Non-conference games are usually appetizers. A big-time Power 4 program usually schedules one of the little guys, sometimes in the FCS. These games function as tune-ups, and the bigger school usually has to compensate the smaller team for the

Football is a team sport, sure, but simultaneously, there's no more impactful position on the field than the quarterback.

The question of which 2026 college athletics strategy is worse comes down to preference. Not that your preferences are taken into account.