcliffe have a big September on tap. With nonconference road games at Northwestern (which defeated the Blue Devils at home last fall) and Notre Dame back to back, it might be easy to look past the ACC home opener against Wake Forest on Sept. 10.

That wouldn’t be wise. A year ago, the Demon Deacons took Duke to the wire, falling 27-21 in Winston-Salem. The Deacs finished 3-9 but should be improved this season. It would behoove the Devils not to look past them this time around, especially if starting quarterback Thomas Sirk, who suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in February, is not 100 percent by the beginning of the season.

Jim McElwain has big hopes for his second season at Florida. The Gators scuffled down the stretch, losing their final three games by a combined 97-24 total but still won 10 games and claimed the SEC East in McElwain’s Gainesville debut.

To improve, Florida must identify a solution at quarterback, with much-traveled Luke Del Rio the favorite to claim the starting role. The Gators return 11 starters overall but lose five starters from a strong defense, including All-American cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III.

A three-game stretch spanning September and October will be huge, with Florida visiting Tennessee and hosting LSU. In between, the Gators travel to Vanderbilt on Oct. 1. That’s a red-flag game. A year ago, the Commodores battled Florida hard before falling 9-7 in the Swamp, and they should be improved after returning seven starters from a stingy defense.

These days in the ACC, only one game truly matters: Clemson-Florida State. The winner of the Atlantic Division clash has won the Atlantic every year since 2009 and won the ACC every year since 2011. Clemson and FSU have both represented the ACC in the College Football Playoff, and this season’s meeting, set for Oct. 29 in Tallahassee, promises to be equally important with both teams expected to reside in the preseason top 10.

That said, no matter the result, Florida State should be watched closely for a letdown the following week. The Seminoles travel to N.C. State, which has played FSU very tough in each of the last two seasons. Two years ago, the Wolfpack bolted to a 24-7 first-quarter lead before the Seminoles rallied for a 56-41 win. Last year, the game was tied 17-all at halftime before Sean Maguire relieved Everett Golson and led a 34-17 victory.

This year, FSU heads to Raleigh on Nov. 5. The Wolfpack return 14 starters, and if past results are any indication, they will put their best foot forward against Jimbo Fisher’s group.

Kirby Smart has a difficult job at Georgia. Smart, who established himself as one of the nation’s top assistant coaches at Alabama, takes over for Mark Richt, who led the Bulldogs to bowl games in all 15 seasons but parted ways after failing to reach the SEC Championship Game for three consecutive seasons.

The bar is set high for Smart, and fans are unlikely to accept regression from a team that returns 13 starters, including eight on offense. September is a huge month. The Bulldogs open in the Georgia Dome against ACC Coastal champ North Carolina and travel to Ole Miss for a huge SEC crossover game Sept. 24. In between, they host Nicholls State and trek to Missouri on Sept. 17.

The Tigers are also breaking in a new coach, former defensive coordinator Barry Odom, following a 5-7 record. But they return eight starters from one of the nation’s best defenses, which yielded 16.2 points per game (fifth-best nationally) in 2015.

If Smart settles on standout freshman Jacob Eason as his starting quarterback, this would be his first road start, and it’d come against a team that UGA barely escaped 9-6 a year ago. This has all the hallmarks of a trap game.

Georgia Tech enters 2016 hoping to shake off the ugliness of a down season by Paul Johnson’s standards. The Yellow Jackets finished 2014 on a high, winning 11 games, the ACC Coastal and the Orange Bowl, but slipped to a 3-9 mark thanks to inexperience surrounding quarterback Justin Thomas. Tech returns 11 starters (including Thomas), with six on the flexbone offense, but feels much better about the pieces surrounding him.

To get back to a bowl, the Jackets must avoid pratfalls. A key moment will come Oct. 15 when Georgia Southern visits the Flats. The Eagles are in only their third season of FBS play, but have already establise themselves as a team to be reckoned with.

Two years ago, GSU pushed Tech to the limit before falling, 42-38, and last year, the Eagles took Georgia to overtime in Athens before losing. GSU led the nation in rushing a year ago and returns key cogs in quarterback Kevin Ellison and tailback Matt Breida. They won’t be intimidated by Bobby Dodd Stadium, and Tech best be wary.

Illinois hopes for a fresh start this fall. The Fighting Illini are on their third coach in less than a calendar year, with Lovie Smith returning to college coaching for the first time since 1995. He might have his work cut out for him. Interim coach Bill Cubit led Illinois to a 5-7 record in 2015, but just nine starters return from that squad. Receiver Mike Dudek, one of the Big Ten’s more promising receivers, will miss the season after suffering a second torn ACL in as many years this spring.

The nonconference schedule’s biggest challenge comes Sept. 10 when North Carolina, the defending ACC Coastal champion, visits Champaign. Three weeks later, Illinois opens the Big Ten slate at fellow West Division foe Nebraska.

In between, Western Michigan visits on Sept. 17. That could be a challenge for an Illini defense that returns four starters. Senior quarterback Zach Terrell threw for 3,526 yards with 29 touchdowns against eight interceptions, leading the Broncos to a bowl. Senior receiver Corey Davis is one of the nation’s top wideouts. If Illinois isn’t careful, Smith’s tenure will be marred by a loss to a MAC foe.

Kevin Wilson and Indiana enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2015. The Hoosiers made their first bowl in eight years, and even though they lost the Pinstripe Bowl to Duke, they’re ready to build in the tough Big Ten East.

Getting off to a good start with a quarterback TBA following Nate Sudfeld’s graduation is of tantamount importance, and Indiana begins the season at Florida International. The Golden Panthers return nine starters on offense, and Indiana needs improvement after allowing 509.5 yards per game a year ago, No. 121 nationally.

Losing the opener is the last thing that Wilson and Indiana want for 2016. They’ll need to be sharp in South Florida.

Iowa did an excellent job of avoiding traps in 2015. The Hawkeyes were one of the nation’s biggest surprise teams, finishing the regular season 12-0, and winning the Big Ten West title before losing the Big Ten title game and the Rose Bowl.

