College Football Predictions: 10 Teams Benefiting From Soft Schedules

The road to a BCS game is surely a long and grueling one for any team. But for some, it can be a little easier depending on how their schedule sets up.

While schools like Florida, Alabama, Miami, and others all have a daunting set of games on tap for the 2010 season, there are a few teams that have lucked out and benefited from a not-so-tough slate. No team has an easy schedule, but there are definitely a few that look a little softer and fluffier than most.

Here’s a look at ten potential BCS teams that have some "soft schedules" this season.

10. Virginia Tech Hokies

Schedule
Week 1: Boise State (Neutral)
Week 2: James Madison
Week 3: East Carolina
Week 4: @ Boston College
Week 5: @ NC State
Week 6: Central Michigan
Week 7: Wake Forest
Week 8: Duke
Week 9: BYE
Week 10: Georgia Tech
Week 11: @ North Carolina
Week 12: @ Miami
Week 13: Virginia
Week 14: Championship Weekend

Analysis: The first game against Boise State is the doozy of opening weekend. But when you consider the Broncos have to fly across the country for the game while the Hokies just have to take a quick five hour hitch hike across the state border, it’s easy to see which team got the short end of the stick for the supposed “neutral site game.”

There’s no doubt that three game stretch against Georgia Tech, UNC, and Miami is difficult, but outside of that, there isn’t much to get worked up for.

While ACC squads like Florida State and Miami are out playing top ten teams such as Oklahoma and Ohio State out of conference; the Hokies will be taking on James Madison and two teams that are breaking in new head coaches—Central Michigan and East Carolina.

9. Oregon Ducks

Schedule
Week 1: New Mexico
Week 2: @ Tennessee
Week 3: Portland State
Week 4: @Arizona State
Week 5: Stanford
Week 6: @ Washington State
Week 7: BYE
Week 8: UCLA
Week 9: @ USC
Week 10: Washington
Week 11: @ CAL
Week 12: BYE
Week 13: Arizona
Week 14: @ Oregon State

Analysis: Going into the noise of Neyland Stadium is never easy, but it’s highly unlikely that Coach Dooley will free his Volunteer team of all their kinks by the second week of the season. The only real test before week eight should be against Stanford, who the Ducks have averaged nearly 45 points against in their last four meetings.

Nothing will come easy in the last five games of the season, but at least the road games are spaced out. Plus there’s a much needed bye in the middle to give the team a breather.

The one game suspension of star running back LaMichael James seems to lose a bit of its luster when you realize it comes against New Mexico, a team that finished just 1-11 last year.

8. Boise State Broncos

Schedule
Week 1: Virginia Tech (Neutral)
Week 2: BYE
Week 3: @Wyoming
Week 4: Oregon State
Week 5: @New Mexico State
Week 6: Toledo
Week 7: @San Jose State
Week 8: Louisiana Tech
Week 9: BYE
Week 10: Hawaii
Week 11: @Idaho
Week 12: Fresno State
Week 13: @Nevada
Week 14: Utah State

Analysis: Boise has always been known for its take-on-all-comers mindset. With non-conference games against Virginia Tech and Oregon State, that seems to be the case once again in 2010.

Outside of those two contests, this schedule doesn’t really hold much weight. When your two toughest road games are at Nevada and at Idaho, it can certainly make it hard for voters to take you seriously. If Boise can topple the Hokies to finish off opening weekend, it would be a major statement to the nation that the team is for real. But the rest of schedule just seems like an afterthought in comparison.

It's no secret that the WAC isn't exactly full of giant killers. If Boise wants to get the respect they feel they're entitled to; they are going to need to have some in conference foes step their game up.

7. Georgia Bulldogs

Schedule
Week 1: Louisiana Lafayette
Week 2: @ South Carolina
Week 3: Arkansas
Week 4: @Mississippi State
Week 5: @Colorado
Week 6: Tennessee
Week 7: Vanderbilt
Week 8: @Kentucky
Week 9: Florida (Neutral)
Week 10: Idaho State
Week 11: @Auburn
Week 12: BYE
Week 13: Georgia Tech
Week 14: Championship Weekend

Analysis: It’s hard to label any SEC team as having an easy schedule just because the conference is so routinely difficult. Yet, out of all the main SEC contenders, Georgia looks to have the easiest battles to fight this season.

The bouts with Arkansas, Florida, and Auburn all have the makings of something special, but the other nine games seem to fade into the abyss. The first road game in Colombia should be a grind, but there’s no other game to get too excited about until the hate-fest against Georgia Tech.

It’s not an easy schedule by any means, but when compared to other SEC counterparts, it does seem a bit drab.

6. Wisconsin Badgers

Schedule
Week 1: @UNLV
Week 2: San Jose State
Week 3: Arizona State
Week 4: Austin Peay
Week 5: @Michigan State
Week 6: Minnesota
Week 7: Ohio State
Week 8: @Iowa
Week 9: BYE
Week 10: @Purdue
Week 11: Indiana
Week 12: @Michigan
Week 13: Northwestern
Week 14: BYE

Analysis: It may not be cold enough in Madison for ice skates in September, but that doesn’t mean the Badgers won’t be skating through the month.

