Big East Blitz

Syracuse: Well, they got the man they wanted…maybe. Doug Marrone is the new Head Coach. But some are not too happy about the hire.

South Florida: The St. Pete Bowl is a few days away, and the talk isn’t about the offense or defense…it’s about those damn catwalks at the Trop! Will a punt hit one?

Rutgers: The football team turned their season around, but the athletic program is still a mess. The cash-strapped department has approved scaled-down improvements to the stadium.

UConn: Great news for the Huskies and the Big East, as star RB Donald Brown has opted to stay in school. Brown was the Offensive Player of the Year in the Big East this season.

West Virginia: Interesting article about how WVU and their Bowl foe UNC share a common bond of slander directed from Hollywood. Gotta love the movies!

Pitt: The “Self-Made All-American”…that’s what they’re calling Scott McKillop. He was selected to the FWAA’s Annual All-American Team. A great story, for a very hard-working individual.

Louisville: It was a big weekend recruiting for the Cards. Three committed Sunday, including Juco QB Adam Froman. He threw for 40 TD’s last season.

Cincinnati: The ‘Cats should consider themselves lucky that Brian Kelly is still the coach. Another accolade for Kelly yesterday, as he was named the Sporting News Big East Coach of the Year.

Big East Blitz

Cincinnati: The bandwagon is back baby. Gotta love being a winner.

Louisville: The coaching situation conversation was inevitable, but Steve Kragthorpe says he isn’t going anywhere.

Syracuse: Skip Holtz will meet with Syracuse, but says reports of an agreement already in place are inaccurate. The Orange plan on interviewing a few more name before a decision.

West Virginia: A disappointing season to say the least, but the defense continues to gain respect. The stingy D finished the season number one in red zone defense. Now only if the offense knew what to do in the red zone.

Rutgers: Well, there is no doubt Greg Schiano has changed his tune about the Knights. The coach put his five-loss team number 25th in the final Coach’s Poll of the season. Who could blame him? Rutgers finished the season on a six-game winning streak, tearing apart the competition.

UConn: The Huskies will go north of the border to take on emerging Buffalo. The biggest storyline forming in this game will be if Buffalo’s Turner Gill will be the next coach of Syracuse.

Pitt: Hey, this Dave Wannstedt guy may actually be able to coach. He did get his Panthers to a New Year’s Eve game.

South Florida: A disappointing season? Oh well. USF has already sold over 4,000 tickets for their bowl game. It does help that the game is basically a home game.

Big East Preview, Week 15

After a very long and wide open season, the Big East has a champion. Congratulations to the Cincinnati Bearcats on representing the conference in the BCS. However, the drama is not gone yet. There are plenty of bowl bids to be had, and this is the final week for teams to make a statement. For the final time in the regular season, here are the picks…

Last Week: 1-1

Overall: 44-21

Cincinnati at Hawaii: The Bearcats are off to the BCS, and a trip to the Islands will seem like a good reward for that. Brian Kelly says his team will not overlook this game though. Hawaii has won three straight games, but did have some struggles against Washington State last week. The Bearcats should own both lines, especially on the defensive front. Hawaii is allowing more than three sacks per-game. The Bearcats should be able to own the special teams game as well. This has been one of their major advantages all year. Hawaii will hang for a while, but the ‘Cats should be too much.

Prediction: 31-17 Cincinnati

South Florida at West Virginia: Pat White’s final home game as a Mountaineer will be the highlight in this one. Neither team has played to potential, with the loser heading into the bowls with five losses. South Florida has had great success in stopping the WVU run over the last two years, so expect White to go to the air. The Bulls will look to keep the offense in balance…with Grothe attacking the young(though improving) Mountaineer secondary. When first scheduled, many thought this game would be for the conference title, now it’s a bit of an afterthought. The players won’t feel that way though, so expect an exciting, cold atmosphere in Morgantown, with a very heroic night from Pat White.

Prediction: 35-31 WVU

Pitt at UConn: The Panthers are looking for a nine win season. This is quite an accomplishment, considering the season began with a loss at home to Bowling Green. Dave Wannstedt has finally had the season he has been dreaming of, and credit his stingy defense. They 23rd against the rush, with the secondary rapidly improving. This doesn’t bode well for UConn, who relies on running the ball with Donald Brown. This game will be Brown’s final chance to convince the media that he should be the Big East Offensive Player of the Year, so he will leave it all out there. The Husky defense have had a nice year, but don’t expect them to contain LeSean McCoy. UConn will have to rely on Pitt mistakes to take this one. That just won’t happen.

Prediction: 24-20 Pitt

Game of the Week. Louisville at Rutgers: Nothing like a Thursday night in Jersey. This is a game of two teams heading in opposite directions. The Cards have lost four straight, while Rutgers is looking for six straight W’s. If the Knights win, they will be a lock for a bowl at 7-5…which is pretty remarkable considering they began the season 1-5. It has been the Mike Teel show for Rutgers. He has thrown for 13 touchdowns over the last four game. Expect a few more this week when the Knight’s offensive line completely dominates play. The Cards will have to rely on Victor Anderson. The young rusher is averaging nearly 100 yards a game…and has been more reliable than QB Hunter Cantwell. They should have some success moving the ball, but Rutgers is very good in keeping teams out of the endzone. Too much is going right for the Knights, and with a rowdy Thursday night crowd expect Louisville to slowly fade away.

