Pittsburgh vs. Louisville
Tonight, in about an hour and a half (as I begin this blog), there will be a Big East matchup between the Pittsburgh Panthers and the Louisville Cardinals. And you know, if you actually DID put a panther in a cage against a cardinal…well, talk about bite-sized snacks….
And this matchup could possibly go this route…or can it? Let’s look at these two teams and see who has the advantage.
Pittsburgh comes in this game after a 9-4 record last year, living big time off a strong running game, but missing key components of that team from last year. The Panthers suffered a humiliating loss to Bowling Green at the beginning of the season, losing 27-17. They then went on a 5 game winning streak, beating teams like Buffalo, Iowa, South Florida and Navy before losing big to Rugters.
Pittsburgh won their next two games over Notre Dame and Louisville before losing on the road to Cincinnati, then finished the season beating West Virginia and Connecticut before losing 3-0 in a bowl game to Oregon State…
(ONLY 3 points in the game…what’s up with that?)
The Panthers come in after losing a road game to NC State, but is still 3-1, which isn’t so bad. Beating Buffalo and Navy again shows that this team is still in the mix for the Big East, but losing on the road is how they lost 2 regular season games, and the bowl game. You gotta win on the road if you wanna be a champion.
But what has happened to Louisville? Was it not just a few years ago when they were the darlings of the Division I? Did they lose ALL their swagger the same year when Michael Bush broke his leg early that season a couple of years ago? They haven’t been the same since.
Last year the Cardinals finished only 5-7, which was a mystery when this was one of the highest scoring teams in the nation a couple of years ago. You’d have called me a liar the way they started last year, losing to Kentucky 27-2. But they rallied by beating Tennessee Tech 51-10, then beating Kansas State before losing to Connecticut. Four home games in a row and splitting them 2-2.
Things looked pretty good when they won the next two games, beating Memphis 35-28 and then Middle Tennessee 42-23...but one had to wonder…why was so many points being given up? And a heck of a lot of those games were in very close confines… the first 6 games were either in Kentucky or Tennessee… hmmmm….
The Cardinals were 4-2 before beating South Florida at home, bringing the record to 5-2...and still playing only in the tight confines of two states. So is it any reason to wonder why they lost AT Syracuse and AT Pittsburgh? Louisville limps back home with a 5-4 record only to play…and lose, to Cincinnati, then another home loss to West Virginia before a mammoth beat down AT Rutgers.
This year, so far, Louisville is 1-2, beating Indiana State but losing AT Kentucky 31-27 and AT Utah 30-14. Like Pittsburgh, you can’t be a champion until you can win on the road. And with 4 more road games, they better get it together quick.
South Florida was the Cardinal’s only credible win last year, and that was a home game, it is critical that they have this game tonight…it is past critical. A loss here makes Louisville 1-3 and will be wiped off the face of any BCS bowl contention. But IF there is a chance, it can happen here, against Pittsburgh.
Now I know Pittsburgh beat Louisville last year 41-7, but the Panthers have to establish a new running game. Pittsburgh didn’t play so hot on the road last year, and Louisville can make it a game while in that Papa John’s Stadium…..
Mmmmm…pizza…..
Anyway, I think the advantage goes to Pittsburgh, but this is one of those games where the home team has a very slight advantage. I am very tempted to say Louisville CAN win this game…because Pittsburgh isn’t that threatening, but I am going with Pittsburgh by 3 points. My gut says that Louisville needs this win like a pizza needs extra cheese, sausage, mushrooms and a liter of some ice cold soda….
And friend with me to enjoy the game tonight!
Showing posts with label Big East. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Big East. Show all posts
Friday, October 2, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
South Florida vs Florida State 2009
South Florida vs. Florida State
Florida State is currently ranked #18 in the polls, after a thrashing they put on BYU (which surprised me as well as many others). It is possible that the ACC made a statement that they are as competitive as the other conferences by beating a top 25 team handily in their own house?
Now they have to do it again, under much more local confines. The ACC’s Florida State will host South Florida in a big time game for both sides. This is a game that Florida State simply cannot lose, if they are to retain credibility for their top 25 ranking. With teams slipping and sliding every week, the opportunistic team can easily find themselves in the top 10 in a few weeks…case in point, Mississippi.
But to stay there, they must win and not lose to an unranked opponent…case in point, Mississippi.
But the Big East has a point to prove too, and they need South Florida to make that for them. About 27 undefeated teams remain in the FBS, three of them come from this very conference. South Florida has shown signs of brilliance the last few years, only to buckle under the pressure once they were ranked high in the standings.
There is a LOT of credibility on the line here, for the ACC and the Big East…who wins this matchup in the Sunshine State? Let’s look at it:
South Florida is currently 3-0, and not ranked at the moment. Sure, the Bulls have scored about 134 points in three games, which averages to over 40 a game, but who have they beaten? Wofford? Western Kentucky? Charleston Southern?
Again, only 27 teams remain undefeated, and you’re not on the top 25? Very soft schedule folks.