This fall, Kirk Ferentz’s team will be on everyone’s radar, and traps will likely abound. Iowa has 13 starters returning, including all of a bruising ground game, Jim Thorpe Award winner Desmond King and senior quarterback C.J. Beathard. If they make it to November unbeaten again, the month will be full of pitfalls.

The Hawkeyes travel to Penn State Nov. 5, host Michigan in a prime-time showdown Nov. 12 and host rival Nebraska on Black Friday. In between lies what looks like the most winnable game of the month, a Nov. 19 trip to Illinois.

Looking past Champaign and thinking of popping Big Ten West champagne, however, isn’t advisable. A year ago, Illinois pushed Iowa hard before falling, 29-20, at Kinnick Stadium. By mid-November, the Illini should be fully versed in Lovie Smith’s system and ready to spoil the Hawks’ season while chasing a bowl bid of their own.

With Matt Campbell on the job, Iowa State’s hopes are high despite coming off a 3-9 season in 2015. Campbell’s energetic style has infused Ames with excitement, but a brutal Big 12 schedule could temper those thoughts.

With road games at Iowa, TCU, Oklahoma State and Texas, Iowa State can’t afford any slip-ups if it hopes to reach six victories. That means taking care of business at home. Sept. 24’s visit from San Jose State is a possible trouble spot.

The Spartans are a returning bowl team, featuring a balanced offense and 15 returning starters. This game is sandwiched in between a trip to TCU and Oct. 1’s visit from Baylor. Iowa State must take San Jose State seriously; an overtime loss to Toledo (coached by Campbell) sent 2015 on the wrong path and cost former coach Paul Rhoads his job.

David Beaty has one of the toughest jobs in America. Charlie Weis left the Texas A&M assistant a smoking crater at Kansas, a roster torched by attrition and a reliance on junior college transfers that just didn’t work out. The Jayhawks were one of the nation’s worst teams a year ago, joining Central Florida as the only 0-12 teams in FBS.

When you’re coming off a winless season, it’s hard to identify any game as a “trap” game, especially when you only return 12 starters. The opener against FCS foe Rhode Island might qualify, though. The Rams are coming off a 1-10 season. But if Kansas doesn’t take them seriously, a repeat of 2015 (which began with a 41-38 loss to FCS foe South Dakota State) could be on tap.

Bill Snyder is a living legend among college football coaches. He transformed Kansas State from a laughingstock into one of the Big 12’s best programs, and has won 193 games in 24 seasons spread over a pair of stints. However, 2015 wasn’t his finest moment in Manhattan. The Wildcats won their last three games to sneak into the Liberty Bowl, where they were thumped 45-23 by Arkansas.

Only nine starters return from that team, and 2016 could be another uphill climb to postseason play. Snyder needs to find a quarterback between Jesse Ertz and Alex Delton, and the ‘Cats need to win their winnable games.

They have a tough stretch in October, visiting Oklahoma on Oct. 15 and hosting Texas on Oct. 22. A trip to Iowa State the following week looks welcoming, but the Cyclones should be improved under Matt Campbell. And a year ago, it took a late ISU meltdown complete with a pair of crucial turnovers for K-State to escape with a 38-35 win. Jack Trice Stadium could be a challenging venue for the Wildcats.

For Kentucky and Mark Stoops, it’s been a case of almost but not quite. The Wildcats have finished two consecutive seasons with 5-7 records just out of postseason contention, blowing leads to rival Louisville in both regular-season finales. The obvious solution? Take care of business earlier in the season and make the finale irrelevant.

Contests such as an Oct. 8 home game with SEC East rival Vanderbilt are vitally important. A year ago, the Commodores defeated Kentucky, 21-17. Reverse the result, and it would have made all the difference in bowl eligibility. The ‘Dores are coming off a 3-9 season but feature an improving defense and should be better this season.

Their visit comes after a trip to defending national champion Alabama, and just before a bye week and a visit from Mississippi State. It’s a game that Kentucky can’t afford to ignore to make its bowl dreams come true.

Louisville and Bobby Petrino are in a tough spot. In two years as an ACC team, the Cardinals have shown they belong in a Power Five conference, piling up 16 combined wins. However, it will be difficult for them to make a move toward the top of the league, largely because of their placement in the ACC Atlantic Division.

That, of course, is the home of Clemson and Florida State, who’ve established themselves as two of the ACC’s best teams. Combined, they’ve won the last seven division titles and the last five ACC championships. Louisville returns 16 starters, including dynamic quarterback Lamar Jackson, and will get its shot early on to prove its worth.

The Cardinals will face off with the Tigers and the Seminoles within a three-week span, hosting FSU Sept. 17 and traveling to Clemson Oct. 1. In between, they face a difficult road trip to Marshall on Sept. 24.

The Thundering Herd have established themselves as one of the best “Group of Five” teams and are coming off a 10-win season while returning eight offensive starters. This is certainly no gimme game for Petrino’s bunch.

Last November, Les Miles barely escaped with his job at LSU. The Tigers began 2015 7-0, but a three-game losing streak to Alabama, Arkansas and Ole Miss put Miles’ job in jeopardy. The Tigers return 18 starters, including Heisman Trophy candidate Leonard Fournette, and getting off to a good start is important.

2016 begins with a Lambeau Field matchup against Wisconsin, and the SEC opener is Sept. 17 in Baton Rouge against Mississippi State. In between, FCS foe Jacksonville State visits. The Gamecocks are no ordinary FCS team. They were the national runner-up last season, and standout quarterback Eli Jenkins returns as well.

A year ago, JSU took Auburn to overtime in Jordan-Hare before falling. Should these Tigers be worried? You bet.

Maryland needed an infusion of energy following the Randy Edsall era, and it got one with D.J. Durkin. The former Michigan and Florida defensive coordinator is an active coach, and the Terrapins hope to reward his investment with a postseason trip in 2016.

Doing so, however, will require some improvement from last fall’s 3-9 record. A nonconference schedule of Howard, Florida International and Central Florida builds hope, as does a Big Ten opener against hapless Purdue.

