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We've all seen those schedules before. You pick up the College Football preview magazine and begin to flip through.
You come upon three top 10 teams playing the likes of Prairie View A&M, Charleston Southern, and UT-Martin. Then you put the magazine back on the shelf in disgust and stomp away, only to return five minutes later and purchase it because you just can't stay away.
Scheduling weak opponents is a huge part of college football.
The smaller schools need the money that the larger school promises to give for two home games in three or four seasons.
The larger school needs some de facto preseason games before hitting the meat of its schedule when the conference teams come calling.
Call Alabama defeating UT-Chattanooga 45-0 a necessary evil.
Call Florida being favored by 73 over Charleston Southern a healthy, yet sickening trend in college football.
Whatever you want to call it, these next 20 teams take the cake, the cupcake to be more specific, for the upcoming college football season.
20. Virginia Tech
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A+ on scheduling Boise State. I think that's definitely a step in the right direction.
Scheduling an FCS opponent, James Madison, is the equivalent of taking 10 steps forward and five back. JMU is a top FCS program, but competing with the mighty Hokies is out of the question.
East Carolina has been decent in the last few seasons, but losing Skip Holtz should set them back a while.
Central Michigan will have a new head coach and someone-not-named Dan LeFevour playing quarterback.
19. Oregon
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The Ducks do travel across the country to play at Tennessee this season. But we all know that Tennessee is not Tennessee right now.
Still, flying that far to face an SEC opponent is worth some bonus points in my book.
Facing New Mexico prior to that and Portland State immediately afterward, not so much.
18. Tennessee
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This is probably the closest thing to being ranked the Vols will see all season.
Major kudos for the Oregon matchup, even though it's unlikely to end well for the Vols, as the Ducks will probably be a top 10 team.
Picking on poor UT-Martin, UAB, and Memphis will definitely account for three wins, and the Vols will take them any way they can get them this season.
17. Alabama
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Yes, Bama fans, I know you play Penn State. Congratulations.
Chances are most of you think since you are the SEC team it won't even be close anyway.
The three that definitely won't be close are home games against San Jose State and Georgia State (a team in it's first year of existence) and a road game at mighty Duke.
The Penn State game is the only thing keeping Bama out of the top 10.
16. Penn State
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Besides that really tough trip to Tuscaloosa, the Nittany Lions have pretty much smooth sailing the rest of the way.
That is, unless you consider Youngstown State, Kent State, and Temple legitimate threats in what could be one of JoePa's last seasons at State College (Yes, I realize that's how I've prefaced each of Penn State's last 10 seasons).
With the reigning national champs on the schedule, however, I cannot rank Penn State in the top 15 of the cupcakiest schedules.
15. Auburn
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Okay WarEagles, before you start blasting me, just look at the schedule.
The Clemson game has all the makings of a tremendous matchup, and it will definitely be watched by many, myself included.
I will not watch you play Arkansas State, Louisiana-Monroe, or UT-Chattanooga.
Okay, maybe I'll watch some of that last one, but only because that's my hometown school.
14. Arizona
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That Iowa game looks like a barn-burner.
The games against the Citadel and Toledo leave much to be desired.
The Citadel plays in the same conference as UT-Chattanooga. The Mocs of UT-Chattanooga count on beating the Citadel every season. The Mocs have finished over .500 three times this decade.
Major point-deduction for picking on the Cadets, Arizona.
13. Ohio State
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I wanted to put the Buckeyes closer to No. 20 than No. 1 for the sole fact of scheduling an up and coming Miami squad in 2010.
But because Marshall, Ohio, and Eastern Michigan fill out the remainder of the non-conference schedule, I had to place them in the top 15.
That game against the Hurricanes will go a long way in getting Ohio State into the top portion of the BCS. The other three games will keep them there.
12. Michigan State
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Here comes the Big Ten. After ranking Ohio State No. 13, the conference takes my next two spots.
Michigan State does play Notre Dame, although that doesn't mean nearly what it used to.
Games against Western Michigan, Florida Atlantic, and Northern Colorado makes the Spartans quite worthy of the No. 12 slot on this countdown.
11. Northwestern
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It was nice to see the Wildcats play well in 2009 and earn a New Year's Day bowl trip.
Judging by their non-conference schedule in 2010, the chances of Northwestern ending their season in a warmer climate are better than decent as well.
