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Saturday, July 14, 2007
Who has toughest ACC schedule?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Last week, we got a pretty passionate response when we listed the five toughest schedules in the SEC. Let’s see if the emotions run as high about the five toughest schedules in the ACC …
1. FLORIDA STATE
Home ACC: N.C. State, Miami, Duke, Maryland
Road ACC: Clemson, Wake Forest, Boston College, Virginia Tech
Non-conference: UAB, at Colorado, Alabama (Jacksonville), at Florida
Comment: Any schedule that includes road trips to Clemson, Virginia Tech, Colorado, and Florida, plus a neutral-site game with Alabama, has to be No. 1.
2. MIAMI
Home ACC: Duke, Georgia Tech, N.C. State, Virginia
Road ACC: North Carolina, Florida State, Virginia Tech, Boston College
Non-conference: Marshall, at Oklahoma, Florida International, Texas A&M
Comment: Non-conference games against Oklahoma and Texas A&M plus road trips to Florida State and Virginia Tech put the Hurricanes at No. 2.
3. BOSTON COLLEGE
Home ACC: Wake Forest, N.C. State, Florida State, Miami
Road ACC: Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Clemson
Non-conference: Army, UMass, Bowling Green, at Notre Dame
Comment: Eight bowl teams and five tough road games, including one at Notre Dame. Eagles also get the three toughest teams in the Coastal Division: Virginia Tech, Miami, and Georgia Tech.
4. GEORGIA TECH
Home ACC: Boston College, Clemson, Virginia Tech, North Carolina
Road ACC: Virginia, Maryland, Miami, Duke
Non-conference: at Notre Dame, Samford, Army, Georgia
Comment: Jackets play non-conference games with Notre Dame and Georgia plus games with BC, Clemson, and Maryland from the Atlantic Division.
5. VIRGINIA TECH
Home ACC: North Carolina, Boston College, Florida State, Miami
Road ACC: Clemson, Duke, Georgia Tech, Virginia
Non-conference: East Carolina, at LSU, Ohio U., William & Mary
Comment: Trip to LSU plus road games at Clemson and Georgia Tech earn the Hokies a spot in the top five.
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Who has SEC’s easiest schedule?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Readers beat me up bad enough Friday when I picked the five toughest schedules in the SEC. I’ll expect no mercy today as I try to do the impossible and pick the five easiest schedules in the league.
Fact is, there aren’t five easy schedules in this conference, just a few that are not quite as hard as the five I listed yesterday. Still, a promise is a promise so here we go …
1. ARKANSAS
Home SEC: Kentucky, Auburn, South Carolina, Miss. State (Little Rock)
Road SEC: Alabama, Ole Miss, Tennessee, LSU
Non-conference: Troy, North Texas, Chattanooga, Florida International
Comment: Three non-conference games against the Sun Belt. Troy was 8-5 while North Texas was 3-9 and FIU was 0-12. Division I-AA Chattanooga was 3-8.
2. ALABAMA
Home SEC: Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee, LSU
Road SEC: Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Auburn
Non-conference: Western Carolina, Florida State (Jacksonville), Houston, Louisiana-Monroe
Comment: Alabama plays Georgia, Tennessee and Vandy in the East but two of the three are at home.
3. OLE MISS
Home SEC: Florida, Alabama, Arkansas, LSU
Road SEC: Vanderbilt, Georgia, Auburn, Mississippi State
Non-conference: at Memphis, Missouri, Louisiana Tech, Northwestern State
Comment: The conference schedule is tough with Florida and Georgia from the Eastern Division. Missouri (8-5 last season) is a good non-conference game but Memphis and Louisiana Tech were a combined 5-20 last season.
4. LSU
Home SEC: South Carolina, Florida, Auburn, Arkansas
Road SEC: Miss. State, Kentucky, Alabama, Ole Miss
Non-conference: Virginia Tech, Middle Tennessee, Tulane, La. Tech
Comment: The Tigers get credit for playing Virginia Tech, but their road schedule is much easier than Vanderbilt’s.
5. VANDERBILT
Home SEC: Alabama, Ole Miss, Georgia, Kentucky
Road SEC: Auburn, South Carolina, Florida, Tennessee
Non-conference: Richmond, Eastern Michigan, Miami (Ohio), Wake Forest
Comment: Richmond (6-5), Eastern Michigan (1-11) and Miami of Ohio (2-10) should be wins. But it will be hard for the Commodores to win an SEC game on the road. Vandy does have eight home games.
Am I wrong? Should one of these be in the top five?
MISS. STATE
Home SEC: LSU, Tennessee, Alabama, Ole Miss
Road SEC: Auburn, South Carolina, Kentucky, Arkansas
Non-conference: Tulane, Jacksonville State, UAB, West Virginia
KENTUCKY
Home SEC: LSU, Florida, Mississippi State, Tennessee
Road SEC: Arkansas, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Georgia
Non-conference: Eastern Kentucky, Kent State, Louisville, Florida Atlantic
