On the surface, next season’s football schedule may not be as ambitious as some would have hoped.
But it might be exactly what the program needs.
Ever since the 10-4 season in 2009 — when UH was ranked as high as No. 12 — standards have been raised.
In the past two years, UH played an SEC opponent twice, one Pac-10 team and three games against two Big 12 schools.
UCLA will be the only team from a BCS conference that the Cougars face next season. Other non-league opponents include North Texas from the Sun Belt Conference, Georgia State from the Colonial Athletic Association and Louisiana Tech of the Western Athletic Conference.
UH will hit the ground running starting off against UCLA. The Bruins will be no cakewalk. With UCLA, UH is starting with a challenge that sets the tone for the remainder of the season.
The Cougars usually open the season against a team they are favored to beat. In 2009, UH kicked off against Northwestern State and won 55-7. In 2010, it was Texas State, with a similar 68-28 result.
North Texas and Georgia State look like easy marks, and Louisiana Tech had an identical record to the Cougars last season.
Much is made on the strength of the schedule, especially when playing in a non-automatic-qualifying conference like Conference USA. In 2009, when the Cougars beat the then No. 5-ranked Oklahoma State and followed it with a win over Texas Tech, whispers of an exciting yet dangerous acronym creeped up — BCS.
Based off beating teams from powerhouse conferences, UH was considered a dark horse for a spot in a BCS bowl game — that is, if it maintained its undefeated record.
In 2010, players said how they felt they could win every game on the schedule, and BCS buzz returned.
Of course all teams want to go undefeated, but a berth and win in the C-USA championship is what head coach Kevin Sumlin and the Cougars are so desperately after.
In order for UH to become a national championship-caliber program, it needs to not only win Conference USA next season, but dominate it for years to come. Wins in bowl games are a must, even if it is the Hawaii or Armed Forces Bowl.
While the 2011 schedule lacks the glitzy matchups from the past two years, it gives the Cougars a fighting chance to be successful and get their hands on that much sought-after C-USA championship trophy.
Things will not get any easier when the conference portion of the Cougars’ schedule begins.
C-USA is not a juggernaut football conference but more respect is due. In 2010, the Cougars were in the thick of a race for the West division title along with SMU and Tulsa for the majority of the season.
In the East, Central Florida, East Carolina and Southern Miss duked it out until the final week of the regular season before the division winner was decided.
UH opens C-USA play when they visit UTEP. The all-time series is tied 4-4, after the Cougars’ 54-24 win last season. Key veteran players for the Miners have run out of eligibility, but UH should still be on spoiler alert.
That matchup is followed by a date with ECU, and the Pirates own a 6-4 all-time advantage over UH.
The final two games are against SMU and Tulsa. Head coach Todd Graham left the Hurricane for Pittsburgh, which could temporarily help UH. But a finale at Chapman Stadium, with potential C-USA championship implications, will be no easy task.
The conference slate alone paired with the usual grind of the season will be plenty of an obstacle. More patience is needed from UH fans. A national championship won’t come overnight.
Given the twisted format of the BCS, if UH were to run the table anytime soon, the best-case scenario is an at-large invitation to a BCS bowl.
UH is capable of having a head-turning season in 2011, but the goal should be conquering C-USA before becoming a contender for the national championship.
