MORGANTOWN -
For years, West Virginia University supporters have been
looking for a more competitive league schedule. Rarely did the rest of the Big
East step up to deliver one. There was the occasional game against an SEC
opponent that increased the strength of competition, but not the big knockout
Big East game that there once was when WVU visited Louisville with both teams
ranked in the top five.
It is obvious that there is a more challenging schedule
awaiting WVU this fall. But just how much more challenging is it? Let's go to
the numbers for some comparisons.
2011 SCHEDULE
| OPPONENT |
RESULT |
2011 RECORD |
| vs. Marshall |
W 34-13 |
(7-6) |
| vs. Norfolk State |
W 55-12 |
(9-3) |
| at Maryland |
W 37-31 |
(2-10) |
| vs. (2) LSU |
L 47-21 |
(13-1) |
| vs. Bowling Green |
W 55-10 |
(5-7) |
| vs. UCONN |
W 43-16 |
(5-7) |
| at Syracuse |
L 49-23 |
(5-7) |
| at Rutgers |
W 41-31 |
(9-4) |
| Louisville |
L 38-35 |
(7-6) |
| at Cincinnati |
W 24-21 |
(10-3) |
| Pitt |
W 21-20 |
(6-7) |
| at USF |
W 30-27 |
(5-7) |
| vs. Clemson |
W 70-33 |
(10-4) |
2012 SCHEDULE
| OPPONENT |
2011 RECORD |
| vs. Marshall |
(5-7) |
| vs. James Madison |
(8-5) |
| vs. Maryland |
(2-10) |
| vs. Baylor |
(10-3) |
| at Texas |
(8-5) |
| at Texas Tech |
(5-7) |
| vs. Kansas State |
(10-3) |
| vs. TCU |
(11-2) |
| at Oklahoma St. |
(12-1) |
| vs. Oklahoma |
(10-3) |
| at Iowa State |
(6-7) |
| vs. Kansas |
(2-10) |
Since we can't project how many wins a team will have in
2012, we have to take its 2011 record and compare. Texas and Kansas are
expected to improve this season. Few of those Big 12 teams are expected to do
worse in 2012 than they did in 2011. Baylor has one big unknown in seeing how
it replaces Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III.
Big East opponents finished the 2011 season with a winning
percentage of 54 percent compared to a winning percentage of 64.4 percent by
Big 12 teams.
WVU played two ranked opponents in 2011 and that was No. 2
LSU in September and No. 14 Clemson in the Orange Bowl. The Mountaineers lost
to LSU, but hammered Clemson 70-33 in the Orange Bowl. But, you already knew
that.
Six of the new Big 12 teams finished the season in the top
25 and all six of them were ranked No. 17 or higher.
The Big 12 is also the only conference in the country that
can claim it has three 2011 conference champions among its membership.
Travel will definitely be a little different in 2012. Here
are the distances to road games in 2011 versus 2012.
2011 TRAVEL
| OPPONENT |
DISTANCE |
| at Maryland |
207 miles |
| at Syracuse |
429 miles |
| at Rutgers |
354 miles |
| at Cincinnati |
305 miles |
| at USF |
818 miles |
2012 TRAVEL
| OPPONENT |
DISTANCE |
| James Madison (Landover, MD) |
215 miles |
| at Texas |
1,399 miles |
| at Texas Tech |
1,465 miles |
| at Oklahoma State |
1,084 miles |
| at Iowa State |
871 miles |
WVU will travel more than twice as many miles and almost
three times as many miles per road game as it did in 2011. Does that matter? It
probably matters more to the fans who will need to fly to four of the five
games on the road in 2012.
Perhaps the biggest question facing the Mountaineers
pertains to the National Championship. WVU will likely start the season around
the top ten. Would the Big East have afforded a tough enough schedule to give
the Mountaineers a shot at being No. 1 or No. 2 in the final BCS rankings prior
to the BCS announcements? In the past those questions would have most
definitely come up. Don't expect to hear anyone questions the strength of the Mountaineers
schedule in 2012.
One more comparison between the two leagues. The Big 12 is
viewed as stable behind a new, strong Commissioner in Bob Bowlsby. The Big East
is viewed as teetering on collapse with an interim Commissioner after former
Big East Commissioner John Marinatto's resignation last week.
WVU wanted to step into a tougher, more legitimate
conference in terms of football. It has and now it is time to show it belongs.
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