Mind you, this team started out 5-0 last year and was the apple of many eyes, beating teams like Kansas and NC State. But it preceded a 1-4 record once they hit the Big East schedule before beating UCONN, losing to West Virginia and winning the bowl game against Memphis.
I think with a returning good quarterback and an excellent defensive power, this is still a good team, they can win decent games so these are not your mother’s cupcakes, but the last couple of years just seem to show that they are mid-card teams, destined to hover around greatness, but never obtaining it.
But if there is a chance for an upset, it can happen against Florida State.
The Seminoles were 9-4 last year, losing to Wake Forest by 9, Georgia Tech by 3, Boston College by 10 and to Florida by…well that doesn’t matter. Granted they destroyed my beloved Catamounts 69-0, but what did it gain them?
Losing to rival Miami hurt them, but not as bad as the near loss to Jacksonville State. That embarrassing win must have prompted Florida State to re focus, which is what they did against BYU, in a big time win that vaulted them back in the top 25 spotlight.
The Seminoles try to make a living with the passing, which has also burnt them more than once. Last year quarterback Ponder threw for 14 touchdowns…great….but also threw for 13 interceptions…ugh.
The question here is going to be which mindset is Florida State on: the swagger that produced players like Charlie Ward and Deon Sanders, or the team that was so high on itself that it almost lost to Jacksonville State… as they say, half of football is mental.
With Grothe for the Bulls being injured, there may be a feast of blitzes for Florida State, and I think that kinda pressure could get to South Florida. But sometimes playing home makes a team kinda…cocky. I don’t think South Florida can beat Florida State, but I also don’t think they are as intimidated. This could be interesting…
If I had to pick, I might think Florida State will win, but not as big a margin as the BYU game. I give it to the Seminoles by 8 points.
Florida State is currently ranked #18 in the polls, after a thrashing they put on BYU (which surprised me as well as many others). It is possible that the ACC made a statement that they are as competitive as the other conferences by beating a top 25 team handily in their own house?
Now they have to do it again, under much more local confines. The ACC’s Florida State will host South Florida in a big time game for both sides. This is a game that Florida State simply cannot lose, if they are to retain credibility for their top 25 ranking. With teams slipping and sliding every week, the opportunistic team can easily find themselves in the top 10 in a few weeks…case in point, Mississippi.
But to stay there, they must win and not lose to an unranked opponent…case in point, Mississippi.
But the Big East has a point to prove too, and they need South Florida to make that for them. About 27 undefeated teams remain in the FBS, three of them come from this very conference. South Florida has shown signs of brilliance the last few years, only to buckle under the pressure once they were ranked high in the standings.
There is a LOT of credibility on the line here, for the ACC and the Big East…who wins this matchup in the Sunshine State? Let’s look at it:
South Florida is currently 3-0, and not ranked at the moment. Sure, the Bulls have scored about 134 points in three games, which averages to over 40 a game, but who have they beaten? Wofford? Western Kentucky? Charleston Southern?
Again, only 27 teams remain undefeated, and you’re not on the top 25? Very soft schedule folks.
Mind you, this team started out 5-0 last year and was the apple of many eyes, beating teams like Kansas and NC State. But it preceded a 1-4 record once they hit the Big East schedule before beating UCONN, losing to West Virginia and winning the bowl game against Memphis.
I think with a returning good quarterback and an excellent defensive power, this is still a good team, they can win decent games so these are not your mother’s cupcakes, but the last couple of years just seem to show that they are mid-card teams, destined to hover around greatness, but never obtaining it.
But if there is a chance for an upset, it can happen against Florida State.
The Seminoles were 9-4 last year, losing to Wake Forest by 9, Georgia Tech by 3, Boston College by 10 and to Florida by…well that doesn’t matter. Granted they destroyed my beloved Catamounts 69-0, but what did it gain them?
Losing to rival Miami hurt them, but not as bad as the near loss to Jacksonville State. That embarrassing win must have prompted Florida State to re focus, which is what they did against BYU, in a big time win that vaulted them back in the top 25 spotlight.
The Seminoles try to make a living with the passing, which has also burnt them more than once. Last year quarterback Ponder threw for 14 touchdowns…great….but also threw for 13 interceptions…ugh.
The question here is going to be which mindset is Florida State on: the swagger that produced players like Charlie Ward and Deon Sanders, or the team that was so high on itself that it almost lost to Jacksonville State… as they say, half of football is mental.
With Grothe for the Bulls being injured, there may be a feast of blitzes for Florida State, and I think that kinda pressure could get to South Florida. But sometimes playing home makes a team kinda…cocky. I don’t think South Florida can beat Florida State, but I also don’t think they are as intimidated. This could be interesting…
If I had to pick, I might think Florida State will win, but not as big a margin as the BYU game. I give it to the Seminoles by 8 points.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Syracuse vs Penn State
Syracuse vs. Penn State
Speedblog
Today Penn State has a chance to take a closer shot at the National Title, being ranked #7 and at home today against the mighty Syracuse Orangemen….
