2008 Big East Team Schedule
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2008 Big East Composite Schedule
& Top Games
Toughest schedules
Based on home games as
well as who the teams play. when
1. Syracuse
2. Rutgers
3.
West Virginia
4. Pitt
5. South Florida
6. Connecticut
7. Cincinnati
8. Louisville |
Cincinnati
Realistic best case record with this schedule: 10-3
Barring total disaster worst case record: 7-6
Realistic record: 9-4
There's an almost certain loss at
Oklahoma in early September, but that's it as far as the first part of
the non-conference schedule getting Eastern Kentucky, Miami University,
at Akron and at Marshall before league play kicks in. The Bearcats will
be good enough to go bowling, but getting to go to Hawaii in early
December will still be a nice perk. The Big East schedule is more than
manageable outside of a six-day early November test against West
Virginia and Louisville, but there's an off-week before the key dates.
South Florida and Rutgers have to come to Cincy.
Aug. 28
Eastern
Kentucky
Sept. 6 at Oklahoma
Sept. 13 OPEN DATE
Sept. 20 Miami Univ.
Sept. 27 at Akron
Oct. 3 at Marshall
Oct. 11 Rutgers
Oct. 18 OPEN DATE
Oct. 25 at Connecticut
Oct. 30 South Florida
Nov. 1 OPEN DATE
Nov. 8 at West Virginia
Nov. 14 at Louisville
Nov. 22 Pitt
Nov. 29 Syracuse
Dec. 6 at Hawaii
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Almost certain win
- Likely loss
- Could go either way
Connecticut
Realistic best case record with this schedule: 9-3
Barring total disaster worst case record: 5-7
Realistic record: 6-6
It's not bad. Virginia's good, but if the Huskies plan on having a good
season, they need to win the interesting early non-conference date. Do
that and there should be a 4-0 start before jumping into Big East play
with a road trip to Louisville. There's a tougher-than-it-looks trip to
North Carolina as the second of three straight road games, and then
comes a must-win homestand against Cincinnati and West Virginia before a
week off, road games at Syracuse and South Florida, and another week off
before hosting Pitt. I
Aug. 28
Hofstra
Sept. 6 at Temple
Sept. 13 Virginia
Sept. 19 Baylor
Sept. 27 at Louisville
Oct. 4 at North Carolina
Oct. 11 OPEN DATE
Oct. 18 at Rutgers
Oct. 25 Cincinnati
Nov. 1 West Virginia
Nov. 8 OPEN DATE
Nov. 15 at Syracuse
Nov. 22 at South Florida
Nov. 29 OPEN DATE
Dec. 6 Pitt
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Almost certain win
- Likely loss
- Could go either way
Louisville
Realistic best case record with this schedule: 11-1
Barring total disaster worst case record: 6-6
Realistic record: 9-3
You want a bounce-back season Cardinal fans? You have the schedule to do
it. There are only four road games and two are against Memphis and
Syracuse. The other two will be tough, but playing at Pitt and Rutgers
isn't like going to West Virginia or South Florida. Non-conference games
against Kentucky and Kansas State might be tough, but those both come at
home. If things weren't easy enough, there's a week off at the end of
November before facing the Scarlet Knights. It would've been nice to get
the break before facing West Virginia, but there's an extra day off
before facing the Mountaineers.
Aug. 30 Kentucky
Sept. 6 Tennessee Tech
Sept. 13 OPEN DATE
Sept. 17 Kansas State
Sept. 27 Connecticut
Oct. 4 OPEN DATE
Oct. 10 at Memphis
Oct. 18 Middle Tennessee
Oct. 25 South Florida
Nov. 1 at Syracuse
Nov. 8 at Pitt
Nov. 14 Cincinnati
Nov. 22 West Virginia
Nov. 29 OPEN DATE
Dec. 4 at Rutgers
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Almost certain win
- Likely loss
- Could go either way
Pitt
Realistic best case record with this schedule: 10-2
Barring total disaster worst case record: 5-7
Realistic record: 7-5
This might be the strongest Panther team yet under Dave Wannstedt, but
the schedule could make it a challenging year. There's a chance for a
big start with a home win over Iowa in mid-September, but the Big East
slate starts out with two road games against Syracuse and South Florida.
Going to Navy and Notre Dame will make it four road dates in a five-game
span, and then there's the finishing kick. After getting a mid-November
week off, the Panthers have to play at Cincinnati, West Virginia, and at
Connecticut. That could be just tough enough to ruin Big East title
hopes.
