Big East Preview, Week 14

Well, here it is. This will be the week that gives us the Big East champion…possibly. If Cincy wins, they are headed to South Florida. If they lose, well…we will be back to square one. The Backyard Brawl also highlights this light schedule of games for the holiday week. Here are the picks.

Last Week: 2-3

Overall: 43-20

Syracuse at Cincinnati: All the Bearcats have to do is beat a weaker opponent, and they are BCS-bound. Not so fast though. Syracuse is coming off a huge win over Notre Dame, and will look to continue the winning streak for their fallen coach. It will be a tall task though, considering Cincy is on a roll and lead in virtually every statistical category. The ‘Cuse do have a better running game, and will look to set up their offense through running back Curtis Brinkley. The senior has had a superb season for the Orange, and has one more chance to impress the NFL scouts before the combine. The Bearcats will certainly stack the box and try to force the Orange to be one-dimensional. Expect Cincy to roll offensively, especially with the way the offensive line has been playing. It’s not a guarantee that Cincy wins this game, but expect the Bearcats representing the Big East in the New Year.

Prediction: 31-14 Cincinnati

Game of the Week. West Virginia at Pittsburgh: The Backyard Brawl is back. By far the best rivalry in the Big East, the Brawl shouldn’t disappoint. Last season’s version had Pitt ruining WVU’s chance to play in the National Championship. This year’s doesn’t have that drama, but it’s two schools that absolutely despise each other….gotta love it. They are both 7-3, have solid rushing attacks, and legit D’s. So something has to give, right? That something could be the passing attack. Pitt’s Bill Stull has been fairly efficient, though is susceptible to throwing the pick. Pat White doesn’t throw for a lot of yards, but has completed over 65% of his passing. If the Mountaineers can establish a passing game, forget about the Panthers’ chances. However, this is a rivalry game, so throw out all the stats…except one…Pat White. It’s one thing for White to throw efficiently…it’s another if he breaks off at least 100-yards rushing. Look for Pitt to spy White with possibly two linebackers at times. It will be close, it will be hard fought, but in the end WVU has too many weapons for the Panthers…that’s if WVU shows up.

Prediction: 34-30 WVU

The Big East Blitz

South Florida: This article pretty much sums up all the issues this team has. Hard to believe the Bulls are now 1-3 in conference.

Rutgers: Another crazy weekend in the Big East was a good thing for Rutgers’ bowl chances. The Knights are only 3-5 on the season, but a 2-2 mark in the conference is good enough for 4th at this time. It’s certainly possible Rutgers can make a run, especially with WVU, Pitt, Cincy, and UConn already out of the way.

Syracuse: Boy, does Greg Robinson own Louisville or what? Two years running, the Orange have upset the Cards. Curtis Brinkley and co. haven’t had a lot to celebrate this year, but the running back is still breaking-records. That’s pretty impressive considering the backs they have had at Syracuse over the years.

UConn: The Huskies have been trying to find an adequate QB since Tyler Lorenzen went down. However, the wide receivers should be blamed as well. Dropped passes are killing this team. And now add injury to insult with the loss of Darius Butler for 4-6 weeks. Some good news though, Edsell says that “Within the next two weeks Tyler should be…could be ready” to go again for UConn.

Cincinnati: Three weeks of pure hell now begin for the Bearcats. With games at WVU(this weekend), at Louisville, and then home to Pitt, Cincinnati will have it’s BCS hopes quickly determined. The ‘Cats are 0-9 vs those three teams since joining the Big East…ouch.

West Virginia: You would have to think that Bill Stewart never thought his defense would be carrying the team. “It’s been a smoother transition there(on defense) than it has been on the offense,” he said in the teleconference this week. The Mountaineer defense hasn’t allowed a point in the second half in three consecutive games. Also, Pat White and Morty Ivy won Big East Awards this week respectively.

Pitt: Bill Stull is the starting quarterback for the Panthers, but Pat Bostick was the unsung hero once again, leading Pitt over Notre Dame. Bostick was also the starter in Pitt’s big win over WVU last season. However, Dave Wannstedt says that Stull is still the starter. They are encouraged that “he’ll be good to go this week,” Wanny remarked during the teleconference.

Louisville: Eric Crawford, of the Courier-Journal writes that Steve Kragthorpe should be a candidate for the Syracuse job…since “he has attended more Syracuse victories than 95 percent of the Orange fan base.”

Big East Power Rankings

For the week of 10/27/08

1. West Virginia (5-2, 2-0): WVU finally came to life last week, with the win over Auburn. Next Step…winning a road game.

