We've known for a while Wake Forest was on our 2011 schedule, we just didn't know when we'd see them.
Well now we know...they're first up on the Syracuse Football 2011 Road To The Big East Title.
Wake Forest will open the 2011 campaign at Syracuse on Sept. 3. Syracuse went 8-5 last year and defeated Kansas State in the inaugural Pinstripe Bowl played at Yankee Stadium. Wake won the first meeting between the two teams 20-10 to open the 2006 season.
Syracuse hasn't officially announced its schedule yet but assuming this holds, that means the Orange will open at home, always a good thing. Nolan Weidner says that while the game might indeed by that week, it might not necessarily be on that Saturday.
One source familiar with the scheduling said the opener against Wake won't necessarily be on Saturday, Sept. 3. Since that is Labor Day weekend, the game could possibly be moved to a Friday or Thursday night.
The Deacons are hardly the opponent they were last time we played in 2006. That year was arguably the best season in the history of Wake Forest football, culminating in an ACC title and Orange Bowl berth. Now the Deacs are coming off back-to-back losing seasons, including a 3-9 finish last year. Vengeance shall be ours.
So now we know about Wake (9/3), USC (9/17), Toledo (9/24) and Tulane (10/8). One would assume the Rhode Island game will slot in at 9/10 or 10/1, depending on when the Orange want to work in a bye week. From there we'll just need to know the Big East schedule.