NCAA Football FanHouse http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com NCAA Football FanHouse http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif NCAA Football FanHouse http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/WVU vs. Pitt: Them's Fightin' Wordshttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/26/wvu-vs-pitt-thems-fightin-words/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/26/wvu-vs-pitt-thems-fightin-words/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/26/wvu-vs-pitt-thems-fightin-words/#commentsFiled under: , ,

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- The Backyard Brawl between West Virginia and Pittsburgh is one of the best -- and better named -- rivalries in college football.

And it's also home to the Big East's rudest fan bases, according to a survey of college football fans by SI.com.

The survey of 33,144 fans nationwide voted West Virginia and Pittsburgh as the favorite stadiums to visit in the Big East -- 23.2 percent voted for WVU's Milan Puskar Stadium and 19.5 percent voted for Pitt's Heinz Field.

However, West Virginia and Pitt fans also were the overwhelming choices as the league's rudest fans. WVU received 34.9 percent of the vote, followed by Pitt at 25 percent.

Friday night when Pitt visits West Virginia, there might be more late hits in the stands than on the field.

On the field, the Panthers (9-1) have been cruising since their head-scratching loss to N.C. State, and have won six consecutive games. West Virginia (7-3) is stumbling down the stretch, having lost two of three and its once-vaunted running game has been sputtering lately.

Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said when these teams play "you can throw the record books out." Just make sure it doesn't hit a WVU or Pitt fan or you might get to experience your own Backyard Brawl.

Three of the last five meetings between the Mountaineers and Panthers have been decided by four points or less. Expect another close one, but the Panthers emerge with the victory.

Onto the rest of my Big East picks as I try to make a late surge and get over the 50 percent hump.
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Rutgers at Louisville (Friday): Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said the Scarlet Knights were likely overconfident entering last week's loss to Syracuse and called it a "perfect storm" in a bad way. Rutgers, which still has hopes of a bowl trip to Charlotte or St. Pete, won't overlook the Cardinals, who likely are playing their final game under Steve Kragthorpe. Rutgers covers the field goal.

Illinois at Cincinnati (Friday): QB Tony Pike returns to the starting lineup on Cincinnati's Senior Day, but the big concern in Cincinnati isn't Pike's left arm. Charlie Weis appears on the way out at Notre Dame and Brian Kelly has been widely reported/touted/promoted as the leading candidate. The Bearcats face an Illinois offense that averages 190 yards rushing a game. Those are better numbers than UConn and West Virginia, who both were able to run the ball against UC and gave the Bearcats a scare. Since a 30-0 loss to Ohio State, four of the Illini's five losses were by 13 points or less. That's not really a ringing endorsement, but Cincinnati may be a little distracted with the uncertainty of Kelly and Pittsburgh on deck. The Zooker getting 20½ points? Sure, why not.

Miami at South Florida (Saturday): To be in the Big Three? Or not to be in the Big Three? That is the question about USF. When the Bulls won at Florida State earlier this season, the school's marketing department posted a billboard proclaiming: "Welcome to the Club Bulls Fans. Big 4" with the logos of Florida, FSU, Miami and USF. However, since the billboard was erected -- it was only up for a week -- USF has lost three of five games. Saturday USF plays Miami in its first home game against a Big Three/Big Four member. Two years ago USF WR Taurus Johnson was asked if the Bulls were part of the state's elite programs. "I already thought [USF was] in the Big Three," Johnson said. "I didn't know Miami was still there." Miami is still there and will remind the Bulls who is a Big Three member and who isn't. Hurricanes cover the 5½.

Syracuse at UConn (Saturday): Last week Syracuse managed its one Big East victory of the year. The last time Syracuse won consecutive Big East games was 2004. Since then the Orange has gone 4-30 in Big East play. The Huskies, who kept their bowl hopes alive by beating Notre Dame, is nearly a two-touchdown favorite against the Orange. In the past five years, UConn has been that big of a favorite in league play only one other time against -- you guessed it -- Syracuse in 2007. And UConn won easily. The Orange is still celebrating last week's win, while the Huskies are focused on winning out and earning a third consecutive bowl berth. UConn covers the 13½.

Last Week: 2-1 (straight up); 2-1 (against the spread)

Season: 50-10 (83.3 percent) (straight up); 23-26-1 (46.9 percent) (against the spread)

Contact FanHouse reporter Brett McMurphy at brettmcmurphy@gmail.com

WVU vs. Pitt: Them's Fightin' Words originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 26 Nov 2009 21:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Brett McMurphyThu, 26 Nov 2009 21:00:00 EST UConn Finally Hits Sweet Note for Jazzhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/24/uconn-finally-hits-sweet-note-for-jazz/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/24/uconn-finally-hits-sweet-note-for-jazz/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/24/uconn-finally-hits-sweet-note-for-jazz/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Randy EdsallFor nearly a month, UConn coach Randy Edsall knew what he would do -- he just started to wonder when he would get the opportunity.

That chance finally came Saturday when the Huskies defeated Notre Dame, 33-30, in double overtime. After three excruciating losses, the Huskies finally had a victory for murdered teammate Jasper Howard.

"We've been working very, very hard to get a win for Jazz and his family after his death," Edsall said. "Each week that went by, it seemed like there was a little more burden to get that done. But when we got that taken care of at Notre Dame, I didn't tell the team what I was doing, but I knew what I was going to do once we got that victory."

