Big East Preview, Week 5

Conference play is upon us, as the Big East heads into week 5. Two conference games highlight the week, including South Florida looking for a 5-0 start. Also on the slate is a revenge game for West Virginia, and a should-be laugher for the conference’s number one team. Here are the picks.

Last Week: 5-2

Overall: 24-4

Bye Week: Rutgers, UConn

(10) Cincinnati at Miami (OH): This may be the biggest game that has ever happened at Yager Stadium. It was obviously scheduled when Cincinnati still sucked. With the top-10 ranking, the Bearcats will be getting everyone’s A-game…not sure Miami’s matters. The RedHawks are 0-4, and averaging just 11 points a game. Miami has also been shutout twice. And the topper is the loss to Kent State, the armpit of college football. This game has all the signs of a major blowout. Cincinnati already had a trap game, and it was last week against a

much better team in Fresno…and the ‘Cats handled it. Expect a beatdown.

Prediction: 51-7 Cincinnati

Pittsburgh at Louisville: Both teams are coming in with losses, and will be looking for a quick start in conference. This is a key game for Pitt to try to get back on track. The preseason favorite is desperately looking for a defense. The Panthers have been devastated by key injuries, and were finally exposed against a good offense in NC State. The Cardinals continue to search for offensive balance, which is a plus for Pitt. Look for the Panthers’ D to key in on the run, and limit Victor Anderson and Bilal Powell. Louisville QB, Justin Burke is going to have to make plays for the Cards to stay in this one…and that just isn’t likely. Pitt should have success against an inexperienced defense as well. Louisville can’t get into a scoring spree with the Panthers.

Prediction: 31-19 Pitt

Colorado at West Virginia: This is a revenge game for the Mountaineers, having played a forgettable game against the Buffalos last year. It was probably more embarrassing for Bill Stewart than anyone else, considering the game plan was a complete failure. A new year, a new team though, as WVU comes in as the heavy favorite. Colorado is off to a putrid start, including a loss to Toledo, where the Buffs allowed 54 points. It will be a long night defensively if Colorado can’t slow down a West Virginia offense that’s averaging 33 points a game. The Mountaineers have a balanced attack as well, making it more difficult. The Buffalos best chance is to create turnovers. It has been the Achilles’ Heal for WVU. It’s really the only thing that has buried this team. Even if the Mountaineers turn the ball over few times it will still take a major effort from Colorado. The Buffalo defense hasn’t been consistent, and the Mountaineer defense will have a wild, Thursday night crowd behind them in Morgantown.

Prediction: 35-20 West Virginia

Game of the Week: South Florida at Syracuse: This is a chance for both teams to make a prohibitive statement. South Florida is likely ranked with a win. It would make the Bulls 5-0 and 2-0 with new starter B.J. Daniels. A win for Syracuse would mean a 3-2 record, and a marquee win in a conference that is steadily improving. This is a game the Orange has been building for. It’s a chance to prove that the ‘Cuse is back…or at least close. The defense will once again anchor the Bulls. Through four games, USF has allowed just 27 points…an incredible stat. The experienced front should be able to get adequate pressure on Greg Paulus. Syracuse will have to get the ground game going. And Paulus can’t be put into too many 3^rd and long situations. Mistake-free football is very important for the 'Cuse, which did a good job holding onto the ball last week. However, special teams were a disaster against Maine, and need to tighten up the rest of the way. This should be an exciting game if the Orange defense can harass Daniels early. But expect the USF defense to really control the game, and create a few turnovers that will be the difference.

Prediction: 28-17 USF

Big East Power Rankings, Week 4

1. Cincinnati (4-0, 1-0 in conference): Survived a trap game against Fresno, and continues to move up the polls. Next Step...Strange road game at Miami of Ohio.

2. South Florida (4-0, 0-0): So far so good for new QB B.J. Daniels. It was quite a performance against his childhood team, FSU. Next Step...Trap game at Syracuse.

3. Pittsburgh (3-1, 0-0): Ugly second half, in a bad loss to NC State. Next Step...Trying to find a defense before Friday night's game at Louisville.

4. West Virginia (2-1, 0-0): Amazingly the Mountaineers didn't turn the ball over this past weekend. Though it did help that it was a bye week. Next Step...Revenge game against Colorado Thursday night.

5. UConn (3-1, 0-0): Got the job done against a poor Rhode Island team. Next Step...Bye Week

6. Rutgers (3-1, 0-1): Blew out Maryland, after breaking out the offense in the second half. The Knights seem to be heating up. Next Step...Bye Week

7. Syracuse (2-2, 0-0): Less than impressive in a win over Maine. Special Teams a bit of a concern. Next Step...Big home game against South Florida.

