It was a good week for the Big East, but it was oh-so-close to being a great week for the league. If not for a fumbled punt return by Louisville's Trent Guy and a turnover-fest by West Virginia on a rainy night in Auburn, Ala., the Big East would be have been a perfect 8-0 last week in non-conference action.The league went 6-2, including a 3-2 mark against BCS opponents and upsets by UConn at Baylor and Syracuse against Northwestern.
For as well as the league did, though, there was a touch of melancholy with the news that USF QB Matt Grothe, the league's all-time leader in total offense, suffered a torn ACL Saturday against Charleston Southern, ending his USF career.
The Cincinnati Bearcats – one team that's all too aware of having to replace quarterbacks – posted the most impressive win of the week, knocking off Oregon State in Corvallis. It ended a 26-game winning streak by the Beavers against non-conference teams at home.
Some things we may have actually figured out in the past week
1. No matter how good your starting QB might be, you better have a quality backup.
Besides the devastating news about Grothe's season-ending torn ACL, a couple of other league teams had some anxious moments with their quarterbacks. Rutgers' Tom Savage was knocked down against Florida International and was motionless on the turf for about 45 seconds. Savage appears he'll be OK. Also, West Virginia's Jarrett Brown left late in Saturday's loss at Auburn with what appeared to be an injury to his left (non-throwing) shoulder. Savage and Brown should return this week. Grothe, however, doesn't have that luxury.
2. The bottom of the Big East isn't as bad as I thought.
To UConn coach Randy Edsall: I apologize. I thought you guys would tank it, stink up the joint at Baylor. Yet, without three offensive starters, the Huskies pulled off the upset. And kudos to Syracuse. Even though I predicted a Syracuse upset against Northwestern, that doesn't diminish the job the Orange did in outlasting the Wildcats. Even though Syracuse blew a 17-0 first quarter lead. And poor Louisville. The Cardinals had the game won at Kentucky, but a fumbled punt return proved to be the difference.
3. And the top of the Big East is better than most people think.
Winning at Oregon State is no easy task -- just ask USC. The Bearcats keep chugging along and continue to climb in the polls. It's only a matter of weeks, I guess, before we start seeing the "does an undefeated Cincinnati deserve a spot in the BCS title game?" storylines. Pittsburgh also keeps winning, but victories against Youngstown State, Buffalo and Navy doesn't exactly qualify the Panthers as world beaters just yet. West Virginia's offense has proven it can run up and down the field, but if the Mountaineers don't get a handle on the ball or improve their turnover margin, it's not going to matter.
4. The preseason is over for USF.
The Bulls played nearly as many preseason games as NFL teams opening against Wofford, Western Kentucky and Charleston Southern. This week, the Bulls will finally find out what kind of team they have when they visit Florida State.
Re-Tweeting Week 3
Ranking the league from top to bottom and summarizing each team, in 140 characters or less.
1. Cincinnati: We've already touted that Bearcats are best team in city. Heck, they might be best team in state of Ohio, including OSU.
2. Pitt: Say it ain't so: Pittsburgh's home fans are actually cheering for QB Bill Stull. What's next? Philly fans cut Santa Claus some slack?
3. WVU: Mountaineers still drying out from Saturday's sloshing at Auburn. WVU off this week before hosting Colorado next Thursday.
4. USF: I might rank the Bulls higher if they had played anybody so far. QB B.J. Daniels makes his homecoming to Tallahassee Saturday.
5. UConn: Baylor won't ever be confused with Texas, or Texas Tech, or you get the point, but UConn got an impressive win on the Big 12 road.
6. Syracuse: What an impact former Duke point guard Greg Paulus has had at quarterback. Two of SU's first three games decided on last second treys.
7. Rutgers: If Scarlet Knights win at Maryland Saturday, they have an open date and Texas Southern on tap before Pitt comes to town Oct. 16.
8. Louisville: Muhammad Ali attended UL's loss at Kentucky, but Cards never could deliver the knock out. UL may get KO'd at Utah this week.
You can follow Brett McMurphy on Twitter at twitter.com/Brettmcmurphy
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Can't say I disagree with the rankings.
For USF BJ is a great talent but we have to wait and see how well he does against the defenses of the BE. My guess is he will do fine but I don't know how well he will handle the pressure.
If he plays solid and poised, despite a loss against FSU, then a 5th bowl and a BE crown is probable and possible, respectively. However, if he doesn't look poised then it could be a long year but with a great upside in the future for USF.