After the game, Edsall said he talked to Howard's family. Edsall said he will send them the game ball.

The Huskies (5-5) continue to be one of the nation's most resilient teams.

"Jazz made the comment after the Louisville game [the last one he played before his death], he echoed that saying we have in our facility: 'you have to play every play like it's the last play,' " Edsall said. "They understood, but they took it more to heart after the tragic death of Jazz. It just resonated more with our young people and carried an even stronger message to them."

The victory against Notre Dame also helped the Huskies' bowl hopes and restored confidence to the team, Edsall said.

"This should help our confidence," Edsall said. "You keep getting into the games and lose those close ones, and to get one, I think, will boost everybody's morale and confidence up."

Pike Returns to Starting Lineup

Cincinnati QB Tony Pike is slated to start Friday against Illinois, his first start since Oct. 15 at South Florida.

Since injuring his left forearm at USF, Pike missed the Bearcats' next three games before playing against West Virginia on Nov. 13. Pike attempted only four passes, throwing two short TD passes.

"He's got 'escapability' so he's going to get out on the perimeter and he's going to throw and get hit," Kelly said. "I'm sure he'll have some moments on Friday where he goes, 'Oh, OK, here it comes,' and he's got to take care of himself."

Pike will have the luxury of returning to the starting lineup against a team that ranks 89th out of 120 FBS teams in total defense and 90th in passing defense.

Breakfast with the Big East

Friday's Rutgers at Louisville game will feature an 11AM kickoff. Rutgers coach Greg Schiano said on Thanksgiving Day in 2004, Rutgers played UConn with a 10AM kickoff.

He joked that Friday's game "is actually a little late."

Schiano was not laughing, though, about the Scarlet Knights' performance in Saturday's 34-13 loss at Syracuse. Schiano said his club was overconfident against Syracuse.

"I think so, I'd be naïve if I think it didn't have a factor," Schiano said. "It's a shame. That lesson, we should know by now. I think it was a perfect storm in a bad way for us."

That perfect storm was a combination of earning its first Top 25 ranking in two years after a 31-0 victory against South Florida and then playing the Orange, who Rutgers had beaten four consecutive times by at least 18 points. Instead, Syracuse posted its largest margin in Big East play in five seasons.

Odds Are Irish Eyes locked on Kelly

Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly and Florida's Urban Meyer are listed as the favorites to replace Charlie Weis at Notre Dame, according to sports-odds.com. Both coaches are listed as 3-to-2 favorites even though Meyer said Monday "I'm going to coach at Florida as long as they'll have me. So I want to make that clear."

Kelly has not made any such statement about staying at Cincinnati. He has said he will not discuss Notre Dame rumors and only comment about Cincinnati's football program.

Besides Kelly and Meyer, the next likely candidates are Stanford's Jim Harbaugh (3-to-1), Oregon's Chip Kelly (5-to-1), Iowa's Kirk Ferentz (10-to-1), Oklahoma's Bob Stoops (20-to-1) and former Tampa Bay Bucs coach Jon Gruden (30-to-1), according to the website.

Around the League

UConn has the Big East's best football graduation rate and the worst basketball graduation rate. Here are the graduation rates released by the NCAA for the football and men's basketball players who entered NCAA Division I schools from 1999-2002 and went on to graduate within six years. Football: UConn 82 percent, Rutgers 81, Syracuse 77, Cincinnati 75, Pittsburgh 68, West Virginia 61, USF 60, Louisville 59. Men's basketball: Marquette and Notre Dame 100 percent, Villanova 92, Georgetown 82, Providence 77, Pittsburgh 75, Rutgers 70, St. John's 60, Syracuse 55, Cincinnati and Seton Hall 53, DePaul 46, USF 44 and West Virginia 44, Louisville 38, UConn 27. ... Louisville RB Victor Anderson, last year's Big East Freshman of the Year after rushing for 1,047 yards, will undergo shoulder surgery ending his sophomore season. Anderson played in eight games and finished with 473 yards. ... Pitt announced its future non-conference schedules through 2013. Among the highlights: 2010 -- at Utah, home vs. Miami; 2011 -- at Iowa, home vs. Utah; 2012 -- home vs. Virginia Tech; 2013 -- at Virginia Tech plus annual games with Notre Dame.

Contact FanHouse reporter Brett McMurphy at brettmcmurphy@gmail.com

UConn Finally Hits Sweet Note for Jazz originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Randy EdsallRandyEdsallBrett McMurphyTue, 24 Nov 2009 14:28:00 EST UConn Wins for Jasper Howard, at Lasthttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/23/uconn-wins-for-jasper-howard-at-last/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/23/uconn-wins-for-jasper-howard-at-last/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/23/uconn-wins-for-jasper-howard-at-last/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

FanHouse Big East writer Brett McMurphy looks back at the week that was in the Big East Rewind.

Two weeks ago, UConn coach Randy Edsall and senior running back Andre Dixon both said how much the Huskies' really needed a bye week after a third consecutive last-minute loss at Cincinnati.

If no other team needed a bye like UConn, no other team in the country needed a victory like UConn. And that's exactly what the Huskies' got. UConn went into South Bend, Ind., and defeated Notre Dame 33-30 in double overtime Saturday.

