Strength of schedule is such a big deal in the FCS. And there's definitely a strategy to it.

The goal for teams outside of the Ivy League and HBCUs is to make the playoffs. For some weaker conferences, beefing up your nonconference schedule is a must if you don't want to be a two-loss team left out of the field. And on the flip side, teams from the top conferences sometimes don't want to schedule three ranked opponents before their grueling league play begins.

[divider]MORE FCS FOOTBALL:

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At the end of the day, a team wants a strong 11-game schedule — or 12 in this year's case. We've seen several times where 7-4 teams get into the playoff bracket over 9-2 teams because of who they beat and who they lost to (although the importance of quality losses can be debatable).

So which FCS teams have the toughest schedules this year, either through scheduling strong opponents in the nonconference and/or getting dealt a tough hand in the conference slate? We break it down.

Here are the criteria:

Number of Top 25 opponents in HERO Sports’ Preseason Poll

FBS opponents

Games vs. 2018 playoff teams

Non-counter games

The rest of the conference slate (example: Some non-Top 25 teams from one conference are stronger than some non-Top 25 teams from a different conference)

Honorable Mention: Central Arkansas, Southeastern Louisiana, Stephen F. Austin, Idaho, Weber State, James Madison

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30. Nicholls

2 FBS, 2 Top 25, 1 2018 playoff team

@ Kansas State (FBS)

@ Prairie View A&M

@ Stephen F. Austin

@ Texas State (FBS)

vs. Central Arkansas

vs. Northwestern State

@ Sam Houston State

vs. Abilene Christian

@ Incarnate Word

vs. Houston Baptist

vs. McNeese

@ Southeastern Louisiana

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29. Delaware

1 FBS, 3 Top 25, 4 2018 playoff teams

vs. Delaware State

@ Rhode Island

vs. North Dakota State

vs. Penn

@ Pitt (FBS)

@ Elon

vs. New Hampshire

vs. Richmond

@ Towson

vs. Albany

vs. Stony Brook

@ Villanova

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28. Incarnate Word

2 FBS, 3 Top 25, 2 2018 playoff teams

@ UTSA (FBS)

vs. Texas Southern

@ Sam Houston State

vs. Abilene Christian

@ Houston Baptist

@ Southeastern Louisiana

vs. Lamar

vs. Northwestern State

vs. Nicholls

@ Stephen F. Austin

@ New Mexico State (FBS)

vs. Central Arkansas

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27. McNeese

1 FBS, 4 Top 25, 2 2018 playoff teams

vs. Southern

@ Oklahoma State (FBS)

vs. Alcorn State

@ Abilene Christian

vs. Sam Houston State

vs. Southeastern Louisiana

@ Central Arkansas

vs. Houston Baptist

@ Stephen F. Austin

vs. Northwestern State

@ Nicholls

@ Lamar

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26. Furman

2 FBS, 1 non-counter, 3 Top 25, 2 2018 playoff teams

vs. Charleston Southern

@ Georgia State (FBS)

@ Virginia Tech (FBS)

vs. Mercer

vs. East Tennessee State

@ Samford

vs. The Citadel

@ Western Carolina

@ Chattanooga

vs. VMI

@ Wofford

vs. Point

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25. Abilene Christian

2 FBS, 1 non-counter, 3 Top 25, 3 2018 playoff teams

@ North Texas (FBS)

vs. Arizona Christian

@ Central Arkansas

vs. McNeese

@ Incarnate Word

@ Lamar

vs. Houston Baptist

vs. Stephen F. Austin

@ Nicholls

vs. Sam Houston State

vs. Southeastern Louisiana

@ Mississippi State (FBS)

