TicketsUC Has 12th Toughest Grid Schedule
Contact: Brian Teter
6/7/2005
CINCINNATI, Ohio -- The University of Cincinnati will play the 12th most difficult football schedule in 2005, according to rankings compiled by Dennis Dodd at CBS SportsLine.com. Moreover, the BIG EAST Conference has the toughest strength of schedule rating.
The conference ratings were achieved by compiling the overall winning percentage of the conferences, based on their 2005 memberships, with points added for 2004 bowl teams and games against opponents that won 10 or more games last season.
The BIG EAST has the No. 1-rated strength of schedule overall largely because six of its eight members went to bowl games last season, according to Dodd. The league got a big boost in strength of schedule with the addition of Cincinnati and Louisville, a pair of bowl teams, for 2005.
North Carolina and Georgia Tech tied for No. 1 in strength of schedule ratings. Seven BIG EAST football members ranked among the Top 12 as West Virginia and Rutgers tied for No. 3, Syracuse was No. 7, South Florida No. 8, Connecticut and Pittsburgh tied for No. 10 and UC was No. 12. Louisville, at No. 28, rounds out the BIG EAST rankings.