A true must-win game comes two weeks later. Maryland travels to Big Ten East rival Penn State on Oct. 8 and then hosts Michigan State Oct. 22. College Park will be excited for that visit, but the real challenge will be building enthusiasm for Minnesota’s visit on Oct. 15.

The Golden Gophers are a returning bowl team, but early success combined with the marquee October schedule could lead Maryland to overlook them. That would be a mistake, as quarterback Mitch Leidner is one of the league’s top quarterbacks. If things break right, this could be a crucial moment for hopes of a 2016 bowl game.

Mark Richt enters his first season back at Miami with plenty of positivity around him. The Hurricanes alum and South Florida native takes over following four-plus subpar seasons with Al Golden at the helm, with ‘Canes fans hoping he’s the man to restore the glory of the 80s, 90s and early 2000s.

He inherits a solid base and 16 starters, led by junior quarterback Brad Kaaya, one of the nation’s best passers. But Richt also walks into a strange early schedule. After home games against Florida A&M and Florida Atlantic, the Hurricanes travel to Boone, North Carolina, to face off with Appalachian State.

The Mountaineers are best known for their upset of Michigan while still in the FCS, but they’ve acquitted themselves quite nicely in college football’s highest division. App State is coming off an 11-2 season and Camellia Bowl win over Ohio, and returns 16 starters, led by quarterback Taylor Lamb and cornerback Latrell Gibbs.

This will be a tough assignment for Kaaya and the ‘Canes, but Miami fans will accept nothing less than a victory.

Jim Harbaugh clearly has Michigan headed in the right direction. The Ann Arbor native and Wolverines alum took over a program badly needing a spark, and he provided it with nonstop energy and promotion on and off the field, turning a five-win team into a 10-3 outfit that finished the season by crushing Florida in the Florida Citrus Bowl.

As Harbaugh begins his second year at his alma mater, expectations are even higher. The Wolverines return 14 starters, including eight on offense, although they must determine if Wilton Speight is a capable replacement for graduated starting quarterback Jake Rudock. Jabrill Peppers and Jourdan Lewis will be two of the nation’s top overall defenders.

The schedule has a difficult finish, with trips to Michigan State, Iowa and Ohio State included in the final six weeks. The season has an easy start, with Hawaii, Central Florida and Colorado (who combined for seven total wins in 2015) as the first three opponents.

One potential pitfall? The Big Ten road opener at Rutgers on Oct. 8, coming after league home games against Penn State and Wisconsin. The Scarlet Knights were just 3-9 last year, but new coach Chris Ash was the architect of a defense that held Michigan to just 13 points in a blowout defeat. No one is suggesting Rutgers has the same talent, but he’ll have his team ready for the Wolverines’ visit.

Now what? 2015 had to be sweet for Mark Dantonio and Michigan State. The Spartans finally took the leap to national power, winning the Big Ten and making the College Football Playoff. Not even a 38-0 Cotton Bowl loss to Alabama could erase the feeling of a 12-2 season that was special on every level.

Now the hard part: repeating it. The Spartans lost stalwarts such as quarterback Connor Cook and defensive end Shilique Calhoun to graduation and return only nine starters across the board. The schedule doesn’t offer many favors early, either.

A Sept. 17 visit to Notre Dame is followed by a Big Ten opener at home against Wisconsin. And if you think hosting BYU on Oct. 8 will be easy, think again. The Cougars are an independent, and every game is like a playoff game for them. Michigan State returns only five defensive starters, which is a concern against the Cougs’ potent offense, no matter if Taysom Hill or Tanner Mangum is under center.

This isn’t a Big Ten game, but it’s a contest that will matter dearly if Michigan State has any hope of a repeat playoff trip.

When Jerry Kill was forced to resign as Minnesota head coach last fall because of health issues, defensive coordinator Tracy Claeys quickly earned the job with excellent leadership. The Gophers made a bowl despite a 5-7 record, and a Quick Lane Bowl win over Central Michigan provided momentum entering 2016.

Minnesota returns 14 starters for Claeys’ first full season, including dual-threat quarterback Mitch Leidner. It’s easy to envision a 3-0 start, with hapless Oregon State and FCS foe Indiana State beginning the season at home. But the Gophers shouldn’t let up by any means.

Colorado State, a 2015 bowl team under Mike Bobo’s watch, comes to town Sept. 24. A year ago, the Rams took Minnesota to overtime in Fort Collins before the Gophers escaped with a 23-20 overtime victory. CSU returns 11 starters, including quarterback Nick Stevens, and won’t be an easy out in the Twin Cities.

2016 is set as a year of transition at Mississippi State. With star quarterback Dak Prescott graduated, Dan Mullen is faced with breaking in a new quarterback in sophomore Nick Fitzgerald and returning 11 starters across the board, with new defensive coordinator Peter Sirmon moving the Bulldogs to a 3-4 defense.

There could be some growing pains early on, especially with two SEC opponents (South Carolina and LSU) in the first three weeks. A Sept. 24 trip to UMass could be seen as a break among LSU, an off week and a game with Auburn.

The Minutemen are coming off a 3-9 season, but as an independent, this, along with Boston College, will be their biggest home game. They’ll be fired up for the Bulldogs’ visit, and Mullen must make his team aware of that.

New Missouri coach Barry Odom was left a solid foundation by outgoing coach Gary Pinkel, but the Tigers still have issues as he begins his first season in the big office. Mizzou averaged just 13.6 points per game last fall, second-worst nationally, and quarterback Drew Lock completed just 49 percent of his passes while throwing four touchdowns against eight interceptions.

Postseason eligibility a season after a 5-7 record would be a reasonable goal, but the Tigers need to take care of business in nonconference play. An opener at West Virginia will be tough, while games against lowly Eastern Michigan and FCS foe Delaware State are highly winnable.

The biggest hurdle? An Oct. 22 game with Middle Tennessee. The Blue Raiders are a solid Conference USA team, and they’ve made bowls in six of the last seven seasons. Quarterback Brent Stockstill threw for 4,005 yards and 30 touchdowns against nine interceptions as a freshman, and should be even better this season. The Tigers have an excellent defense that returns eight starters from a unit that ranked fifth nationally in scoring defense in 2015, but if they get into a score-fest, this could be a problem.