8. Louisville (1-3, 0-0): Respectable loss at Utah, but still no end of the doldrums in sight. Next Step...Hosting Pitt Friday night.

Big East Power Rankings, Week 4

1. Cincinnati (3-0, 1-0): Fantastic weekend for the Bearcats, beating a tough Oregon State team in Corvallis. Next Step…A home game against a gutsy Fresno State team.

2. Pittsburgh (2-1, 0-0): Dealt nicely with key defensive injuries, and handled Navy’s option. Next Step…A tough road trip to Raleigh.

3. West Virginia (2-1, 0-0): 500 yards of offense…and a loss? Turnovers are haunting the Mountaineers. Next Step…Bye Week

4. UConn (2-1, 0-0): Huge victory on the road at Baylor. The Husky defense may be the most underrated in the country. Next Step…Hosting Rhode Island.

5. South Florida (3-0, 0-0): The Bulls won this weekend, but lost four-year starting QB Matt Grothe to a torn ACL. The season is now potentially on the brink. Next Step…An instate road game at FSU.

6. Rutgers (2-1, 0-0): Struggled a bit against an FIU team they should have whacked. Next Step…On the road to face a bad Maryland team.

7. Syracuse (1-2, 0-0): The offense has come together, as the Orange win for the first time this season. Next Step…A should-be win against UMaine.

8. Louisville (1-1, 0-0): Not a bad weekend, but mistakes continue to be a storyline. Next Step…Tough road game at Utah.

Big East Blitz

South Florida: Matt Grothe's impressive career is over due to a torn ACL. A sad ending for the senior, who had just broken the Big East total yards record. TBO.com's Brett McMurphy recounts Grothe's final chapter in college football.

Louisville: Hey, at least someone has some optimism for the Cardinals. In all serious, it was a pretty good effort against Kentucky.

Rutgers: According to the pressofatlanticcity.com, Rutgers' QB Tom Savage is okay. Savage was forced out Saturday in the fourth quarter due to a big hit. Greg Schiano doesn't expect him to miss much time.

UConn: Do we now have a quarterback controversy now in UConn? The Hartford Couran't Desmond Conner says slow down...for now.

West Virginia: The Mountaineers had over 500 yards of offense against Auburn. They also turned the ball over five times. Bob Hertzel is asking if WVU needs to go back to the ground game.

Cincinnati: The Bearcats continue to be the only Big East team ranked. They did move up after an impressive road win over Oregon State.

Syracuse and Pitt: Congrats to the Big East award winners...The Orange's Mike Williams(offense) and Ryan Lichtenstein(Special Teams) were two major factors in Doug Marrone's first win. Pitt's Dan Mason wins the defensive award in his very first start.

Big East Preview, Week 3

Major statement weekend for the Big East. Games against the SEC, PAC 10, Big Ten, and Big 12 highlight the schedule. Now is the time for the conference to prove that it’s not as far behind as most say. This could be the best weekend this conference has had in years. Or it could potentially be catastrophic. Here are the picks.

Last Week: 7-0

Overall: 13-1

Charleston Southern @ South Florida: The Bulls continue to play the dregs of society, and this week it's the team made famous by being a 73 point underdog to Florida. Another real tough test for USF. The Buccaneers had only scored 17 points in two games, while allowing 104. That’s a good thing for a South Florida team that has struggled for offensive consistency. Hearty congratulations to Matt Grothe, as he surpassed Pat White for number one on the Big East total yards list. Grothe has been a fantastic player for the Bulls, and looks to keep his senior season unblemished. It will continue...easily.

Prediction: 45-7 USF

Florida International at Rutgers: How many Isaiah Thompson errrr I mean Isaiah Thomas references will be made during this broadcast? The Knights come in with some confidence, and look to keep the wins coming. Tom Savage took the reins at QB last week against Howard and played pretty solid. Expect the freshman to continue his solid play against a Panther team that was decimated by Alabama. Expect Rutgers to have good balance offensively, and pressure the Panthers into too many mistakes.

Prediction: 34-10 Rutgers

Louisville at Kentucky: One of the great rivalries in all of college sports...on the basketball court. These teams have had some good squads on the gridiron recently, just not for the Cardinals. If Louisville wants to continue to improve, then it must rely on tailbacks’ Victor Anderson and Bilal Powell. The two combined for over 160 yards in week one. If the Cards want to beat Kentucky, it starts with controlling the clock with those two. The Wildcats bring a balanced attack into the game, having gone over 200 yards on the ground and in the air in week one. Mike Hartline should have success throwing the football against an inconsistent defense. Look for Jacoby Ford to find some open holes in the secondary. The Cards will struggle to slow Kentucky down, and being on the road doesn't help the cause.

