The Ten Toughest Non-Conference College Football Schedules

We’re getting close to the college football season and it’s time to start breaking down our schedules and thinking about our bets. Every year there are a handful of College Football teams willing to travel cross-country and take on a big time opponent. Most of the time money plays the biggest role, with teams in non-BCS conferences traveling to play big dogs in the SEC or Big Ten. This year is a little different.

Out of the ten teams with the toughest non-conference schedules, five are programs with rich football tradition from BCS conferences. Florida International has the toughest non-conference schedule in the country, mainly because they are looking to put themselves on the map and generate revenue for the future of the program. Miami (OH) comes in second with games against Kentucky, Cincy, Northwestern and Boise. East Carolina (6), San Jose State (8t) and Fresno State (8t) are the other non-BCS programs with the toughest schedules.

Here is a look at the top 5 toughest non-conference schedules for BCS programs as determined by Bruce Feldman of ESPN and broken down by us:

USC (3rd overall)- The real season kicks off with a trip to Ohio State, where the Trojans will be pushed to the limit by Terrell Pryor and Co. The Buckeyes will be out to avenge a manhandling at the hands of the Trojans last season. The week before they play San Jose St which isn’t a pushover. They could have easily scheduled a I-AA (we’re still gonna call it that) opponent that would have traveled to the Rose Bowl, took a beating and cashed the check with a smile on their face. Instead, they took on a tough SJS team that has won 20 games over the past three seasons. Later in the season they travel to South Bend to take on Notre Dame. The jury is still out, but the Irish should be rolling into that gam ewith plenty of cofidence after pummeling their weak schedule.

Florida State (4) - The Seminoles will travel outside the ACC for two road fights this season. The first comes against Brigham Young in a battle between the most polar opposite universities in the country. One is mormon, the other always wants more woman. One bans alchohol, the other bands alchoholics together for football games. Regardless of the differences, both have great football tradition and BYU will try to put their system up against FSU’s speed and athleticism, in one of the most interesting games this season. The ‘Noles also have to go to Gainesville this season for their yearly matchup, or mismatch for the past few years, with the Florida Gators. There’s no love lost in that rivalry and nothing will change this year. They also play an improving South Florida team looking to rebound from a disappointing 2008.

Oregon (5) - Oregon doesn’t Duck anybody! They Travel to Boise State to play on the blue turf and welcome Utah to their house, in games against the two best non-BCS programs in the history of the system. Oregon has legitimate National Title hopes and it starts by making a statement in Idaho. They also travel to Purdue to show a Big Ten team what cool uniforms and speed looks like up close. The Boilermakers lost all-time leading scorer Kory Sheets to the NFL and are going to have a handful when they try to stop Oregon and QB Justin Masoli. The toughest game will be against Utah, who always plays with a chip on their shoulder, looking for respect. The Alabama tape won’t help the Ducks, as Utah is known for their different schemes and play-calling in big games. The good news is that Oregon will gain a ton of respect from the voters by winning all three of their non-conference games, unlike most BCS programs.

Virginia Tech (7)- Beamer Ball goes on the road for a huge showdown with Alabama to open the season. It has huge implications, from recruiting to national title hopes and is sure to be the talk of the early season. They will have to play their best defense to keep WR Julio Jones away from the ball but stuffing the run won’t be easy against ‘Bama this season either.The Hokies also play an improving Nebraska team that will be ready to prove they are back on the national scene. Bo Pelini will have his team fired up for that dogfight. (Can we use the word dogfight when talking about Mike Vick’s alma-mater?) VT also has a revenge game against ECU and what should be a blowout against Marshall.

Georgia (10) - It’s not too often that an SEC team schedules a real opponent outside of their conference and for good reason. Every week is a physical battle in the SEC and you will face eight quality programs without blinking an eye. Other than there usual game against Georgia Tech, they have scheduled games @Oklahoma State and vs. Arizona State. OSU has a legitimate shot at a national title and will be looking to prove that against an SEC power early in the season. WR Dez White is a manchild and a matchup nightmare. Look for QB Zac Robinson to exploit the Georgia secondary in a game where I love OSU. Arizona State is no pushover either. Coming out of the PAC-10, the Sun Devils have an opportunity to make some noise down south, but the atmosphere is expected to be too much for them to handle. It’s a tough game but I like the Dawgs.