College Football Predictions 2011: Which Teams Face a Murderers' Row Schedule?
The college football off-season is in full effect following last week’s National Signing Day. Although we are still anxiously, impatiently awaiting Jadeveon Clowney’s Valentine’s Day announcement, (happy early birthday to you, Jadeveon) not much else is left to do but look ahead to the 2011 season.
We will see a great tournament heading into the BCS National Championship, but which teams have the toughest schedule on paper heading into the 2011 season? From powerhouses like Auburn, Alabama and LSU to teams searching for more respect like Penn State, Iowa State and Notre Dame, we have the top 20 toughest schedules on tap for next season.
20. Oklahoma Sooners
1 of 20
9/3/11 Tulsa
9/10/11 OPEN DATE
9/17/11 at Florida State
9/24/11 Missouri
10/1/11 Ball State
10/8/11 Texas
10/15/11 at Kansas
10/22/11 Texas Tech
10/29/11 at Kansas State
11/5/11 Texas A&M
11/12/11 Iowa State
11/19/11 at Baylor
11/26/11 at Oklahoma State
I predict Oklahoma to battle Oregon in the 2012 BCS National Championship. Although not the most brutal schedule, the Sooners square off against four 2010 ranked teams. Though I don’t see them losing, Oklahoma State will do everything in their power to see to it Oklahoma does not advance to a Championship. There’s a couple of potential trap games, like the trip to Florida State, but the Sooners will have extra time to prepare for the contest. I’m not worried about my pick, but you can never underestimate the competition.
19. Oregon State Beavers
2 of 20
9/3/11 Sacramento State
9/10/11 at Wisconsin
9/17/11 OPEN DATE
9/24/11 UCLA
10/1/11 at Arizona State
10/8/11 Arizona
10/15/11 BYU
10/22/11 at Washington State
10/29/11 at Utah
11/5/11 Stanford
11/12/11 at California
11/19/11 Washington
11/26/11 at Oregon
Although I don’t think this is the worst schedule, Oregon State has to battle some powerhouse teams, which could very well kill their pride in the process. The first and foremost? Wisconsin. Wisconsin will decimate Oregon State in just the second week of the season. Things lighten up before the pounding commences at the end of October with Utah. The final month of the season is why Oregon State is ranked on this list. Stanford, Cal, Washington and Oregon. I’ll be generous and give Oregon State Washington as a potential win, but nothing else. This team would be lucky to win as many as five games, which I don’t see happening. Three or four sounds about right.
18. Alabama Crimson Tide
3 of 20
9/3/11 Kent State
9/10/11 at Penn State
9/17/11 North Texas
9/24/11 Arkansas
10/1/11 Florida
10/8/11 Vanderbilt
10/15/11 at Ole Miss
10/22/11 Tennessee
10/29/11 OPEN DATE
11/5/11 LSU
11/12/11 at Mississippi State
11/19/11 Georgia Southern
11/24/11 at Auburn
My No. 3 team heading into the 2011 season has some potential road blocks on their way to a possible undefeated season.
Nick Saban will need to make sure his team is fully focused if they hope to win a second Championship in three seasons.
The first month isn’t bad, but Arkansas should play 'Bama tough. Florida isn't much to worry about but the last month of the schedule is where things pick up with LSU, Mississippi State and Auburn.
I’ll keep them at No. 3, but will stick with Oregon vs Oklahoma in the BCS National Championship next year.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
17. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
4 of 20
9/3/11 South Florida
9/10/11 at Michigan
9/17/11 Michigan State
9/24/11 OPEN DATE
10/1/11 at Purdue
10/8/11 Air Force
10/15/11 OPEN DATE
10/22/11 USC
10/29/11 Navy
11/5/11 at Wake Forest
11/12/11 Maryland
11/19/11 Boston College
11/26/11 Stanford
Notre Dame is trying to get back to dominance. They made strides in 2010 but 2011 is shaping up to be another rough one for the Fighting Irish. So rough it could knock these Irish right out. TKO style with South Florida, Michigan, Michigan State, USC and Stanford throughout the season.
16. Penn State Nittany Lions
5 of 20
9/3/11 Indiana State
9/10/11 Alabama
9/17/11 at Temple
9/24/11 Eastern Michigan
10/1/11 at Indiana
10/8/11 Iowa
10/15/11 Purdue
10/22/11 at Northwestern
10/29/11 Illinois
11/5/11 OPEN DATE
11/12/11 Nebraska
11/19/11 at Ohio State
11/26/11 at Wisconsin
This has the makings of another middle of the pack season for Joe Paterno. The first two months aren't even that bad. Alabama hurts. Always. As will Iowa. The toughest part of the schedule is the final month, which should see Penn State lose out heading into whichever Bowl game they’re invited to.
