Power Ranking the Toughest Schedules by Caliber of Opposing Coaches
Before you can decide who has the toughest schedule based on the caliber the coaches a team plays, you have to figure out who the best coaches are.
So here are the Top 20 with the total number of points a team gets for playing that coach:
1. Nick Saban, Alabama (20)
2. Chris Petersen, Boise State (19)
3. Bob Stoops, Oklahoma, (18)
4. Chip Kelly, Oregon (17)
5. Dan Mullen, Mississippi State (16)
6. Gary Patterson, TCU (15)
7. Jim Tressel, Ohio State (14)
8. Kirk Ferentz, Iowa (13)
9. Jimbo Fisher, Florida State (12)
10. Kevin Sumlin, Houston (11)
11. Kyle Whittingham, Utah (10)
12. June Jones, SMU (9)
13. Ken Niumatalolo, Navy (8)
14. Brian Kelly, Notre Dame (7)
15. Mike Riley, Oregon State (6)
16. Butch Davis, North Carolina (5)
17. Bobby Petrino, Arkansas (4)
18. Bo Pelini, Nebraska (3)
19. Charlie Strong, Louisville (2)
20. Rich Ellerson, Army (1)
Shocked WVU’s Bill Stewart isn’t listed?
You also earn a point for playing against some of the legends in coaching such as Joe Paterno, Steve Spurrier and Mack Brown.
There’s also another factor to consider: If your head coach has the potential to get outcoached each week, then the number increases as well.
So here are the Top 10 toughest schedules this upcoming season based on opposing coaches.
Just Missed the Cut
1 of 11
UNLV, Georgia, Baylor, Colorado State, Miami, Fla. and Florida were all close. Given the coaching situation at Colorado State, it would be easy to argue that Steve Fairchild is overmatched in every game he coaches.
10. San Diego State
2 of 11
The Aztecs lost one of the better coaches in the Mountain West when Brady Hoke bolted for his dream job at Michigan.
Still, San Diego State must face two of the nation’s best coaches in Boise’s Chris Petersen and TCU’s Gary Patterson.
Throw into the mix a game at Air Force with Troy Calhoun and Fresno State’s Pat Hill, and first-year coach Rocky Long has his work cut out for him.
Not to mention he gets to go up against Michigan and Hoke.
9. Wyoming
3 of 11
Dave Christensen is well respected among his coaching peers. Like all of their MWC brethren, the Cowboys face two of the best in Petersen and Patterson.
Now throw in a home game with Nebraska’s Bo Pelini, and Christensen and his staff have their work cut out for them in 2011.
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8. Arkansas
4 of 11
The Razorbacks are fortunate to have one of the game’s sharpest minds at the helm in Bobby Petrino.
It has been written many times before, but college fans understand the SEC gauntlet.
That includes outstanding coaches like Alabama’s Nick Saban, Mississippi State’s Dan Mullen, South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier and so on.
7. Nevada
5 of 11
The Wolf Pack remain in the Western Athletic Conference for another year, but Nevada has a schedule like a BCS program.
Nevada opens with Oregon and Chip Kelly, faces Texas Tech and Tommy Tuberville, travels to Boise State and gets some Chris Petersen and add in a little Pat Hill and Fresno State for good measure.
The Wolf Pack will be ready for that move to the MWC next year.
6. New Mexico
6 of 11
Before the game even begins, New Mexico’s Mike Locksley is at a strategic disadvantage to his counterpart on the other sideline.
Now consider the Lobos face Bobby Petrino (Arkansas), Tommy Tuberville (Texas Tech), Gary Patterson (TCU), Troy Calhoun (Air Force) and Chris Petersen (Boise State).
Serious question New Mexico officials: “Why is Mike Locksley still your coach?”
5. Ole Miss
7 of 11
There was a time when Houston Nutt would have been considered one of the top coaches.
He’s still good, but others have passed him by.
A typical SEC schedule with Nick Saban (Alabama), Bobby Petrino (Arkansas), Gene Chizik (Auburn), Dan Mullen (Mississippi State), mixed in with Troy Calhoun (Air Force) and Pat Hill (Fresno State) is a formidable task.
4. Auburn
8 of 11
It’s never easy being the defending national champs, and Auburn is going to find out in 2011.
Same old coaches again—Saban, Mullen, Petrino and Spurrier.
The Tigers handled it last year. Can they do it again?
3. Air Force
9 of 11
Troy Calhoun’s name has been tossed around as one of the nation’s best coaches.
But he also has the fun of matching wits with some of the best.
Air Force gets two power coaches in the MWC with Gary Patterson and Chris Petersen, but add road games with Navy’s Ken Niumatalolo and Notre Dames’s Brian Kelly, and he’s got his work cut out for him.
Don’t overlook the home game with Army’s Rich Ellerson. His team’s aren’t as talented, but Ellerson is doing some amazing work.
2. LSU
10 of 11
Les Miles has a BCS Championship ring, but no one thinks of him as an upper echelon coach.
Now maybe his peers do, because you just never know what crazy thing he might try.
It’s worked for him so far and it will hopefully help against a schedule that includes a date with Chip Kelly (Oregon) to go along with the same cast of characters from the SEC.
1. Tulsa
11 of 11
Maybe Todd Graham got a good luck at Tulsa’s 2011 schedule and thought Pitt’s Big East schedule was more appealing.
Bill Blankenship now gets the task of going up against the No. 2 (Chris Petersen) and No. 3 (Bob Stoops) ranked coaches.
Now add Houston’s Kevin Sumlin, SMU’s June Jones and Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy. and the Golden Hurricane have the toughest schedule when looking at the opposing coaches.
In reality, Tulsa will probably lose on ability alone, but the Golden Hurricane will likely get outcoached as well.
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