Dave Doeren has North Carolina State on the right track. The Wolfpack are coming off consecutive bowl appearances, although 2015 was a step backward with a 7-6 record and bowl loss following 2014’s 8-5 season capped with a postseason win. Making a move upward in the ACC Atlantic Division will be difficult.

The 2016 schedule is significantly upgraded, with a nonconference game against Notre Dame, trips to Clemson, Louisville and North Carolina, and visits from Florida State and Miami. Doeren is also choosing between underclassmen Jalan McClendon and Jakobi Meyers to replace dynamic quarterback Jacoby Brissett.

A Sept. 10 trip to East Carolina looms as potentially difficult. While the Pirates have a new coach in Scottie Montgomery and a more balanced offense, Greenville is a hostile environment for ACC teams. ECU has recent wins over North Carolina and Virginia Tech, and won’t be intimidated by the Wolfpack.

Mike Riley’s honeymoon at Nebraska was surprisingly brief. The Cornhuskers slumped to a 6-7 record, losing five games by five points or fewer, and made a bowl game only because of a lack of bowl-eligible six-win teams. The heat will be on in Lincoln this fall, and slip-ups won’t be looked upon kindly by the Big Red fanbase.

Nebraska returns 11 starters, led by talented but inconsistent senior quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr., who threw 22 touchdowns as well as 16 interceptions last fall. One of the most embarrassing losses of 2015 was a 55-45 loss at Purdue, the Boilermakers’ only Big Ten victory.

Don’t expect the Huskers to take the Boilers lightly this time around, but an Oct. 15 trip to Indiana is a concern. The Hoosiers have a high-powered offense that could test an inexperienced defensive line. It would be a loss that Big Red fans wouldn’t be happy about.

Larry Fedora is on far more stable ground as North Carolina begins the 2016 season. The Tar Heels are coming off an 11-3 season that included an ACC Coastal Division title, a big improvement from 2014’s 6-7 record. Keeping the momentum going means a new offensive coordinator and a new quarterback, with Mitch Trubisky taking over for graduated Marquise Williams and offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic promoted in place of Seth Littrell, who became North Texas’ head coach.

UNC still returns 13 starters and has a solid foundation. One of the toughest stretches spans October and November, when the Tar Heels have only one home game in a 26-day span. Trips to Miami, Virginia and Duke are buffered by Nov. 5’s home game with Georgia Tech.

A year ago, Tech’s flexbone offense seriously pushed the Heels. North Carolina rallied from a three-touchdown deficit for a 38-31 win. Senior quarterback Justin Thomas returns with a more experienced cast around him. While North Carolina will be favored, this is not an easy game.

Northwestern and Pat Fitzgerald had an excellent 2015 season. Following a pair of 5-7 campaigns, the Wildcats looked much better en route to a 10-3 record and an Outback Bowl berth. The ‘Cats want to keep the momentum rolling while returning 12 starters. They return six starters from a defense that allowed 18.6 points per game (No. 12 nationally) that was keyed by prolific linebacker Anthony Walker.

The schedule is tough, with trips to Iowa, Michigan State and Ohio State on the schedule.

A tough stretch with a road game at Ohio State and a home contest against Wisconsin is capped with a Nov. 12 trip to Purdue. The Boilermakers have been one of the Big Ten’s biggest dregs under coach Darrell Hazell, but they were very tough against Northwestern a year ago.

The Wildcats needed a touchdown with 4:37 left to pull out a 21-14 win. By November, the Boilers could be playing for Hazell’s job with a nothing-to-lose attitude. Fitzgerald and the Wildcats have to take this into account.

Being Notre Dame has its positives and its negatives. As an independent, the Fighting Irish are one of the most celebrated teams in America. Every game is televised nationally, and all home games receive national telecast on NBC.

However, that does make the Irish a target. Every opponent marks Notre Dame as one of the biggest games, if not the biggest game, of the season. In mid-October, the Irish host Stanford for a game that could impact the College Football Playoff picture, and two weeks later, Miami comes to town for a renewal of a heated rivalry from the 1980s.

A week later, Notre Dame heads to Jacksonville for a neutral-site game with Navy. The Midshipmen are a longtime rival and use a flexbone option offense, which can be difficult for opponents to control. This could be a real challenge for the Irish.

2016 will be a season of transition and reloading in Columbus. Ohio State lost 12 draft picks (including nine underclassmen) to the NFL draft and will return only six starters. One of them is dual-threat quarterback J.T. Barrett, but he’ll be surrounded by inexperienced talent.

The time to catch the Buckeyes could be early, as they’ll return only three defensive starters, led by standout junior middle linebacker Raekwon McMillan. A Sept. 17 trip to returning College Football Playoff team Oklahoma will be a major test, but a week earlier, AAC foe Tulsa’s visit to Ohio Stadium could be flying under the radar.

The Golden Hurricane made a bowl game in coach Philip Montgomery’s first season, and they employ a spread Air Raid offense. They return senior quarterback Dane Evans, who threw for 4,332 yards with 25 touchdowns against eight interceptions. This could be a big test for a rebuilding defense, especially a week before the high-profile trip to Oklahoma.

Last fall, Oklahoma showed that Bob Stoops still has the magic touch. One year after a down 8-5 record, Stoops’ move to an Air Raid offense and the infusion of transfer quarterback Baker Mayfield made all the difference in a 12-2 season that finished with a Big 12 title and a College Football Playoff berth.

With Mayfield and 12 starters returning, including standout backfield tandem Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon, the Sooners will be a favorite to repeat their league title and compete for another playoff berth.

They’ll be a marked team each week, but one of the biggest potential stumbling blocks could come Nov. 3 at Iowa State.

Yes, the Cyclones are coming off a 3-9 record, but they have a reputation of being very tough at home. Ask Oklahoma State or Texas, both of whom were recent upset victims. This game is a Thursday night contest set for national telecast by ESPN, and you can bet that new coach Matt Campbell will have Jack Trice Stadium whipped into a frenzy for the Sooners’ arrival. Oklahoma needs to take the Cyclones seriously to stay in solid position for season-ending games with Baylor, West Virginia and Oklahoma State.

