The college football season is usually determined by a few key games, many of which you can point to well before the a down is played. The Iron Bowl? Yep, that’ll matter. The Game? You bet the winner of Ohio State-Michigan will have something to say in the Big Ten. You could go on and on.

Those are annual matchups. In reality, it’s the varied quirks of a schedule that determine a team’s championship path.

USC’s 2017 campaign that seemed so promising was derailed by a brutal stretch of 12 straight games without a bye. Auburn’s late-season run? Made possible because it hosted Georgia and Alabama down the stretch.

Coaches would never admit it – unless they’re complaining about it – but schedules matter.

A team’s annual slate can provide an easy path to a championship opportunity or a minefield. That’s why we’re taking a look forward to highlight five teams with championship hopes that will receive schedule help and five others whose road is perilous simply because of who’s in the way.

I used ESPN’s FPI as a guide in order to determine schedule strength. However, as is the case with any data, some allowances have to be made for human projection.