With departure of West Virginia to the Big 12 and addition of Temple finalized, the Big East has released its 2012 schedule much to the anticipation of a dozen of you.
(Hey, we’re proud of ya for sticking by your team)
A few things that pop out when glancing over the schedule:
This year’s non-conference slate provides plenty of opportunities, once again, for the Big East to prove its worth. Granted, Syracuse’s Sept. 8 meeting against USC at MetLife Stadium in NJ may not be much of a contest -- seeing as the Trojans look to be preseason BCS championship material and all -- but the Orange do get the Trojans practically in SU’s backyard.
The biggest priority for the Big East should be, as it is every year, to be competitive with the ACC. Non-conference games against Florida State, Miami, Virginia Tech, Maryland, North Carolina and North Carolina State all provide valuable opportunities.
There will be plenty of eyes on Temple this year to see how the Owls do in their first year in the Big East since being given the hoot boot in 2004. Temple gets four conference home games this year -- always a plus -- and the home stretch looks on paper to be favorable.
Then again, the Big East is has been unpredictable and filled with parity in recent years (the conference spins it as “wide open"; Bill Stewart called it the “black and blue league.” We’re not that gullible). Overall, the schedule looks pretty balanced, with no one team getting a real advantage over the other. However, the conference does like to back-load games that could potentially decide the conference’s BCS bid. Louisville, Rutgers, Syracuse and Cincinnati all look to be in that mix.
Anyway, without any further delay, here’s how the schedule shakes out:
CINCINNATI
Thu., Sept. 6 PITTSBURGH
Sat., Sept. 15 Delaware State
Sat., Sept. 29 vs. Virginia Tech (FedEx Field, Landover, Md.)
Sat., Oct. 6 Miami (Ohio)
Sat., Oct. 13 Fordham
Sat., Oct. 20 at Toledo
Sat., Oct. 27 at LOUISVILLE
Sat., Nov. 3 SYRACUSE
Sat., Nov. 10 at TEMPLE
Sat., Nov. 17 RUTGERS
Fri., Nov. 23 USF
Sat., Dec. 1 at CONNECTICUT
CONNECTICUT
Thu., Aug. 30 Massachusetts
Sat., Sept. 8 North Carolina State
Sat., Sept. 15 at Maryland
Sat., Sept. 22 at Western Michigan
Sat., Sept. 29 Buffalo
Sat., Oct. 6 at RUTGERS
Sat., Oct. 13 TEMPLE
Fri., Oct. 19 at SYRACUSE
Sat., Nov. 3 at USF
Fri., Nov. 9 PITTSBURGH
Sat., Nov. 24 at LOUISVILLE
Sat., Dec. 1 CINCINNATI
LOUISVILLE
Sat., Sept. 1 Kentucky
Sat., Sept. 8 Missouri State
Sat., Sept. 15 North Carolina
Sat., Sept. 22 at Florida International
Sat., Sept. 29 at Southern Mississippi
Sat., Oct. 13 at PITTSBURGH
Sat., Oct. 20 USF
Fri., Oct. 26 CINCINNATI
Sat., Nov. 3 TEMPLE
Sat., Nov. 10 at SYRACUSE
Sat., Nov. 24 CONNECTICUT
Thu., Nov. 29 at RUTGERS
PITTSBURGH
Sat., Sept. 1 Youngstown State
Thu., Sept. 6 at CINCINNATI
Sat., Sept. 15 Virginia Tech
Sat., Sept. 22 Gardner-Webb
Fri., Oct. 5 at SYRACUSE
Sat., Oct. 13 LOUISVILLE
Sat., Oct. 20 at Buffalo
Sat., Oct. 27 TEMPLE
Sat., Nov. 3 at Notre Dame
Fri., Nov. 9 at CONNECTICUT
Sat., Nov. 24 RUTGERS
Sat., Dec. 1 at USF
RUTGERS
Sat., Sept. 1 at Tulane
Sat., Sept. 8 Howard
Sat., Sept. 15 at USF (date subject to change)
Sat., Sept. 22 at Arkansas
Sat., Oct. 6 CONNECTICUT
Sat., Oct. 13 SYRACUSE
Sat., Oct. 20 at TEMPLE
Sat., Oct. 27 Kent State
Sat., Nov. 10 Army
Sat., Nov. 17 at CINCINNATI
Sat., Nov. 24 at PITTSBURGH
Thu., Nov. 29 LOUISVILLE
USF
Sat., Sept. 1 Chattanooga
Sat., Sept. 8 at Nevada
Sat., Sept. 15 RUTGERS (date subject to change)
Sat., Sept. 22 at Ball State
Sat., Sept. 29 Florida State
Sat., Oct. 6 at TEMPLE
Sat., Oct. 20 at LOUISVILLE
Sat., Oct. 27 SYRACUSE
Sat., Nov. 3 CONNECTICUT
Sat., Nov. 17 at Miami (Fla.)
Fri., Nov. 23 at CINCINNATI
Sat., Dec. 1 PITTSBURGH
SYRACUSE
Sat., Sept. 1 Northwestern
Sat., Sept. 8 Southern California (MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J.)
Sat., Sept. 15 Stony Brook
Sat., Sept. 22 at Minnesota
Fri., Oct. 5 PITTSBURGH
Sat., Oct. 13 at RUTGERS
Fri., Oct. 19 CONNECTICUT
Sat., Oct. 27 at USF
Sat., Nov. 3 at CINCINNATI
Sat., Nov. 10 LOUISVILLE
Sat., Nov. 17 at Missouri
Fri., Nov. 23 at TEMPLE
TEMPLE
Fri., Aug. 31 Villanova
Sat., Sept. 8 Maryland
Sat., Sept. 22 at Penn State
Sat., Oct. 6 USF
Sat., Oct. 13 at CONNECTICUT
Sat., Oct. 20 RUTGERS
Sat., Oct. 27 at PITTSBURGH
Sat., Nov. 3 at LOUISVILLE
Sat., Nov. 10 CINCINNATI
Sat., Nov. 17 at Army
Fri., Nov. 23 SYRACUSE