A year ago, Oklahoma State surprised many by rolling to a 10-0 start and staying in Big 12 title and College Football Playoff contention until mid-November. Getting off to a strong start is again crucial for the Cowboys, who return 16 starters (including nine on offense), led by improving quarterback Mason Rudolph.

With Baylor and Texas looming as the first two Big 12 games, Mike Gundy would love for his team to get off to a strong start in nonconference play. A game against Southeast Louisiana is winnable, and Sept. 17’s visit from Pitt and 2014 ACC Offensive Player of the Year James Conner will be challenging. That leaves a Sept. 10 visit from MAC foe Central Michigan.

The Chippewas are coming off their first bowl win in program history and challenged the Cowboys last fall before falling, 37-24. They return 14 starters, led by senior quarterback Cooper Rush, who threw for 3,848 yards with 25 touchdowns against 11 interceptions. They’ll be an underrated challenge for Oklahoma State.

There’s no question that Ole Miss had a tremendous 2015 season. The Rebels won 10 games, including a Sugar Bowl blowout of Oklahoma State, and showed Hugh Freeze has the program on the right trajectory. Repeating it, however, will be difficult.

The Rebels return just 10 starters, although one of them is senior dual-threat quarterback Chad Kelly, who threw for 4,042 yards and 31 touchdowns a year ago. They’ll rely on young but talented players as well as receivers such as Damore’ea Stringfellow and Markell Pack.

October features a tough schedule with a visit from Memphis (which defeated the Rebels a year ago), and trips to Arkansas and LSU followed by an Oct. 29 home game against Auburn. A Nov. 5 game against Sun Belt foe Georgia Southern looks like a breather before a trip to Texas A&M, right?

Nope. The Eagles are a rising force coming off a 9-4 record and GoDaddy Bowl rout of Bowling Green. They led the FBS in rushing in 2015, averaging 363 yards per game, and feature a flexbone offense led by quarterback Kevin Ellison and tailback Matt Breida.

Three years ago, the Eagles won at Florida as an FCS team, and have pushed Georgia Tech, N.C. State and Georgia to the limit over the past two seasons. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium is just another environment for them to conquer. Watch out, Rebels.

Following an up-and-down 9-4 season, Oregon hopes to find more consistency despite change. The Ducks are replacing both coordinators and replacing graduate transfer quarterback Vernon Adams with either another grad transfer in Montana State’s Dakota Prukop or freshman Travis Jonsen. The Pac-12 schedule will again be difficult, with November featuring a trip to Southern California, a home game against Stanford and a trip to Utah followed by a season-ending Civil War game at Oregon State.

October isn’t easy, either, with a home date against Washington sandwiched around road trips to Washington State and Cal.

The Huskies could give Oregon serious fits. A year ago, the Ducks escaped Washington, 26-20, in Seattle. The Huskies should be one of the nation’s most improved teams with a core that includes quarterback Jake Browning, tailback Myles Gaskin and safety Budda Baker. At the very least, they’ll be better than 2015’s 7-6 record and a challenge for the rest of the Pac-12 North.

Gary Andersen’s first season in Corvallis, Oregon, was one to forget. The Beavers finished 2-10 while losing their final nine games, with eight of those by at least 10 points. They allowed 37 points per game, No. 114 nationally. While returning 10 starters, it’s hard to suggest that they should overlook anyone.

Andersen needs to start strong heading into another tough Pac-12 schedule. That won’t be easy, either. The Beavers open at Minnesota, a returning bowl team, and host Group of Five power Boise State on Sept. 24. The remaining easy “mark” is FCS foe Idaho State on Sept. 17. The Bengals finished 2-9 last year, but given Oregon State’s situation, it must take ISU seriously or run the risk of an embarrassing upset.

James Franklin arrived at Penn State with a strong resume at lowly Vanderbilt that included 24 wins and three bowl bids over three seasons. However, that success has yet to truly translate in Happy Valley. A pair of 7-6 seasons are below Nittany Lions fans’ standards, although lingering NCAA sanctions from the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse scandal haven’t helped.

This fall, Franklin has brought in a new spread offense piloted by former Fordham coach Joe Moorhead, and Trace McSorley will replace much-maligned Christian Hackenberg at quarterback. September will be a crucial month for Franklin and the Lions.

On Sept. 10, the Lions travel to Pitt for a much-anticipated renewal of the cross-state rivalry, and they head to Michigan on Sept. 24.

In between, Penn State hosts Temple on Sept. 17. A year ago, the Owls embarrassed the Lions, 27-10, in the season opener in Philadelphia. If Franklin doesn’t have his team ready for the rematch, it’s an indictment of his coaching abilities, but it does come at a tough point in the schedule, and he has to be aware of that.

Pat Narduzzi was a spark plug for Pitt’s program. Even after losing ACC Player of the Year James Conner to torn knee ligaments and Hodgkin lymphoma (he is expected to return for this season), the Panthers still improved to an 8-5 record, their highest win total since 2010. The ACC Coastal Division is wide-open, and with 16 starters returning, the Panthers believe they have a shot at winning it this fall.

Tailback Qadree Ollison and quarterback Nathan Peterman will key an offense that must adjust following star receiver Tyler Boyd’s jump to the NFL. The second half of the season will be tough. Pitt hosts Virginia Tech Oct. 27 before going to Miami and Clemson in back-to-back weeks.

The Panthers need to save some energy for Duke’s visit on Nov. 19, however. Pitt easily dispatched the Blue Devils, 31-13, a year ago in Durham, North Carolina, but under David Cutcliffe, this isn’t the same pushover team that used to reside at the bottom of the ACC. Pitt must take the Devils seriously if it hopes to improve on its record this fall.