Prediction: 37-24 Kentucky

Northwestern at Syracuse: The Orange may be 0-2, but it's a solid 0-2. An overtime loss to Minnesota and a respectable 21-point loss to heavily-favored Penn State shows that Syracuse is

moving in the right direction. The Big Ten tour continues this week with a match up against Northwestern. The Wildcats have much stronger numbers offensively than the Orange. However, Northwestern has played nobody...and nearly lost to one of those nobody’s. There is no question that the 'Cuse is more battle-tested to this point. Look for the Orange to try to establish the run...something they have struggled with a bit. It could be successful this week against a team allowing over 100 yards per game. This should open up air attack for Greg Paulus. The Duke Assassin is ready to have a bit of a breakout game, and the stars could be aligned this Saturday. Look for Syracuse to take an early lead, control the clock, and shut Mike Kafka down.

Prediction: 24-17 Syracuse

UConn at Baylor: It was a heartbreaker for UConn last week, losing on a holding call in the endzone for a safety. No time for a hangover here, as the Huskies face a Baylor squad that can be very explosive. The Bears are coming off a bye, so will be rested and ready this weekend. The Huskies will have to rely on Greg Lloyd and the defense to try to slow the talented Baylor offense. UConn has had success in slowing the run game down, which could really hurt the Bears' creativity. The bigger issue is going to be the UConn offense. Cody Endres gets the start at QB, but the youngster is battling a stomach virus this week...not good for preparation. This means a big game from Jordan Toddman is a must. This could be difficult against an underrated Baylor defense. Things will just not be in the Huskies favor this weekend. Baylor big.

Prediction: 31-14 Baylor

Navy at Pittsburgh: This will be a good one. The Panthers continue to play well, especially the new tailback in town. Dion Lewis has been sensational, having already racked up 319 yards in just two games. Bill Stull has been efficient with five TD passes, and just one INT...and the offensive line ha been dynamite. But the problem with this one will be the defense. Overall, the Panthers have been electric against stopping the run, but bad news hit the Steel City this week. Starting safety Andrew Taglianetti was lost for the season, after tearing his ACL. This is a big loss for the season...and a huge loss right away, taking on a Navy team that will hit you with the option. Expect the Midshipmen to have success in controlling the clock...but not enough. Navy won't be able to shutdown the Panther offense, as Pitt wins a closer game than most probably think.

Prediction: 38-27 Pitt

West Virginia at Auburn: The Tigers will be looking for revenge from last year's embarrassment in Morgantown. WVU scored 31 unanswered points in the second half to trounce Auburn, and probably seal Tommy Tuberville's fate. Well, this is a new season, with a new coach, and a new attitude surrounds the entire campus as the Tigers are off to a hot start. Auburn will turn to the run against a WVU offense that is a bit beat up (Scooter Berry is questionable) at the front. Meanwhile, the Mountaineers will rely on a rapidly improving passing game that has seen Jarrod Brown light it up so far. But Brown is going up against an upstart secondary, with a lot of confidence. The crowd will be a major factor as well, so WVU will want to get up early. The Mountaineers have a five-game winning streak against the SEC, but it’s coming to an end this weekend. Expect Auburn to control the game on both sides.

Prediction: 27-20 Auburn

Game of the Week: (21) Cincinnati at (24) Oregon State: A huge game for the conference’s only ranked team. The Bearcats are in great form as they head out west to Corvallis. Cincinnati should have success against an Oregon State defense that has some holes. The Bearcats are second in the nation in scoring and Tony Pike 4^th in passing efficiency. There is no doubt Cincy will score, but can they slow down Jacquizz Rodgers and the Beavers? Potentially. The ‘Cats defense has looked very solid, but haven’t truly faced an explosive offense yet. Cincinnati will need to limit the big plays to slow OSU down. On paper this game looks like a shootout. Couldn’t agree more. Look for the Bearcats to continuously attack OSU’s secondary, while doing just enough defensively to win.

Prediction: 38-31 Cincinnati

Big East Power Rankings, Week 3

1. Cincinnati (2-0, 1-0): The class of the conference continues to roll early. Next Step…A statement game at Oregon State

2. Pittsburgh (2-0, 0-0): A textbook weekend win over Buffalo was unfortunately overshadowed by injuries. Next Step…Stopping the Navy rushing attack.

3. West Virginia (2-0, 0-0): Sweet revenge against ECU has the Mountaineers flying high. Next Step…Not letting Auburn gain sweet revenge this weekend.

4. South Florida (2-0, 0-0): The easy, early schedule has been no problem for the Bulls. Next Step…another laugher, this time against Charleston Southern.

5. UConn (1-1, 0-0): Terrible weekend for the Huskies, losing on a safety, and losing the starting QB. Next Step…On the road against a tough Baylor team.

