Nick Saban and Alabama face a real test in their opener against Florida State. (Associated Press)

As the calendar hits August, a Dash (if you will) through 40 observations on the college football schedule:

1. The Southeastern Conference is challenging itself like no other conference in September, with its top seven teams all playing a big-time game away from home within the first nine days of the month. The list: Alabama vs. Florida State in Atlanta on Sept. 2; Florida vs. Michigan in Arlington on Sept. 2; LSU vs. BYU in Houston on Sept. 2; Texas A&M at UCLA on Sept. 3; Tennessee vs. Georgia Tech in Atlanta on Sept. 4; Georgia at Notre Dame on Sept. 9; and Auburn at Clemson on Sept. 9. Is this league regaining its powerful depth, or is it again Alabama and 13 schmoes? We should have a good indication very early in the season.

2. Similarly, the Big 12 has a chance to stage a high-profile revival or again bury itself early. Seven teams play away from home against Power Five opponents in the first three weekends of the year: West Virginia vs. Virginia Tech in Landover, Maryland, Sept. 3; Oklahoma at Ohio State, Sept. 9; TCU at Arkansas, Sept. 9; Oklahoma State at Pittsburgh, Sept. 16; Texas at USC, Sept. 16; Kansas State at Vanderbilt, Sept. 16; and Baylor at Duke, Sept. 16. Last year the Big 12 failed almost unanimously in early out-of-conference tests, all but sealing its fate as a non-playoff conference.

3. Yes, you read that right: Baylor is playing a Power Five opponent out of conference. Last time it happened: 2009. Nobody has scheduled more timorously over the last several years than the Bears.

4. Sept. 16 is a showcase day for the Atlantic Coast Conference: Clemson visits Louisville in what has become a very good rivalry, very quickly; Miami is at Florida State in a rivalry matchup of preseason divisional favorites; and Pittsburgh gets a home game against likely preseason top 10 Oklahoma State.

5. The ACC also finally succeeded in getting its marquee game played as late as possible on the schedule. Florida State visits Clemson on Nov. 11, the first time since 2005 that the matchup has been the final conference game on both teams’ schedule. Both close with games against in-state SEC rivals – Florida for the Seminoles and South Carolina for the Tigers – and both are playing FCS patsies the week before. So the 10th game of the season could be the day the ACC Atlantic is decided.

6. Boo: For perhaps the first time ever, zero teams play every game on natural grass. Eighteen play every game on artificial turf: Ohio State, Washington State, Kansas State, Wyoming, Utah State, Air Force, UNLV, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, Ball State, Miami (Ohio), Buffalo, Western Kentucky, Charlotte, UT-San Antonio, Arkansas State, Idaho and Coastal Carolina. In an era of “Fake News,” perhaps it was inevitable to have so many games on Fake Grass.

7. Teams with advantageous schedules, Part I: Florida gets the gift LSU home game courtesy of stiff-necked Tigers athletic director Joe Alleva and plays just three true road games.

8. Advantageous schedule, Part II: Arkansas plays four true road games, none before Oct. 7, and none of its opponents have a bye week before facing the Razorbacks.

9. Advantageous schedule, part III: Wisconsin plays neither Ohio State nor Penn State and gets Michigan in Madison; Northwestern plays neither Ohio State nor Michigan and gets Penn State in Evanston.

10. Advantageous schedule, part IV: Washington has five Pac-12 games at home, four on the road, does not play USC and should be heavily favored in at least three of five road games (Rutgers, Oregon State, Arizona State).

11. Advantageous schedule, part V: Washington State opens with five straight on the Palouse, capped by a Friday night game against USC.

12. Advantageous schedule, part VI: Kansas State won’t face a team that won more than seven games last year until Oct. 21.

13. Advantageous schedule, part VII: Pittsburgh avoids the Atlantic Big Three of Florida State, Clemson and Louisville.

14. Advantageous schedule, part VIII: SMU doesn’t leave the DFW Metroplex until Oct. 7 and doesn’t leave the state until Oct. 21.

15. Advantageous schedule, part IX: Wyoming plays four straight at home in September – a remarkable luxury for a Group of Five team – including a visit from Oregon.

16. Advantageous schedule, part X: Alabama plays one game farther than 250 miles from campus – at Texas A&M on Oct. 7.

Story continues