College football scheduling is more standard than John Rockefeller’s oil. With few exceptions, each conference has a model.
The Big 12’s three-game nonconference schedules consist of a fellow Power 5 school, a mid-major and a Division I-AA foe.
The Big Ten’s three-game schedules are the same as the Big 12’s, only with fewer I-AA opponents and more Mid-American Conference foes.
The Pac-12’s three-game schedules are similar to the Big 12’s and Big Ten’s, only the Pac teams venture onto the road more often.
The SEC’s four-game schedules are virtually the same as the Big 12’s, except with an extra mid-major.