6. Rutgers (1-1, 0-0): A nice bounce-back weekend for the dark horse of the conference. Next Step…hosting FIU

7. Syracuse (0-2, 0-0): This team is ready to start winning some football games. Next Step…a winnable game against Northwestern

8. Louisville (1-0, 0-0): They may have a better record than Syracuse, but haven’t impressed yet. Next Step…a tough rivalry game against Kentucky

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.

Wednesday Morning Quick Hitters

The San Francisco Giants Tim Lincecum takes home 2 prizes yesterday. MLB announced Lincecum as the 2008 NL Cy Young Award winner. Lincecum was 18 - 5, a 2.62 ERA and ML Leading 265 strikeouts. Lincecum became only the 2nd San Francisco Giant to take home the award. In Lincecum's 2nd win yesterday, 2K Sports announced Lincecum would be the cover boy for the MLB 2K9 Baseball Video Game.



The Atlanta Hawks move to 6 - 0 beating the Chicago Bulls 113 - 108. Al Horford scored a career high 27 for the Hawks. Atlanta returns to the scene of their last game of last year, against the Boston Celtics.

The Utah Jazz Deron Williams returned from his ankle injury to help blast the Philadelphia 76ers 93 - 80.

The LA Lakers also move to 6 - 0 as they rally to beat the Dallas Mavericks 106 - 99.


Tom Brady was in the building yesterday...but not to learn the gameplan.

49ers offensive coordinator Mike Martz blames refs for loss.





#14 Ball State handled Miami of Ohio 31 -16

Monday Morning Quick Hitters

Phillies Pheaver is at a...well, PHEAVER PITCH (Please no sequel) as the Philadelphia Phillies are 1 win away from taking home its 1st World Championship in 28 years. Joe Blanton pitched 6 strong innings and helped his own cause by hitting the 1st HR by a pitcher in 38 years. The Tampa Bay Rays could only muster 6 hits, including 2 HRs, 1 by Carl Crawford and the other by Eric Hinske, who replaced Cliff Floyd on the roster. The Phillies won 10 - 2. The Phillies lead the series 3 games to 1.



The New England Patriots continued the roller coaster season that is the post Tom Brady season, beating the St Louis Rams 23 - 17. Matt Cassell drove the team down the field on the 4th quarter, hitting Kevin "Not My Cigars" Faulk for a TD Pass with just over 3 minutes left. Deltha O'Neil, yep, that Deltha O'Neil intercepted a pass from the Rams QB Marc Bulger to seal the deal. The Pats are tied for the division lead with the Bills at 5 - 2.

A surprising display of defense from the Cowboys lead the Boys over the Tampa Bay Bucs 13 - 9.

The Washington Redskins used a stellar punt return TD by Santana Moss catch and finally beat the hapless Detroit Lions 25 - 17.

The Buffalo Bills, in a position to take control of the AFC East, floundered and turned over a victory to the Miami Dolphins, allowing the Dolphins to win 25 - 16.

The New Orleans Saints survived the trip to London and the lack of defense, and showed Londoners just how American Football is supposed to play, beating the San Diego Chargers 37 - 32. The win propels the Saints to 4 - 4 and drops the Chargers to 3 - 5.

Even after his 3rd interception, returned for a TD, Brett Favre proved he's got a little left. Favre drove the team down for the game winning TD, hitting Laveranues Coles with less than 1 minute left to beat the Kansas City Chiefs 28 - 24.

After a defensive 1st half, the offenses broke loose in the 3rd quarter as the Carolina Panthers outlasted the Arizona Cardinals 27 - 23.

The Baltimore Ravens keep floating that Wildcat Offense or as Ravens Coach John Harbaugh calls it "Suggs Package" (referring to Terrell Suggs statements that Troy Smith should be the starting QB) as Ohio State product QB Troy Smith hit QB Joe Flacco on a pretty 43 yrd pass that almost resulted in a TD. The Baltimore Ravens beat the Battle of the Ryan Brothers and the Oakland Raiders 29 - 10.

Wake me up when it's over...oh it's over?!? The Houston Texans beat the Cincinnati Bengals 35 - 6.

The Pittsburgh Steelers defense did all it could do, holding the NY Giants to 16% Red Zone Efficiency, but Big Ben Roethlisberger threw 4 picks to help the New York Giants to a 21 - 14 win over the Steelers.

Is there any way Mike Singletary can play for the 49ers? The 49ers lost to the Seattle Seahawks 34 - 13. This is all that needs to be said.







Here are the BCS Standings
1 - Texas 6 - Georgia
2 - Alabama 7 - Texas Tech
3 - Penn State 8 - Florida
4 - Oklahoma 9 - Oklahoma State
5 - USC 10 - Utah