An Early Look at the 2010 Big 12 Football Schedule

Here is a quick run down of next year's non con schedules with some comments.  On the plus side, we won't be taking as much heat for soft scheduling like we did this year.  On the negative side, the Big 12 was down a little over all, and with the [possible] coaching change ups (Manginio and maybe Leach) we might be in for another 'down' year.  But who cares as long as the Horns win and the other games are interesting to watch?


* Quick note - there are still a few games left to be scheduled, and I'm not sure that these are set in stone (there was talk about TTech trying to move a game).

We'll start with some numbers first:

(The 2010 numbers may be off by 1.  Oklahoma State has 2 opponents left to schedule and KState has 1.  Kstate doesn't have an AA opponent yet, and I'd expect them to fill the open date with one.  OSU usually schedules one 'respectable' opponent and no more than 1 AA opponent.  They may even fill that spot with a BCS opponent, which would be even better.  By 'respectable,' I mean the TCUs, Utahs, BYUs, ect of the world.)

Just taking a look at the numbers, we have more total match ups between BCS and respectable opponents.  We also have 2 less AA opponents, and if OSU or Kstate bucks their normal trends, we may have as few as 6 or 7.  I think this is good for the 'watchability' of college football.  I think conferences should be capped at 4 AA opponents per year (3 for the Big East).  Let the conferences decide how those games get used.  The improved competition should help our strength of schedule, but since we have a better schedule next year it might not matter anyway.  It's just more entertaining football.

First, the North (bold = BCS, italics = respectable, strike through = AA):

This looks similar to the 2009 schedule.  Colorado will be be happy to enter conference play 1-3.  KU will likely be down again next year and lose its first non con game in 2 or 3 years to a GaTech team that will be pretty good.  I still think this will be a very entertaining game with a lot of offense on both sides.  Mizzou vs Illinois has been a very watchable rivalry game early in the year 2 out of the last 3 years, and I'm hoping next year's will be as well.  Will Nebraska stumble having to travel to Washington?  Don't laugh, LSU almost did this year.  Kstate seems to have learned not to schedule two AA schools.  Hopefully Kstate has learned not to schedule 2 AA opponents (thanks for pointing that out TB).  It shouldn't be hard to pick up a Tulsa/Ark St/N Illinois before next year.

Now the South:

OU's schedule looks tough at first with 2 BCS opponents, and surprisingly they have no AA cash give aways.  However, FSU will not be rebuilt in a year (and I'm not sure Jimbo will ever do it), and this year's tough Cincinnati team will graduate 8 Srs on offense and 7 on defense.  Should be a good schedule to set up OU to come into the RRS at 4-0 and highly ranked.  A&M looks to avoid playing such a strength sapping non con schedule again and drops the juggernauts of New Mexico for SFA.  Give them a year and I'm sure Lamar will be a regular Home-Home.  Baylor has a good shot at being 3-1 again in non con, and I will not even make a guess as to what happens to Tech on their SWC reunion tour.  They couldn't get Rice instead of New Mexico to make it complete?

Finally, Texas has a slightly better schedule and a game to look forward to against UCLA, who will be playing in the Eagle Bank Bowl game today.  They are improving under Neuheisel and should not be taken lightly, especially if he is back to his old recruiting ways.  We certainly don't want to end up like Tennessee the last 2 years.  At least we won't have to listen to all the crap about not playing any BCS teams, but we still will hear it about not playing anyone good unless UCLA makes major improvements. 

Also, personally, I'm looking forward to the game against Rice since it will be at Reliant and I should be able to get tickets.  Sadly, it will be the first game I've seen since 07. 

Other notes about UT's schedule: We will play 10 games in the state of Texas!  7 of them will be at home.  Playing at Nebraska will likely be our toughest game, followed closely by the RRS.  We also play at Kstate.  Hopefully we used up all of this century's bad luck in the last two meetings.