Ok, so they’re not so mighty…but can they give Penn State a run?
Only Iowa and USC beat the Nittany Lions last year as Penn State gave their fans every reason to laugh in the face of those critics that kept saying that Joe Paterno ought to retire. I for one was one of those guys that just got sick of so called “analysts” who felt that Joe Paterno ought to just give it up. Isn’t that age discrimination?
I am happy for Joe Pa, so I am pulling for them, but I also saw Syracuse last week and was impressed with Paulus the former Duke basketball player. I gotta say, he is pretty good. Their team lost last week to Minnesota, and went 3-9 last year, so the expectations are not that good.
Is there any chance for Syracuse to pull an upset? Well, as the universe turns, yeah. But if you asked me if it was likely, I can’t see it. The goal for Penn State is far, far higher than what Syracuse can expect, and let’s face it, Minnesota wasn’t one of the greatest teams last year, with a 7-6 record. In fact, Minnesota lost their last 6 games last year, when it mattered.
But this is about Syracuse and Penn State. Syracuse beat Northeastern, Louisville and Notre Dame last year. Granted that ND win was a good one, this has been the extent of the Orangemen. I do expect maybe a couple of more wins if Paulus plays well as he seems to play, but I just cannot see any victory over Penn State.
This will be a REAL test for the Syracuse quarterback, playing in an opponent’s field against a top 10 contender…it won’t be pretty for him or Syracuse, but I am very sure that Paulus has the poise. Playing with Duke and Coach K would have prepared him for that, and when I saw him play, he looked like a veteran, almost “Manning-like”.
I’m pulling for him to do well, but I am pulling for Penn State to win…won’t need to put that much effort into that. I see Penn State winning by a couple of touchdowns.
Speedblog
Today Penn State has a chance to take a closer shot at the National Title, being ranked #7 and at home today against the mighty Syracuse Orangemen….
Ok, so they’re not so mighty…but can they give Penn State a run?
Only Iowa and USC beat the Nittany Lions last year as Penn State gave their fans every reason to laugh in the face of those critics that kept saying that Joe Paterno ought to retire. I for one was one of those guys that just got sick of so called “analysts” who felt that Joe Paterno ought to just give it up. Isn’t that age discrimination?
I am happy for Joe Pa, so I am pulling for them, but I also saw Syracuse last week and was impressed with Paulus the former Duke basketball player. I gotta say, he is pretty good. Their team lost last week to Minnesota, and went 3-9 last year, so the expectations are not that good.
Is there any chance for Syracuse to pull an upset? Well, as the universe turns, yeah. But if you asked me if it was likely, I can’t see it. The goal for Penn State is far, far higher than what Syracuse can expect, and let’s face it, Minnesota wasn’t one of the greatest teams last year, with a 7-6 record. In fact, Minnesota lost their last 6 games last year, when it mattered.
But this is about Syracuse and Penn State. Syracuse beat Northeastern, Louisville and Notre Dame last year. Granted that ND win was a good one, this has been the extent of the Orangemen. I do expect maybe a couple of more wins if Paulus plays well as he seems to play, but I just cannot see any victory over Penn State.
This will be a REAL test for the Syracuse quarterback, playing in an opponent’s field against a top 10 contender…it won’t be pretty for him or Syracuse, but I am very sure that Paulus has the poise. Playing with Duke and Coach K would have prepared him for that, and when I saw him play, he looked like a veteran, almost “Manning-like”.
I’m pulling for him to do well, but I am pulling for Penn State to win…won’t need to put that much effort into that. I see Penn State winning by a couple of touchdowns.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Cincinnati vs Rutgers
Cincinnati vs. Rugters
Sounds like a good conference matchup to me.
In less than 2 hours I will be watching this game on ESPN, and I wanted to take a moment to reflect on who has the better chance of winning today. I heard talk about how Rutgers might be the team to beat in the Big East, but I also remember that Cincinnati had 11 wins last year…including a 13-10 victory over said Rutgers.
But what also is going to be important is the fact that no Big East team was ranked in the top 25...what a slap in the face to the conference! So today’s game will be a strong signal to the true power (or lack of) from the Big East. Let’s look at each team and see who may come out victorious:
Cincinnati finished last year 11-3, losing to Oklahoma, UCONN and Virginia Tech. Some may wonder the true strength of the Bearcats since the schedule seemed questionable, outside of Oklahoma. Playing Eastern Kentucky, Miami (OH), Akron and Marshall does not really make for a BCS powerhouse, but beating South Florida, West Virginia, Pittsburgh and Rutgers does count for something.
Returning many offensive weapons makes it easier to repeat the successes of last year, but the schedule this year may be more challenging. Only one conference foe in the first 5 games, this game is incredibly important for the Bearcats. They won’t see another conference foe until mid October, and with opponents like Oregon State and Fresno State on the schedule, they need to come out of this at BEST 3-2, maybe even 4-1. A loss here to Rutgers could make the conference spin out again, looking for a true leader.
