Taking a Stab at TCU's Big East Schedule in 2012

by Mengus22 on Jun 3, 2011 11:04 AM EDT in Big East Football

TCU will play its first season of football as a member of the Big East in 2012. There have been some questions about just what TCU's schedule can expect to be with the conference still considering expansion to ten or possibly twelve football members. Even with that question still unanswered, the Horned Frogs' Big East schedule for the 2012 season should be easy to derive from the way the current unbalanced conference schedule plays out now.

Because the Big East only has eight teams, each team plays seven conference games and alternates having three conference home games and four road games, and vice versa. That being the case, it makes sense that rather than potentially forcing some schools to play consecutive road games against another opponent, the Big East will simply add TCU to the road schedule of those teams that normally would have just played three conference road games in 2012.

For the upcoming 2011 season, the breakdown is:

Four road games: Cincinnati, Louisville, South Florida, West Virginia
Three road games: UConn, Pitt, Rutgers, Syracuse

With that breakdown of home/away games, TCU can expect its Big East schedule in 2012 to be:

Home - Cincinnati, Louisville, South Florida, West Virginia
Away - UConn, Pitt, Rutgers, Syracuse

The Horned Frogs are facing a fairly substantial rebuilding job in 2011 with just six starters returning from last season's 13-0 Rose Bowl team. Still, Gary Patterson has recruited well and has plenty of talent to plug into the holes. TCU will get to play through its inexperienced year in the new (weaker) Mountain West Conference and then face the Big East in 2012 with what should again be a senior laden team with a full 2011 season under its belt. The Horned Frogs should be one of the clear favorites in 2012, given that they will likely face the league's best four teams at home.

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I think that the game against WVU

will be in Morgantown. If the BE has to shift around some games to accomplish it, so be it. I can’t imagine they will turn down the chance to have WVU/TCU in Morgantown.

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by TheMattROb on Jun 3, 2011 1:27 PM EDT reply actions

Honestly

I think they’d probably be more likely to let TCU have the four games I listed be at home to show off a sold out and expanded Amon Carter to the nation. Plus, ESPN or ABC will almost certainly pick up all four of those games, too.

by Mengus22 on Jun 3, 2011 2:51 PM EDT up reply actions

why would the big east bend over backwards for that to be a home game for tcu vs wets virginia?

something tells me that will be the last game for both teams for that regular season and i think your league would want the cold weather of west virginia to bother tcu

Anderson Silva would never fight "Bones". He is too scared to fight the real P4P champion. Nick Diaz, the man who will prove to the MMA world that he is the best WW in the world. Still public enemy #1 and enjoying every minute of it.

by wolfmanshowlforever on Jun 4, 2011 6:47 AM EDT up reply actions

West Virginia.

by wolfmanshowlforever on Jun 4, 2011 6:47 AM EDT up reply actions

If they shift things around

It won’t be to put WVU/TCU in Morgantown (at least not directly). It would be because if you dropped TCU into the current pattern as the 4th home or road game as approriate (as per above), TCU will be playing the four schools farthest from Ft. Worth on the road.

by drothgery on Jun 4, 2011 9:51 AM EDT up reply actions

I don’t want to appear cocky headed into the league, but I really think that if Paschall develops as he’s expected to, 2012 could be the best team for the frogs since Sam Baugh wore purple. The defense will be man-eaters, the RBs will be stacked and the good recruiting classes we’ve been bringing in of late will be juniors and seniors.

With this post in mind, the schedule also sets up quite nicely, the marquee season opening game against 0U, as well as Virginia, West Virginia and USF at the newly expanded Amon Carter… I really think 2012 is the best chance TCU will have at actually being a favorite for a title game shot.

by HawkeyedFrog on Jun 3, 2011 1:59 PM EDT reply actions

I agree that TCU will be a very dangerous team in 2012 but if the west virginia game is in morgantown......

it will probably be a very cold day at the very least and the last time tcu played in a cold weather game was their game vs air force. the won by only 3 points.

by wolfmanshowlforever on Jun 4, 2011 6:42 AM EDT up reply actions

I’d blame the miserable rain for that a lot more than the cold, really.

by HawkeyedFrog on Jun 4, 2011 10:41 AM EDT up reply actions

I saw the game. it was really cold. it was more like sleet and an icy field. i give props for beating a decent air force team.....

but you might encounter those wheather conditions maybe twice in a season in the big east.

by wolfmanshowlforever on Jun 4, 2011 11:56 AM EDT up reply actions

Would love it if TCU were to play the Cards at PJCS.

I don’t think that it is far-fetched to think that U of L could challenge for the Big East crown, not saying that they will get it, and a home game against TCU would be an awesome atmosphere.

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by HorsePig55 on Jun 4, 2011 3:56 PM EDT reply actions

We’ve missed you guys since you left CUSA, looking forward to hating you again.

by HawkeyedFrog on Jun 5, 2011 7:36 AM EDT up reply actions

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