It was the first victory since the murder of UConn cornerback Jasper Howard. After the game, Edsall pointed skyward in honor of Howard, while the Huskies' players held aloft Howard's No. 6 jersey.

Did anyone else notice UConn's final score just happen to be 33 (3+3=6)?

UConn's victory highlighted last week's Big East action as the Big East's bests -- Cincinnati-Pittsburgh or Pittsburgh-Cincinnati, if you prefer -- were idle last week.

In the only other two games involving league teams, South Florida thumped Louisville to secure a bowl berth for a fifth consecutive season and Syracuse upset Rutgers to avoid a winless Big East debut season for Doug Marrone.

Some things we may have figured out in the past week

1. Don't believe the preseason magazines, at least concerning offensive lines

Rutgers offensive line was hailed as (pick one): the best offensive line in the history of the Big East or one of the nation's best offensive lines. Athlon's ranked Rutgers' o-line as the nation's eighth best, while literally every preseason magazine and dot-com preseason preview touted Rutgers as the league's best. Yet, the Scarlet Knights allowed nine sacks in Saturday's loss at Syracuse and have the league's second-worst offense.

2. South Florida's B.J. Daniels should concentrate strictly on football

On Saturday against Louisville, Daniels had 445 yards of total offense, becoming the first player in Big East history and only 28th player in FBS history with 100 yards rushing and 300 yards passing in a game. The redshirt freshman is easily one of the league's most talented football players. But Daniels also has a love for basketball. That was the main reason he signed with USF because of an opportunity to play both sports. He played sparingly last season for USF's basketball team and has said he will play again after the conclusion of USF's football season. Unless the basketball team suffers a rash of injuries, Daniels likely won't get much playing time again this season and playing both sports will only curb his development on the football field.

3. Cincinnati fans are having some restless nights

UConn's victory all but sealed the fate of Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis. So in the matter of days (minutes?), Bearcats faithful will find out exactly how serious a candidate Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly is for the Fighting Irish. The Bearcats, though, aren't going down without a fight. The school has decided to borrow $9.7 million to start construction on athletic practice fields, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. Building the new practice fields are a requirement in Kelly's new five-year contract.
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Re-Tweeting Week 12

Ranking the league from top to bottom and summarizing each team, in 140 characters or less.

1. Cincinnati: On Friday, Brian Kelly matches wits with Illinois' Ron Zook. This really doesn't seem fair, does it?
2. Pitt: Does Dave Wannstedt wake up at every night wondering how in the world his Panthers ever lost to N.C. State?
3. West Virginia: Not quite the same, but Mountaineers can damage Pitt's season Friday much like Panthers did to WVU in 2007
4. UConn: Win against Notre Dame -- we're not going to call it an upset -- improves Huskies' bowl hopes
5. Rutgers: Sacked nine times by Syracuse Saturday, QB Tom Savage was on his back more than (insert your own bad joke here)
6. South Florida: Bulls stop the bleeding against Louisville and become bowl eligible for a fifth consecutive season
7. Syracuse: The Orange's upset of Rutgers gives Syracuse's seniors four consecutive seasons with one Big East victory
8. Louisville: Does Steve Kragthorpe end his Cardinals career Friday against Rutgers with a win or loss?

Follow Brett McMurphy on Twitter at twitter.com/BrettmcmurphY

UConn Wins for Jasper Howard, at Last originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>jasper howardBrett McMurphyMon, 23 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST Big East Rewind: Ready for the Big Finishhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/big-east-rewind-after-further-review/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/big-east-rewind-after-further-review/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/16/big-east-rewind-after-further-review/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Pittsburgh fanAfter further review: Cincinnati and Pittsburgh remain on a collision course to determine the Big East championship and BCS bowl berth.

The Bearcats and Panthers experienced some anxious moments down the stretch, but both survived to move a step closer to delivering the Big East its first matchup of Top-10 ranked teams since 2006.

Cincinnati held off West Virginia, 24-21, and Pittsburgh outlasted Notre Dame 27-22 over the weekend. Did we mention both UC and Pitt were playing at home and benefited from two game-changing replay reversals?

And who says the SEC has the monopoly on all the controversial replay calls?

The No. 5 ranked Bearcats (10-0, 6-0 Big East) and No. 8 Panthers (9-1, 5-0) get a chance to catch their breath this weekend. West Virginia also is off this weekend, giving the Mountaineers time to reflect on their first two-game Big East losing streak since 2004 and watch Rich Rod against Ohio State.

Some things we may have figured out in the past week:

1. Chris Fowler isn't half as embarrassed as Jim Leavitt should be

During Rutgers' 31-0 seal-clubbing of South Florida on Thursday night, ESPN's Chris Fowler remarked he was embarrassed that he had voted for USF on his AP Top 25 ballot last week. (Hey Chris, I feel your pain: I had USF at No. 25 and I should really know better). When the Bulls joined the Big East in 2005, they were expected to compete for a league title: yet they've never finished higher than third (Syracuse is the only other league team without a top two finish). USF is 2-3 in league play and regressing. The Bulls' three Big East losses this year are by a combined 75 points and they're 4-8 in their last 12 Big East games. For a second consecutive year, the Bulls could be headed for a sixth-place finish. Perhaps, Fowler and I should have listened to SI.com's Stewart Mandel, when he wrote about USF's struggles last year: "I fell for the myth that Jim Leavitt's built-from-scratch program had established itself as a nationally relevant program."