2. UConn (6-2, 2-1): Bounced back well after two-straight losses. Next Step…beating WVU for the first time ever.

3. Pittsburgh (5-2, 2-1): Can Coach Wanny avoid another late-season meltdown? Next Step…trying to figure out a way to beat Notre Dame in South Bend.

4. Cincinnati (6-2, 2-1): Huge bounce-back win against South Florida. Next Step…Finding a way to win in Morgantown.

5. Louisville (5-2, 1-1): The Cards continue to impress on the defensive side of the football. Next Step…Putting the hammer to lowly Syracuse.

6. South Florida (6-3, 1-3): Three straight losses in the Big East, following last night’s debacle in Cincinnati. Next Step…Must win against Rutgers.

7. Rutgers (3-5, 2-2): Mike Teel throws for six scores last week…is he back? Next Step…Kicking South while their down next weekend.

8. Syracuse (1-6, 0-3): The Louisville game could be it for Greg Robinson. Next Step…Saving their coach’s job, for at least another week.

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

Friday Morning Quick Hitters

Oh no, hide all the neck ties and knives at the Sedenka household, West Virginia loses again, this time to Colorado 17 – 14.

In what could be a AL Divisional Series matchup, Minnesota wins the 1st game, even though Evan Longoria hits 3 HRs, 11 – 8. The Rays are 1 1/2 games up on the Red Sox. The Twins are 1 1/2 games back of Chicago and 6 1/2 back of the Red Sox in the Wild Card.

The Chicago White Sox lost to the New York Yankees in their last game at Yankee Stadium 9 – 2.

The Chicago Cubs scored 4 runs in the bottom of the 9th to tie the Milwaukee Brewers and Derek Lee knocked in the winning run in the bottom of the 12, virtually crushing Milwaukee’s playoff hopes winning 7 – 6. The Brewers are now 9 games behind the Cubs and 2 games behind the Mets in the Wild Card.

The NL East stayed the same as the Philadelphia Phillies finished off a sweep of the Atlanta Braves 4 – 3. The New York Mets beat the Washington Nationals 7 – 2. The Phillies are 1/2 game up on the Mets.

The NL West stayed the same as well as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates in 12 innings 4 – 3. The Arizona Diamondbacks beat the San Francisco Giants 3 – 2. The DBacks are
3 1/2 game back of the Dodgers.

Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall should not have any further suspension.

Adrian Peterson misses Thursday practice.

The Pittsburgh Steelers owners reject Druckenmiller’s offer.

Joey Porters garbage isn’t flying around Patriots camp.

Former Boston Celtic and current Minnesota Timberwolves center Al Jefferson sprains knee.

Philadelphia 76er Jason Smith out for season.

Big East Preview…Week 3

After two weeks of football one thing is certain in the Big East…the conference is down. I mean way down…we are talking Andre Ware down here folks. The biggest non-conference win is a tight South Florida overtime thriller of Central Florida. Or how about UConn’s extra-time gem against Temple. Man, it’s not pretty, but it’s early…and ya never know what could happen on the college gridiron. Four games on the slate this week, against four BCS schools. It is time for the Big East to make a statement…hopefully a positive one. On to the picks…

Last Week: 5-2

Season: 11-4

Bye Week: WVU(Thank God), Cincy, Louisville, Pitt

Penn State at Syracuse: With last week’s loss to Akron, Syracuse may have sealed their fate at going 0-12. These ain’t your daddy’s Orange teams. Dick MacPherson is rolling in his grave, and he’s not even dead yet. Penn State is fresh off a dominating performance over Oregon State. Even with all of the off-the-field issues for State, the Lions are playing great ball, including averaging nearly 300 yards per-game on the ground. Not a good sign for Syracuse’s dilapitated defense. The State defense has been very stingy as well, only allowing 24 points so far this season. Not a good sign for the Orange iffy offense. The Big East will not gain any respect from this gem. Evan Royster will run for as many yards as he wants against the ‘Cuse, as PSU rolls.

Prediction: 48-10 Penn State

North Carolina at Rutgers: A Thursday night kick, with a national audience highlights this clash. Both teams are coming off a bye in different situations. Rutgers lost to a very good Fresno team 24-7…though the Knights had their chances. Carolina had a should-have-been walk through against McNeese State…only to win by 7. Mike Teel (see excited picture above) should have a better game this week, as he goes against a team that struggled to slow a division 1-AA offense. Though running back Kordell Young needs to run stronger if he wants the Rutgers fans to forget about Ray Rice. UNC will jump on the back once again of Brandon Tate, who racked up nearly 400 all-purpose yards in the first game. UNC will be too one-dimensional to take down the Knights, who have a underrated defense. They limit Tate, they win the game. Rutgers should benefit from the home-field advantage as well.