When you consider that each of Cincinnati’s wins were on average about 8 to 9 points, it shows that they play close games…how easy can that change in one year with the same opponents. Cincinnati seems to have problems winning away games too, in fact, two of their three losses were…away. Add in the bowl game vs. VA Tech, and you see my point.
And of those wins, factor in a 2 point win over Akron, a 3 point win over West Virginia, an 8 point win over Louisville and a 5 point win over Hawaii…these are games that can easily turn on you, and playing Rutgers in their house could be problematic.
Rugters, on the other hand, won 8 games last year, after starting out 0-3 and was as bad as1-5 before they started to turn it around. Losing at home to Fresno State and UNC ended any BCS hopes early, and a loss to Navy at home crushed it. The Scarlet Knights also lose their veteran QB, and a few receivers, so there is a time for retooling for Rutgers. The claim is that with 13 starters returning (initially) there is a good chance for Rutgers to snatch the Big East crown. And coming off a 7 game winning streak, including wins over Connecticut, South Florida and NC State in a bowl does have an upswing.
Of all those wins, the Pittsburgh win seemed most impressive, winning away by 20 points at a score of 54-34. Many of the other wins seemed less than stellar, after all, beating Syracuse, Army and UCONN didn’t really convince many people of the power of a Scarlet Knight. And with Louisville having a terrible season, and ACC foe NC State not putting fear in many, some will question if Rutgers is really ready to take the crown.
But the conference itself may even out, as many question the strength of any team in the Big East…again, NO Big East team has been ranked, so the voters must believe that none of these teams is strong enough to contend for a serious BCS title. It almost seems that by default, somebody has to win the Big East. But it cannot be argued that Rutgers and Cincinnati are quality teams.
Rutgers indeed has the home field advantage, but one can quickly counter by saying that last year Rutgers started the season off with a home loss to Fresno State 24-7, then got thumped by UNC 44-12 in their own living room. This is a situation Rutgers cannot repeat, scoring only 19 points in the first two games. Looking at Rutger’s schedule, if they can get by Cincinnati, it is quite possible that this could be the banner year they once had a couple years ago with great running back Ray Rice.
IF (a big if) Rutgers can beat Cincinnati, their next few games include Howard, Florida International before a trip to Maryland. Three home games before they go on the road, then after Maryland they are home for Texas Southern and Pittsburgh, a team they beat away by 20...
You can see the possibilities here for Rutgers. Yes they lost to Cincinnati and West Virginia last year, but those were away games…this year they are home. IF Rutgers can get past Cincinnati, this could quite easily be a 9+ win season, maybe even 10, as the Scarlet Knights would become the heir apparent to the Big East.
So who wins? Home field advantage means so much to any college team, and you’d like to automatically favor Rutgers, but we saw how they lost their first 2 home games last year. And if they are looking past this game in hopes of a 10 win season, something that is quite possible, then they may fail their first test.
It’s like legendary wrestler Ric Flair once said, “in order to BE the man, you gotta BEAT the man”, and that “man”, is actually a Bearcat.
Cincinnati beat Rutgers by three, can they do the same in Rutger’s house? This one is really close to me, and I personally like both teams, but without the leadership at the quarterback position, I just have to favor Cincinnati by a slim margin. One possession might make the difference…maybe even one point.
Sounds like a good conference matchup to me.
In less than 2 hours I will be watching this game on ESPN, and I wanted to take a moment to reflect on who has the better chance of winning today. I heard talk about how Rutgers might be the team to beat in the Big East, but I also remember that Cincinnati had 11 wins last year…including a 13-10 victory over said Rutgers.
But what also is going to be important is the fact that no Big East team was ranked in the top 25...what a slap in the face to the conference! So today’s game will be a strong signal to the true power (or lack of) from the Big East. Let’s look at each team and see who may come out victorious:
Cincinnati finished last year 11-3, losing to Oklahoma, UCONN and Virginia Tech. Some may wonder the true strength of the Bearcats since the schedule seemed questionable, outside of Oklahoma. Playing Eastern Kentucky, Miami (OH), Akron and Marshall does not really make for a BCS powerhouse, but beating South Florida, West Virginia, Pittsburgh and Rutgers does count for something.
Returning many offensive weapons makes it easier to repeat the successes of last year, but the schedule this year may be more challenging. Only one conference foe in the first 5 games, this game is incredibly important for the Bearcats. They won’t see another conference foe until mid October, and with opponents like Oregon State and Fresno State on the schedule, they need to come out of this at BEST 3-2, maybe even 4-1. A loss here to Rutgers could make the conference spin out again, looking for a true leader.
When you consider that each of Cincinnati’s wins were on average about 8 to 9 points, it shows that they play close games…how easy can that change in one year with the same opponents. Cincinnati seems to have problems winning away games too, in fact, two of their three losses were…away. Add in the bowl game vs. VA Tech, and you see my point.
