By J.B. Long, Bright House Sports Network
Last Updated: Monday, July 19, 2010 4:18 PM
Last Updated: Monday, July 19, 2010 4:18 PM
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J.B. Long's "47 Days to College Football" on BHSN.com
PINELLAS PARK --
It’s one of the most controversial metrics in college football: strength of schedule.
Should it be included in the BCS formula? If so, how should we measure schedule difficulty?
College football is the only major American sport in which teams are allowed to dictate at least part of their annual slate, and that ever-elusive concept, SOS, often dictates success, rankings, and championships.
So which of our in-state programs play the toughest schedules in 2010? We attempt to answer that question in today’s installment of “47 Days Until College Football,” on bhsn.com.
1) Miami
Home Games (6): Florida A&M, FSU, North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia Tech, USF
Road Games (6): Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Clemson, Duke, Virginia, Georgia Tech
Unlike the majority of college football powerhouses, the Hurricanes will play a balanced schedule in 2010 with six true road games to go with a half dozen home dates.
In my opinion, they’ve challenged themselves with the most difficult non-conference slate of any Florida team. Ohio State is a perennial favorite in the Big Ten. Many are picking Pittsburgh to win the Big East. Both of those contests are early in the season and away from home. Mix in the always upset-minded USF Bulls, and Randy Shannon will have his hands full before we even get to the ACC schedule.
Based on 2009 results, Miami’s opponents are coming off a combined winning percentage of 60.1 percent, and nine of the 12 teams posted winning records a year ago.
Toughest Game: at Ohio State 9/11
2) FSU
Home Games (7): Samford, BYU, Wake Forest, Boston College, North Carolina, Clemson, Florida
Road Games (5): Oklahoma, Virginia, Miami, NC State, Maryland
The Seminoles road trip to Oklahoma is every bit as challenging—maybe even more so—than Miami’s journey to The ‘Shoe in Columbus.
The Sooners have won 30 straight games in Norman, the longest active streak in the nation, and 50 of their last 51 on Owen Field.
FSU also has to contend with the annual rivalry game against the Gators, which will be contested in Tallahassee this fall. And not to be overlooked, the BYU Cougars come to town September 18th after being embarrassed by the Seminoles 54-28 a year ago.
Based on 2009 results, FSU’s opponents are coming off a combined winning percentage of 56.6 percent, and seven of the 12 teams posted winning records a year ago.
Toughest Game: at Oklahoma 9/11
3) Florida
Home Games (7): Miami (OH), USF, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi St., South Carolina, Appalachian St.
Road Games (4): Tennessee, Alabama, Vanderbilt, FSU
Neutral (1): Georgia
In terms of home and away games, the Gators play the least balanced schedule of our in-state Big Five, with seven in Gainesville, four true road dates, and the annual neutral-site rivalry game against Georgia.
A visit to Tuscaloosa to take on the defending national champions has to rate as the toughest contest any college football team will face in 2010, but the Gators’ other two road games in league play are against Tennessee and Vanderbilt—programs expected to finish at the bottom of the SEC standings.
Based on 2009 results, Florida’s opponents are coming off a combined winning percentage of 55.5 percent, and nine of the 12 teams posted winning records a year ago.
Toughest Game: at Alabama 10/2
4) USF
Home Games (7): Stony Brook, Western Kentucky, FAU, Syracuse, Rutgers, Pittsburgh, Connecticut
Road Games (5): Florida, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Louisville, Miami
Bonus points if you can name the Stony Brook mascot.
…Seawolves. Don’t laugh, though. The Long Island college won a share of the Big South title in only its second year.
With just seven league games, the Bulls and the rest of the Big East are always fighting an uphill battle when it comes to scheduling.
In 2010, by far USF’s biggest hurdles are Florida and Miami, and not coincidentally, those in-state showdowns will be contested away from home. The Bulls are fortunate to have Pitt and UConn—two of the three best in the Big East—at Raymond James, late in the season.
Based on 2009 results, USF’s opponents are coming off a combined winning percentage of 58.9 percent, and eight of the 12 teams posted winning records a year ago.
Toughest Game: at Florida 9/11
5) UCF
Home Games (6): South Dakota, NC State, UAB, Rice, ECU, Southern Miss
Road Games (6): Buffalo, Kansas State, Marshall, Houston, Tulane, Memphis
The Knights bolstered their strength of schedule with a pair of games against BCS conference programs—North Carolina State and Kansas State. However, the 2010 slate does not feature an opponent expected to debut in many preseason polls, although you might find fellow CUSA member Houston on the fringe of some Top 25 lists.