2016 looms as a crucial season for Darrell Hazell at Purdue. Suggesting that it hasn’t worked out for Hazell with the Boilermakers would be a huge understatement. Purdue is 6-30 under his watch and just 2-22 in Big Ten games. Seven of Purdue’s 10 losses a year ago came by 10-plus points, and while the Boilers return 16 starters, they’ll have a tough time competing in the Big Ten West.

There are no gimme games for a 2-10 team, and that does include the opener against FCS foe Eastern Kentucky. With bowl teams Cincinnati and Nevada ahead, this will be the only game where Purdue will be favored, perhaps all season long.

The Boilermakers should beat the Colonels, who finished 6-5 a year ago, but they certainly can’t afford to get overconfident.

Chris Ash takes over a rebuilding project at Rutgers. Kyle Flood was fired following a 3-9 record that included off-the-field issues, and Ash, the former Ohio State defensive coordinator, inherits a roster short on talent. He’ll install an uptempo spread system, but success will take time.

The Scarlet Knights will take their lumps against a schedule that includes Iowa, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State and Penn State. They’ll need to capitalize against their nonconference schedule if they have any hopes of making a bowl in Ash’s debut.

A season-opening trip to Washington will be tough, while Sept. 10’s visit from Howard should be a get-well game. Sept. 17’s home game against New Mexico won’t register on many fans’ radar, but it should, especially with the Big Ten opener against Iowa looming the following week.

Bob Davie has done a nice job with the Lobos, leading them to a bowl game last year. An upset at Rutgers would be a major feather in his cap, and Ash needs to know this.

Three years ago, South Carolina was a budding power. Three consecutive 11-win seasons under Steve Spurrier had the Gamecocks riding high. But graduation losses and poor recruiting caught up with USC quickly, and Spurrier walked away midway through a 3-9 season. Enter Will Muschamp to clean up the damage.  

This won’t be an immediate fix. The Gamecocks have an unsettled four-man quarterback derby entering preseason practice, return just seven starters and lost standout linebacker Skai Moore to season-ending neck surgery. They’ll open 2016 with five SEC games in the first six weeks, traveling to Vanderbilt and Mississippi State to begin the season.

The home opener is no easy task, either. East Carolina will visit Williams-Brice Stadium on Sept. 17. It’s a winnable game but by no means a guarantee. The Pirates will run a more balanced offense under new coach Scottie Montgomery, but many of their players are familiar with Columbia. ECU challenged the Gamecocks here two years ago before falling, 33-23. This is a game South Carolina can’t take for granted in the middle of an SEC-heavy run.

If you’re looking for the best team of the last five years in the Pac-12, look no further than Stanford. The Cardinal have won three of the last four league titles and made a strong statement to end 2015 with a 45-16 Rose Bowl thrashing of Iowa.

Stanford will reload a bit this season, returning nine total starters. There are questions on both the offensive and defensive lines, and David Shaw must pick a replacement for graduated starting quarterback Kevin Hogan between Keller Chryst and Ryan Burns. The winner will lead an offense that has tailback Christian McCaffrey, the returning Heisman Trophy runner-up fresh off setting an NCAA record for single-season all-purpose yards.

Last season’s 16-6 season-opening dud at Northwestern taught the Cardinal a thing or two about preparedness, but they aren’t immune to the occasional stinker. They’ll play three of four games on the road in a stretch that spans late September and early October, with tough road games at UCLA, Washington and Notre Dame.

The lone home game is Oct. 8 against Washington State. The Cardinal took Wazzu’s best shot last fall, escaping 38-36. Quarterback Luke Falk threw for 4,561 yards last fall and leads a prolific Air Raid offense. That could be a problem for a defense breaking in six new starters.

With new coach Dino Babers and a fast-paced offense in town, Syracuse hopes for improvement from 2015’s 4-8 record that ultimately cost coach Scott Shafer his job after three seasons. That won’t be easy in an ACC Atlantic Division that also includes national powers Clemson and Florida State, but if quarterback Eric Dungey can develop a connection with receiver Steve Ishmael, it’ll be a little easier.

A postseason appearance would be a big step forward for the Orange. October will be tough, with a neutral-site game against Notre Dame on Oct. 1 and a home game against a similarly fast-paced Virginia Tech team on Oct. 15. Syracuse won’t be favored in either game.

In between? An Oct. 8 trip to Atlantic foe Wake Forest. Syracuse defeated the Demon Deacons, 30-17, last season, and it’s a winnable game. But if the Orange hope to make a bowl, they can’t afford any relaxation in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, despite the Deacs’ lowly status.

TCU and coach Gary Patterson found great success with the Air Raid offense, winning 23 games in two seasons with mobile quarterback Trevone Boykin leading the way. Boykin has graduated, and top receiver Josh Doctson left early for the NFL. The Horned Frogs will pick Texas A&M transfer Kenny Hill or Foster Sawyer as their new quarterback, and explosive receiver KaVontae Turpin will lead a revamped passing game.

The early schedule is tough, with a physical Arkansas team and returning College Football Playoff qualifier Oklahoma visiting within the first month. The first road game? At SMU on Sept. 23. The Mustangs were 2-10 in their first year under former Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris’ watch but showed an ability to score with the Frogs in a 56-37 loss.

SMU should be improved in Morris’ second season, and if the TCU offense can’t keep up, SMU’s hopes of an upset will increase significantly.

Tennessee is on a strong upward trajectory under Butch Jones’ watch. The Volunteers have added two wins to their total in each of the last two seasons, going from five to seven to nine wins and capping the last two years with bowl wins. With 18 starters returning, the Vols should be picked to win the SEC East at next week’s SEC Media Days.

To do so, Tennessee must survive a tough September and October. Sept. 10 features the Battle at Bristol, which will pit UT and Virginia Tech against each other before 150,000 fans at sold-out Bristol Motor Speedway. Sept. 24 brings archrival Florida to Neyland Stadium for the annual rivalry showdown. Tennessee has lost 11 consecutive games to the Gators, with 2014’s 10-9 defeat and 2015’s 28-27 loss looming as particularly crushing.

Jones will have his team ready for both games. In between? A classic sandwich game against MAC foe Ohio. The Bobcats, led by veteran coach Frank Solich, are a returning postseason team, and Solich will have his squad more than prepared for Neyland’s raucous environment. Will they catch the Vols off guard? We’ll see.

