College football schedule makers double as soothsayers.
Readers of tea leaves.
Gazers into crystal balls.
Why?
Because of TV. Conferences want to give their broadcast partners enough savory matchups to go around every week. There are going to be clunker matchups — every conference has them — so the schedule makers do everything they can to strike a balance.
Plus, in most conferences nowadays, there’s an added challenge at the end of the season. Schedule makers try to avoid having teams play in the regular-season finale if the opponents are likely to play again the following week in the conference championship game.