The schedules have been released for the 2016 college football season and that means we can already start to look ahead to the regular season with projections for how things will play out for the top teams in the country. The majority of the focus will be on the marquee matchups, but another intriguing element is the potential trap games that could derail conference championship hopes or even the opportunity to make the College Football Playoff. Here is a look at the five biggest projected trap games for the 2016 college football season based on how the schedules are set up.
USC vs. Utah
September 10, 2016
USC has been talked about a lot as a potential College Football Playoff contender out of the Pac-12, but a quick look at their schedule reveals how tough they will have it early on in the year. The Trojans will open the season against the defending national champion Alabama Crimson Tide in Arlington and there is a very good chance that could mean a loss. Regardless of the result in that game, USC will follow up an emotional opener with a potential trap game in week two when they return home to face a Pac-12 rival in Utah. The fact that this is the only home game for the Trojans in the first month of the season won’t help the circumstances either. USC will have to follow that contest with back-to-back road games against Stanford and Utah and if they stumble in a trap game against the Utes then there is a very real possibility they could open the season with four straight losses.
Florida @ Vanderbilt
October 1, 2016
The Gators won the SEC East in Jim McElwain’s first season as head coach and expectations will be high again for Florida in 2016. A difficult schedule will add to the burden of expectations and a Week 5 trip to Vanderbilt could prove to be a lot more difficult than it looks on paper. The Gators barely escaped with a 9-7 home win over the Commodores at home last season and the schedule adds to the potential for this matchup to be a trap game. The trip to Vanderbilt comes after visiting Tennessee the week before and immediately before a crucial matchup with LSU the following week. Florida nearly stumbled at home against the Commodores this past season and the rematch could be just as difficult.
Michigan State @ Maryland
October 22, 2016
The defending Big Ten champion Spartans were lucky to get Wisconsin, Northwestern, Michigan and Ohio State all at home this season. Their four conference road opponents were a combined 21-29 in 2016, so the schedule certainly bodes well for them overall. However, each of their four road games this season will come after a date with a 10-win team from a year ago, so the potential is there for them to stumble at some point. Their matchup with Maryland is scheduled in between home games against Northwestern and Michigan and a quick look at last year’s schedule illustrates why that is, so dangerous. Michigan State played Rutgers immediately before its game against Michigan last year when they didn’t score the winning touchdown until the final minute of the fourth quarter. The Spartans should be able to beat Maryland, but this matchup has all of the makings of a trap game.
Florida State @ North Carolina State
November 5, 2016
All eyes will be on the Seminoles when they face Clemson in a game that could determine the ACC on October 29th, but what about the following week when they visit NC State? Florida State has an extra week off before its date with the Tigers thanks to a scheduled bye, but they won’t have a bye following that emotional matchup with Clemson and conventional wisdom dictates there will be some sort of letdown. The Wolfpack nearly upset the Seminoles in a similar situation two years ago and this matchup has all of the makings of another potential trap game for FSU.
Ole Miss vs. Georgia Southern
November 5, 2016
The Rebels have been questioned for scheduling a game against an option run team in November despite the fact that they didn’t need to do so and it could very well end up being a trap game. Ole Miss stumbled in a non-conference game at Memphis last year and now they will have to play the Eagles in the middle of the season right before a two-game trip to Texas A&M and Vanderbilt. The Rebels have the talent to win this game at home, but they made their schedule more difficult than it needed to be and it could result in a loss in a projected trap game.
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