Prediction: 40-23 Rutgers

Big East Blitz

West Virginia: Nobody likes a blackout…but what about a White-out? Hey, it works for Penn State.

Louisville: Steve Kragthorpe continues to look for quick-fixes for the Cards. Juco-DB, Preston Pace has committed.

Syracuse: The coaching search begins. Oregon Offensive Coordinator, Chip Kelly could be a serious contender.

Pitt: There has been a Panther resurgence this season, as Pitt will be heading to a 2nd tier bowl game. The offense gets all the talk, but the emerging defense should be getting the spoils.

South Florida: It has been a very disappointing year in Tampa, but a win in Morgantown could lift some heads. The Bulls have had the blueprint to beat the Mountaineers as of late.

Rutgers: They have one five straight games…and have also covered five straight games. One of the hottest teams on the strip!

UConn: The Huskies have a big game with Pitt to close out the regular season. They will do it without Andre Dixon, who was suspended for violating team rules. They should be okay with Donald Brown.

Cincinnati: They may have already booked a trip to the BCS, but Brian Kelly won’t let them fold. One more game in Hawaii this weekend.

Big East Blitz

Rutgers: The Knights do have six wins, and now are bowl eligible. However, Greg Schiano doesn’t want to hear about it. Schiano told the teleconference listeners “I’m not overly concerned about that right now.” Rutgers still has Louisville to play.

UConn: With the loss last night to South Florida, UConn has no chance of winning the conference. A good season no question though. The Hartford Courant points out a certain fumble that really turn the tides last night.

Syracuse: They fire Greg Robinson, then beat Notre Dame. Was this a program-changing week for the Orange?

Cincinnati: One win and they are in. After beating Pitt, the Bearcats have only Syracuse in their way of a BCS bid. The alumns are all coming out now. It helps to have a winner.

Pittsburgh: It’s Backyard Brawl week, so all the talk is WVU-Pitt. Dave Wannstedt is certainly never going to overlook this game. He had good praise for his rival during the teleconference. “I think West Virginia is playing the best football that they have all year. It should be a heck of a game,” Wanny remarked.

West Virginia: Meanwhile, Bill Stewart says his crew…even Pat White…is relatively healthy. He was also asked if the offense has gone back to more of a QB zone-read. Stewart said “If we have become more Pat White oriented, I guess that’s what we have done…but I don’t know that.”

South Florida: A big sigh of relief for South Florida, as they finally got back to the winning side of things this past weekend. They may not have been great, but they were good enough against UConn.

Louisville: It was an ugly loss to West Virginia, but Frosh Victor Anderson did become the 13th Cardinal to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season. The Cards look for a .500 record in 10 days against the red-hot Knights.

Big East Power Rankings…Week 13

Cincinnati (8-2, 4-1): They continue to win close games, a huge confidence booster at the college level. Next Step..A game possibly for the conference against Pitt.

Pitt (7-2, 3-1): A trip to a bowl game is in the future, but will it be in South Beach? Next Step…Finding a way to win at the ‘Nati to keep the BCS hopes alive.

West Virginia (6-3, 3-1): Will the offense show up in the first half? Or will it be another long day for the Mounties? Next Step…A must-win at Louisville to stay in BCS contention.

Rutgers (5-5, 4-2): The hottest team in the conference is one win away from bowl eligibility. Next Step…Hosting the Black Knights of Army.

UConn (7-3, 3-2): They have their QB back, and are looking to roll the rest of the schedule. Next Step…A huge road test at South Florida.

South Florida (6-4, 1-4): Losers of four out of their last five games. There is no end in-sight for the collapse. Next Step…Trying to find some heart against UConn.

Louisville (5-5, 1-4): Haven’t been the same since losing to Syracuse three weeks ago. Next Step…Trying to avoid a complete meltdown against West Virginia.

Syracuse (2-8, 1-5): Greg Robinson has been fired, but will finish out the season. Will his players rally around him, or just tank it? Next Step…Looking for a bit of luck against Notre Dame.

Big East Blitz

West Virginia: Hey, at least someone is impressed with WVU this year. I’m not sure why….though the defense has been superb.

Syracuse: Ah yes, the lame duck coach. Has to be an awkward situation…right?

South Florida: Is there another team in college football that has fallen faster than the Bulls? Tom Edrington, of the Examiner is skeptical.

Rutgers: One of the hottest teams in college football also has one of the hottest QB’s. Mike Teel says it took a talk with the Head Coach changed his season.

UConn: The rest of the Huskies’ season will be overshadowed by Randy Edsell-to-Syracuse talk. John Silver, of the Journal-Inquirer wirtes that Edsell is trying to stay mum.