2. Is the gig up for Cincinnati?

Another team has discovered Cincinnati's kryptonite that might eventually cost the Bearcats an undefeated season. West Virginia became the third team this season to crack the 200-yard rushing mark against the Bearcats and, not so coincidentally, the third team to hang within a touchdown of Cincinnati. The Bearcats allowed more than 200 yards rushing in close wins against Fresno State (28-20), UConn (47-45) and West Virginia (24-21). In their other seven victories, they allowed an average of 91 yards rushing and had an average winning margin of 28.9 points.

3. The 'R' on the helmet stands for red-hot

Whatever Greg Schiano is doing with his Rutgers teams in the second half of the past four seasons, he should bottle it and sell it -- or try doing the same thing in the first half of the season. Once again, the Scarlet Knights are heating up in the second half of the year. Since 2006, Rutgers' combined record - not including games against FCS opponents -- in the first six games of the year is 10-9. In the same span in the second half of the year, the Scarlet Knights are 19-5. Last year, Rutgers ended the year on a 7-0 run and after Thursday's dismantling of USF, the Scarlet Knights have won their last three games.

Re-Tweeting Week 11

Ranking the league from top to bottom and summarizing each team, in 140 characters or less.

1. Cincinnati: Bad news is the close wins don't impress pollsters. Good news is the 'Cats are now experts at recovering onside kicks
2. Pitt: Nation's only team with a RB (Dion Lewis) and QB (Bill Stull) ranked among the nation's top six in rushing and pass efficiency
3. Rutgers: QB Tom Savage gets all the credit, but the Big East's top-rated defense has been the key to Rutgers' recent resurgence
4. West Virginia: Unless the Mountaineers defeat both Pitt and Rutgers, WVU will finish with its most Big East losses since 2001 team went 1-6
5. UConn: Huskies hoping to extend the Big East's winning streak against Notre Dame to four games
6. South Florida: In five seasons in Big East play, the Bulls are 16-17 and have never finished better than 4-3
7. Louisville: The Cards like 'em close. UL's three wins against FBS teams this season are by a combined 11 points
8. Syracuse: Just like Greg Robinson, Doug Marrone appears headed toward a 0-7 Big East record in his debut season

Follow Brett McMurphy on Twitter at twitter.com/BrettmcmurphY

Big East Rewind: Ready for the Big Finish originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:19:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Brett McMurphyMon, 16 Nov 2009 17:19:00 EST Golden Comeback Not Enough for Irishhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/14/golden-comeback-not-enough-for-irish/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/14/golden-comeback-not-enough-for-irish/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/14/golden-comeback-not-enough-for-irish/#commentsFiled under: ,

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Jonathan Baldwin made two exceptional catches that allowed No. 8 Pittsburgh to open up an 18-point lead in the fourth quarter before Notre Dame rallied behind two touchdowns by star Golden Tate, and the Panthers held on for a 27-22 victory Saturday night that may raise more cries for Fighting Irish coach Charlie Weis' ouster.

Notre Dame (6-4) trailed 27-9 with 12:44 remaining after Dion Lewis' 50-yard touchdown run, then came back before Jimmy Clausen fumbled with just over two minutes remaining.

The Irish followed up a did-it-really-happen 23-21 loss to Navy with their eighth consecutive loss to a Top 10 team - the longest streak in school history. Weis is 1-10 against ranked teams since 2006, and has the same record (35-25) as former coach Bob Davie and the same winning percentage (.583) as former coach Tyrone Willingham, both of whom were fired.

Pitt relied on big plays by Baldwin and running backs Lewis and Ray Graham to improve to 9-1 for the first time since 1982, Dan Marino's senior season, and is headed for a Dec. 5 home date against No. 5 Cincinnati that will decide the Big East Conference champion and BCS bowl representative. A Nov. 27 game at rival West Virginia that won't factor into the conference race.

A game that the Panthers needed to win for prestige and to remain in the Top 10 couldn't have gone much better for them for three quarters-plus, with the offense repeatedly making big plays and the defense frustrating Clausen.

Tate, one of college football's most dynamic talents, nearly brought the Irish back.

Tate ended with nine catches for 113 yards in his second 100-yard game against Pitt in as many seasons, though Pitt followed up on its 36-33, four-OT win in South Bend last season by outgaining the Irish 429-349.

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Called the best player Pitt has faced all season by coach Dave Wannstedt, Tate caught an 18-yard touchdown pass from Clausen to cut it to 27-16 with 9:10 remaining. Tate then ran right up the middle of Pitt's punt coverage unit on an 87-yard touchdown return less than two minutes later.

That score quieted a raucous crowd of 65,374, including thousands of suddenly nervous students who only minutes before loudly sung their adopted good-luck song, Neil Diamond's ``Sweet Caroline'' - only to have a couple of sweet plays by Tate create an uneasy calm.

Until Tate broke loose, Baldwin - overshadowed most of the season by teammate Dorin Dickerson and his 10 touchdown catches - upstaged Tate and Michael Floyd with a string of difference-making catches. Despite being matched step for step by defender Darrin Walls, Baldwin stretched out all of his 6 feet, 5 inches to catch Bill Stull's perfectly thrown 36-yard touchdown catch late in the second half to make it 10-3. Stull went 15 of 27 for 236 yards and no interceptions.

