span>
Spring
Preview
2009
ThThe 20 Big Questions ... No.
20 (Part 3)
By
Pete Fiutak
2009 Spring Questions - Top
50
Non-Conference Games (No. 1 to 10)
2009 Spring Questions -
Top 50
Non-Conference Games (No. 11 to 20)
2009 Spring Questions -
Top 50
Non-Conference Games (No. 21 to 30)
2009 Spring Questions -
Top 50
Non-Conference Games (No. 31 to 40)
2009 Spring Questions -
Top 50
Non-Conference Games (No. 41 to 50)
2008 Spring Questions - Top 40
Non-Conference Games
With spring ball underway, it's time to start diving into the 2009
season ... no, it's not way too early. Here are the 20 Big Questions to
start off the offseason, beginning with the top non-conference games.
20. 50 non-conference games to get really, really excited about (No. 21
to 30) ...
30. North Carolina at Connecticut, Sept. 12span>
Go ahead and insert your comment about
how this would be a fantastic national championship game to end
March Madness. On the football field, it’ll be a statement game
for both conferences. North Carolina will be the hot pick by
many to come up with a big season, but UConn can show that it
belongs in the top 25 discussion with a win. UNC can prove that
it belongs among the top 15 or so teams in the nation with a
convincing early road win.
29. Clemson
at South Carolina, Nov. 28
Is it a rivalry if one side keeps winning?
Clemson has won six of the last seven in the series, including a
Dabo Swinney-job-sealing 31-14 victory last year. In the final
six games of the year, South Carolina plays at Alabama,
Vanderbilt, at Tennessee, at Arkansas, and Florida before
dealing with the rivalry date with the Tigers … this could be an
ugly finishing kick. Steve Spurrier has a good team that needs
to have hit its stride by this point, while Clemson will be
looking to keep the momentum of the rivalry going.
28. Cincinnati at Oregon
State, Sept. 19
Oregon State has been hit or miss in big
games over the past several years with the 2007 trip to
Cincinnati one of the big misses. The Bearcats beat the Beavers
34-3, and now comes the return trip two years later. OSU should
be able to start out 2-0 against Portland State and UNLV before
dealing with the Bearcats. Cincinnati gets Fresno State at home
the week after before diving into the Big East schedule.
27. UCLA at Tennessee,
Sept. 12
Both
teams stunk it up over the 2008 season, but they played a whale
of an opener with the Bruins coming up with the 27-24 overtime
win in Rick Neuheisel’s debut. The Lane Kiffin era at Tennessee
will start up against Western Kentucky as a tune-up before UCLA
comes to town, and there will be plenty of grumbling if the new
guy can’t pass his first big test. Lose to the Pac 10ers, and
it’ll almost certainly be a 1-2 start with the trip to Florida
coming up the week after. The Bruins host Kansas State the
following week.
26. Colorado
at West Virginia, Sept. 26
Give Colorado credit for not ducking the
big game considering it already has its annual non-conference
war with Colorado State to deal with, but the program has to
start winning games like these on the road. Last year, the Buffs
beat the Mountaineers in a strange 17-14 overtime win with Cody
Hawkins throwing two touchdown passes in the first five minutes
for a 14-0 CU lead. The Colorado offense did absolutely nothing
the rest of the way, while the Mountaineers rolled up 311 yards
of rushing offense. With a trip to Texas next on tap, CU has to
win this game, while West Virginia will be coming off a date at
Auburn.
25. Maryland at
California, Sept. 5
California was flying high after beating
Michigan State and Washington State to start the season, and
then it travelled east, had an early start against the Terps,
and didn’t wake up in time losing 35-27.
The win set the tone for Maryland
after it clunked in a loss to Middle Tennessee the week before,
and this year it’ll be a big game for the program that needs to
show it can be more than just competitive on the road. Cal can’t
lose this game with four road games and a battle with USC by
October 17, while Maryland gets five home games in its next six
after going to Berkeley.
24. Nevada at Notre
Dame, Sept. 5
The last time was saw Notre Dame play a WAC team, Jimmy Clausen
was basically throwing against air as he ripped apart the
non-existent Hawaii defense in the Hawaii Bowl. The season
opener against a team that finished dead last in the nation in
pass defense might not seem like anything to sweat over, but QB
Colin Kaepernick and the high-powered Nevada offense have enough
juice to pull off the upset. With a trip to Michigan to follow,
the last thing the 2009 Charlie Weis Life Support Tour needs to
is to get run over right out of the gate.
23. Texas Tech at
Houston, Sept. 26
It’s game two against the Big 12 for
Houston, with a date at Oklahoma State a few weeks earlier, and
it should be every bit as thrilling. It’s Texas Tech, so the
non-conference schedule isn’t exactly a push with North Dakota
and Rice to start things off and New Mexico to follow, but this
game should be dangerous. The Cougars were second last year in
the nation in total offense and second in passing offense, while
Texas Tech led the nation in passing and was fourth in total
offense. This should be a whole bunch of fun … is 1,000 yards of
passing possible?
22. Arkansas vs. Texas
A&M (in Dallas), Oct. 3
The former Southwest Conference rivals
square off in an interesting non-conference, midseason matchup
that each team might need to go bowling. Bobby Petrino’s Hog
team gets one week to figure out all its issues with a layup
against Missouri State, and then it’s the SEC season with
Georgia and Alabama to deal with before the trip to Dallas to
face the Aggies. A&M might be considered by some to be the
preseason No. 6 pick in the Big 12 South, or maybe No. 5, but
it’ll likely be 3-0 going into the key date with the Razorbacks
after starting out at home against New Mexico, Utah State, and
UAB.
21. Houston at Oklahoma
State, Sept. 12
GeGet ready for the track meet. Oklahoma
State won a fun 56-37 shootout last year with the two teams
combining for 1,182 yards of total offense. The Cowboys ran for
379 yards and have an even more explosive attack this season
with all the key parts returning, while Case Keenum and the
Houston attack that finished second in the nation last year
should be just as dangerous. This will be game two for OSU after
hosting Georgia.