College Football 2011: 18 Toughest Back-to-Back Games for Any Team This Season

Every college football team marks a few games on their schedule each year as the BIG games.

Other teams may call them "RED letter" games.

What you hope not to see is two—or even three—RED letter games in a row.

But if you play in the SEC or for a non-BCS team trying to collect money by playing on the road, there's a good chance you have more than one.

So let's take a look at the 18 teams that have the toughest back-to-back games this fall.

18. Michigan

Tough Stretch: No. 13 Nebraska (Nov. 19), No. 5 Ohio State (Nov. 26)

Hey Brady Hoke, welcome to Michigan and Big Ten football.

The Wolverines are still defensively deficient, and there are questions about how Denard Robinson will respond to a new offense.

If Hoke and the Wolverines could only win one of these games, which one do you think they’d choose?

17. Tulsa

Tough Stretch: No. 7 Oklahoma State (Sept. 17), at No. 12 Boise State (Sept. 24)

Tulsa proved last year with a win at Notre Dame that the Golden Hurricane are up to the challenge.

But this isn’t last year’s Tulsa team that won 10 games.

G.J. Kinne, last year’s Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year, is back, but Tulsa isn’t in the same league as Oklahoma State and Boise State.

16. Penn State

Tough Stretch: No. 13 Nebraska (Nov. 12), at No. 5 Ohio State (Nov. 19), at No. 15 Wisconsin (Nov. 26)

Penn State actually has the talent to compete in the Legends Division, but Joe Paterno’s team lacks depth.

The defense has more holes than the offense, but there are some special players, such as defensive ends Jack Crawford and Eric Lattimore.

Since Ohio State is sort of a wild card at this point, come November, this stretch may not be as daunting as it looks right now.

15. Alabama

Tough Stretch: No. 4 LSU (Nov. 5), at No. 20 Mississippi State (Nov. 12)

It’s Alabama, so the Crimson Tide are just glad it’s only two tough games instead of four or five straight.

The Crimson Tide are thinking about a second SEC and BCS Championship in three years. So much like what they and Auburn did last year, Nick Saban knows you have survive these games.

It’s not about big wins, it's about just getting the win.

14. Toledo

Tough Stretch: at No. 5 Ohio State (Sept. 10), No. 12 Boise State (Sept. 17), at Syracuse (Sept. 24)

Toledo is a MAC favorite, but this stretch will not be easy.

Tim Beckman has done a great job of building a winner with the Rockets, and Toledo should rebound once they play conference games.

Toledo also has one of the MAC’s most exciting players in wide receiver Eric Page.

13. Georgia

Tough Stretch: No. 12 Boise State (Sept. 3), No. 6 South Carolina (Sept. 10)

Mark Richt has done so much at Georgia, yet he enters 2011 on the hot seat.

These first two games could dictate if he remains in the cross-hairs all season, or if the Georgia fans get a reminder of why Richt is a special coach.

The defense will need to be more aggressive than in the past to open the season 2-0.

12. Florida Atlantic

Tough Stretch: at No. 10 Florida (Sept. 3), at No. 21 Michigan State (Sept. 10)

FAU finally begins play in a new on-campus stadium this year.

However, the Owls open the season with five consecutive road games. After games with Florida and Michigan State, FAU takes a week off before going to Auburn, Louisiana and North Texas.

Best-case is a 2-3 record when Western Kentucky arrives in Boca Raton, Fla.

11. Mississippi State

Tough Stretch: No. 2 Alabama (Nov. 12), at No. 14 Arkansas (Nov. 19)

Sometimes it seems like Dan Mullen is more miracle worker than football coach.

Mississippi State was bad when he arrived on campus; now the Bulldogs are a serious SEC West contender.

Mullen is confident enough in his ability and his players to feel they can pull off two upsets here.

10. Mississippi

Tough Stretch: No. 2 Alabama (Oct. 15), No. 14 Arkansas (Oct. 22), at No. 19 Auburn (Oct. 29)

Not considered in Ole Miss’ tough run, the Rebels play at Fresno State two weeks before Alabama.

Ole Miss is also coming of a tough 2010 season, and the defense is a major weakness in a conference of tough defenses.

The Rebels could take a physical beating during these three games.