And of those wins, factor in a 2 point win over Akron, a 3 point win over West Virginia, an 8 point win over Louisville and a 5 point win over Hawaii…these are games that can easily turn on you, and playing Rutgers in their house could be problematic.
Rugters, on the other hand, won 8 games last year, after starting out 0-3 and was as bad as1-5 before they started to turn it around. Losing at home to Fresno State and UNC ended any BCS hopes early, and a loss to Navy at home crushed it. The Scarlet Knights also lose their veteran QB, and a few receivers, so there is a time for retooling for Rutgers. The claim is that with 13 starters returning (initially) there is a good chance for Rutgers to snatch the Big East crown. And coming off a 7 game winning streak, including wins over Connecticut, South Florida and NC State in a bowl does have an upswing.
Of all those wins, the Pittsburgh win seemed most impressive, winning away by 20 points at a score of 54-34. Many of the other wins seemed less than stellar, after all, beating Syracuse, Army and UCONN didn’t really convince many people of the power of a Scarlet Knight. And with Louisville having a terrible season, and ACC foe NC State not putting fear in many, some will question if Rutgers is really ready to take the crown.
But the conference itself may even out, as many question the strength of any team in the Big East…again, NO Big East team has been ranked, so the voters must believe that none of these teams is strong enough to contend for a serious BCS title. It almost seems that by default, somebody has to win the Big East. But it cannot be argued that Rutgers and Cincinnati are quality teams.
Rutgers indeed has the home field advantage, but one can quickly counter by saying that last year Rutgers started the season off with a home loss to Fresno State 24-7, then got thumped by UNC 44-12 in their own living room. This is a situation Rutgers cannot repeat, scoring only 19 points in the first two games. Looking at Rutger’s schedule, if they can get by Cincinnati, it is quite possible that this could be the banner year they once had a couple years ago with great running back Ray Rice.
IF (a big if) Rutgers can beat Cincinnati, their next few games include Howard, Florida International before a trip to Maryland. Three home games before they go on the road, then after Maryland they are home for Texas Southern and Pittsburgh, a team they beat away by 20...
You can see the possibilities here for Rutgers. Yes they lost to Cincinnati and West Virginia last year, but those were away games…this year they are home. IF Rutgers can get past Cincinnati, this could quite easily be a 9+ win season, maybe even 10, as the Scarlet Knights would become the heir apparent to the Big East.
So who wins? Home field advantage means so much to any college team, and you’d like to automatically favor Rutgers, but we saw how they lost their first 2 home games last year. And if they are looking past this game in hopes of a 10 win season, something that is quite possible, then they may fail their first test.
It’s like legendary wrestler Ric Flair once said, “in order to BE the man, you gotta BEAT the man”, and that “man”, is actually a Bearcat.
Cincinnati beat Rutgers by three, can they do the same in Rutger’s house? This one is really close to me, and I personally like both teams, but without the leadership at the quarterback position, I just have to favor Cincinnati by a slim margin. One possession might make the difference…maybe even one point.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Where are the Big East teams???
Has ANYBODY seen the Big East?
I was looking for something before the college football games started today, and I had a hard time finding it. But it wasn’t nearly as hard as finding a Big East team in the top 25.
What’s going on here?
I am not saying this as a complaint to the pollsters, I say that to the conference that apparently does not have one team good enough to be in the top 25 at the beginning of the season. And to think, just a couple years ago people were singing the praises of Rutgers and West Virginia. Now, what’s up with that?
Didn’t Cincinnati finish 11-3 last year? Didn’t Uconn once have a 5-game winning streak and finish 8-5? Louisville was once one of the highest scoring teams a couple of years ago. Pittsburgh won 9 games last year!
Rutgers went 8-5 last year and it wasn’t too long ago when South Florida was in the top 3 in the NATION. West Virginia won 9 games last year and Syracuse…
Well, they can’t all be steaks, as my professor once said.
This is almost disturbing that a “power conference” can be snubbed for lack of power. But there are obviously some reasons for it, one being that it is a small conference, and lacks the competition that the other conferences have. Last year I personally felt that the Mountain West Conference, with Utah, BYU, TCU and Air Force, was more competitive than the Big East.
But come on, surely ONE Big East team ought to have made the top 25, right?
Six out of 8 teams made post season, it has to count for something, right?
Right?
Well, let’s look at the conference as of last year and see why nobody put a Big East team in the preseason top 25.
Let’s start with Syracuse…
Uh…let’s not. Moving on…
West Virginia had a 9-4 record, but a soft Big East schedule (and a short one), coupled with the embarrassing loss to ECU hurt them. Losing to Colorado didn’t help either, even though West Virginia did beat UNC at the end of the season. But losing Pat White means rebuilding, which may be a problem.
South Florida was one of those teams that almost had the nation at their feet. I kinda wonder why this team wasn’t at least near the bottom of the top 25 this year, they beat Kansas last year, won their bowl, and had a pretty good year. They have some of the star players back, but many say there are holes in the team. Four of their 5 losses came from teams with a winning record, so I guess there would be some beef as to why South Florida wasn’t at least considered in the bottom half of the top 25. It might be because the last two years, they started out great, but fizzled at the end.