Based on 2009 results, UCF’s opponents are coming off a combined winning percentage of 44.6 percent, and only four of the 12 teams posted winning records a year ago.
Toughest Game: at Houston 11/5
Should it be included in the BCS formula? If so, how should we measure schedule difficulty?
College football is the only major American sport in which teams are allowed to dictate at least part of their annual slate, and that ever-elusive concept, SOS, often dictates success, rankings, and championships.
So which of our in-state programs play the toughest schedules in 2010? We attempt to answer that question in today’s installment of “47 Days Until College Football,” on bhsn.com.
1) Miami
Home Games (6): Florida A&M, FSU, North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia Tech, USF
Road Games (6): Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Clemson, Duke, Virginia, Georgia Tech
Unlike the majority of college football powerhouses, the Hurricanes will play a balanced schedule in 2010 with six true road games to go with a half dozen home dates.
In my opinion, they’ve challenged themselves with the most difficult non-conference slate of any Florida team. Ohio State is a perennial favorite in the Big Ten. Many are picking Pittsburgh to win the Big East. Both of those contests are early in the season and away from home. Mix in the always upset-minded USF Bulls, and Randy Shannon will have his hands full before we even get to the ACC schedule.
Based on 2009 results, Miami’s opponents are coming off a combined winning percentage of 60.1 percent, and nine of the 12 teams posted winning records a year ago.
Toughest Game: at Ohio State 9/11
2) FSU
Home Games (7): Samford, BYU, Wake Forest, Boston College, North Carolina, Clemson, Florida
Road Games (5): Oklahoma, Virginia, Miami, NC State, Maryland
The Seminoles road trip to Oklahoma is every bit as challenging—maybe even more so—than Miami’s journey to The ‘Shoe in Columbus.
The Sooners have won 30 straight games in Norman, the longest active streak in the nation, and 50 of their last 51 on Owen Field.
FSU also has to contend with the annual rivalry game against the Gators, which will be contested in Tallahassee this fall. And not to be overlooked, the BYU Cougars come to town September 18th after being embarrassed by the Seminoles 54-28 a year ago.
Based on 2009 results, FSU’s opponents are coming off a combined winning percentage of 56.6 percent, and seven of the 12 teams posted winning records a year ago.
Toughest Game: at Oklahoma 9/11
3) Florida
Home Games (7): Miami (OH), USF, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi St., South Carolina, Appalachian St.
Road Games (4): Tennessee, Alabama, Vanderbilt, FSU
Neutral (1): Georgia
In terms of home and away games, the Gators play the least balanced schedule of our in-state Big Five, with seven in Gainesville, four true road dates, and the annual neutral-site rivalry game against Georgia.
A visit to Tuscaloosa to take on the defending national champions has to rate as the toughest contest any college football team will face in 2010, but the Gators’ other two road games in league play are against Tennessee and Vanderbilt—programs expected to finish at the bottom of the SEC standings.
Based on 2009 results, Florida’s opponents are coming off a combined winning percentage of 55.5 percent, and nine of the 12 teams posted winning records a year ago.
Toughest Game: at Alabama 10/2
4) USF
Home Games (7): Stony Brook, Western Kentucky, FAU, Syracuse, Rutgers, Pittsburgh, Connecticut
Road Games (5): Florida, West Virginia, Cincinnati, Louisville, Miami
Bonus points if you can name the Stony Brook mascot.
…Seawolves. Don’t laugh, though. The Long Island college won a share of the Big South title in only its second year.
With just seven league games, the Bulls and the rest of the Big East are always fighting an uphill battle when it comes to scheduling.
In 2010, by far USF’s biggest hurdles are Florida and Miami, and not coincidentally, those in-state showdowns will be contested away from home. The Bulls are fortunate to have Pitt and UConn—two of the three best in the Big East—at Raymond James, late in the season.
Based on 2009 results, USF’s opponents are coming off a combined winning percentage of 58.9 percent, and eight of the 12 teams posted winning records a year ago.
Toughest Game: at Florida 9/11
5) UCF
Home Games (6): South Dakota, NC State, UAB, Rice, ECU, Southern Miss
Road Games (6): Buffalo, Kansas State, Marshall, Houston, Tulane, Memphis
The Knights bolstered their strength of schedule with a pair of games against BCS conference programs—North Carolina State and Kansas State. However, the 2010 slate does not feature an opponent expected to debut in many preseason polls, although you might find fellow CUSA member Houston on the fringe of some Top 25 lists.
Based on 2009 results, UCF’s opponents are coming off a combined winning percentage of 44.6 percent, and only four of the 12 teams posted winning records a year ago.
Toughest Game: at Houston 11/5
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