Saban keeps popping off about playing only P5s, but just scheduled Austin Peay today. The ACC once committed to playing a 9 game conference schedule, but backed off of that. A nonconference scheduling agreement between the Pac and B1G fell apart. USC recently announced that they will likely play a FCS school, one of only 3 programs never to do it.

There really isn't an appetite to strengthen schedules further.

Here are some Alabama's nonconference schedules from the '80s:

'86- Ohio St. (neutral site), Southern Miss, Notre Dame, Memphis, Temple
'87- Southern Miss, @Penn St, Louisiana Lafayette, @Notre Dame
'88- @Temple, Penn St, Louisiana Lafayette, @Texas A&M

Here's Alabama's nonconference schedule the next 3 years:

'20- USC (neutral), Georgia St, Kent St., UT Martin
'21- Miami (neutral), Southern Miss, New Mexico St., Mercer
'22- Utah St., @Texas, Louisiana Monroe, Austin Peay

We aren't going back to the '80s. G5s will have plenty of chances to beat elite teams. It's just a matter of being good enough to do it.