Rutgers went 8-5 and no longer have their ace QB. I bet they wish they still had Ray Rice. For a team that started 1-5, they salvaged the season pretty well. They beat everybody in the conference except Cincinnati and West Virginia, but I suppose if you take those two out, the competition might not be so hot. Still, some pollsters put Rugters just out of the top 25, so a win or two early might get them back in. But they gotta get by Cincinnati, first on their list.
Pittsburgh loses their two main rushers from last year and needs to step it up a bit. A 9-4 record is cool, but losing to Bowling Green off the top in 2008 didn’t look so good. Losing that bowl game to Oregon State 0-3 left a lot of question marks as well, but if you factor out the conference schedule, they did beat Buffalo (MAC Champions), Iowa and Notre Dame. That is not a bad resume. Looking at their schedule, it is possible for Pittsburgh to be 5-0 and get on that top 25 list…watch for it.
What happened to Louisville? A 5-7 season, with a loss to Kentucky and several conference foes. This season does NOT look good for them, having lost their star QB, and AT Kentucky, AT Utah, AT Connecticut, AT Cincinnati, AT West Virginia and AT South Florida…ugh! I don’t see any hope here folks.
Connecticut to me is one of those decent teams that can sneak up on you based on their weak strength of schedule. Not saying anything bad about the Huskies, I like their style. But often times when it is time to prove, they fall a little short. Yeah they beat Virginia last year, and started out 5-0, but that changed quickly as they finished 3-5, although beating Buffalo in a bowl game. Playing Baylor, Ohio and Rhode Island might give them 3 wins, and I can see 6 wins easy but a top 25 ranking…not quite sure. They might sneak up there for a minute or two before dropping out.
And Cincinnati, why aren’t they in the top 25? They finished 11-3, come on, give a Bearcat some love! Their three losses were to Oklahoma, Connecticut and losing at the end of season to Virginia Tech. They return a lot of key offensive weapons, and their schedule is quite favorable. They don’t play Oklahoma or Virginia Tech this year, and Connecticut has to come see them….this could be a pretty favorable schedule for Cincinnati, and maybe the Big East privately lays hopes on them making some noise and bringing some credibility back to the conference.
Of course, all the preseason polls are purely speculative, but one has to wonder why not even one Big East team is on the top 25...the conference has something to prove, and they better get started quickly, lest they lose all respect from the other teams and conferences in the nation. The only way to get that respect is to do one thing…win… and win today.
I was looking for something before the college football games started today, and I had a hard time finding it. But it wasn’t nearly as hard as finding a Big East team in the top 25.
What’s going on here?
I am not saying this as a complaint to the pollsters, I say that to the conference that apparently does not have one team good enough to be in the top 25 at the beginning of the season. And to think, just a couple years ago people were singing the praises of Rutgers and West Virginia. Now, what’s up with that?
Didn’t Cincinnati finish 11-3 last year? Didn’t Uconn once have a 5-game winning streak and finish 8-5? Louisville was once one of the highest scoring teams a couple of years ago. Pittsburgh won 9 games last year!
Rutgers went 8-5 last year and it wasn’t too long ago when South Florida was in the top 3 in the NATION. West Virginia won 9 games last year and Syracuse…
Well, they can’t all be steaks, as my professor once said.
This is almost disturbing that a “power conference” can be snubbed for lack of power. But there are obviously some reasons for it, one being that it is a small conference, and lacks the competition that the other conferences have. Last year I personally felt that the Mountain West Conference, with Utah, BYU, TCU and Air Force, was more competitive than the Big East.
But come on, surely ONE Big East team ought to have made the top 25, right?
Six out of 8 teams made post season, it has to count for something, right?
Right?
Well, let’s look at the conference as of last year and see why nobody put a Big East team in the preseason top 25.
Let’s start with Syracuse…
Uh…let’s not. Moving on…
West Virginia had a 9-4 record, but a soft Big East schedule (and a short one), coupled with the embarrassing loss to ECU hurt them. Losing to Colorado didn’t help either, even though West Virginia did beat UNC at the end of the season. But losing Pat White means rebuilding, which may be a problem.
South Florida was one of those teams that almost had the nation at their feet. I kinda wonder why this team wasn’t at least near the bottom of the top 25 this year, they beat Kansas last year, won their bowl, and had a pretty good year. They have some of the star players back, but many say there are holes in the team. Four of their 5 losses came from teams with a winning record, so I guess there would be some beef as to why South Florida wasn’t at least considered in the bottom half of the top 25. It might be because the last two years, they started out great, but fizzled at the end.
Rutgers went 8-5 and no longer have their ace QB. I bet they wish they still had Ray Rice. For a team that started 1-5, they salvaged the season pretty well. They beat everybody in the conference except Cincinnati and West Virginia, but I suppose if you take those two out, the competition might not be so hot. Still, some pollsters put Rugters just out of the top 25, so a win or two early might get them back in. But they gotta get by Cincinnati, first on their list.
