College Football 2011: 15 Teams That Got Hosed by Their League Schedule

Scheduling.

Many times scheduling plays a big part in a college football team's season.

For instance, had TCU not faced a tougher level of out of conference opponents last season, they may not have won the Rose Bowl against Wisconsin.

And many times, one can look at a team's conference schedule and wonder what exactly the powers that be have gotten into that caused such a gross miscarriage of justice.

Ok, that may be a wee bit of an exaggeration, but it's not far from how we feel as fans.

That being said, this season offers up a whole bunch of enjoyable conference scheduling Snafus for your pleasure, particularly in the conferences where realignment is taking place.

So, with all due respect to the lists ranking the most difficult schedules in college football, for your enjoyment, here is a list of the teams that got shafted by the big guys who scheduled their conference games...

15. Wyoming Cowboys

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LAS VEGAS - NOVEMBER 13: Quarterback Austyn Carta-Samuels #5 of the Wyoming Cowboys looks to pass during a game against the UNLV Rebels at Sam Boyd Stadium November 13, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. UNLV won 42-16. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Even the Mountain West can give teams tough schedules once in a while.

The Cowboys must face San Diego State on October 29 and even without head coach Brady Hoke, the Aztecs will be a tough out.

After a trip to face quarterback Ryan Lindley and running back Ronnie Hillman in San Diego, the Cowboys will have to face TCU at home followed the next week by a trip to play Air Force.

Altitude anyone?

14. Ohio State Buckeyes

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NEW ORLEANS, LA - JANUARY 04: Quarterback Terrelle Pryor #2 of the Ohio State Buckeyes looks to hand the ball of to Dan Herron #1 against the Arkansas Razorbacks in the Sugar Bowl at the Louisiana Superdome on January 4, 2011 in New Orleans, Louisiana.

While it is hard to have sympathy for the Buckeyes, it is undeniable that they have a very difficult road within the conference this season.

The Buckeyes start out their conference slate at home against Michigan State, then must travel to Lincoln to face Nebraska.

Following this road trip, the Buckeyes head to Illinois; however, they do have a week off before they face Co-champion of the Big Ten Wisconsin in Columbus.

By the way, the Buckeyes will be on upset-watch in the last week of the season when they face Michigan in Ann Arbor.

13. Hawai'i Warriors

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HONOLULU - SEPTEMBER 02: Bryant Moniz #17 of the University of Hawaii Warriors carries the ball during first half action against the University of Southern California Trojans at Aloha Stadium September 2, 2010 in Honolulu, Hawaii. (Photo by Kent Nishimura

While nobody in the WAC plays a particularly brutal schedule—especially with the departure of Boise State—the Warriors may have gotten the toughest draw inside the conference, with their schedule.

The Warriors, fresh off of a 10-4 season and 7-1 finish in the conference, sandwich trips to Nevada and Idaho around a visit from Utah State and finish the entire sequence with a visit from Fresno State.

When one considers their extra bit of travel necessary for every game, their trip to University of Louisiana Lafayette becomes that much more difficult.

12. Florida Atlantic Owls

Sun-Belt Conference football isn't necessarily the best football in the country, but within the conference, FIU is definitely getting hosed next season.

The Owls have to face all four of the top teams in the conference from last season consecutively, starting with Middle Tennessee State on October 22 and finishing up that brutal stretch with Troy on November 19.

For those of you who don't understand the significance of playing those four teams consecutively, it's as if FIU scheduled Gary Busey, Charlie Sheen and Dennis Rodman to entertain at a children's party—and then asked them to keep it clean...

11. Texas Longhorns

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LINCOLN, NE - OCTOBER 16: Quarterback Garrett Gilbert #7 of the Texas Longhorns runs toward his teammates ofter the final of their game against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Memorial Stadium on October 16, 2010 in Lincoln, Nebraska. Texas Defeated Nebraska

Garrett Gilbert and the 'Horns face Oklahoma and Oklahoma State in back-to-back weeks in October and it's possible that both of those teams will be in the top ten at that point.

Even though they get these teams at home, Texas will still struggle with both of these high-powered offenses; having them one right after the other seems like a form of  punishment almost equivalent to sitting through a weekend marathon of "The View".

But it gets better.

After Okie Lite and the Sooners, Texas travels to Baylor to face Robert Griffin III and a very dangerous Bears team.

They also travel to Missou and Texas A&M...

10. Wisconsin Badgers

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ANN ARBOR, MI - NOVEMBER 20: Montee Ball #28 of the Wisconsin Badgers celebrates a second quarter touchdown while playing the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium on November 20, 2010 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Wisconsin finished tied for first in the conference last season with Ohio State and Michigan State, and their only loss of the season came at Michigan State.

Unfortunately for them, they have to travel back to East Lansing October 22, followed by a trip to visit the Buckeyes the following weekend.

While the Badgers miss rival Iowa, due to conference realignment, they have to face Illinois and standout quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase on the road and catch JoPa and Penn State at home in their last game of the season.

While Penn State has been less than stellar the last two seasons, they had the Badger's number when they met in '07 and '08.

The last two times the Badgers and Nittany Lions met, PSU won by a combined score of 96-14.

