College Football Rankings: Grading the 2011 ACC Schedules by Team

With the college football season fast approaching, it's time to evaluate the schedules. While some think strength of schedule is close to irrelevant, an easy or tough schedule can greatly affect the way a team's season plays out (just ask Boise State).

The ACC presents some of the nation's weakest schedules, mostly due to the pollsters' (somewhat validated) disrespect for the conference.

At the same time, teams like Florida State and Clemson have big games that could decide the outcome of their entire seasons.

Without further ado, here are the difficulty rankings of the ACC schedules for 2011.

12. Virginia Tech Hokies

After years of playing hard out-of-conference opponents like the Nebraska Cornhuskers, LSU Tigers, USC Trojans, and Boise State Bronocs, the Virginia Tech Hokies finally have a break in 2011. A big one.

This year's non-conference slate features the Appalachian State Mountaineers, East Carolina Pirates, Arkansas State Red Wolves, and Marshall Thundering Herd. Not exactly four world-beaters.

The breaks continue in the conference play, where Virginia Tech doesn't have to play the conference favorite Florida State Seminoles or the North Carolina State Wolfpack, who are likely the second best team in the Atlantic Division.

The Hokies certainly have a welcome respite from the hard schedules of the recent past this season with a schedule that doesn't contain a single ranked team in the preseason polls.

11. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Like their fellow "Tech" from Virginia, the Yellow Jackets face an easy schedule in 2011.

The non-conference slate features cupcakes Western Carolina (FCS) and the Kansas Jayhawks, as well as a winnable game at the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders.

The conference schedule is likewise mediocre, with the Yellow Jackets avoiding Florida State, knocking out two of their road games against Duke and Virginia, and getting to face five of their toughest opponents (Virginia Tech, Clemson, Maryland, North Carolina, and SEC rival Georgia) at home.

The Yellow Jackets have a nice schedule for the rebuilding that will likely take place this season.

10. North Carolina State Wolfpack

North Carolina State and their new quarterback Mike Glennon do not have a particularly daunting lineup to face in 2011.

The non-conference schedule presents three pushovers in the Liberty Flames, South Alabama Jaguars, and Central Michigan Chippewas.

The final game is against the Cincinnati Bearcats who, despite being just a year removed from the Sugar Bowl appearance, were steamrolled by their fellow Big East members last season after the departure of their coach Chip Kelly to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

The conference schedule is not particularly taxing, with the Wolfpack avoiding Virginia Tech and Miami, and getting Maryland, Clemson, and North Carolina at home.

The lone tough spot is a trip to Tallahassee to face the Florida State Seminoles.

9. North Carolina Tarheels

While North Carolina is facing serious investigations from the NCAA, Tarheel fans can console themselves with the fact that their football team faces a manageable schedule.

Out of conference the Tarheels face two cupcakes in FCS James Madison and the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, along with winnable games against the Louisville Cardinals and East Carolina Pirates.

In-conference, the Tarheels face all three ACC doormats from a year ago: Virginia, Wake Forest, and Duke. What's more, they face all three at home.

While the schedule also features trips to Virginia Tech, North Carolina State, and Clemson, the fact of the matter is North Carolina could probably cruise to a 7-5 record with the lack of quality opponents across the board.

8. Duke Blue Devils

There's good news and bad news for the Blue Devils in 2011. The bad news is that they face three top-15 opponents. The good news is that they face them all at home. OK, the good news isn't that good.

Other than the three big games against Virginia Tech, Florida State, and Andrew Luck's Stanford Cardinal, the Duke schedule features trips to Boston College, Miami, and North Carolina.

The Blue Devils actually face four easy opponents in the Virginia Cavaliers, Wake Forest Demon Deacons, Tulane Green Wave, and Florida International Golden Panthers.

Many have prophecized that 2011 could be the year the Blue Devils finally return to a bowl game. While the schedule presents several winnable games, it also presents enough tough matchups that the Blue Devils will have to work hard to have a winning record this season.

7. Virginia Cavaliers

The Virginia Cavaliers look to improve on their 4-8 record from a year ago despite a somewhat challenging slate.

Out of conference, the Cavaliers have three winnable games against the Idaho Vandals, Indiana Hoosiers, and FCS William and Mary Tribe (though the Tribe bested them the last time these two played in 2009).