Pittsburgh loses their two main rushers from last year and needs to step it up a bit. A 9-4 record is cool, but losing to Bowling Green off the top in 2008 didn’t look so good. Losing that bowl game to Oregon State 0-3 left a lot of question marks as well, but if you factor out the conference schedule, they did beat Buffalo (MAC Champions), Iowa and Notre Dame. That is not a bad resume. Looking at their schedule, it is possible for Pittsburgh to be 5-0 and get on that top 25 list…watch for it.
What happened to Louisville? A 5-7 season, with a loss to Kentucky and several conference foes. This season does NOT look good for them, having lost their star QB, and AT Kentucky, AT Utah, AT Connecticut, AT Cincinnati, AT West Virginia and AT South Florida…ugh! I don’t see any hope here folks.
Connecticut to me is one of those decent teams that can sneak up on you based on their weak strength of schedule. Not saying anything bad about the Huskies, I like their style. But often times when it is time to prove, they fall a little short. Yeah they beat Virginia last year, and started out 5-0, but that changed quickly as they finished 3-5, although beating Buffalo in a bowl game. Playing Baylor, Ohio and Rhode Island might give them 3 wins, and I can see 6 wins easy but a top 25 ranking…not quite sure. They might sneak up there for a minute or two before dropping out.
And Cincinnati, why aren’t they in the top 25? They finished 11-3, come on, give a Bearcat some love! Their three losses were to Oklahoma, Connecticut and losing at the end of season to Virginia Tech. They return a lot of key offensive weapons, and their schedule is quite favorable. They don’t play Oklahoma or Virginia Tech this year, and Connecticut has to come see them….this could be a pretty favorable schedule for Cincinnati, and maybe the Big East privately lays hopes on them making some noise and bringing some credibility back to the conference.
Of course, all the preseason polls are purely speculative, but one has to wonder why not even one Big East team is on the top 25...the conference has something to prove, and they better get started quickly, lest they lose all respect from the other teams and conferences in the nation. The only way to get that respect is to do one thing…win… and win today.
Friday, September 19, 2008
West VA football
West Virginia Football and the Big East
What a difference a COACH makes, huh?
Last night I watched on ESPN West Virginia vs. Colorado, and I really thought this was going to be the “statement” game for WVA. When I saw this game coming on, I figured that WVA was going to (and NEEDED to) make an example out of Colorado. They came off a big win off Villanova (by points only, not by measure) and a surprising loss to ECU.
Players on the Mountaineer team said themselves that they were a bit too cocky, and perhaps learned a lesson in humility, so I figured that this ought to be a big win, especially since the university was gonna try to push their QB, Pat White, for a Heisman run.
But Colorado was 2-0, beating Colorado State and Eastern Washington. I personally had something against Colorado because I thought their head coach took the job because it seemed to guarantee his own son a quarterback position, but that’s just my foolish opinion. Personally, if he’s good, then there should be no question.
But I still thought WVA should win this game…big.
So what happened? I sat there flipping back and forth between this game and the one on ESPNU on Alcorn State and Arkansas Pine Bluff…
(Folks, I SAID I am a big college football fan)
Since the ESPNU game came on first, my attention was fixed on that, but once the WVA/Colorado game started, I had to bounce back and forth.
I gotta tell you, I was deeply disappointed in how WVA played. When ECU beat them, that could have been a fluke…but losing to Colorado seems to substantiate that this team was never a top 10 squad to begin with. In fact, by Sunday they won’t be in the top 25 at all.
It’s like the coach burned every play in the playbook that had anything to do with passing. Even the guys calling the game on ESPN had major questions about the play calling. The game was always there for them to win, even when Colorado jumped on them 14-0 in the first half.
But they failed to manage the clock near the end of the game, and with poor kicking, they managed to lose this very important game in the overtime. This virtually eliminates them from ANY hope of the National title…heck, ONE loss did that.
But it seems that maybe the only redeeming factor is in the idea that the Big East seems to be a very soft conference this year…that and the ACC (of which I live in the middle of). West Virginia lost this game and should be very embarrassed because they are much better than that, but 2 losses is like sticking a battle axe in your sternum…you’re about done.
But maybe not…if you look at it this way:
The goal of any college football team is to win the National Championship. If not that, then make it to a BCS Bowl (where all the money lies). If not that, then qualify for a bowl (any bowl). If not that, have a winning season.
Even inside those goals are other goals, like winning the conference, or finishing the season on the top 10, or top 25 or anything like that. Let’s not think that the ONLY goal is winning the National Championship, only 2 teams get that shot, and only one will win. The other 99% of the division won’t see it.
So West Virginia has to rethink their goals. Yeah, they’re down now, but they can still salvage the season (amazing that I’m saying this 3 games in the season).