As Charlie Strong enters his third season in Austin, the pressure is building. Strong was brought in to install a sense of discipline in the Longhorns roster, but fans didn’t count on that coming with a collective 11-14 record over two seasons.

He plucked Tulsa offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert, who will install a fast-paced Air Raid offense that should bring Texas into the 21st century. Whether the quarterback is freshman Shane Buechele or senior Tyrone Swoopes, the system should look significantly different. Of course, that won’t matter much unless the victories follow.

Starting fast against a nonconference schedule of Notre Dame, UTEP and Cal is crucial, but one game should bring up warning signs for Horns fans. Iowa State visits Austin on Oct. 15, a week after the Red River Rivalry against Oklahoma.

That will be an emotional game, but Strong needs to make sure his team is ready for Matt Campbell’s Cyclones. Two years ago, the Horns barely escaped with a 48-45 victory, and ISU dealt Texas an embarrassing 24-0 shutout loss last fall in Ames.

Iowa State will be a long shot to make a bowl game, but if past history is any indication, the Cyclones will give Texas plenty of trouble.

Change was the order of the day for Texas A&M this offseason. The Aggies parted ways with offensive coordinator Jake Spavital and watched highly regarded quarterbacks Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray leave as transfers. With new offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone and Oklahoma graduate transfer quarterback Trevor Knight in tow, Kevin Sumlin hopes to recapture the glory the Aggies enjoyed with Johnny Manziel at quarterback.

That won’t be easy. A five-game stretch to open the SEC slate should really test A&M. The Aggies open at Auburn, face Arkansas at AT&T Stadium, visit South Carolina, host Tennessee and visit Alabama.

South Carolina looks like the softest touch in that group, but the game is in Columbia. The Gamecocks are coming off a 3-9 record and entering their first season with an unproven quarterback situation under Will Muschamp, but it should be resolved by Oct. 1.

Williams-Brice Stadium can be an intimidating environment for opponents, and Knight will have to be more like the guy who won Sugar Bowl MVP against Alabama than the guy who lost his job to Baker Mayfield to succeed on the SEC road.

Texas Tech had a strong 2015 season. The Red Raiders rode Patrick Mahomes’ prolific passing (4,653 yards, 36 touchdowns, 15 interceptions) to a 7-6 record, a big rebound from 2014’s 4-8 mark. They’d love to make another move up in the Big 12 standings, but doing so requires improving a defense that allowed 43.6 points per game, No. 125 nationally.

That defense will be tested early on in Tech’s nonconference schedule. The Raiders visit Arizona State Sept. 10 and return home to face Louisiana Tech Sept. 17. The Bulldogs went 9-4 with a New Orleans Bowl win over Arkansas State, and return nine starters, including talented receivers Trent Taylor and Carlos Henderson.

A year ago, the Bulldogs pushed Kansas State to overtime before falling, 39-33. Unless the Red Raiders defense is much better, they could create some uneasy feelings in Lubbock.

UCLA took a step back last fall. Following a pair of 10-win seasons, Jim Mora Jr.’s squad battled some defensive woes and lost three of its final four games to finish 8-5. The Bruins return 12 starters but only four on offense. However, one of those is sophomore quarterback Josh Rosen, who showed big-time promise in his first season as a starter, throwing for 3,669 yards with 23 touchdowns against 11 interceptions as a pocket passer.

The pre-Pac-12 schedule will not be easy. The season opener at Texas A&M and former offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone presents a big challenge, and Rosen must build chemistry with a receiver group that lost four of its top five pass-catchers from a year ago, returning Darren Andrews (43 receptions, 443 yards, one TD).

But the game to watch for a letdown will be Sept. 17 at BYU. A year ago, the Cougars gave UCLA everything it wanted before the Bruins escaped with a 28-27 win. Whether Tanner Mangum or oft-injured Taysom Hill is under center, a pro-style offense will be a challenge for a Bruins D that has issues up front. Starting 3-0 would be a strong springboard into the Pac-12 slate, but that’s no guarantee.

Clay Helton earned one of college football’s prime head coaching jobs the hard way. Helton took over after Steve Sarkisian was dismissed last October, and he led Southern California to an 8-5 record and the Pac-12 South title, getting the “interim” part of his title stripped before the Pac-12 title game.

He’ll start his first full season at the helm with a tough schedule that starts at AT&T Stadium against defending national champion Alabama. It doesn’t get much easier from there, with road games against Stanford and Utah in September. The Trojans also have a season-ending run of road games at Washington and UCLA, and home against Notre Dame.

In this run, it’s hard to find a game that might catch a team returning 14 starters off guard. How about Oct. 1 against Arizona State? The Sun Devils should be down after 10-win seasons in 2013 and 2014, and the Trojans could be worn down after a tough September. That’s enough reason to sound the warning bells on this schedule.

In 11 seasons at Utah, Kyle Whittingham has built a strong program. The Utes are 95-46 under his watch, including a 10-3 record capped with a Las Vegas Bowl win over BYU in 2015. This fall, Utah returns 11 starters but must replace capable quarterback Travis Wilson with transfer Troy Williams or Wilson’s backup, Brandon Cox.

Utah will have a strong defensive line again led by returning first-team All-Pac-12 defensive tackle Lowell Lotulelei. That defense will be challenged by a schedule featuring games against Southern California, UCLA, Washington and Oregon.

The Pac-12 road opener at Cal Oct. 1 could be tricky. The Bears are moving on after prolific quarterback Jared Goff left and was picked first overall in April’s NFL draft. However, graduate transfer Davis Webb should keep the offense humming. A year ago, Utah held off Cal, 30-24, at home. Expect another big challenge, especially a week after what will be a tough league opener against the Trojans.

Vanderbilt showed some improvement in Derek Mason’s second season at the Commodores’ helm. The ‘Dores added a win to their total, winding up at 4-8, and their defense was solid, allowing 21 points per game, No. 22 nationally. The next step? Getting back to postseason eligibility, something that happened three times under former coach James Franklin.

