In Week 2, an unranked Syracuse team will be tested. The Orange travels to Evanston, Ill., on Sept. 7 to face Northwestern, the No. 22 team in the country in the first edition of the USA Today Coaches’ Poll. And it won’t get any easier.

Four weeks later, SU will open up Atlantic Coast Conference play in the Carrier Dome against No. 8 Clemson on Oct. 5 and will travel to Tallahassee, Fla., to face No. 12 Florida State on Nov. 16. The Tigers and Seminoles are the only ranked teams in the ACC, though Miami (Fla.), Virginia Tech and North Carolina all received votes. The Hurricanes received the second most votes of teams ranked outside the Top 25.

Had Syracuse remained in the Big East, now the American Athletic Conference, it likely would have faced No. 9 Louisville as its only conference opponent ranked in the preseason poll. Cincinnati, Rutgers and new member Central Florida also received votes.

Defending national champion Alabama tops the poll, followed by Ohio State, Oregon, Stanford and Georgia.

Not receiving votes is the Orange’s Week 1 opponent, Penn State. The Nittany Lions finished last season just outside the Associated Press Top 25 poll, receiving the second most votes of teams outside the rankings, but they are ineligible to be ranked in the Coaches’ Poll due to their postseason ineligibility.