Ranking Wake Forest's Football Opponents from Easiest to Hardest
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A little over five months remain until the 2026 college football season begins, which gives us ample time to assess and evaluate Wake Forest’s prospects for success. While it’s necessary to analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the roster, as well as several other components, one of the most important aspects of success is a team’s schedule. Is it easy? Is it hard? Does it allow room for growth, or does it constrict down the stretch? All of those questions are crucial.
Wake Forest’s 2026 schedule is a hodgepodge of somewhat “easy” games and some other contests that are downright difficult. Today, we’re going to rank the Demon Deacons’ schedule from easiest to hardest, looking at which games could give the team trouble and which ones won’t.
The "Easy" Games
1. vs. Merrimack (Saturday, Nov. 7)
Merrimack is the only FCS team on the schedule, which automatically makes it the easiest game on Wake Forest’s schedule in 2026. The Merrimack College Warriors, who finished 4-8 in 2025 as an independent, will travel to Winston-Salem for homecoming on Nov. 7. It’ll be a nice reprieve from the ACC schedule for the Demon Deacons, providing the team with an opportunity to stretch its legs before three tough contests the rest of the way in November.
2. vs. Akron (Thursday, Sept. 3)
Akron’s football program has been the butt of many jokes over the years. Pretty much everybody acknowledges it as one of the toughest places to win in all of the FBS; there’s a reason people flock to rebuild the Zips in EA Sports College Football — it’s fun to make the lousy a shiny jewel. When Akron comes to town for the season opener on Sept. 3, nobody in Winston-Salem is going to want to put the Zips away easily. This game presents Jake Dickert’s team with an opportunity to show its might. Because let’s face it: Anything less than a dominant win here would be a disappointment.
The "These Could Go Either Way But Are Also Still Extremely Manageable" Games
3. vs. Stanford (Saturday, Oct. 3)
Stanford is a major unknown. After one year with Frank Reich as the interim head coach, Tavita Pritchard now takes over with the hope of leading the Cardinal back to glory. It’ll be a tough task, especially with the travel troubles the ACC schedule presents. Unfortunately for Stanford, it’ll have to make the trek to Winston-Salem — a 2,713-mile journey — on Oct. 3. Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium is usually a friendly place, but it’ll be the Deacs’ goal to make the environment as tumultuous as possible for the weary travelers. As such, this game isn’t all that hard, at least on paper.
4. at Purdue (Saturday, Sept. 12)
Purdue went 2-10 last year in Barry Odom’s first season in West Lafayette, but don’t let that fool you. Odom is a heck of a football coach. Although he probably doesn’t possess the necessary ingredients to win big with the Boilermakers, he could still give Wake Forest some trouble on Sept. 12. This is the second game of the season for Wake Forest and its first road trip, so it’ll be interesting to see how the team handles it all.
The "I Could See These Going Either Way" Games
5. vs. Virginia (Saturday, Oct. 31)
The rest of the games on Wake Forest’s schedule are toss-ups at best and super tough contests at worst. Nothing is a given, starting with the Demon Deacons’ bout with Virginia on Oct. 31. Tony Elliott’s squad had a fantastic 2025 season that saw it almost make the College Football Playoff. But with quarterback Chandler Morris out the door, the team could go through some pains in 2026. That’s what makes this contest just a little bit simpler for Wake Forest, though it’s definitely not an easy one.
6. at NC State (Saturday, Oct. 10)
For some reason, the trip to NC State on Oct. 10 is a frightening one. The Wolfpack aren’t the most talented team in the ACC, but head coach Dave Doeren always seems to have that team playing well — especially against a Big Four rival like Wake Forest. Expect the Raleigh crowd to be amped up when the Deacs run out of the tunnel.
7. at California (Saturday, Oct. 17)
How California will fare in year one under former Oregon defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi is a major question mark. Nonetheless, the battle with the Golden Bears in Berkeley on Oct. 17 will be a tough test for Dickert and company. For one, Cal quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele is a weapon. That man can sling the pigskin around like no other. He’s a joy to watch — at least if he’s not facing your favorite team. Also, the trip to Berkeley is long. Many, many miles — 2,730, to be exact — separate the two schools. It’s by far Wake Forest’s longest road trip of the season.
8. at Georgia Tech (Saturday, Nov. 21)
Georgia Tech doesn’t have Haynes King anymore. But there’s no reason to doubt that with Brent Key at the helm, anything is going to change for the Yellow Jackets. The team will be ready to grind it out in the dirt in Atlanta on Nov. 21, and Wake Forest will need to be ready. There’s little doubt that it will be. Its main goal will be to avenge the loss it suffered to Georgia Tech this past season, one it believes was taken away unjustly.
9. vs. Duke (Saturday, Nov. 28)
The reigning ACC champion Duke Blue Devils — what a time to be alive — will meet up with the Demon Deacons in the final game of the regular season on Nov. 28. Several questions abound. How will Duke fare without quarterback Darian Mensah? Can it recapture the magic from last season and somehow win the ACC again? Or was it all a fluke determined by wonky tiebreakers that have since been altered? We’ll see. Regardless, the game is still a challenging enterprise for Wake Forest. Duke has shown it’s more than capable of winning these past several years, and there’s no reason to believe that won’t continue, even with Mensah out of the picture. Head coach Manny Diaz has built a consistent winner in Durham.
The "SMU, Louisville and Miami Trio of Death" Games
SMU can win the ACC. So can Louisville. Miami definitely can, too. Wake Forest has to play all of them.
While Miami, the reigning national runners-up, travels to Winston-Salem on Sept. 18, Wake Forest has to go to Louisville on Sept. 26 and SMU on Nov. 14. Those will undoubtedly be tough trips. Wake Forest winning just one of those contests would be a welcome surprise. Because while Wake Forest vastly improved in year one under Dickert, there’s always more room to grow.
Seth Dowdle is a 2024 graduate of TCU, where he earned a degree in sports broadcasting with a minor in journalism. He currently hosts a TCU-focused show on the Bleav Network and has been active in sports media since 2019, beginning with high school sports coverage in the DFW area. Seth is also the owner and editor of SethStack, his personal hub for in-depth takes on everything from college football to hockey. His past experience includes working in the broadcast department for the Cleburne Railroaders and at 88.7 KTCU, TCU's radio station.
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