The opening game at Vanderbilt will be tougher than it looks right now, but Illinois State, Rice, and Central Michigan should blunt any potential dig that the Commodores might take against the Wildcats.
10. Nebraska
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The 'Huskers return to the top 10 in the real top 25 this season will likely be due to the fact that they are ranked in the top 10 in this top 20.
Sure, Nebraska plays a tough conference schedule, but does that justify a non-conference slate that includes the likes of Western Kentucky, Idaho, and South Dakota State?
I know Idaho was a bowl team in '09, but the Vandals will be lucky to keep this one within 30.
A road trip to Washington is nice to see, but South Dakota State? Really?
9. Ole Miss
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If there ever was a time that the Rebels needed an easy schedule, 2010 will be it. Losing your offensive coordinator and your top three offensive playmakers will do that to you.
Luckily for the Rebels, FCS opponent Jacksonville State will be there to help cushion their fall. A road game at Tulane will be nice as well.
Hosting Fresno State will be tricky for 'Ole Colonel Reb, but playing the school formerly known as SW Louisiana and Louisiana-Lafayette (Now just referred to as Louisiana) will more than make up for that toughy against FSU-West.
8. Iowa
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Yes, Hawkeyes. You deserve a spot in the top 10.
Eastern Illinois and Ball State are bad enough.
I'm sure it's not your fault that your in-state rival, Iowa State, is barely good enough to make a bowl game.
Playing at Arizona will be a nice test, especially after defeating Eastern Illinois by 30.
7. Texas Tech
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I'm sure Tommy Tuberville is not complaining about this schedule.
There should be enough wins in his first season in Lubbock to become bowl eligible, especially thanks to Southern Methodist, New Mexico, and Weber State.
Did anyone else know that Weber State had a football team?
6. Arkansas
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The highest-rated SEC team on this list really outdid themselves with this schedule.
Arkansas opens up with mighty Tennessee Tech. From there the Razorbacks will take on the Warhawks of Louisiana-Monroe.
Texas A&M is on the schedule as well, as they were in '09 when Arkansas defeated them 47-19. The Hogs end their non-conference slate with Mike Price's UTEP Miners.
5. Texas A & M
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Speaking of the Aggies...
Mike Sherman needs a good year. He needs it in the worst way.
A good way to ensure that is by scheduling Stephen F. Austin. Yes, I said Stephen F. Austin. What the?!
They follow the Lumberjacks up with Louisiana Tech and Florida International.
That Arkansas game will be tough, but the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks makes Texas A&M an easy top-five selection.
4. Missouri
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What is it with these Big 12 teams and horrible schedules?
The Tigers might make a move in the Big 12 North this season.
Helping that potential move will be Ron Zook and his continued cluelessness at Illinois.
Throw in McNeese State, San Diego State, and Miami-Ohio, and the Tigers are easily a top-five cupcake scheduler in 2010.
3. Texas
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The Longhorns will be young, talented, and tired. Tired after scoring half-a-hundred in at least three games.
Rice will pose zero resistance to anything the Longhorns try. Wyoming is improving little-by-little the last few years, but the Cowboys will be lucky to keep the 'Horns out of the endzone every time down the field.
UCLA is making progress, but the Bruins offense left much to be desired in '09. No reason to think they can hang with Texas. Florida Atlantic will be down 30 by halftime.
2. Oklahoma State
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Mike Gundy is a man! He's 40!
He's also pretty adept at scheduling cupcakes.
The Cowboys take on the mighty Cougars of Washington State, which has won a grand total of three games since the '07 season ended.
They will follow that one up by playing a pretty good, albeit completely outmanned Troy.
Following the Troy game, Oklahoma State will welcome Tulsa and Louisiana-Lafayette to T. Boone Pickens Field.
1. Wisconsin
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The Badgers do play Arizona State in 2010. But with the Sun Devils coming off a 4-8 season, that doesn't give Wisconsin nearly as much non-conference credit as one might think.
Games against UNLV, San Jose State, and Austin Peay round out the most 'cupcakified' non-conference schedule in America for 2010.
The combined records of the Badgers' four non-conference opponents in '09 was 15-32--with one of those teams being an FCS program--which is what clinched the No. 1 spot for Wisconsin.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...schedules-in-college-football-for-2010#page/1