So look at your schedule. Of the remaining games, West Virginia has every chance to win the minimum 6 games to qualify for a bowl. To me, Marshall should be one, and with home games vs. Rutgers and Syracuse, I might almost guarantee one victory there. So WVA can come out of this 4-3 or 5-2. I’m just not convinced about Rutgers yet; they got some problems.
The Auburn game will be a tough one, and I don’t really see WVA (at this point) winning it. But let’s say they don’t, can they beat Uconn? Maybe, maybe not, but if they are going to make a stand, they have to win that particular game, I think it defines their season (unless they beat Auburn, which I cannot predict).
Two away games vs. Louisville and Pittsburgh are going to tell if this team has lightning in a bottle, or just a “mid card” team. Then you finish with South Florida. Here is the question for WVA… can you win 8 games? If they play like they did against Colorado, running 487 times a game…then I see them finishing with 6 wins… and MAYBE a bowl.
But if they start passing and mixing up the plays a bit and stop becoming so predictable, then I CAN see 8 wins. What I saw last night of WVA was not the team I saw last year, granted they lost a great running back, but that #8 by your name seemed to have been taken too lightly. Now there is NO number by their name except this one…
1-2.
Until next blog….
What a difference a COACH makes, huh?
Last night I watched on ESPN West Virginia vs. Colorado, and I really thought this was going to be the “statement” game for WVA. When I saw this game coming on, I figured that WVA was going to (and NEEDED to) make an example out of Colorado. They came off a big win off Villanova (by points only, not by measure) and a surprising loss to ECU.
Players on the Mountaineer team said themselves that they were a bit too cocky, and perhaps learned a lesson in humility, so I figured that this ought to be a big win, especially since the university was gonna try to push their QB, Pat White, for a Heisman run.
But Colorado was 2-0, beating Colorado State and Eastern Washington. I personally had something against Colorado because I thought their head coach took the job because it seemed to guarantee his own son a quarterback position, but that’s just my foolish opinion. Personally, if he’s good, then there should be no question.
But I still thought WVA should win this game…big.
So what happened? I sat there flipping back and forth between this game and the one on ESPNU on Alcorn State and Arkansas Pine Bluff…
(Folks, I SAID I am a big college football fan)
Since the ESPNU game came on first, my attention was fixed on that, but once the WVA/Colorado game started, I had to bounce back and forth.
I gotta tell you, I was deeply disappointed in how WVA played. When ECU beat them, that could have been a fluke…but losing to Colorado seems to substantiate that this team was never a top 10 squad to begin with. In fact, by Sunday they won’t be in the top 25 at all.
It’s like the coach burned every play in the playbook that had anything to do with passing. Even the guys calling the game on ESPN had major questions about the play calling. The game was always there for them to win, even when Colorado jumped on them 14-0 in the first half.
But they failed to manage the clock near the end of the game, and with poor kicking, they managed to lose this very important game in the overtime. This virtually eliminates them from ANY hope of the National title…heck, ONE loss did that.
But it seems that maybe the only redeeming factor is in the idea that the Big East seems to be a very soft conference this year…that and the ACC (of which I live in the middle of). West Virginia lost this game and should be very embarrassed because they are much better than that, but 2 losses is like sticking a battle axe in your sternum…you’re about done.
But maybe not…if you look at it this way:
The goal of any college football team is to win the National Championship. If not that, then make it to a BCS Bowl (where all the money lies). If not that, then qualify for a bowl (any bowl). If not that, have a winning season.
Even inside those goals are other goals, like winning the conference, or finishing the season on the top 10, or top 25 or anything like that. Let’s not think that the ONLY goal is winning the National Championship, only 2 teams get that shot, and only one will win. The other 99% of the division won’t see it.
So West Virginia has to rethink their goals. Yeah, they’re down now, but they can still salvage the season (amazing that I’m saying this 3 games in the season).
So look at your schedule. Of the remaining games, West Virginia has every chance to win the minimum 6 games to qualify for a bowl. To me, Marshall should be one, and with home games vs. Rutgers and Syracuse, I might almost guarantee one victory there. So WVA can come out of this 4-3 or 5-2. I’m just not convinced about Rutgers yet; they got some problems.
The Auburn game will be a tough one, and I don’t really see WVA (at this point) winning it. But let’s say they don’t, can they beat Uconn? Maybe, maybe not, but if they are going to make a stand, they have to win that particular game, I think it defines their season (unless they beat Auburn, which I cannot predict).
Two away games vs. Louisville and Pittsburgh are going to tell if this team has lightning in a bottle, or just a “mid card” team. Then you finish with South Florida. Here is the question for WVA… can you win 8 games? If they play like they did against Colorado, running 487 times a game…then I see them finishing with 6 wins… and MAYBE a bowl.
But if they start passing and mixing up the plays a bit and stop becoming so predictable, then I CAN see 8 wins. What I saw last night of WVA was not the team I saw last year, granted they lost a great running back, but that #8 by your name seemed to have been taken too lightly. Now there is NO number by their name except this one…
1-2.
Until next blog….
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