Cincinnati: If the Bearacts beat Pitt this weekend, the conference is essentially their’s. Brian Kelly has become somewhat of a hero in the town. The question now is will Kelly be back?

Louisville: The dreaded vote of confidence? That is what it sounds like for Steve Kragthorpe, as the Cards continue to fall.

Pitt: Is Bill Stull good enough to be a bigtime QB in the ‘Burgh? Paul Zeise says why not?

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 Blitz

Rutgers: Greg Schiano is still not impressed with his squad, even after winning a third-straight game. On a side note, the stadium expansion is still on schedule…good thing they are winning.

Syracuse: Greg Robinson IS still the coach…and expect some changes this weekend for the Orange. Can someone say two quarterbacks?

Cincinnati: Congrats to Mardy Gilyard. He took down Special Teams Player of the Week Honors for the conference. Gilyard gave the Bearcats a 6-0 lead 5 seconds into the game, with a 100-yard kick return against WVU. Also, the ‘Cats picked up Juco receiver Jamar Howard.

Pittsburgh: The offense has getting getting all the attention, but the PPG throws some love to the defensive front…specifically d-tackles Rashaad Duncan and Mick Williams.

Louisville: The good news: The Cards’ game against WVU next week ahas been picked up by ESPN. The bad news: They are in danger of losing out (Cincy, WVU, and Rutgers still to play.)

West Virginia: Mike Casazza of the Charleston Daily Mail writes about the on-going problems of WVU’s special teams…and a way to possibly fix it. Bill Stewart is not on the same page.

UConn: They may not be vying for the conference anymore, but Donald Brown is a semifinalist for the Maxwell award. The award goes to the nation’s top player. Brown amassed over 1,400 yards and has 15 TD’s.

South Florida: The Bulls will be concentrating on the pass game this week, as they prepare for Rutgers.

Big East Preview, Week11

Another big weekend of games, as the top teams in the Big East continue to distance themselves. This week is highlighted by two top teams facing off, as well as The Knights continuing their quest to salvage their season. Pat White and LeSean McCoy will also be showing off their skills yet again, for a shot at Offensive Player of the Year. Here are the picks.

Last Week: 1-3

Overall: 37-15

Bye Week: UConn, South Florida

Syracuse at Rutgers: A strange thing happened last Saturday night…the Orange beat an FBS team! And once again it was Louisville. Can Syracuse carry the momentum down to New Jersey? Possibly, but it’s going to take a huge effort to do so. Rutgers has been a hot team, and will be coming in off a bye week. Mike Teel had six touchdown passes against Pitt, and should be able to find the endzone again this week. Syracuse has to find a ground game, and has had success over the last few weeks with Curtis Brinkley. It will be a struggle though considering Rutgers has been slowing Big East runnigbacks all year long. The Knights need every game they can get just to become bowl eligible, so don’t expect a letdown. It’s not out of the question for Rutgers to run the rest of the table. While Syracuse will fight hard, they will need a few key turnovers to give them a boost. I don’t expect that to happen.

Prediction: 31-19 Rutgers

Louisville at Pittsburgh: The Cardinals can’t afford to think about last weeks dismal defeat to Syracuse. Still looking for bowl eligibility, Louisville has to get back to basics against the Panthers. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh comes in riding an emotional high following the four overtime win at Notre Dame. Emotional letdown for Pitt? Not likely. The Panthers can ill-afford to drop another game in-conference. LeSean McCoy continues to be a force on the ground. He will face his most difficult task yet; Louisville’s rush defense is ranked in the the top 10. Billl Stull does return to Pitt, which will help bigtime, considering the Cardinal rushing defense. Stull will have to shake-off the cobwebs early. He hasn’t played since being knocked out against Rutgers. The Panthers can be susceptible at times in the secondary, so expect Louisivlle to run a lot of play-action. Expect Pitt to do what they are comfortable with, which is setting up the pass with McCoy. The Cardinals are desperate for this win to stay in contention…it will kill them in the end.

Prediction: 27-17 Pitt

Game of the Week. Cincinnati at West Virginia: The Bearcats have never beaten WVU since joining the Big East. Now would be a good time to do so. Cincinnati comes in off a very solid victory over South Florida. The Mountaineers relied on the defense once again last week in shutting UConn out in the second half. WVU needs to find a consistent offense if they are going to run the table. They’re going to get caught with their collective pants down at some point if they continue to struggle in the first half. Pat White seems to be back to his former self, which is key for the Mounties. He looks strong running the ball, and is starting to slide to avoid the big hit. Cincy will be going with Tony Pike, but original starter, Dustin Grutza could be back on the bench this weekend. Look for the Bearcats to spread the field, and really work on the young WVU cornerbacks. The Mountaineer front has been stellar, but the secondary is a bit untested. WVU will continue to pound the run, but expect a few tries down the field. White needs to be careful, the Bearcats corners are ballhawks. Cincy has to finish drives early if they want to have a chance. If this game is close at half, big advantage goes to WVU.

Prediction: 24-13 WVU