Baldwin then made an even better grab, a soaring 51-yard grab over Walls to the Irish 29 that led to Dan Hutchins' second field goal, a 38-yarder, and a 13-3 lead. After the Irish punted, backup Pitt running back Ray Graham ran through half of the Notre Dame defense on a 53-yard run that led to his 2-yard score one play later.

Lewis, Pitt's 1,000-yard freshman who ran for 152 yards during his sixth 100-yard game, took over on the next drive to score from the 50 and make it 27-9 after Clausen dove in from the 1 on the first play of the fourth quarter. Clausen has pulled off four comeback wins in the fourth quarter this season and, another frantic fourth, nearly did it again.

Nearly.

The Irish got the ball at their own 20 with 3:39 remaining and had a chance to pull off an improbable comeback, but a 15-yard chop block penalty prevented the drive from taking off and Clausen (27 of 42 for 283 yards, one interception) fumbled while under pressure on a third-and-16 play - one initially ruled an incompletion but reversed on replay.

Notre Dame finally got going on offense after being held to three points in the first half, a week after being shut out by Navy before halftime - a loss that rallied the Weis-must-go forces in South Bend once again.

Weis isn't accustomed to his teams not scoring points in Heinz Field. He began his Notre Dame career by beating Pitt 42-21 in 2005, only nine months after his Tom Brady-led Patriots offense rolled past the Steelers 41-27 in the AFC championship game.

Now, there will be speculation Weis' college career may have effectively ended in the same stadium where it began. The Irish still must play Connecticut and Stanford, which has beaten Top 10 teams the last two weeks, and they have again failed to beat any nationally prominent teams.

Golden Comeback Not Enough for Irish originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>FanHouse NewswireSat, 14 Nov 2009 23:30:00 EST Live Blog: Notre Dame's November Wanehttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/14/live-blog-notre-dames-november-wane/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/14/live-blog-notre-dames-november-wane/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/14/live-blog-notre-dames-november-wane/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Charlie WeisPITTSBURGH -- Given our location this evening, I feel a responsibility to work the term "confluence" into the text. For instance, it is an interesting confluence of events that brings Charlie Weis back to Pittsburgh for the first time since his 2005 debut as he is about to coach the most important game of his career. The Fighting Irish have tackled November with all the prowess that they have tackled anything of late, which is to say not well.

The Irish are 3-7 in their last ten November contests after having won their first seven under Weis. We'll see this evening which way the proverbial arrow is pointing in terms of Notre Dame's November nitty gritty.

Key stat heading into the game? Pittsburgh leads the nation in sacks. That's bad news for a team with an immobile quarterback and a back-up who, though experienced, has yet to attempt a pass in a game this season (Evan Sharpley). I cannot, in the words of Matt Millen, "underemphasize enough" how important it is that Clausen, who is likely more dinged up than either he or Weis is letting on, remain in the game.

As for the weather? Absolutely perfect. Is this really Pittsburgh in November? It feels like San Diego. I went running this afternoon and needed sunglasses. You could have run with your shirt off. I wouldn't subject the public to that, but you could.

Enjoy the game. See you on Tweet Street.

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Live Blog: Notre Dame's November Wane originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:14:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>John WaltersSat, 14 Nov 2009 21:14:00 EST Notre Dame Will Be at Home on Roadhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/13/notre-dame-will-be-at-home-on-road/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/13/notre-dame-will-be-at-home-on-road/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/13/notre-dame-will-be-at-home-on-road/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Ron PowlusSOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Pennsylvania is a second home of sorts for the Irish, and not because it happens to be the birthplace of Irish legend Joe Montana.

Nor is it because Pittsburgh's the home of Beano Cook, who once predicted those two Heismans for Berwick, Pa., native Ron Powlus (currently the team's quarterbacks coach).

"We have more subscribers in the state of Pennsylvania than any other state," says inveterate Blue and Gold Illustrated editor Lou Somogyi.

The Panthers, despite their 8-1 record and No. 8 AP ranking, have been averaging crowds in the mid-40,000 level this season at Heinz Field. Saturday night's game, however, despite being available free on television (ABC), is a sellout (65,000-plus) and the Panthers are selling an additional 1,000 standing-room-only ducats. The attendance could possibly break the modern-record for a sporting event in Pittsburgh (66,731 for a 2002 "Backyard Brawl" contest between West Virginia and Pitt).

Even if that record is set, better not to etch it in marble. On Sunday the NFL's Steelers host the suddenly imposing Bengals for the AFC Central lead. And, should Pitt and the University of Cincinnati continue their winning ways, a 10-1 Panther teams hosting an 11-0 Cincy team on Dec. 5 will be every bit as entertaining (actually, more) than the SEC championship game.

As for current Irish Quaker Staters, cornerback Darrin Walls is the most prominent. In his only other visit to his home state in September of '07, Walls picked off a pass at Penn State and returned it 73 yards for a touchdown. It was the only touchdown the Irish scored in their first three games that season.

Only Way to Score for ND

Speaking of which, Notre Dame has now played nine games without scoring a defensive or special teams TD. The Fighting Irish have scored 33 touchdowns, each and every one on a play from scrimmage. Adding variety to the means of six-point production would do much to mitigate those red-zone production issues, no?

