College Football 2011: Power Ranking the Toughest Schedules In the Big East
The dust has barely settled on the college football season and we're in the thick of the Big East Tournament in college hoops, but it's never too early to be enticed by the thought of spring practice and the upcoming Big East season.
The Big East has seen coaching changes at, most notably, Pittsburgh and UConn, and the Big East anxiously awaits the 2012 arrival of TCU.
Although it's never easy to predict a team's success this early in the year, we can still dive into the schedule and see who has the toughest road ahead. While we can make it clear that each team should fare differently due to the strength of their own team, but let's rank the toughest schedules in the Big East.
8. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
1 of 8
The thing working against Rutgers this season is that they only have one bye week during the whole season, but beyond that, the toughest thing about the Rutgers schedule is that they have to play in every game.
Don't get me wrong, there are some fairly tough games on the schedule, but they have no back-to-back road games. Their toughest back-to-back games against USF are both at home, and their toughest road game may be against UConn in the final game of the season.
Rutgers might not win many games, but it's not the schedule itself that is going to beat them.
7. Syracuse Orangemen
2 of 8
Syracuse will get a favorable boost to their Big East title hopes this season. Their schedule, besides playing six road games, is pretty favorable.
The play USC on the road and in their in conference part of the season play Pittsburgh, Louisville and Connecticut. Also, besides USC on the road, four of their first six are at home and five of their first six are very winnable games.
If you are a Syracuse fan, you should be encourage by the schedule.
6. Connecticut Huskies
3 of 8
UConn will have enough to worry about this year as they acclimate to life without Randy Edsall.
If they get one saving grace this season it's that their schedule isn't nearly the worst in the conference. The Huskies do find themselves on the road this season, but never in back-to-back weeks and the only game that appears to be really difficult is their game against Pittsburgh.
They do have a difficult four game stretch against West Virginia, USF, Pittsburgh and Syracuse. The good news for them is there is a bye following the USF game, and then another after Syracuse. So even their toughest stretch has rest built in.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
5. West Virginia Mountaineers
4 of 8
West Virginia has legitimate hopes to try and be a Top 25 team again. While this is never an easy task, it's made easier by the fact that their schedule is pretty favorable.
Their only back-to-back road games are against Syracuse and Rutgers and their toughest home game will be against LSU in the early part of the season. While there will be some decent games along the way, they don't really stretch in the schedule where they face any adversity.
You could look at the last two games(at home against Pittsburgh, on the road against USF) but the truth is those games are not bad considering there is a bye week prior to the Pitt game so they will have two weeks to prepare.
4. South Florida Bulls
5 of 8
University of South Florida found their way into the Top 25 last year and they could be in the market for another ranking this year. Their schedule, beyond the first game, isn't very tough.
They start the season off with a game against Notre Dame on the road. Their only back-to-back road games are against Rutgers and Syracuse. You do have to give them credit as they end the season against Miami, Louisville and West Virginia, but they are all home games.
So while there is no question their schedule isn't a cake walk, it's not as difficult as it could be.
3. Cincinnati Bearcats
6 of 8
The Bearcats are still trying to get it together a season after Brian Kelly's departure and it looks like their schedule will be pretty neutral in that regard.
Cincinnati has no real tough parts to the schedule but what they do have is very difficult road games. They have to face Tennessee, USF, Pittsbugh and Syracuse all on the road. Four of their last five games will be against the best of the Big East, and three of them are on the road.
The road to respectability just got harder for the Bearcats.
2. Louisville Cardinals
7 of 8
If the Cardinals hope to maintain some level of respectability next season, they won't get any help from their schedule.
While their first four games go off without a hitch, they are the only team in the Big East who get one bye week and five of their last seven games are against North Carolina and the heart of the Big East.
Three of their last four are on the road put them in a tough position to be bowl-eligible or look good for the Bowl makers.
Louisville will have to win out early because they'll have no help in the latter half of the season.
1. Pittsburgh Panthers
8 of 8
As if going through a coaching change weren't bad enough, but now the Pittsburgh Panthers have to deal with the fact that they are facing a very difficult schedule this season.
Their first two games are very winnable, but then they are at Iowa, then home against Notre Dame and USF. After a brief meeting with Rutgers they have to face Utah, then while they have a little breathing room after that they have to face their last three games against at Louisville, at West Virginia then Syracuse at home.
Life should be hard for Pittsburgh in 2011.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
