The preseason coaches' poll was released last week. Given that preseason polls are meaningless (polls make no sense until October or so), it’s still fun to take a look at the poll’s Top 10 teams and try to figure out which has the easiest path to being undefeated. (Naturally, teams outside the Top 10 may go undefeated as well, but let’s stick to the Top 10 for this exercise.)
Helping the Mountaineers is that many of the teams above them play each other during the season and will pick each other off, one by one.
Here’s the coaches' Top 10:
1. Georgia
It's nice to be No. 1, but how long will it last? The Bulldogs must travel to Arizona State, Auburn, and LSU. They get the “luxury” of hosting Tennessee, Florida (actually in Jacksonville), and Georgia Tech. If they get through this schedule unscathed, then God love 'em and give 'em the crystal football.
P.S.: Chance of Knowshon Moreno sophomore slump—at least 40 percent. Not to mention it looks like Coach Mark Richt has kicked a starter off the team every week over the summer.
Games against Top 25 teams: 5.
2. Southern Cal
Remember what the Trojans did to Nebraska at Lincoln in the second game of last year? (Pictured here: USC offensive lineman looking for anyone, anyone, to block.) That could be the same fate suffered by the Virginia Cavaliers, who for some inexplicable reason host USC in the first game of the year. USC then travels home to host Ohio State in a game guaranteed to give one of the top three teams its first loss.
After that, the Trojans glide through a weak Pac-10 schedule (I never, ever trust Oregon.), with only Arizona State (at home) in the way of an undefeated season—unless Crazy Rick Neuheisel pulls something out of his hat in his first year at UCLA, that is. Still, the Trojans have the easiest past to an undefeated regular season.
Games against Top 25 teams: 3.
3. Ohio State
The only thing worse than having to play a higher-ranked team early in the season is having to play them on the road. tOSU travels to SoCal to play the Trojans on Sept. 13, a game that should be a national title knockout game, except that it’s so early in the season. Other than that, the Buckeyes don't have a very challenging Big Ten schedule, with trips to Illinois and Wisconsin the only potential road bumps.
Thankfully for the Buckeyes’ bowl hopes, they’ll have several weeks to recuperate for their BCS bowl game from the exhaustion of running up and down the field at will against Michigan in their final game.
Games against Top 25 teams: 5.
4. Oklahoma
Even assuming Big Game Bob hasn’t permanently turned into the Fiesta Bowl Fool, and the Sooners can shake off the whuppin’ the Mountaineers put on them in January, Oklahoma does not have the easiest schedule. The Sooners won’t have to face Mizzou until the Big 12 title game, but they must play Kansas (at home), Texas (at home), and in the biggest test, Texas A&M on the road.
14 comments Last one added 9 months ago — Leave a Comment
Gordito Mojito 11 months ago
You must have forgotten Stanford is an away game for U$C this year. Wouldn't that put the odds at 26-23 Stanford?
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Tyler Jones 11 months ago
Nice comment. I played that game last year. USC was 40 pt. favorite. Thank you Stanford.
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Nick Martin 11 months ago
Nebraska is a few levels below Virginia I would say, so comparing USC romp
of Nebraska to the @ Virginia game really isnt fair.
Even though USC has an easy schedule, as they've proven the last couple years, they will
piss away one or two surprise games like the did against Stanford at home, at eugene and at Reser stadium in '06.
USC has the schedule to be an undefeated team but there mental game always brings a couple stumbles on their way to a BCS title game.
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Justin Goar 11 months ago
better watch out, saying USC has an easy schedule can get people some heat. just ask les miles. you're right though and i also think there aren't many head scrathers on the gator schedule.
if they can get past UGA, i don't see many roadblocks for them. maybe i believe in their defense too much?
good read.
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gbase 11 months ago
How about BYU?
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Give 'em Hell Devils 11 months ago
I wouldnt be so quick to call the PAC an easy schedule. Cal will be a tough game for the trojans as well. And even if there arnt many other ont eh conf schedule you would pick to beat the trojans lookat stanford last year. Plus I attribute the trojans "easy" schedule through conf more the fact they are VERy good than to the Pac being overly weak. If we using weak conf as a way to put them easiest, then WVU and Clemson should both be above SC
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Frank Ahrens 11 months ago
It's a good point you make, Give 'em, and something that I should have made clearer in the piece: It's not just ease or difficulty of schedule I'm looking at, it's schedule combined with the ability of the ranked team. So, yes, one could say that Clemson seems more superior to the rest of the ACC than USC seems superior to the rest of the Pac-10. But as I said, and this is purely subejective, I never trust Clemson to close out a season strong and Pete Carroll has.
WVU seems the best team in the Big East but I'd argue that the gap between WVU and South Florida and maybe even Cincinnati is less than between Clemson and the ACC teams it has to play.
Frank
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Give 'em Hell Devils 11 months ago
thanks for clarification, Now id agree with you more.
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Holden S 11 months ago
Correction USC and Ohio State play on September 13th not the 6th.
I am a USC student, however i see Ohio States experience playing a big role in this game, I do take comfort in that fact that USC has a bye the week before this big game, giving USC's coaching staff two weeks to get the players in good shape, and I think we would all have to agree that Pete is pretty good at getting the team ready for "big" games, it is just too bad we forget about the little ones (agha Stanford).
I cant wait to go to this one though!
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Frank Ahrens 11 months ago
Thanks, Holden. Fixed.
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Lisa Horne 11 months ago
Frank!
Way to go getting pub'd on FOXsports.com.
I agree on Clemson....I don't think they'll get any love from the voters. For the last two years, they have played Va Tech, and no Va Tech this year....but two FCS teams instead. It's too easy of a sked.
USC's sked isn't easy, but for a Pac-10 sked, it certainly is favorable vs last year's nightmare...all those away games.
Nice article, and congrats!
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Justin Clark 11 months ago
Great article!
I think Clemson has the easiest schedule so therefore best chance to go undefeated although I wouldnt trust Tommy Bowden with anything.
I just dont see Clemson going into Wake, FSU, and BC and walking away with 3 wins there. The ACC is still down but its still tough to go on the road in get a Win at Doak.
This should finally be the year that Clemson gets over the hump but all signs point to a disappointing loss somewhere down the line that may once again keep the Tigers out Tampa Bay in December.
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Ryan Staab 11 months ago
If anyone has a nightmare schedule in the PAC-10, its Arizona State.
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PSU FANboy 9 months ago
Penn State may be a title contender this year... All depends on how they do against Illinois this weekend. Penn State is always good if they have a strong QB... and that's rare, but it looks like they have 2 strong QBs this year.
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