15. Washington State Cougars
6 of 20
9/3/11 Idaho State
9/10/11 UNLV
9/17/11 at San Diego State
9/24/11 OPEN DATE
10/1/11 at Colorado
10/8/11 at UCLA
10/15/11 Stanford
10/22/11 Oregon State
10/29/11 at Oregon
11/5/11 at California
11/12/11 Arizona State
11/19/11 Utah
11/26/11 at Washington
This is going to be a difficult season for Washington State. The opening month is fine. We can handle that.
But the rest of the way?
Uh oh.
Colorado, UCLA, Stanford, Oregon, Cal and Utah round out the rest of the way with Oregon State trickled in on October 22. Of course, the finale against Washington will be tough to culminate the season.
Just brutal. Expect three or four wins at most.
14. Texas A&M Aggies
7 of 20
9/3/11 SMU
9/10/11 OPEN DATE
9/17/11 Idaho
9/24/11 Oklahoma State
10/1/11 Arkansas
10/8/11 at Texas Tech
10/15/11 Baylor
10/22/11 at Iowa State
10/29/11 Missouri
11/5/11 at Oklahoma
11/12/11 at Kansas State
11/19/11 Kansas
11/26/11 Texas
Roads will surely be rocky with this schedule on the horizon. Things pick up in a hurry with Oklahoma State ending September but beginning the toughest stretch of this schedule. Iowa State may be in the middle of this rocky path on October 22, but it’s book ended by match-ups against Arkansas, Texas Tech, Baylor, Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas State and finally, Texas in the finale.
I expect Texas A&M to win six or seven games, but this is going to be a brutal schedule throughout the season.
13. Iowa State Cyclones
8 of 20
9/3/11 Northern Iowa
9/10/11 Iowa
9/17/11 at Connecticut
9/24/11 OPEN DATE
10/1/11 Texas
10/8/11 at Baylor
10/15/11 at Missouri
10/22/11 Texas A&M
10/29/11 at Texas Tech
11/5/11 Kansas
11/12/11 at Oklahoma
11/19/11 Oklahoma State
11/26/11 at Kansas State
Iowa State’s schedule is littered with disaster across the season. In just the second week of the season, Iowa comes to down to destroy State. The schedule never seems to lighten up as Texas, Baylor, Missouri, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Kansas, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State round out the final eight games of the season. It would be shocking to see Iowa State come out with even one win in those final eight games.
Just close your eyes and go to sleep.
12. Florida Gators
9 of 20
9/3/11 Florida Atlantic
9/10/11 UAB
9/17/11 Tennessee
9/24/11 at Kentucky
10/1/11 Alabama
10/8/11 at LSU
10/15/11 at Auburn
10/22/11 OPEN DATE
10/29/11 Georgia
11/5/11 Vanderbilt
11/12/11 at South Carolina
11/19/11 Furman
11/26/11 Florida State
It’s going to be a long, long season without Urban Meyer.
Florida already started to fall off in 2010. They’ll completely fall off in 2011.
The middle of the schedule is rough, rough, rough. Just look at October. Alabama, LSU and Auburn in a row.
Whoa.
Hey, at least they get a bye week to think about the previous three beatings!
Georgia, South Carolina and Florida State in three of the final five games, let’s chalk up three more losses while we’re at it. 2-6 in the final eight games of the season for the Gators.
11. Texas Longhorns
10 of 20
9/3/11 Rice
9/10/11 BYU
9/17/11 at UCLA
9/24/11 OPEN DATE
10/1/11 at Iowa State
10/8/11 Oklahoma
10/15/11 Oklahoma State
10/22/11 at Baylor
10/29/11 Kansas
11/5/11 Texas Tech
11/12/11 at Missouri
11/19/11 Kansas State
11/24/11 at Texas A&M
Texas should be much improved in 2011. Doesn’t mean their 2010 woes won’t creep up considering this schedule.
October could be brutal, featuring as many as two to three losses as the Longhorns battle Iowa State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Baylor and Kansas in a row. Not to mention November is no cake walk with Texas Tech, Missouri and Texas A&M as three of the final four games on tap.
