A look at FSU's Potential 2012 Schedule (accounting for ACC schedules)

I'm starting to feel almost certain some are going to be pissed at about AT LEAST one section of the schedule. I don't know where it will be, but there will be a BRUTAL (by ACC standards) stretch at some point in the schedule.

Right now we have Sept 1, 8, 29 and Nov 24 marked off. Now let's say we get out of WVU, I have to imagine whoever replaces them goes to the same spot since for a while now that ACC must have been making the schedule with that in mind.

Someone mentioned that the NC State Fair is from October 11-21. To me, that means we are likely getting NC State on October 18th. And since the ACC has lately more likely than not given the weekend prior to the Thursday night games as a Bye, I'll assume we are off on October 13 for the purposes of this thought exercise. I have looked at all the other ACC teams Non-Conference schedules and done my best to guess at where each non-conf opponent who isn't already locked into a date might land based on the quality of said opponent. So this isn't perfect or even science, but you'll see my fear when the time comes.

Sept. 1 - Murray State (Locked in)

Sept. 8 - West Virginia (or St. Mary's School for the Blind, either way, locked in)

Sept 15 - Wake Forest
ACC unlikely to open us up with Clemson again and they have an OOC game that's unscheduled against a Patsy currently, so Sept. 15 seems the perfect time for it. BC already has a game then, as does Maryland, NC State (and I've already earmarked them for October) and VT (throw Duke in with the same rationale as Clemson in that they have a patsy to play) same early season rationale applies to Miami.

Sept 22 - @Maryland
VT already locked in to a game (so is Wake, but I used them already). Clemson is available but I expect them to be in November as they have been the last two times we have played them at home. Miami is available here, but this kind of game, when not used to open the season should be saved. However, a compelling argument can be made to play it here, as we might not be able to get them into October otherwise.

Sept 29 - @ USF (locked in)

October 6 - @ Virginia Tech
I originally had BC here, as both are open, but if we don't face VT by now, then we are faced with a stretch of Miami, VT, Clemson back-to-back-back at some point, and that needs to be avoided. Which of course means that it will end up being our schedule. Clemson not here becuause saving them for November as I expect the ACC to do. Saving Duke for before Florida (which is in NO way a given knowing the ACC).

October 13 - BYE
Expect this to be the BYE week and to get NC State following Thursday

October 18 THURSDAY - @ NC State
Reasons stated above

October 20 - Off because we have a game on the 18th

October 27 - @ Miami
I originally had VT here, but when I realized the stretch we'd go on, it seemed excessive. This might not happen this way (and keep in mind Miami and Clemson would be interchangeable to me here, except Clemson has recently been in November and Miami has historically been in October), but this is my best hope/guess at what we'll get.

November 3 - Boston College
We haven't gotten them in November in Tallahassee as long as they have been in the ACC. Maybe this time around. Who knows. They are available here (but not November 10th) and would serve as a nice buffer before Clemson.

November 10 - Clemson
ACC's Premier game. Should be expected to decide the division (if the division isn't already decided by this point). Clemson has a non-conference schedule very similar to ours. Locked in on Sept 1, 8 and November 24 (I also expect their third non-conference game to land on September 15 because of the quality of the opponent).

November 17 - Duke
Honestly, there is every reason to expect the ACC to put Duke right after a bye week in mid September. But this would certainly be a nice reward for the program you expect to be your flag bearer. Duke's non-conference schedule only has two games locked in so they have plenty of room to move, but I expect them to spend most of September beating cupcakes and losing to Stanford before moving into Coastal play. Hopefully our Septembers conflicting and the Charlie Foxtrot of an October schedule we're dealing with because of NCState and the likely Thursday night game, this game could easily fall to this part of the schedule.

Nov. 24 - UF
Three in a row!

December 1 - Virginia Tech (again)

January 8 - Juggernaut SEC Team