2011 Preview Blitz: C-USA Schedule Breakdown
By Kyle Kensing
Two Conference USA teams ended 2010 with double digit wins and in the final top Associated Press poll, which would constitute the league’s best showing since Louisville and Cincinnati split. The upcoming season promises to be even better. Not only are last season’s ranked representatives UCF and Tulsa actually improved, so are SMU, Southern Miss and Houston.
Knights’ Gauntlet
UCF isn’t defending its C-USA title and No. 21 (No. 19 in USA Today) ranking with a jaunt to the bakery’s cupcake counter. The Knights open with a Week 1 tune-up in Charleston Southern, but the rest of the non-conference slate is challenging. Boston College comes to Orlando on Week 2, a clash between two of college football’s best defenses.
Week 3 the Knights head south to face Florida International. FIU finished a humble 7-6 last season, but posed serious challenges to Rutgers (19-14), Texas A&M (27-20) and Maryland (42-28, but the score wasn’t indicative of how close this one was). This Golden Panther bunch will be much improved and will surely be looking to use their in-state foe as a stepping stone.
The stretch wraps with a Friday tilt in one of the more unique OOC matchups of 2011. UCF travels to BYU, a game that might not have taken shape had the Cougars not gone independent. The revamped Cougar offense against the stout Knight defense will be a fun counter to take in.
Storm Warning
C-USA’s other team coming off a top 25 campaign is Tulsa, and coicidentally (or perhaps not) the Golden Hurricane will also play a daunting non-conference schedule. In fact, Tulsa’s could be weighed against any program’s in college football as the most difficult overall slate due in particular to three matchups: at Oklahoma (Week 1), Oklahoma State (Week 3) and at Boise State (Week 4). That’s three opponents I give very strong probabilities of reaching BCS bowls before October.
However, it’s not all bad for the Golden Hurricane. Tulsa’s two most likely challengers for the West division crown, SMU and Houston, are home games. UoT avoids Southern Miss and ECU out of the East, though it does play at UCF in what might be the best C-USA matchup of the year.
Defensive Coordinators, Avert Your Eyes
Various C-USA programs have made their names via explosive offenses. When two such teams get together, the result is total combustion that would impress the Arena League and infuriate defensive purists.
Consider in SMU, Tulsa, Houston and ECU, C-USA boasts four teams that have finished in the top 20 for passing yards at least once in the last four seasons. In scoring offense last year, C-USA had top 25 scoring offenses in: Tulsa (No. 6, 41.4 ppg); Houston (No. 13, 37.7 ppg); Southern Miss (No. 15, 36.9 ppg); East Carolina (No. 16, 36.8 ppg).
Those teams meet throughout 2011:
– Southern Miss at ECU
– Houston at Tulsa
– ECU at Houston
Then in Tulsa vs. SMU and SMU vs. Houston there are two more instances in which the passing games should light up the scoreboard.
Schedule Superlatives
Toughest Schedule
By virtue of its Boise State, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State gauntlet, Tulsa wins this one but it’s not a walk. Rice is playing four BCS conference opponents out of league play, opening with Texas. The Longhorns come out of the gate with nine months to have stewed on a 5-7 finish and will look to exorcise some frustrations on the Owls.
Northwestern, Purdue and Baylor round out Rice’s OOC schedule. In league, the Owls travel to Southern Miss, SMU and Houston. Rice will be more experienced and talented than it was in 2010, but such a daunting docket will guarantee no postseason.
Cupcake Award
Houston has plenty to be optimistic about. Aside from returning quarterback Case Keenum off a medical redshirt, UH plays a favorable schedule of three FBS non-conference opponents that won a combined 12 games: UCLA (4), Louisiana Tech (5) and North Texas (3). Its fourth non-conference game is against Georgia State, which is entering its second year of varsity competition. In league, UH avoids both Southern Miss and UCF.
Now, the opener against UCLA isn’t a bad game. After all, the Bruins’ defeat of the Cougars last year was one of their four wins, and a doubly sour loss for UH. That was the game Keenum was lost for the season, and the Cougars’ season in turn was lost. The Bruins are generating some buzz among preseason prognasticators like Phil Steele, but will its defense be able to contain a healthy UH?
Best Non-Conference Games
1t. UCF at BYU, Sept. 23/Tulsa at Boise State, Sept. 24
These two traveling to the West will speak volumes about their respective statuses as national level programs.
3. SMU vs. Navy, Nov. 12
Since June Jones came to SMU, he has instilled a high octane passing offense that resurrected the once dead Mustang program to a C-USA contender. And Jones has also resurrected a rivalry with Navy, creating a neat annual affair that pits the aerial against the option.
There have been some memorable moments in this short lived series for the Frank Gansz Trophy, like Ricky Dobbs leading a pass-less Midshipmen win in 2008 or last season’s back-and-forth affair.
4. UCF vs. Boston College, Sept. 10
5. Houston vs. UCLA, Sept. 10
Best Conference Games
1. Tulsa at UCF, Nov. 3
A preview of the 2011 conference title game could be on tap in this Thursday night primetime matchup. UCF’s defense finished No. 8 in points allowed last season; Tulsa’s offense
2. UCF at Southern Miss, Nov. 12
The East’s representative in the C-USA title game has won the last four contests, including reigning champion UCF’s 17-7 defeat of SMU last December. The streak could continue this season with the East boasting two very strong teams in UCF and Southern Miss.
The Golden Eagles were a defensively built team under Jeff Bower, but since Larry Fedora took over USM it’s been an offensive dynamo.
3. Houston at Tulsa, Nov. 25
The West representative in the C-USA title game could very likely come from this game. The two prolific offenses figure to combine for somewhere in the neighborhood of 80 to 95 points. Quarterbacks GJ Kinne (Tulsa) and Keenum (UH) are the conference’s best.
4. SMU at Tulsa, Oct. 29
The Mustangs grounded Tulsa’s explosive offense in last season’s matchup, winning 21-18. Those 18 points were the fewest the Golden Hurricane scored all season. By virtue of the win, SMU claimed the West’s tiebreaker and played in the C-USA Championship.
5. SMU at Houston, Nov. 5
SMU outgained Houston 445-397 in last year’s tilt, but UH won by a lopsided 45-20 total. Michael Hayes and Bryce Beall combined for four rushing touchdowns to pace UH.
Bonus. Southern Miss at ECU, Nov. 5
USM must avoid a road upset against the prolific Pirate passing attack. Dominique Davis put up ridiculous numbers in leading ECU to last season’s Military Bowl. He returns under Ruffin McNeill.