Chalk up another down year for the Longhorns. Where’s Vince Young and Colt McCoy when you need them!?
10. Texas Tech Red Raiders
11 of 20
9/3/11 Texas State
9/10/11 OPEN DATE
9/17/11 at New Mexico
9/24/11 Nevada
10/1/11 at Kansas
10/8/11 Texas A&M
10/15/11 Kansas State
10/22/11 at Oklahoma
10/29/11 Iowa State
11/5/11 at Texas
11/12/11 Oklahoma State
11/19/11 at Missouri
11/26/11 at Baylor
Texas Tech opens with a bit of a cake walk in the first month. Good for them. It’s the only good they’ll be feeling.
The last two months of the season will not be pretty. Texas will be much improved in 2011 to open November, followed by Oklahoma State where the Cowboys will rope the Red Raiders in their lasso. I like the makeup of the team but this is going to be a tough schedule to overcome. They’ll only win four to six games all season.
9. Baylor Bears
12 of 20
9/3/11 TCU
9/10/11 OPEN DATE
9/17/11 Stephen F. Austin
9/24/11 Rice
10/1/11 at Kansas State
10/8/11 Iowa State
10/15/11 at Texas A&M
10/22/11 Texas
10/29/11 at Oklahoma State
11/5/11 Missouri
11/12/11 at Kansas
11/19/11 Oklahoma
11/26/11 Texas Tech
Right, so we start off with a devastating loss to TCU. Fair enough. It happens. At least the team gets to think about it for two damn weeks!
The rest of the schedule is awful for this Baylor team. All throughout the fall this team is going to suffer loss after loss. Texas, Oklahoma State, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas Tech fill out the rest of the schedule. First they’ll feel pain with TCU, then a bit of pleasure for a month and then they’ll come back down to Earth. Or maybe they’ll be driven to the core considering this schedule.
8. Kansas State Wildcats
13 of 20
9/3/11 Eastern Kentucky
9/10/11 OPEN DATE
9/17/11 Kent State
9/24/11 at Miami (FL)
10/1/11 Baylor
10/8/11 Missouri
10/15/11 at Texas Tech
10/22/11 at Kansas
10/29/11 Oklahoma
11/5/11 at Oklahoma State
11/12/11 Texas A&M
11/19/11 at Texas
11/26/11 Iowa State
I’m not worried about the Hurricanes to end September, but it doesn’t foreshadow what’s to come. No, not a win. Just tough opponents left and right, backwards and forwards, up and down.
Missouri, Texas Tech, Kansas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M all in a row.
Um, what’s that you say?
No, thanks.
Sorry Kansas State, better luck in 2012!
7. Ole Miss Rebels
14 of 20
9/3/11 BYU
9/10/11 Southern Illinois
9/17/11 at Vanderbilt
9/24/11 Georgia
10/1/11 at Fresno State
10/8/11 OPEN DATE
10/15/11 Alabama
10/22/11 Arkansas
10/29/11 at Auburn
11/5/11 at Kentucky
11/12/11 Louisiana Tech
11/19/11 LSU
11/26/11 at Mississippi State
Yeah, so, probably won’t amount to much again this season. Just look at the middle-to-end of this horrendous schedule!
Alabama, Arkansas and Auburn in October. Three losses right there. LSU and Mississippi State to end the year. Yeah, like anybody wants to see that after their October. I like Ole Miss for the future, but that future will not come to fruition in 2010 given this schedule.
6. Colorado Buffaloes
15 of 20
9/3/11 at Hawaii
9/10/11 OPEN DATE
9/17/11 Colorado State
9/24/11 at Ohio State
10/1/11 Washington State
10/8/11 at Stanford
10/15/11 at Washington
10/22/11 Oregon
10/29/11 at Arizona State
11/5/11 USC
11/12/11 Arizona
11/19/11 at UCLA
11/26/11 at Utah
Colorado made strides in 2010. They’ll have to take a step back and look back at the past instead of the present.
The open date in the second week of the season hurts. This team will feel the punishment of this horrific schedule the remainder of the way. That means each and every week will take a toll on these kids.
Ohio State, Stanford, Oregon, USC, UCLA and Utah throughout the season? This team would be lucky to win six games the entire way.