Weis Cracks

On Wednesday night, a Chicago Comcast sports host said that Weis had "thrown several players under the bus" this week. I can only imagine that he was referring to Weis' response to a question about what the Irish would do differently in the red zone this week.

"We're going to try not to fumble on the 1," Weis answered. "And we're going to try not to throw an interception inside the 5. Then we're going to try to make field goals when we're on the 14-yard line. That takes care of a few of them."

Is that throwing players under the proverbial bus? Or is that just being honest and accurate? Reminds me of the classic quote from then Tampa Bay Buccaneer coach John McKay. When asked what he thought of his team's execution, McKay quipped, "I'm in favor of it."

This is not football-related, but I had to share. On Tuesday The Observer had an above-the-fold story with the headline "Journalists discuss state of media" (yours truly, unsurprisingly, was not invited to participate). Anyway, a photo accompanied the piece and the caption beneath read as follows: "Jill Abramson and David Shribman discuss the future of jour-"

Might be a good clip to exclude from the portfolio.

Polling Observations

The latest results of The Observer poll, "When should Charlie Weis be fired?" suggest a bermuda-grass roots level of support for the embattled coach is incrementally growing.

A) Never -- 12 percent (11, Wednesday)
B) Should have been fired yesterday -- 31 percent (32)
C) After our next loss -- 8 percent (7)
D) After the season -- 49 percent (50)

One dorm, and only one, is overtly expressing its support for the team this week. Hanging from the third-floor balcony window of Dillon Hall (remember, the self-proclaimed "Smartest, Toughest and Humblest") is a giant bed sheet banner that reads simply, "DON'T FLINCH, BEAT PITT!"

Notre Dame Will Be at Home on Road originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Charlie Weisron powlusJohn WaltersFri, 13 Nov 2009 12:24:00 EST Domer: Corwin Goes Off ... Messagehttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/12/domer-corwin-goes-off-message/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/12/domer-corwin-goes-off-message/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/12/domer-corwin-goes-off-message/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

FanHouse writer John Walters is living in South Bend, Ind., during one of the most pivotal seasons in Notre Dame history. Check back daily for his dispatches on the Irish.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Notre Dame co-defensive coordinator Corwin Brown went Dennis Miller ("I don't mean to get off on a rant, but...") on Wednesday evening, and my question is simply this: Why don't we see this out of the Fighting Irish more often?

If you have yet to see the video, Brown interrupted the first question he was asked during the typically informal gathering and instead called out Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo for nearly two minutes. Brown was most upset by two things:

1) That Niumatalolo would state that "he didn't want something to be misconstrued, then he said it regarding how we prepared and what we prepared to do."

Niumatalolo's actual comment, in response to a question as to what was the key to Navy's hot offensive start, was, "I think the one thing that helped us, and I really hope this doesn't come across wrong, but I think the thing that helped us this year was last year, because we knew that they'd line up the same way."

I remember standing about 10 yards from Niumatalolo when he said that and thinking, "Rancors aweigh!" Niumatalolo was likely being sincere, but he probably could have done without the "I really hope this doesn't come across wrong" clause. A simple, "They lined up exactly the way they did last year and this time we were ready for it" might have stung, but it would have been simple and honest.

For Brown, Niumatalolo's statemement came across the same way as if you were to say, "No disrespect, but --," the three words that are always followed by a disrespectful remark. As if saying that magic phrase absolves you.

2) Malicious downfield blocking. Navy wideout Nick Henderson was called for a personal foul on Irish cornerback Robert Blanton. In this video, you'll see Henderson take a shot at Blanton's knee after the play and far from the play. Brown called it "one of the most malicious plays I've ever seen since I've been playing."
It's one thing to blindside a player. It's another thing to go for the side of his knee when neither one of you are involved in the play. That could have been a career-ending injury.

Brown did more than simply call out Niumatalolo. He called him. The Irish assistant revealed that he placed a phone call earlier this week to Annapolis this week to tell Niumatalolo that he thought it was all "very poor."

Whether you agree with Brown or think he was being a sore loser, such overt emotion from the coaching staff is exactly what this Notre Dame team craves. It's no coincidence that with Charlie Weis upstairs and Brown on the sidelines at the Hawaii Bowl in December that the Irish put a whupping on Hawaii.

Here's the thing about facing Navy. Notre Dame can't win if it loses and it can't win if it wins. When the Irish lose, as they've done two of the past four years, the response -- and rightfully so -- is "How can you lose to Navy?" Yet three years ago, Notre Dame won in Baltimore and a local scribe actually chided Weis for keeping Brady Quinn in too long, indirectly accusing him of running up the score. The final that afternoon? 38-14.

Last season Weis pulled his starters midway through the fourth with a 27-7 lead. Then Navy almost came all the way back and, of course, we excoriated Weis for being so cavalier.

What Navy represents each year, as one Irish official put it last week, "is a pain in the ass."

So if you can't win for losing and you can't win for winning, well, you might as well win. And win big, if you can.
No matter how you feel about whether Weis should be fired, next year's Navy game would be so much more worth watching if he and Brown are still involved.

Making a Point

If you happened to be watching "SportsCenter" just before 7 p.m. on Wednesday evening, you saw them cut away to a routine at West Point performed by cadets that is known as the "accountability formation." I don't think this is exactly what Weis is referring to this week ... then again, it couldn't hurt.