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24. North Dakota State

0 FBS, 3 Top 25, 4 2018 playoff teams

vs. Butler

vs. North Dakota

@ Delaware

vs. UC Davis

@ Illinois State

vs. Northern Iowa

vs. Missouri State

@ South Dakota State

@ Youngstown State

vs. Western Illinois

vs. South Dakota

@ Southern Illinois

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23. Maine

2 FBS, 2 Top 25, 3 2018 playoff teams

vs. Sacred Heart

@ Georgia Southern (FBS)

vs. Towson

@ Colgate

@ Villanova

vs. Richmond

@ Liberty (FBS)

vs. William & Mary

@ Albany

@ Elon

vs. Rhode Island

@ New Hampshire

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22. South Dakota

1 FBS, 3 Top 25, 3 2018 playoff teams

vs. Montana

@ Oklahoma (FBS)

vs. Houston Baptist

@ Northern Colorado

vs. Indiana State

@ Missouri State

@ Northern Iowa

vs. Southern Illinois

@ Western Illinois

vs. Youngstown State

@ North Dakota State

vs. South Dakota State

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21. Rhode Island

2 FBS, 3 Top 25, 5 2018 playoff teams

@ Ohio (FBS)

vs. Delaware

@ New Hampshire

vs. Stony Brook

@ Brown

@ Virginia Tech (FBS)

@ Albany

vs. Elon

vs. Merrimack

@ William & Mary

@ Maine

vs. James Madison

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20. Northern Arizona

1 FBS, 1 non-counter, 4 Top 25, 3 2018 playoff teams

vs. Missouri State

@ Arizona (FBS)

vs. Western New Mexico

@ Illinois State

@ Montana State

vs. Northern Colorado

@ Weber State

vs. Portland State

@ Eastern Washington

vs. Sacramento State

@ Southern Utah

vs. Idaho

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19. Idaho State

2 FBS, 1 non-counter, 2 Top 25, 3 2018 playoff teams

vs. Western Colorado University

@ Utah (FBS)

@ Northern Iowa

vs. Portland State

@ Montana

vs. North Dakota

@ Idaho

@ Southern Utah

vs. Northern Colorado

vs. Eastern Washington

@ BYU (FBS)

@ Weber State

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18. Richmond

1 FBS, 4 Top 25, 5 2018 playoff teams

vs. Jacksonville

@ Boston College (FBS)

vs. Elon

@ Fordham

vs. Albany

@ Maine

vs. Yale

@ Delaware

vs. Stony Brook

@ Villanova

@ James Madison

vs. William & Mary

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17. Cal Poly

1 FBS, 4 Top 25, 5 2018 playoff teams

vs. San Diego

@ Weber State

@ Oregon State (FBS)

@ Southern Utah

vs. Montana State

@ UC Davis

vs. North Dakota

vs. Sacramento State

@ Idaho

vs. Eastern Washington

@ Northern Colorado

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16. Montana

1 FBS, 4 Top 25, 4 2018 playoff teams

@ South Dakota

vs. North Alabama

@ Oregon (FBS)

vs. Monmouth

@ UC Davis

vs. Idaho State

@ Sacramento State

vs. Eastern Washington

@ Portland State

vs. Idaho

vs. Weber State

@ Montana State

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15. Towson

1 FBS, 4 Top 25, 5 2018 playoff teams

@ The Citadel

vs. NC Central

@ Maine

vs. Villanova

@ Florida (FBS)

vs. Albany

vs. Bucknell

@ James Madison

vs. Delaware

@ Stony Brook

@ William & Mary

vs. Elon

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14. Elon

1 FBS, 4 Top 25, 4 2018 playoff teams

@ NC A&T

vs. The Citadel

@ Richmond

@ Wake Forest (FBS)

vs. James Madison

@ New Hampshire

vs. Delaware

@ Rhode Island

vs. William & Mary

vs. Maine

@ Towson

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13. Western Illinois

1 FBS, 4 Top 25, 3 2018 playoff teams

@ North Alabama

@ Colorado State (FBS)

vs. Montana State

vs. Tennessee Tech

vs. Missouri State

@ Indiana State

vs. Illinois State

@ Youngstown State

vs. South Dakota

@ North Dakota State

vs. Southern Illinois

@ Northern Iowa

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12. Southern Utah

1 FBS, 4 Top 25, 5 2018 playoff teams

@ UNLV (FBS)