In-conference, the Cavaliers have more to deal with. Along with home games against Georgia Tech, North Carolina State, and rival Virginia Tech, Virginia has to travel to face Florida State, Maryland, Miami, and North Carolina.

In essence, the Cavaliers open with four easy games out of their first five, and then after their bye close with a very difficult seven-game stretch that culminates with a trip to Florida State and the home finale against Virginia Tech.

While it may not match the Herculean tasks put before Clemson and Maryland, Virginia faces a somewhat difficult schedule in 2011.

6. Wake Forest Demon Deacons

The Wake Forest schedule is fairly challenging this season.

Despite the presence of two weak opponents in the Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs and Vanderbilt Commodores, the Demon Deacons have two tough non-conference games against the Syracuse Orangemen (away) and Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

The conference schedule is just as daunting, with home games against North Carolina State and Maryland, and conference favorites Virginia Tech and Florida State back-to-back. Wake Forest also has to travel to face Boston College, North Carolina, and Clemson.

With nine games against bowl teams, the Demon Deacons will be facing an uphill battle most of the fall.

5. Boston College Golden Eagles

Boston College has a tough schedule in 2011.

The non-conference games include three bowl teams from a year ago (Notre Dame, Central Florida, and Northwestern).

The ACC schedule features Florida State and North Carolina State at home. The Eagles also have the toughest road schedule in the conference, travelling to face Miami, Clemson, Maryland, Virginia Tech, Central Florida, and Notre Dame.

While it may not match the hardest of the ACC schedules, Boston College has a much tougher road than some ACC teams like Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech.

4. Miami Hurricanes

The Miami Hurricanes, along with facing the possible "death" of their football program, have the pleasure of watching their 'Canes face a daunting schedule in 2011.

Out of conference, the Hurricanes have a road trip against the South Florida Bulls, and home games against the Kansas State Wildcats and fellow cheaters the Ohio State Buckeyes.

In the ACC, the Hurricanes face Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia Tech, AND Florida State on the road. The home games are much more manageable, with Duke, Virginia, Boston College, and Georgia Tech.

With a nice home schedule in-conference and a game against Bethune-Cookman, Miami at least has some padding between the tough games.

3. Florida State Seminoles

The schedule for the Florida State Seminoles is a bit of a mixed bag this season.

While it features two very tough non-conference games, a home game against the No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners and a trip to the Swamp to face the Florida Gators, it also has some easy spots.

The other two out of conference games, both home games against the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks and Charleston Southern Buccaneers, are guaranteed wins.

The conference schedule also features some breaks, with the Seminoles avoiding the defending champion Virginia Tech Hokies, and having two of their four away games come against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and Duke Blue Devils.

Florida State has to face three tough conference opponents (Miami, Maryland, and North Carolina State) at home, while also making trips to Clemson and Boston College.

With the two very tough non-conference games and a somewhat difficult conference schedule, the Seminoles have one of the tougher slates of any ACC team despite playing four or five sure pushovers.

2. Maryland Terrapins

New coach Randy Edsall faces an uphill battle in 2011 with the Maryland Terrapins' difficult schedule.

The non-conference slate features two top-25 opponents in the West Virginia Mountaineers and a neutral site game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The Terrapins also face the Al Golden-revived Temple Owls.

The conference schedule is just as unforgiving. Maryland faces Miami, Clemson, and Boston College at home, and has trips to Georgia Tech, Florida State, and North Carolina State.

With a 12-game schedule comprised of nine difficult games and only one true pushover, the Maryland Terrapins boast one of the ACC's toughest schedules in 2011.

1. Clemson Tigers

The Clemson Tigers have a lot on the docket this season.

The non-conference schedule features home games against the defending national champion Auburn Tigers and Troy Trojans, and a trip to face the rival South Carolina Gamecocks.

The conference schedule is even tougher, with home games against North Carolina, Boston College, and ACC favorite Florida State, and road trips to defending champion Virginia Tech, Maryland, Georgia Tech, and North Carolina State.

The Tigers have to play 10 bowl teams from a year ago, which is no easy feat, and is unmatched by the rest of the ACC. As such, the Clemson Tigers have the toughest schedule of any ACC team in 2011.