On Tuesday Weis revealed that Jimmy Clausen, alias No. 7, was texting him Sunday at 1 .m.

"Most people after the game were feeling sorry for themselves," Weis said. "He was mad at himself because he felt that he had lost the game. And that's what really good players do. They don't look at any other reason than themselves. I mean the kid's texting me at 1:00 in the morning about fumbling on the 1-yard line. He had just thrown 450 yards, going up and down the field. That meant nothing to him."

A few thoughts on this statement:

1) The Irish might be better off if Weis did a better job of spreading the love, at least publicly, for his players. We knew that Clausen was extraordinarily talented, and on Saturday we were reminded just how tough he is. The young man has the mobility of your great uncle Elmer and his goal-line moxie won't remind anyone of Tebow, but other than that he is pretty flawless. Still, would it hurt to Weis to shower Golden Tate with praise more often for bailing the Irish out on a weekly basis? Or to note that Eric Olsen, in his first season playing center, has yet to allow a sack?

2) Weis' cellphone should have been blowing up with text messages from a lot of players on Saturday night. There's no excuse for how flat the Irish were in the first half, and that's on the coaching staff. On the other hand, it's true, the players have to be accountable for not making plays. A short list of players besides Clausen who might have texted Weis on Saturday evening:

--Nick Tausch, for missing two field goals.

--Michael Floyd, for failing to pick up Clausen's "double cadence", which led to the interception.

-- Robby Parris, for failing to secure the ball and fumbling on the game's third play from scrimmage.

-- Robert Blanton, for failing to cover a slot receiver he thought had lined up on the line of scrimmage.

Regardless of whether Blanton was correct, what team would send only two players wide on the same side of the field and place them both on the line, therefore rendering the inside man ineligible? Why would a DB ever assume that? And Blanton needs to understand how poor it looks for a player to be pleading with a referee as the play is still ongoing.

--Brian Smith, for being mostly responsible for making Vince Murray a household name.. Smith may have led the Irish in tackles on Saturday with ten, but the middle linebacker should have had more. Watch the first play of the fourth quarter. That's the play in which fullback Vince Murray takes a handoff at his own 1 and goes up the gut untouched for 39 yards. Were the Irish "out-schemed" on that play or did Smith simply blow it?

--Harrison Smith, for being in a season-long funk. Watch Murray's 25-yard touchdown run that opens the second quarter(the Mids were accommodating enough to place two of their more remarkable "explosives" in the first play of both the second and fourth quarter; it will save you a lot of time). Brian Smith can be forgiven for that, as Navy's right guard burst out untouched and takes on B. Smith. Why, though, is Harrison Smith drifting toward the right flat?

Yes, there are schematic questions. Why didn't the Irish line someone up on Navy's center? Why, by playing both Sergio Brown and H. Smith simultaneously, did they play a nickel package, in terms of personnel? Is it because they have that little faith in their down linemen?

It's funny. You watch the game again and you see that outside the red zone Clausen completed a ridiculous 82.5 percent of his throws (33 of 40). Inside the red zone, though, he was just 4 of 11 (36.4 percent). Inside the red zone, the Irish rushing attack was not up to the challenge of getting the tough yards, and often could not get out of its own way. Literally.

On consecutive plays in the second quarter, inside the 5-yard line, the Notre Dame rusher ran into tight end Mike Ragone. On second-and-2 from the Navy 4, Theo Riddick, who otherwise had a fantastic game, ran right up into the back of Ragone where he might have scored if he'd cut outside. On the following play Robert Hughes took a toss sweep and, in striving to turn the corner, ran into Ragone. He should have cut up, inside the block.

Domer: Corwin Goes Off ... Message originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>John WaltersThu, 12 Nov 2009 16:55:00 EST Panthers Roaring in Old-School Offensehttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/12/panthers-roaring-in-old-school-offense/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/12/panthers-roaring-in-old-school-offense/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/12/panthers-roaring-in-old-school-offense/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Dave WannstedtFanHouse Big East writer Brett McMurphy empties his reporter's pad every week with the latest news from the league in the Big East Notebook.

While the majority of college football programs are utilizing the spread offense, Pittsburgh coach Dave Wannstedt proudly admits his club's offensive philosophy has gone the way of the dinosaur.

So far, so good for Tyrannosaurus Dave and his Panthers. Forget extinction, the Panthers are thriving in their prehistoric offense.

The Panthers are 8-1, lead the Big East in rushing (187 yards per game) and second in the Big East and 16th nationally in scoring offense (34.56 points per game).

"I think there are a lot of different ways to win," Wannstedt said. "Right now everybody's in the spread offense. We're probably one of the dinosaurs left that are lining up with a fullback and a tailback and trying to pound people and play-action pass.

"But that's what I believe in. And the Super Bowls and national championships I've been associated with, that's what we did. You have to go with what you know and what you believe."

Believe this: much maligned quarterback Bill Stull is having a tremendous senior season (he ranks fifth nationally in passing efficiency with 17 touchdowns and four interceptions) and Dion Lewis is the nation's top true freshman running back.

Lewis leads the Big East and is seventh nationally, averaging 126.6 yards rushing per game. His 12 rushing touchdowns also are a Big East best.

Steve Kragthorpe: The Anti-Sally Field

"You don't like me, you really don't like me." Those weren't Louisville coach Steve Kragthorpe's exact words earlier this week, but he basically admitted as much on Monday morning during the Big East's conference call and later that day during his weekly Louisville press conference.