@ Northern Iowa

vs. Stephen F. Austin

@ South Dakota State

vs. Cal Poly

@ Portland State

@ Weber State

vs. UC Davis

vs. Idaho State

@ Montana State

vs. Northern Arizona

@ North Dakota

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11. Western Carolina

2 FBS, 1 non-counter, 4 Top 25, 2 2018 playoff teams

vs. Mercer

@ NC State (FBS)

vs. North Greenville University

@ Chattanooga

vs. Gardner-Webb

@ The Citadel

@ Wofford

vs. Furman

@ VMI

vs. ETSU

vs. Samford

@ Alabama (FBS)

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10. VMI

2 FBS, 1 non-counter, 4 Top 25, 2 2018 playoff teams

@ Marshall (FBS)

vs. Mars Hill

@ East Tennessee State

vs. Robert Morris

vs. Wofford

@ The Citadel

vs. Samford

@ Mercer

vs. Western Carolina

@ Furman

@ Army (FBS)

vs. Chattanooga

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9. Sacramento State

2 FBS, 1 non-counter, 4 Top 25, 4 2018 playoff teams

vs. Southern Oregon

@ Arizona State (FBS)

vs. Northern Colorado

@ Fresno State (FBS)

vs. Eastern Washington

@ Montana State

vs. Montana

@ Cal Poly

vs. Weber State

@ Northern Arizona

@ Idaho

vs. UC Davis

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8. Southern Illinois

2 FBS, 4 Top 25, 3 2018 playoff teams

@ SEMO

@ UMASS (FBS)

vs. UT Martin

@ Arkansas State (FBS)

@ South Dakota State

vs. Illinois State

vs. Youngstown State

@ South Dakota

@ Indiana State

vs. Missouri State

@ Western Illinois

vs. North Dakota State

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7. William & Mary

2 FBS, 4 Top 25, 5 2018 playoff teams

vs. Lafayette

@ Virginia (FBS)

vs. Colgate

@ East Carolina (FBS)

@ Albany

vs. Villanova

vs. James Madison

@ Maine

@ Elon

vs. Rhode Island

vs. Towson

@ Richmond

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6. Eastern Illinois

1 FBS, 5 Top 25, 2 2018 playoff teams

@ Chattanooga

@ Indiana (FBS)

vs. Illinois State

@ Indiana State

vs. Tennessee Tech

@ Murray State

vs. Jacksonville State

@ UT Martin

vs. Eastern Kentucky

@ Tennessee State

vs. Southeast Missouri

@ Austin Peay

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5. The Citadel

1 FBS, 5 Top 25, 4 2018 playoff teams

vs. Towson

@ Elon

@ Georgia Tech (FBS)

vs. Charleston Southern

@ Samford

vs. VMI

vs. Western Carolina

@ Furman

vs. Mercer

@ East Tennessee State

@ Chattanooga

vs. Wofford

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4. Northern Iowa

1 FBS, 5 Top 25, 3 2018 playoff teams

@ Iowa State (FBS)

vs. Southern Utah

vs. Idaho State

@ Weber State

vs. Youngstown State

@ North Dakota State

vs. South Dakota

@ Missouri State

@ Illinois State

vs. Indiana State

@ South Dakota State

vs. Western Illinois

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3. Missouri State

1 FBS, 5 top 25, 4 2018 playoff teams

@ Northern Arizona

@ Tulane (FBS)

vs. Kennesaw State

@ Western Illinois

vs. South Dakota

@ North Dakota State

vs. Northern Iowa

vs. South Dakota State

@ Southern Illinois

@ Illinois State

vs. Indiana State

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2. Chattanooga

1 FBS, 5 Top 25, 4 2018 playoff teams

vs. Eastern Illinois

@ Jacksonville State

@ Tennessee (FBS)

vs. James Madison

vs. Western Carolina

@ Mercer

vs. East Tennessee State

@ Wofford

vs. Furman

@ Samford

vs. The Citadel

@ VMI

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1. North Dakota

0 FBS, 6 Top 25, 5 2018 playoff teams

vs. Drake

@ North Dakota State

vs. Sam Houston State

@ Eastern Washington

vs. UC Davis

@ Idaho State

@ Cal Poly

vs. Montana State

@ Weber State

vs. Northern Colorado

vs. Southern Utah

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NEXT: The Best Traditions in the FCS​

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