5. Auburn Tigers
16 of 20
9/3/11 Utah State
9/10/11 Mississippi State
9/17/11 at Clemson
9/24/11 Florida Atlantic
10/1/11 at South Carolina
10/8/11 at Arkansas
10/15/11 Florida
10/22/11 at LSU
10/29/11 Ole Miss
11/5/11 OPEN DATE
11/12/11 at Georgia
11/19/11 Samford
11/26/11 Alabama
The defending BCS National Champs will not win back-to-back. They will also not go undefeated.
Not with Cam Newton and Nick Fairley in the NFL.
Especially not with this schedule.
Mississippi State, Clemson, South Carolina, Arkansas, Florida, LSU, Ole Miss and Georgia. And let’s say they get past that brutal piece of the pie.
They’ll top it off once again against Alabama.
Not happening two years in a row with the two biggest playmakers of last year’s epic meeting in the NFL.
Be thankful for 2010, Auburn.
4. Mississippi State Bulldogs
17 of 20
9/3/11 at Memphis
9/10/11 at Auburn
9/15/11 LSU
9/24/11 Louisiana Tech
10/1/11 at Georgia
10/8/11 at UAB
10/15/11 South Carolina
10/22/11 OPEN DATE
10/29/11 at Kentucky
11/5/11 UT Martin
11/12/11 Alabama
11/19/11 at Arkansas
11/26/11 Ole Miss
Mississippi State is a good team but people could be writing them off after 2011. This team has a brutal schedule against some of the top teams in the nation.
Just look at their last three games of the season. Alabama, Arkansas and Ole Miss. They might lose out!
Oh and they’ll open with two losses in their first three games when they battle Auburn and LSU.
3. Washington Huskies
18 of 20
9/3/11 Eastern Washington
9/10/11 Hawaii
9/17/11 at Nebraska
9/24/11 California
10/1/11 at Utah
10/8/11 OPEN DATE
10/15/11 Colorado
10/22/11 at Stanford
10/29/11 Arizona
11/5/11 Oregon
11/12/11 at USC
11/19/11 at Oregon State
11/26/11 Washington State
Without Jake Locker, Washington is already done. Their head coach could very well be fired at the end of this troublesome season.
I predict he will.
This is a brutal schedule for a team that just isn’t as talented as they’d like to be.
The last half of the season is horrific with games against Stanford, Oregon and USC.
Honestly, I could see Washington winning four or five games at most in 2011.
You’re done.
2. Arkansas Razorbacks
19 of 20
9/3/11 Missouri State
9/10/11 New Mexico
9/17/11 Troy
9/24/11 at Alabama
10/1/11 Texas A&M
10/8/11 Auburn
10/15/11 OPEN DATE
10/22/11 at Ole Miss
10/29/11 at Vanderbilt
11/5/11 South Carolina
11/12/11 Tennessee
11/19/11 Mississippi State
11/26/11 at LSU
Arkansas starts the season off nicely.
It quickly goes downhill when they battle Alabama. They battled in a tough game last year, but this year will be different. I expect Alabama to be a powerhouse once again while Arkansas stumbles.
It doesn’t get any easier following that brutal showdown.
Arkansas then has to face off against the 2010-2011 National Champions Auburn Tigers.
Oh, sandwiched between Alabama and Auburn is Texas A&M, an upcoming team in 2011.
The season doesn’t light up by any means as they close out with Mississippi State and a road game against LSU.
Thanks for playing.
1. LSU Tigers
20 of 20
9/3/11 Oregon
9/10/11 Northwestern State
9/15/11 at Mississippi State
9/24/11 at West Virginia
10/1/11 Kentucky
10/8/11 Florida
10/15/11 at Tennessee
10/22/11 Auburn
10/29/11 OPEN DATE
11/5/11 at Alabama
11/12/11 Western Kentucky
11/19/11 at Ole Miss
11/25/11 Arkansas
Les Miles is building a Championship caliber team, but the road will not be easy in 2011. With games against Oregon, Mississippi State, West Virginia, Florida, Tennessee, Auburn, Alabama, Ole Miss AND Arkansas, LSU would be lucky to come away with just one or two losses.
Looking at the schedule, I will give LSU a zero percent chance to go undefeated.
You want to talk about Murders’ Row?
We’ll spell that LSU
(“Schedule” after “LSU,” but it sounded better with just three letters)
I have Oregon headed back to the BCS National Championship, so to open the season against a team I believe will go undefeated is a daunting task.
With Auburn and Alabama among six 2010 ranked teams on tap throughout the season, this will not be pretty for Les Miles. Maybe he should’ve jumped ship to Michigan after all…
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