The Badgers also face new conference member Nebraska in their first conference battle of the season.

9. Boston College Eagles

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA - JANUARY 09: Chase Rettig #7 of Boston College in action against the Nevada Wolf Pack in the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl at AT&T Park on January 9, 2011 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

BC quarterback Chase Rettig will be improved this season, but it will be a tough road for the sophomore within the ACC.

The Eagles must travel to Miami, Virginia Tech and Clemson, all three of which have the capability of winning the conference.

Not a fun proposition.

Texas Tech Red Raiders

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LUBBOCK, TX - SEPTEMBER 18: Quarterback Taylor Potts #12 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders against the Texas Longhorns at Jones AT&T Stadium on September 18, 2010 in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The Big 12 is just a tough conference to compete in for any team, but Texas Tech looks to have their hands full, especially the last few weeks of the season.

Traveling to Oklahoma on October 22 is no easy proposition and the Red Raiders will get a break against Iowa State the next week.

After that, the schedule gets very, very ugly.

A trip to Texas is followed up by a home date with the explosive Oklahoma State Cowboys and as if that isn't enough, the Raiders have to face Missouri and Baylor on the road.

7. UTEP Miners

While an early season conference bout with SMU looms large, it's the way the season is capped off for the Miners that is going to be brutal.

Within Conference USA, Tulsa, Central Florida and East Carolina have all enjoyed great success in recent years—the Miners have to face those three consecutively to finish off the season.

Hey, at least they are the only team in the conference that has to play all of the top four teams...

6. Louisville Cardinals

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LOUISVILLE, KY - NOVEMBER 20: Jeremy Wright #28 of the Louisville Cardinals runs with the ball during the Big East Conference game against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium on November 20, 2010 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Phot

While the Big East was beat up for being as weak as Blake Griffin's Dunk Contest winner last season, Louisville was still given a formidable task for the 2011 season.

The Cardinals face the top five teams in the conference in a row to finish out their season, capping the conference slate off with three of four on the road against UConn, South Florida and West Virginia.

5. Bowling Green Falcons

Bowling Green evades bottom-feeders Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan and Akron this season and instead has to face the top eight teams in the Mid American Conference.

While it is hard to determine who will be at the top of the heap, it still seems somewhat ill-fated that the Falcons somehow manage to play all of the tougher teams within the conference.

4. Colorado Buffaloes

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BOULDER, CO - NOVEMBER 20: Arthur Jaffee #22 of the Colorado Buffaloes returns a kick off against the Kansas State Wildcats at Folsom Field on November 20, 2010 in Boulder, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

Colorado will not enjoy their inaugural year in the Pac-12.

The Buffs face Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon and Washington in consecutive weeks—and that is after an early season meeting with Stanford.

Maybe next year they won't have to play four potential top fifteen teams in a row.

3. Arizona Wildcats

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EUGENE, OR - NOVEMBER 26: Head Coach Mike Stoops of the Arizona Wildcats walks the sidelines against the Oregon Ducks on November 26, 2010 at the Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

Arizona has one of the top wide receiver/quarterback tandems in the country in Juron Criner and Nick Foles.

Against this schedule, they will need all the talent they can muster.

The Wildcats start out at home against Stanford, then welcome Oregon the next week.

At least the 'Cats get these two at home, but they will still be very tough games.

Following the Cardinal and the Ducks, 'Zona must travel to USC and Oregon State in back-to-back weeks.

Top it all off with the November 19 date with Arizona State (you heard it here first, Pac-12 champ) and the Wildcats are looking at a very difficult conference slate.

2. Nebraska Cornhuskers

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ARLINGTON, TX - DECEMBER 04: Head coach Bo Pelini (R) of the Nebraska Cornhuskers and defensive coordinator Carl Pelini lead their team against the Oklahoma Sooners at Cowboys Stadium on December 4, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. The Sooners beat the Cornhusk

Welcome to the Big Ten, 'Huskers.

A trip to Madison to face off against the Badgers starts off Nebraska's time in the Big Ten.

Follow this up with a contest in Lincoln against the Buckeyes and it may be one of the toughest ways to start their Big Ten stay.

After a week off, and another one against Minnesota (which is equivalent to a week off), the Huskers finish the season against five teams that went to bowl games last season and have back-to-back games against Penn State and the Fighting Denards of Michigan.

1. Auburn Tigers

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GLENDALE, AZ - JANUARY 10: Zac Etheridge #4 and Demond Washington #14 of the Auburn Tigers celebrate against the Oregon Ducks during the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game at University of Phoenix Stadium on January 10, 2011 in Glendale, Arizona. (

Yeah, yeah, every team has a tough schedule in the SEC.

However, Auburn's is just ridiculous.

The Tigers begin the season @ South Carolina, @ Arkansas, then they get to stay home and host Florida.

To cap off a furious first four weeks in October, Chizik's boys travel to Death Valley to take on LSU.

After a bout with Ole Miss and an off week, the Tigers travel to Georgia and cap off the season at home against Alabama.

While they play the same number of home and away games within the conference, they Tigers have a brutal murderer's row in October, with three of four on the road.