To make accurate college football predictions, experts understand the importance of familiarizing oneself with those factors that ensure success on the field, this not only including players that exceed expectations but a whole lot of luck when it comes to scheduling.

The right schedule can make all the difference in the world, one that is not merely favorable but which provides enough of a challenge for selection committees and pollsters to take a team seriously.

Many a team has been felled by schedules that put them into too many rough spots, allowing them to take too many beatings to compete favorably over the next several months.

Of all the teams playing this season, the following schools have the most difficult schedules to contend with:

1). Auburn
The Tigers have not fared well under Gus Malzahn, not only losing to Florida State (12-2) during the BCS Championship final in Gus’ first year but following this performance up with a 7-6 mark last year and an 8-5 season in the year before that.

Gus’ precarious situation is only made worse by the four straight games the Tigers have to contend with shortly after their bout with Clemson at the start of this season. With teams like LSU and Texas A&M awaiting Auburn in consecutive weeks, the deck has never been stacked higher against Malzahn’s side, not when they are expected to beat four teams that finished the previous season ranked.

2). BYU
While BYU might enjoy all the benefits of being an independent program, the fact that they have to craft a schedule capable of impressing the committee puts them in a slightly difficult situation.

If the cougars go 12-0 this time round BYU might not have a conference to win this season, though the committee will have a hard time keeping them out of the playoff. With 10 games to be played against schools that previously went to the bowl, the Cougars’ season will kick off with a bout against UCLA, Arizona and West Virginia, hitting the road shortly after to play Michigan state.

Along with games against Mississippi state and Cincinnati, the Cougars will have to walk quite the tightrope to the finish line this season.

3). Alabama
Even among the difficult schedules everybody in the SEC West faces, Alabama’s position is especially difficult this season. To successfully defend their title, the Crimson Tide will have to stand against USC (whose non-conference schedule is less difficult than most).

This isn’t even taking into account the SEC portion of the season which will see the Tide play the likes of Tennessee and Arkansas on the road, many of these games played within the span of a few weeks.

4). USC
While the Trojans can relax in the middle of their season, playing against teams like Arizona State and Colorado, they will have to grind their teeth against one hell of a finish, beginning November with a game against Oregon before turning their attention to the Ducks, Washington, and UCLA, all this before facing Notre Dame after the conference.

With two difficult stretches bookending their schedule, USC is in a very unenviable situation.

5). Wisconsin
Opening the season with a game against LSU, this before contending with a stretch of six insane games that will open conference play this year against Michigan State, Michigan, Ohio State, Iowa, Nebraska and Northwestern, gone are the days when Wisconsin had the easiest and most enviable schedule around.

Even the likes of Purdue and Minnesota waiting for the Badgers at the finish line, Wisconsin’s path to victory is still quite cloudy, the team likely to be too battered to deliver the wins that games against teams like Illinois would normally guarantee.