Vanderbilt has an important first month of the season that begins by hosting South Carolina in the season opener. However, games against Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky could tell plenty about where Vandy is headed in 2016.

A year ago, the ‘Dores beat Middle Tennessee, 17-13, but the tone for the season was set by a 14-12 season-opening loss to the Hilltoppers. Games against USC, MTSU and Georgia Tech could leave Vandy tired, but there’s no excuse to be off its game against a talented C-USA team.

Virginia scored a major coup when it landed Bronco Mendenhall away from BYU to replace Mike London as head coach. London led the Cavaliers to only one bowl game in his tenure, while Mendenhall went 11-of-11 in that category while winning 99 games with the Cougars. Mendenhall has work to do in Charlottesville, but one of his first priorities should be to ease up the nonconference schedule.

A year ago, UVA faced UCLA, Notre Dame and Boise State in its pre-ACC slate, losing all three games. This year’s schedule is a little easier, but the Hoos still travel to Oregon on Sept. 10.

That’s followed by a deceptively tough game at UConn on Sept. 17. The Huskies made a bowl game last year in Bob Diaco’s second season and return 15 starters. They defeated a good Houston team at home last fall, and this will be a tough trip for a team that has yet to identify a starting quarterback.

Under the final four years of Frank Beamer’s watch, Virginia Tech had grown stale. After eight consecutive seasons with at least 10 wins, the Hokies were just 29-23. It was time for a change, and Beamer’s retirement was the perfect opportunity for a breath of fresh air such as Justin Fuente. Fuente transformed a moribund Memphis program, winning 19 games in two seasons and earning the Hokies role.

He’s bringing the fast-paced offense with him to Blacksburg, and while Tech hasn’t settled on junior college transfer Jerod Evans or senior Brenden Motley as the starting quarterback, the Hokies will look far different this fall.

The Tech defense allowed 26.3 points per game last fall, the worst in Bud Foster’s tenure, but his track record is strong. October, with road games at North Carolina and Pitt and a home game with Miami, could determine the Hokies’ ACC Coastal fate.

But one potential slip-up lies October 15 at Syracuse, between the North Carolina and Miami games. Dino Babers will have the Orange moving fast, too, and it’ll be interesting to see how Foster’s defense responds.

In two seasons at Wake Forest, Dave Clawson hasn’t really gotten it going yet. Former coach Jim Grobe didn’t leave him a ton to work with, and the increasing relevance of the ACC Atlantic (with national powers Clemson and Florida State) has made it tough, too. Clawson is 6-18 as Wake’s head coach, and that 2006 ACC title that Grobe won feels like a long time ago.

The Demon Deacons hope a young roster that returns 15 starters matures and pushes toward a bowl bid this fall. That’s possible with an ACC schedule that, outside of Clemson and FSU, draws Virginia and Duke from the ACC Coastal. Wake visits Florida State on Oct. 15 and then has a week off before welcoming Army on Oct. 29.

If it has any hopes of a bowl bid, this is a game Wake must be energized for. A year ago, the Deacs escaped the Black Knights on the road, 17-14. Reversing that result would likely spell the end of any postseason talk.

Washington received plenty of praise when it hired Chris Petersen away from Boise State, but in two seasons, he has yet to live up to the hype. The Huskies are 15-12 under Petersen and needed to win their final two games last season just to squeak into the Heart of Dallas Bowl, where they beat Southern Miss for a 7-6 record.

However, significant improvement is on the horizon in Seattle. Washington returns 17 starters, including All-Pac-12 defensive backs Budda Baker and Sidney King, and sophomore quarterback Jake Browning and sophomore tailback Myles Gaskin (who rushed for 1,302 yards and 14 scores last fall).

The schedule has its tough spots, with Stanford’s visit on Sept. 30 followed by a trip to Oregon on Oct. 8, and a Nov. 5 trip to Cal followed by USC’s visit a week later.

Oct. 22’s home date with Oregon is the only game in Seattle between Sept. 30 and Nov. 12. The Beavers should be one of the Pac-12’s worst teams, but their visit comes in the middle of a tough stretch. It’s prime letdown territory, and if Washington has truly improved, it will handle Oregon State with ease.

Coming off a pair of down seasons, Washington State did little to inspire confidence in Mike Leach in the 2015 season opener. The Cougars lost at home to FCS foe Portland State, and Leach’s seat got hotter. That is, until Wazzu showed that it was a different team, winning eight of its final 11 games to reach the Sun Bowl and cap the season with a win over Miami.

No one will see the Cougars sneak up on them this year—not with 14 starters back, including prolific quarterback Luke Falk (4,561 yards, 38 touchdowns, eight interceptions) and receiver Gabe Marks (104 receptions, 1,192 yards, 15 touchdowns). Both will be key cogs for an offense that averaged 389.5 passing yards per game last fall, best nationally.

A Sept. 10 trip to Boise State will be tough, and Oregon will want revenge for last fall’s 45-38 overtime loss when it visits on Oct. 1. In between? A Sept. 17 visit from neighbor Idaho. The Vandals finished 4-8 a year ago, but might be arriving at just the right time for Washington State to look past them. It can happen. Ask Portland State.

West Virginia’s move to the Big 12 raised the university’s profile across the board, but it also made Dana Holgorsen’s job a lot tougher. The Mountaineers have yet to repeat the success they found in Holgo’s first season with a 2011 Big East title and an Orange Bowl rout of Clemson. Holgorsen is 36-28 at West Virginia, including last fall’s 8-5 mark.

WVU would love to get out of the Big 12’s middle class and challenge for a league title, but that is proving increasingly difficult with the likes of Oklahoma, Baylor and TCU also in the 10-team league.

This fall, if the Mountaineers are still in the league title hunt by November, it would be an accomplishment, given a late-October stretch of Texas Tech, TCU and Oklahoma State.

A year ago, WVU whipped Texas, 38-20, in Morgantown. The Mountaineers should have the edge again in Nov. 12’s trip to Austin. But the Longhorns and Charlie Strong could rise up and make this a November to forget for Holgo’s gang.