GREAT JOB AD woolard

[smazza]

Toughest schedules

Based on home games as well as who the teams play.

1. Cincinnati

2. Pitt

3. Louisville

4. Syracuse

5. West Virginia

6. Rutgers

7. Connecticut

8. South Florida

2006 Big East Team Schedule

Top Ten Games

1. West Virginia at Louisville, Nov 2

2. Miami at Louisville, Sept. 16

3. West Virginia at Pitt, Nov. 16

4. Louisville at Pitt, Nov. 25

5. Rutgers at West Virginia, Dec. 2

6. Louisville at Rutgers, Nov. 9

7. South Florida at Louisville, Nov. 18

8. West Virginia at Connecticut, Oct. 20

9. South Florida at West Virginia, Nov. 25

10. Rutgers at Pitt, Oct. 21

Toughest schedules

Based on home games as well as who the teams play.

1. Cincinnati

2. Pitt

3. Louisville

4. Syracuse

5. West Virginia

6. Rutgers

7. Connecticut

8. South Florida  

Cincinnati

Realistic best case record with this schedule: 8-4

Barring total disaster worst case record: 4-8

Realistic record: 5-7

Arguably the toughest schedule of all the Big East teams with four brutal road games against Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Louisville and West Virginia, there can't be any hiccups at home. The conference opener against Pitt is a must-win with the Buckeyes and Hokies up next, but things get better over the second half of the season with four home games in the final six.

Sept 2 Eastern Kentucky

Sept 8 Pittsburgh  ESPN2

Sept 16 at Ohio State

Sept 23 at Virginia Tech

Sept 30 Miami Univ.

Oct 7 Akron

Oct 14 at Louisville

Oct 21 South Florida

Oct 28 Syracuse

Nov 4 BYE

Nov 11 at West Virginia

Nov 18 Rutgers

Nov 25 at Connecticut

- Almost certain win | Likely loss | Could go either way

Connecticut

Realistic best case record with this schedule: 8-4

Barring total disaster worst case record: 4-8

Realistic record: 5-7

It's a good schedule as long as the Huskies can get off to a hot start. The season tune-up against Rhode Island is followed up by a week off before Wake Forest, so there's time to work the kinks out after getting a game in. They have to go on the road to face South Florida, Rutgers and Louisville, but they get West Virginia and Pitt at home. A 3-4 Big East record would mean a bowl game, but that's not going to be easy without a few upsets. Home wins over Wake Forest, Navy, Army and Cincinnati are musts.

Aug 31 Rhode Island

Sept 9 BYE

Sept 16 Wake Forest

Sept 23 at Indiana

Sept 30 Navy

Oct 7 at South Florida

Oct 14 Army

Oct 20 West Virginia ESPN

Oct 28 at Rutgers

Nov 4 BYE

Nov 11 Pittsburgh

Nov 18 at Syracuse

Nov 25 Cincinnati

Dec 2 at Louisville ESPN or ESPN2

- Almost certain win | Likely loss | Could go either way

Louisville

Realistic best case record with this schedule: 12-0

Barring total disaster worst case record: 8-4

Realistic record: 10-2

If Louisville wants to play for a national title, this is a worthy slate with Miami and at Kansas State to provide some non-conference credibility, while West Virginia and South Florida have to come to Papa John's. Considering KSU isn't back to being the Big 12 killer of a few years ago, the road schedule is a relative breeze facing Temple, KSU, MTSU, Syracuse, Rutgers and Pitt. A true national title caliber team walks through those six games without a problem, but the Cards have blown it on the road before.

Sept 2 Kentucky

Sept 9 at Temple

Sept 16 Miami

Sept 23 at Kansas State

Sept 30 BYE

Oct 6 at MTSU (in Nashville) ESPN2

Oct 14 Cincinnati

Oct 21 at Syracuse

Oct 28 BYE

Nov 2 West Virginia 7:30pm ESPN

Nov 9 at Rutgers 7:30pm ESPN

Nov 18 South Florida

Nov 25 at Pittsburgh

Dec 2 Connecticut ESPN or ESPN2

- Almost certain win | Likely loss | Could go either way

Pittsburgh

Realistic best case record with this schedule: 9-2

Barring total disaster worst case record: 5-7

Realistic record: 7-5

There's no excuse for Pitt not to have a big bounceback season, as Dave Wannstedt and his team must take advantage of the favorable schedule and make a run at the Big East title. Yes, there are several tough games with Virginia, Michigan State, Toledo, Rutgers, West Virginia and Louisville to deal with, but all have to come to Heinz Field. When your toughest road game is at South Florida, you know your schedule isn't all that bad.

Sept 2 Virginia

Sept 8 at Cincinnati ESPN2

Sept 16 Michigan State

Sept 23 Citadel

Sept 30 Toledo

Oct 7 at Syracuse

Oct 14 at UCF

Oct 21 Rutgers

Oct 28 BYE

Nov 4 at South Florida

Nov 11 at Connecticut

Nov 16 West Virginia ESPN

Nov 25 Louisville

- Almost certain win | Likely loss | Could go either way

Rutgers

Realistic best case record with this schedule: 9-3

Barring total disaster worst case record: 5-7

Realistic record: 7-5

Forget about any hope of a Big East title with conference road games at South Florida, Pitt and West Virginia, but the Louisville game is at home. The non-conference schedule has a tougher-than-it-looks opener at North Carolina followed up by what head coach Greg Schiano hopes is a payback game against Illinois. A three-game road trip to South Florida, Navy and Pitt, with a week off after the USF game, will define the season with three homes games in the next four to follow. A bowl bid had better be sewn up by the end of November with the regular season finale at West Virginia on a nationally televised December 2nd game.