Prediction: 29-17 Rutgers

Virginia at UConn: There is not a lot to take away from UConn’s gem of a win last week against Temple. Neither offense produced much as Tropical Storm Hannah destroyed Philly. Though the Huskies did have one bright spot…Donald Young. Young rushed for over 200 yards, and now has 360 on the short season. UConn’s defense has also played well, not allowing a touchdown this season (though that’s against Temple and Hofstra). Meanwhile, Virginia has had an interesting year that includes a shutout…and being blown out. While UConn averages 255 rushing yards a game, while The Cav’s average…61. Have fun throwing the ball UVA, which may not be a good thing, considering they don’t have a passing touchdown this season. The ACC may be worse than the Big East this season, so this is a big game for the Huskies…and they should know it. They are a better team on paper, and should be able to grind out the yards and eat the clock. A low scoring affair? Yes…but that is how UConn wins games…ugly.

Prediction: 23-14 UConn

Game of the Week. Kansas at South Florida: Two top 20 teams…two good quarterbacks…two good coaches…one big game. Friday night will prove to be the biggest opportunity for the Big East to make some noise, when Kansas rolls into Tampa. Both teams are off to 2-0 starts, though the competition hasn’t been top shelf. Both teams have playmakers on defense, though Aqib Talib will be missed in that Jayhawk secondary…especially when they take on those Big 12 quarterbacks. (editor’s note: Talib will also be missed by pot dealers in Lawrence, Kansas) Matt Grothe is a duel threat behind the center for South Florida, and has posted big games against good teams in the past. The Jayhawks Todd Reesing may be the best QB that nobody talks about. The big test will be George Selvie vs the Kansas o-line. South Florida may be outmatched unless they can disrupt Reesing’s rhythm. South Florida is also tested. They went to overtime last week against a pesky UCF squad. Kansas may be hurt by playing only cupcakes (insert Coach Mangino joke here). Tampa is also quickly becoming a very difficult place to play. South Florida may be the Big East’s only chance for a top 10 team this year, so a solid performance could be weighing on the Bulls’ minds. With that said, the difference will be Selvie and USF’s defense, as well as the atmosphere.

Prediction: 30-27 South Florida

Chris Sedenka is the host of the PM JAB, which can be heard weekdays between 3-7pm on 96.3FM and AM1440 sports radio WJAB in Central and Southern Maine…and would do his own stunts…if he did stunts.

College Football Preview

Another season of college football is upon us, and while we here at the Central Maine Sports Blog have an affiliation with Army this season as our “adopt-a-team”, there are more than a few other teams that are out there, so I am going to take a chance here and predict the top 10.

10. Florida Gators

Tim Tebow is back, and so is Percy Harvin, but Harvin’s heel has not healed yet. The SEC is as tough as ever, so 2 loss season for an SEC team may not get a spot in the national title game this year.

9. Texas Tech

I am buying into the hype about this defense improving, and Crabtree and Harrell will both get supports in the Heisman race.

8. Ohio St

After two years of bridesmaid status, I expect the Bucks to slip a bit this year. The big game against USC will probably tell you what type of team Ohio St is.

7. Kansas

I will always support the big guy, and Mark Mangino has done a great job with Kansas. This team only lost one game last year, and returns almost all of their key players. Plus Aqib Talib won;t be getting arrested, which can only help Mangino’s blood pressure.

6. Georgia

I don’t buy into the Georgia hype. I don’t believe they will beat Florida, and I don’t see them finishing the season with just one loss.

5. Missouri

Chase Daniel is back and could very well win the Heisman. The rest of this team has reloaded nicely.

4. Oklahoma

Although they can’t win in a bowl game, they will do enough damage to get to one of the big pay days, provided Sam Bradford stays healthy.

3. Virginia Tech

Defense and special teams lead the way, and the ACC is a very winnable conference this year. If Sean Glennon can keep mistakes to a minimum, (and this team can actually beat Free Shoes University, errr, Florida State) they win the ACC.

2. West Virginia

As much as I want to put them at the top, the durability of Noel Devine worries me, as does the durability of Pat White. Again, another case of an easy schedule that could lead a team to the promised land.

1. USC

The Trojans look to be the class of the league this year, as long as Mark Sanchez can stay healthy (I notice a pattern here). This team is loaded, and don’t think that Pete Carroll won’t remind them of the awful (by Trojan standards) year they had last year.

I think LSU’s qb issues will haunt them, and I also believe that Fresno St will make some noise this year (and will also win the WAC).