Big East Football Preview, Week 12

Do we have a new favorite? Two-straight wins over ranked opponents has put Cincinnati in a position to control their own destiny. Meanwhile, other teams will look to get back on the horse. The wildcard out there continues to be Rutgers, as they continue to forge towards a bowl game. That would be quite a story, considering their poor start to the season. The picks…

Last Week: 2-1

Overall: 39-16

Bye: West Virginia, Pitt

UConn at Syracuse: The Orange better be ready to slow that run game down. The Huskies will certainly try to pound the rush and win the time of possession. Donald Brown continues to have an outstanding season. Brown already has over 1,400 yards rushing and 15 TD’s. Expect him to pad some of those stats this weekend. UConn should be able to throw the ball as well, against a pretty weak Syracuse secondary. The Orange have been playing better, and actually had a 14-0 lead last week against Rutgers, before the doors fell off. They will try to own the ground as well with Curtis Brinkley. Brinkley should go over 1,000 yards rushing this week. This is a big game for UConn, as they try to stay in the running for the Big East championship. Expect it to be close early, but too much Brown for the Orange to handle.

Prediction: 31-17 UConn

Rutgers at South Florida: This is an intriguing game, with two teams going in opposite directions. South Florida had a week off to try to right the ship. Already having three losses in the conference, USF needs to play with a little pride to turn it around. Following an atrocious start, Rutgers has won three straight games, and have a winning record in the Big East. Mike Teel also has 9 TD passes in the last two contests. South Florida’s defense needs to play stronger. They have too much talent to continue to struggle. They also need more consistency out of Matt Grothe. With all of this inconsistency, maybe it’s time to stop calling Jim Levitt a genius coach. The Knights will come out and use the ground to setup the red-hot Teel. However, the gunslinger is still prone to throw some picks, so this may turn into a turnover battle. This game is undoubtedly important for both teams, but South Florida needs to gain a bit of respect back. Expect them to come out firing, and try to command the first quarter. If they do, and win the turnover battle, it should be a smooth night for the Bulls.

Prediction: 34-24 USF

Game of the Week. Cincinnati at Louisville: Two straight wins over ranked opponents have put Cincy in the top-25 for the first time this season. They also have a great chance to win the conference. Could the Friday night tilt at Louisville be a trap game? Possibly. The Bearcats can ill afford to be complacent. They need to have the same defensive intensity that they had last weekend in Morgantown. Louisville is in shambles, but those can always be scary games. If the Bearcats flex their muscles early, they should be able to take control. The Cardinals need a good start out of Hunter Cantwell, who has been a disappointment. The ground game is fine, but turnovers and ineffective passing by Cantwell has crushed the team. The Cardinals have owned Cincy lately, including the last two years. Playing in front of a wild, Friday night home crowd will also help…just not enough. Expect the Bearcats to win a close, physical game by winning the turnover battle, controlling the special teams, and limiting Louisville’s chances.

Prediction: 24-21 Cincinnati

Big East Preview, Week 8

We are midway through the season, which means teams are running out of time for a crucial win or two. Some teams are still looking to get in gear, while Pitt will try to maintain the “class of the conference” moniker. Are we truly sold on the Panthers? A convincing win at Navy would help. Here are the picks.

Last Week: 3-0

Overall: 32-8

Bye: West Virginia, Cincinnati

Middle Tennessee State at Louisville: The Cardinals are coming off a nice victory on the road at Memphis. The defense allowed some big plays, but also had a few crucial stands. Victor Anderson continues to be the offense, with over 500 yards on the ground. Hunter Cantwell needs to wake up, if the Cards are going to have a shot at a decent bowl game. State has had an interesting year, which includes wins over Maryland and Florida Atlantic. The Raiders however haven’t been very consistent, and are turnover prone. The Cardinals have yet to put a solid string of games together, but still should be able to handle a mediocre opponent. These are the type of games that Steve Kragthorpe needs to own. It has been a shaky tenure so far, the more convincing wins the better to keep those donors off your back.

Prediction: 35-14 Louisville

Syracuse at South Florida: George Selvie says he will be back, which doesn’t exactly bode well for the struggling Orange. The ‘Cuse nearly stole one against an anemic WVU, but couldn’t capitalize when it mattered. Curtis Brinkley ran the ball well, but will have a tougher time against a Selvie-led defense. South Florida will try to come out early and exploit the ‘Cuse secondary. Matt Grothe could have the game of his life…if he wanted to. The Orange defense ranks 105th in the nation…garbage. The Bulls may also try to get Mike Ford rolling on the ground. Ford has yet to have a breakout game. It should be over early, as South Florida dominates every aspect of the game…well, maybe not kicking.

Prediction: 41-7 USF

Pitt at Navy: Dare we say trap game? Tag…you’re it Wanny. It’s your turn to try to slow down the dynamic Navy option. The Panthers have had a bye week to prepare for it, but that may not be enough. The Midshipmen have about eight billion plays they can run out of it to always keep a team off-balance. The Panthers defense needs to be disciplined and stay in their lanes. As good as the Navy offense has been, the defense has been equally as bad. Ranked 85th, the Middies will struggle trying to contain LeSean McCoy, and the Pittsburgh rushing attack. McCoy has been all class since the Iowa game. Pitt critics would still like to see more consistency from Bill Stull, which may be seen against a weak Navy secondary. The Middies have already beaten one ranked team this year, and won’t be timid to face the Panthers. They just don’t have the defense to hang.

Prediction: 31-21 Pitt

Game of the Week. UConn at Rutgers: This is an intriguing game, between two teams that disparately need a win for two different reasons. The Huskies need a win to get back on track, and Rutgers just needs a win over 1-AA team at some point. The Knights have fallen off the map. This is the Rutgers’ teams of old…a wretched offense, with a shaky defense. Greg Schiano must be hoping that Joe Pa leaves soon, and he can get that Penn State job, before his stock falls. The Huskies ned to get something out of Zach Frasor, who was a disaster against UNC, throwing three picks. Donald Brown, who has already rushed for over 1,000 yards, may find some tough going against eight guys in the box. The Knights will attempt to force UConn to throw the ball. If they can, the Huskies may have some trouble. Rutgers’ Mike Teel has taken a lot of heat this season, and may get the clipboard if he doesn’t come out strong. Too much Brown, with Frasor doing just enough to get the victory for the Huskies.

Prediction: 29-21 UConn