Aug. 30
Bowling Green
Sept. 6 Buffalo
Sept. 13 OPEN DATE
Sept. 20 Iowa
Sept. 27 at Syracuse
Oct. 2 at South Florida
Oct. 11 OPEN DATE
Oct. 18 at Navy
Oct. 25 Rutgers
Nov. 1 at Notre Dame
Nov. 8 Louisville
Nov. 15 OPEN DATE
Nov. 22 at Cincinnati
Nov. 28 West Virginia
Dec. 6 at Connecticut
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Almost certain win
- Likely loss
- Could go either way
Rutgers
Realistic best case record with this schedule: 9-3
Barring total disaster worst case record: 4-8
Realistic record: 7-5
Picking up a loaded Fresno State at the last moment in the season-opener
will show just how good the Scarlet Knights are from the start. Playing
North Carolina and at Navy aren't going to be easy, and then there's
October with the Big East schedule kicking off with three road games in
four weeks playing at West Virginia, Cincinnati and Pitt. The other
conference road game is at South Florida in November; hardly a breather.
Fortunately there are two off weeks in November and three home games in
the final four.
Sept. 1 Fresno State
Sept. 6 OPEN DATE
Sept. 11 North Carolina
Sept. 20 at Navy
Sept. 27 TBA
Oct. 4 at West Virginia
Oct. 11 at Cincinnati
Oct. 18 Connecticut
Oct. 25 at Pitt
Nov. 1 OPEN DATE
Nov. 8 Syracuse
Nov. 15 at South Florida
Nov. 22 Army
Nov. 28 OPEN DATE
Dec. 4 Louisville
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Almost certain win
- Likely loss
- Could go either way
South Florida
Realistic best case record with this schedule: 10-2
Barring total disaster worst case record: 5-7
Realistic record: 8-4
The Bulls catch a nice break playing just three Big East road games, but
two are within five days of each other against Louisville and Cincinnati
in late October, and the third is at West Virginia in December. Going to
Morgantown in the cold won't be a plus for the warm weather team.
Hosting Kansas early on could put Jim Leavitt's club on the national map
with a win, while a trip to NC State could be far tougher than it
would've been last year. Non-conference road trips to UCF and FIU are
hardly going to be true away games considering they're in-state, but
they could be vital for recruiting.
Aug. 30
UT Martin
Sept. 5 at UCF
Sept. 12 Kansas
Sept. 20 at FIU
Sept. 27 at NC State
Oct. 2 Pitt
Oct. 11 OPEN DATE
Oct. 18 Syracuse
Oct. 25 at Louisville
Oct. 30 at Cincinnati
Nov. 8 OPEN DATE
Nov. 15 Rutgers
Nov. 22 Connecticut
Nov. 29 OPEN DATE
Dec. 6 at West Virginia
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Almost certain win
- Likely loss
- Could go either way
Syracuse
Realistic best case record with this schedule: 7-5
Barring total disaster worst case record: 3-9
Realistic record: 4-8
There can't be many, if any, home gaffes with a rough road slate to deal
with. Unfortunately the Orange has to play Penn State in the Dome to
go along with supposed layups against Akron and Northeastern. The away
dates would be tough for anyone, much less a team trying to rebuild. It
doesn't get tougher in Big East play than going to West Virginia, South
Florida, Rutgers and Cincinnati, and there's a trip to South Bend to
face Notre Dame to make it three road games in the final four weeks.
There are five away games over the second half of the season, while the
season opener at Northwestern isn't going to be a breeze.
Aug. 30 at
Northwestern
Sept. 6 Akron
Sept. 13 Penn State
Sept. 20 Northeastern
Sept. 27 Pitt
Oct. 4 OPEN DATE
Oct. 11 at West Virginia
Oct. 18 at South Florida
Oct. 25 OPEN DATE
Nov. 1 Louisville
Nov. 8 at Rutgers
Nov. 15 Connecticut
Nov. 22 at Notre Dame
Nov. 29 at Cincinnati
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Almost certain win
- Likely loss
- Could go either way
West Virginia
Realistic best case record with this schedule: 11-1
Barring total disaster worst case record: 7-5
Realistic record: 10-2
The schedule looks harder than it actually should be. The Big East slate
isn't bad early and gets tough late with road trips to Louisville and
Pitt in the span of six days, but remember, those two didn't go to a
bowl last year. South Florida comes to Morgantown on December 6th; a
perfect time to catch the warm-weather team. After a warm-up against
Villanova to kick things off, the non-conference schedule gets nasty the
rest of the way with trips to East Carolina and Colorado along with the
mid-season showdown against Auburn. Win those three and a national title
shot will likely be there for the taking.
Aug. 30
Villanova
Sept. 6 at East Carolina
Sept. 13 OPEN DATE
Sept. 18 at Colorado
Sept. 27 Marshall
Oct. 4 Rutgers
Oct. 11 Syracuse
Oct. 18 OPEN DATE
Oct. 23 Auburn
Nov. 1 at Connecticut
Nov. 8 Cincinnati
Nov. 15 OPEN DATE
Nov. 22 at Louisville
Nov. 28 at Pitt
Dec. 6 South Florida
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Almost certain win
- Likely loss
- Could go either way