Sporting News 2011 top 10 non-conference football schedules

The LSU Tigers have the toughest 2011 non-conference football schedule according to Sporting News. The publication ranks Mississippi State’s schedule as the worst.

LSU’s season opener against the Oregon Ducks at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas is ranked as one of the five best non-conference games in 2011. The other four are Boise State vs. Georgia (at Atlanta, GA), Oklahoma at Florida State, Ohio State at Miami (FL) and Arkansas vs. Texas A&M (at Arlington, TX).

LSU opens the season against the Oregon Ducks at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas (09/03). The Tigers host Northwestern State the following week (09/10), travel to West Virginia (09/24) and later host Western Kentucky (11/12).

Sporting News 2011 Top 10 Non-Conference Schedules

1. LSU – vs. Oregon (at Arlington, TX), Northwestern State, at West Virginia, Western Kentucky
2. Pittsburgh – Buffalo, Maine, at Iowa, Notre Dame, Utah
3. Colorado – at Hawaii, California, Colorado State (at Denver, CO), at Ohio State
4. Miami – Ohio State, Kansas State, Bethune-Cookman, at South Florida
5. Ohio State – Akron, Toledo, at Miami (FL), Colorado
6. Florida State – ULM, Charleston Southern, Oklahoma, at Florida
7. Georgia – vs. Boise State (at Atlanta, GA), Coastal Carolina, New Mexico State, at Georgia Tech
8. UCLA – at Houston, San Jose State, Texas
9. USC – Minnesota, Syracuse, at Notre Dame
10. Clemson – Troy, Wofford, Auburn, at South Carolina

Sporting News 2011 Bottom 10 Non-Conference Schedules

1. Mississippi State – at Memphis, Louisiana Tech, at UAB, Tennessee-Martin
2. Indiana – Ball State, Virginia, South Carolina State, at North Texas
3. NC State – Liberty, South Alabama, at Cincinnati, Central Michigan
4. Texas Tech – Texas State, at New Mexico, Nevada
5. Washington State – Idaho State, UNLV, at San Diego State
6. UConn – Fordham, at Vanderbilt, Iowa State, at Buffalo, Western Michigan
7. Rutgers – North Carolina Central, at North Carolina, Ohio, Navy, at Army
8. Kentucky – Western Kentucky, Central Michigan, Louisville, Jacksonville State
9. Tennessee – Montana, Cincinnati, Buffalo, Middle Tennessee State
10. Virginia Tech – Appalachian State, at ECU, Arkansas State, at Marshall