Sept 2 at North Carolina

Sept 9 Illinois

Sept 16 Buffalo

Sept 23 TBA

Sept 30 at South Florida

Oct 7 BYE

Oct 14 at Navy

Oct 21 at Pittsburgh

Oct 28 Connecticut

Nov 4 BYE

Nov 9 Louisville ESPN

Nov 18 at Cincinnati

Nov 25 Syracuse

Dec 2 at West Virginia ESPN or ESPN2

- Almost certain win | Likely loss | Could go either way

South Florida

Realistic best case record with this schedule: 9-3

Barring total disaster worst case record: 5-7

Realistic record: 7-5

It starts out relatively easy with McNeese State, FIU and at UCF to likely mean a 3-0 start before a very winnable road trip to Kansas. The Big East slate kicks off with home dates against Rutgers and Connecticut, so 6-0 isn't totally out of the realm of possibility. Things don't get much more difficult with two more winnable road games against North Carolina and Cincinnati before home games against Pitt and Syracuse. If this all sounds too good to be true, it would be for most teams. If South Florida is close to as good as it was last year, an 8-2 start is possible. However, the piper is paid at the end with road trips to Louisville and West Virginia.

Sept 2 McNeese State

Sept 9 FIU

Sept 16 at UCF

Sept 23 at Kansas

Sept 30 Rutgers

Oct 7 Connecticut

Oct 14 at North Carolina

Oct 21 at Cincinnati

Oct 28 BYE

Nov 4 Pittsburgh

Nov 11 Syracuse

Nov 18 at Louisville

Nov 25 at West Virginia

- Almost certain win | Likely loss | Could go either way

Syracuse

Realistic best case record with this schedule: 9-3

Barring total disaster worst case record: 4-8

Realistic record: 6-6

While there's still to a game to be filled, there aren't any sure things on the slate with a tough non-conference schedule facing Wake Forest, Iowa, Illinois and Miami University. The bear of the Big East schedule is out of the way right off the bat with Pitt, at West Virginia and Louisville before the end of October. However, road trips to South Florida and Rutgers in November will make or break bowl hopes.

Sept 2 at Wake Forest

Sept 9 Iowa

Sept 16 at Illinois

Sept 23 Miami Univ.

Sept 30 TBA

Oct 7 Pittsburgh

Oct 14 at West Virginia

Oct 21 Louisville

Oct 28 at Cincinnati

Nov 4 BYE

Nov 11 at South Florida

Nov 18 Connecticut

Nov 25 at Rutgers

- Almost certain win | Likely loss | Could go either way

West Virginia

Realistic best case record with this schedule: 12-0

Barring total disaster worst case record: 8-4

Realistic record: 10-2

The bull's-eye will be on the Mountaineers' back all season long, and there are some sneaky-tough games over the first half of the season that could ruin a possible run to the national title. Marshall would love nothing more than to beat its in-state rival in the season opener, while Maryland, at East Carolina and at Mississippi State are all losses if Pat White, Steve Slaton and the boys aren't 100% focused. They get a break with four conference home games and three on the road, but road trips to Louisville and Pitt are going to be dogfights for the Big East title.

Sept 2 Marshall

Sept 9 Buffalo

Sept 14 Maryland ESPN

Sept 23 at East Carolina

Sept 30 BYE

Oct 7 at Miss State

Oct 14 Syracuse

Oct 20 at Connecticut ESPN

Oct 28 BYE

Nov 2 at Louisville ESPN

Nov 11 Cincinnati

Nov 16 at Pittsburgh ESPN

Nov 25 South Florida

Dec 2 Rutgers ESPN or ESPN2

- Almost certain win | Likely loss | Could go either way

[South_Florida_Flip]

I wouldn't take too much stock in that. UConn doesn't play as tough an OOC.

[Brad]

Boy once Steve gets a h*rd-on for somebody he is relentless.  Funny.

[Triple B]

I think it works out beautifully ...... schedule starts out with a weak one and progressively builds up to conference play..... Great job is right.

[SRQ]

I think it works out beautifully ...... schedule starts out with a weak one and progressively builds up to conference play..... Great job is right.

Exactly.  Give the man a raise.

[E.T.]

Perfect schedule for this season ... and future schedules are looking good also.

What, only in his 2nd year ?

Go BULLS !!!

[bullwark]

The home schedule is weak I don't think USF should play so many cupcakes, however, future schedules are looking better.

[PingBull]

yeah smazza you're pathetic....care to comment on last season's schedule??   regardless of what we say, you'll have something negative to return....sooo...i'm done with this thread  

[South_Florida_Flip]

We're one of 2 Big East teams (Cincinnati being the other) to play both Louisville and WVU on the road this season. I doubt whoever tabulated the strength of schedule factored that in to the equation.

[Guest]

South Florida

I don't know - I really REALLY like this schedule.  It builds and builds and builds.  Like lifting weights - adding more and more and more until the end.  Consider that USF could realistically be 8 - 0 going into Homecoming - and Syracuse should be winnable.  USF could be 10-0, and probably in the Top 15, going to Louisville.  That could be the "wall" in our marathon - and if USF can win @ Louisville, then the Morgantown hurdle might not seem quite so high.

Then again, USF could lose @ Kansas and @ UNC, and lose Homecoming again - and end up 7-5.  But I will remain the optimist with my green and gold glasses: USF 10-2 and in the Gator Bowl against Boston College.

Sept 2 McNeese State

Sept 9 FIU

Sept 16 at UCF

Sept 23 at Kansas

Sept 30 Rutgers

Oct 7 Connecticut

Oct 14 at North Carolina

Oct 21 at Cincinnati

Oct 28 BYE

Nov 4 Pittsburgh

Nov 11 Syracuse

Nov 18 at Louisville

Nov 25 at West Virginia