Huskies are going prime time

 February 10, 2010

In Randy Edsall's perfect little football world, all games would be played on Saturday and start at noon.
That's never the case, although UConn had the rare chance to play all 12 regular-season games on Saturdays in 2009.
Still, even the Head Husky had to be pleased when the Big East released its 2010 schedule earlier Wednesday because the Huskies are going prime time ... and that's the kind of national exposure that will continue to help UConn grow as a BCS program.
With 17 starters returning from an 8-5 team that ended the season with four straight wins — including a major upset of South Carolina in the Papajohns.com Bowl — UConn will appear on national TV a minimum of four times.
Equally important, the Huskies will have the national stage to themselves three times (along with their opponent, of course) as part of ESPN's College Football Primetime Series — Friday, Oct. 9 at Rutgers (7:30 p.m., ESPN); Friday, Oct. 23 at home against West Virginia (8 p.m., ESPN2) and Thursday, Nov. 11 at home against Pittsburgh (7:30 p.m., ESPN).
They are also guaranteed a spot on national television in the regular-season finale on Championship Saturday (Dec. 4) at South Florida (either ABC, ESPN or ESPN2), and don't be surprised if ESPN picks up the Sept. 4 season opener at Michigan and the Nov. 27 home game against defending Big East champion Cincinnati.
UConn fans should be excited because this schedule sets up perfectly for a legitimate run at the Big East title and the Huskies' first BCS bowl bid.
They will play all five of their non-conference games the first five weeks and play the Big East's three elite programs — West Virginia, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati — at home.
Michigan and Vanderbilt (Oct. 2 at home) provide quality BCS non-conference opponents and Temple (Sept. 18 in Philadelphia) is coming off a bowl appearance, but the non-conference schedule isn't nearly as difficult as a year ago when the Huskies played three BCS schools: North Carolina, at Baylor and at Notre Dame.
Following is UConn's 2010 schedule:
Sept. 4, at Michigan, TBA; 11, Texas Southern, TBA; 18, at Temple, TBA; 25, Buffalo, TBA.
Oct. 2, Vanderbilt, TBA; 8, at Rutgers, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN); 23, at Louisville, TBA; 29, West Virginia, 8 p.m. (ESPN2).
Nov. 11, Pittsburgh, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN); 20, at Syracuse, TBA; 27, Cincinnati, TBA.
Dec. 4, at South Florida, TBA (ABC, ESPN or ESPN2).

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