The back to back games against conference powerhouses Ohio State and Iowa are the big chunk of the 2010 season, but as a whole, this schedule doesn’t look all that formidable. Only one of the team’s five road opponents finished with a winning season in 2009.

5. TCU Horned Frogs

Schedule
Week 1: Oregon State (Neutral)
Week 2: Tennessee Tech
Week 3: Baylor
Week 4: @SMU
Week 5: @Colorado State
Week 6: Wyoming
Week 7: BYU
Week 8: Air Force
Week 9: @UNLV
Week 10: @Utah
Week 11: San Diego State
Week 12: BYE
Week 13: @New Mexico
Week 14: BYE

Analysis: If you asked college football aficionado Phil Steele who had the easiest schedule on this list, he would say TCU. He ranked the Frogs #93 in schedule difficulty in his 2010 national preview magazine and after looking at this schedule, it’s hard to argue with Phil.

The Mountain West seems to be getting a lot of love in many college football circles, but I don’t buy it. Maybe one day will realize that TCU, Utah, and BYU are always consistently successful not because they’re so terrific, but instead because this conference is pretty weak.

4. West Virginia Mountaineers

Schedule
Week 1: Coastal Carolina
Week 2: @Marshall
Week 3: Maryland
Week 4: @LSU
Week 5: BYE
Week 6: UNLV
Week 7: South Florida
Week 8: Syracuse
Week 9: @UCONN
Week 10: BYE
Week 11: Cincinnati
Week 12: @Louisville
Week 13: @ PITT
Week 14: Rutgers

Analysis: West Virginia sure knows how to make a Big East schedule look even less impressive. The road trip down to Baton Rouge will be important from a bragging rights perspective, but in reality, it has no bearing on the team’s BCS hopes.

Out of all the main conference contenders, the Mountaineers seem to have the easiest road to the championship. PITT and UCONN will be hard fought road battles, and hosting Cincinnati will be fun. But besides that, I’m not too impressed.

3. Nebraska Cornhuskers

Schedule
Week 1: Western Kentucky
Week 2: Idaho
Week 3: @Washington
Week 4: South Dakota State
Week 5: BYE
Week 6: @Kansas State
Week 7: Texas
Week 8: @Oklahoma State
Week 9: Missouri
Week 10: @Iowa State
Week 11: Kansas
Week 12: @Texas A&M
Week 13: Colorado
Week 14: Championship Weekend

Analysis: One of the main reasons I’m picking the Cornhuskers to win this year’s National Championship is due to their not-so-challenging schedule.

Yes, I also like the fact that head coach Bo Pelini looks like he has this team ready to hit their stride, but nonetheless, I’m absolutely in love with this schedule.

The early road game at Washington will be interesting and the bout with Texas will be huge, but there’s no doubt that Nebraska should be the favorite in pretty much any game it takes part in this season.

2. Ohio State Buckeyes

Schedule
Week 1: Marshall
Week 2: Miami
Week 3: Ohio
Week 4: Eastern Michigan
Week 5: @Illinois
Week 6: Indiana
Week 7: @Wisconsin
Week 8: Purdue
Week 9: @Minnesota
Week 10: BYE
Week 11: Penn State
Week 12: @Iowa
Week 13: Michigan
Week 14: BYE

Analysis: Eight home games! Well it looks like Columbus will be doing its fair share of partying this year.

The early September clash with Miami is a very intriguing match up, but the other non-conference games leave a lot to be desired. The road games at Wisconsin and Iowa look tough, but besides those two games, there really shouldn’t be too much for Buckeye fans to worry about.

This is a program that has lost just five home games in the last eight seasons. If they can keep up that pace in 2010, the team should have no trouble getting back to a BCS bowl.

1. Texas Longhorns

Schedule
Week 1: Rice (Neutral)
Week 2: Wyoming
Week 3: @Texas Tech
Week 4: UCLA
Week 5: Oklahoma (Neutral)
Week 6: BYE
Week 7: @Nebraska
Week 8: Iowa State
Week 9: Baylor
Week 10: @Kansas State
Week 11: Oklahoma State
Week 12: Florida Atlantic
Week 13: Texas A&M
Week 14: Championship Weekend

Analysis: The Longhorns picked a good year to break in a new starting quarterback. With just three true road games, sophomore Garrett Gilbert won’t have to handle the pressure of many hostile environments during his first season at the helm of the offense.

It seems convenient how the bye week falls right in between the Longhorns two toughest contests—Oklahoma and Nebraska. It also seems convenient that Texas has Florida Atlantic lined up right before their major Thanksgiving rivalry game against A&M. I know we’re all excited for a repeat of that 52-10 beat down they dished out to FAU back in 2008.