9. Missouri

Tough Stretch: No. 7 Oklahoma State (Oct. 22), at No. 9 Texas A&M (Oct. 29)

If Blaine Gabbert had returned for his senior season, Missouri would have been a preseason top-10 team.

The Tigers are still considered a top-25 program for now because of the returning talent everywhere else on the field.

However, Missouri will get back-to-back games against teams with experienced and talented quarterbacks.

8. Arizona

Tough Stretch: at No. 7 Oklahoma State (Sept. 8), No. 8 Stanford (Sept. 17), No. 2 Oregon (Sept. 24), at USC (Oct. 1)

A year ago, Arizona looked like an up-and-coming Pac-10 team.

Now the Wildcats are sort of an afterthought in the new Pac-12.

This early-season stretch is likely to end poorly for the Wildcats and could be the beginning of the end for the Mike Stoops era.

7. Arkansas

Tough Stretch: at No. 2 Alabama (Sept. 24), No. 9 Texas A&M (Oct. 1), No. 19 Auburn (Oct. 8)

Arkansas has the right components at the skill positions that should allow offensive genius Bobby Petrino to engineer another electrifying unit.

What has the fans in Fayetteville excited, though, is that the Razorbacks have the defense to match.

So a three-week run of ranked teams is the perfect test to find out if Arkansas is a serious BCS contender.

Of course, a win in Tuscaloosa would be epic.

6. Auburn

Tough Stretch: at No. 6 South Carolina (Oct. 1), at No. 14 Arkansas (Oct. 8), No. 10 Florida (Oct. 15), at No. 4 LSU (Oct. 22)

Auburn survived every challenge and obstacle thrown at the Tigers last year.

Trying to do it again is never easy.

Gene Chizik has a few holes to fill, and the young talent to do it well. But inexperienced talent in the SEC doesn’t trump experienced talent.

Good luck with these four games.

5. Texas

Tough Stretch: No. 1 Oklahoma (Oct. 8), No. 7 Oklahoma State (Oct. 15)

Mack Brown and Texas are used to 10-win seasons, conference championship and BCS Bowls.

The Longhorns are also used to being the feared team.

After a shocking 5-7 season in 2010, Texas is now the team that must again prove itself.

There’s no better way to do that than by winning the Red River Rivalry, then taking down Oklahoma State the following week.

That would prove Texas football is back.

4. Kansas

Tough Stretch: at No. 7 Oklahoma State (Oct. 8), No. 1 Oklahoma (Oct. 15)

While Kansas should be improved in Turner Gill’s second season, the Jayhawks are still the worst team in the Big 12.

So getting strapped with back-to-back games against two of the best teams from the conference is not very appealing.

Like any team going through a rebuilding project, Kansas lacks depth and the talent that make up the rosters of teams like Oklahoma, Texas and Oklahoma State.

3. Florida

Tough Stretch: No. 2 Alabama (Oct. 1), at No. 4 LSU (Oct. 8), at No. 19 Auburn (Oct. 15)

Historically, Florida has been able to handle a challenging run like this one.

But last year’s subpar season—as far as Florida Gators’ standards are concerned—has created some doubts.

First-year coach Will Muschamp has faced some challenges as an assistant coach, but nothing like this.

Maybe Charlie Weis’ NFL experience will help.

2. Kentucky

Tough Stretch: Louisville (Sept. 17), No. 10 Florida (Sept. 24), at No. 4 LSU (Oct. 1), at No. 6 South Carolina (Oct. 8)

Kentucky has found ways in the past to pull off an upset each season.

That streak is not looking so good in Joker Phillips’ second season though, as 2011 should be a rebuilding year for the Wildcats.

This could be the year Louisville ends Kentucky’s four-game winning streak in that rivalry.

1. Tennessee

Tough Stretch: No. 24 Georgia (Oct. 8), No. 4 LSU (Oct. 15), at No. 2 Alabama (Oct. 22), No. 6 South Carolina (Oct. 29)

Tennessee football is still reeling from the one-year Lane Kiffin experiment.

Derek Dooley just may prove to be the right fit for the Volunteers, but his team could really use a break from a tough run like they are facing this fall.

Tennessee’s offense should be a real strength, but the defense is going to look toward some young bucks to start. That’s not a good thing in the SEC.