"I know there are people that don't like me and they don't like the way I do things," Kragthorpe said. "That's fine. Everyone's entitled to their opinion. If they don't want to come and support me, that's fine. But they need to come support these players."

The Cardinals (3-6, 0-4 Big East) play host to Syracuse (3-6, 0-4) in a battle of the Big East basement Saturday. The loser likely locks up last place, while the winner can still get bowl eligible by winning out.

The Cardinals have lost nine consecutive Big East games with a pair of eight-point losses the only defeats by less than 10 points. The Cardinals' nine-game Big East losing streak matches the number of losses in four years under former coach Bobby Petrino (41-9). That and apathy toward Kragthorpe likely will attract more empty seats than fans at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.

In Louisville's last home game on Halloween against Arkansas State, the Cardinals drew a stadium record low 21,497.
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Syracuse Struggling to the Finish

There has been only two types of news coming out of Syracuse's program the past two weeks: bad and worse.

On Monday, it was more of the same as the school announced that senior nose tackle Arthur Jones and junior offensive tackle Jonathan Meldrum suffered season-ending knee injuries Saturday against Pittsburgh.

In the 37-13 loss at Pittsburgh, the Orange only traveled 55 scholarship players, due to injuries, suspensions, illness, defections, plague, locusts ... you get the idea. Despite the tough times for first-year coach Doug Marrone, he said there's no other place he'd rather be than coaching his alma mater.

Just last season, Marrone was offensive coordinator for the New Orleans Saints and if he stayed, he would be in the midst of an undefeated season and possible Super Bowl run. Instead, he's 3-6 and winless in Big East play.

"I'm so thrilled for them [the Saints]," Marrone said. "But if I was [still] at the Saints, I would have wished I was here [at Syracuse]."

Big East Title Game Look Ahead

Cincinnati doesn't visit Pittsburgh for another 23 days - in case anyone is counting - but if you can't wait to start breaking down the defacto Big East title game, here's one way: the ever-popular score comparison.

Both the Bearcats and Panthers have defeated the same five Big East opponents - UConn, Louisville, Rutgers, South Florida and Syracuse.

Cincinnati's average score was 39.4-18.8, while Pittsburgh's was 32.2-14.4. The Bearcats have a slightly better margin of victory: 20.6 compared to Pitt's 17.8

Around he League

Concerned that South Florida freshman QB B.J. Daniels might get banged up running the football, he worked with the school's softball coach, Ken Eriksen, on getting tips on how to slide. "I didn't want this to get out but [offensive coordinator Mike] Canales has actually talked to [Eriksen] and he's trying to help me out with my sliding," said Daniels, who hasn't played baseball since his sophomore year of high school. ... Rutgers recently announced it would play Army next season at the new Meadowlands Stadium. The Scarlet Knights will earn a hefty $2.5-$2.7 million payday. ... With Notre Dame all but locked into the Gator Bowl and taking one of the Big East's bowl games, UConn (4-5) likely must win its final three games to receive a bowl bid. A 6-6 record likely wouldn't earn the Huskies a Big East bowl this season. A shame, considering everything the Huskies have gone through this season.

Panthers Roaring in Old-School Offense originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Brett McMurphyThu, 12 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST Big East Rewind: Favorites Fading?http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/09/big-east-rewind-favorites-fading/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/09/big-east-rewind-favorites-fading/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/09/big-east-rewind-favorites-fading/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and West Virginia won as expected last week, but it wasn't quite as easy as the experts predicted.

All three clubs were heavy favorites between 17 and 21 points, yet only Pittsburgh won easily. PItt was the only one of the trio that didn't almost lose. The Panthers disposed of depleted Syracuse 37-10, but Cincinnati and West Virginia had a lot more difficulty.

The Bearcats outlasted a resilient UConn club 47-45, while the Mountaineers held off Louisville 17-9.

Last week's results shows that the league remains divided into three tiers: the best (Cincinnati, Pittsburgh), the worst (Louisville, Syracuse) and everyone else (South Florida, West Virginia, UConn and Rutgers).

While the top and the bottom of the league is pretty well set, it should be interesting to see how the middle four teams shake out in the next few weeks. It will start Thursday when USF visits Rutgers.

Unfortunately, we have to wait another four weeks for the Cincinnati-Pittsburgh contest.

Some things we may have actually figured out in the past week

1. What do you know, the Big East ain't so bad after all

After starting the season with no teams ranked in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll, the Big East has half of its league in the BCS Top 25 rankings. That's even one more than the mighty SEC. Cincinnati is No. 5, but needs some help to get a shot at the BCS title game, while Pittsburgh is No. 12, South Florida No. 24 and West Virginia No. 25.

2. Syracuse will be the Big East's most improved team - in 2010

They have to be, right? There will be nowhere to go but up for the Orange. The latest debacle was Saturday's 37-10 loss at Pittsburgh. In the Orange's four Big East losses, they have not come closer than two touchdowns. Last week, they had three players suspended and a fourth - star WR Mike Williams - quit the team. Saturday, they lost starting SS Max Suter and TE Cody Catalina to season-ending injuries and they only took 55 scholarship players to Pitt.

3. Where did the O go for the "Muntaineers"?

In West Virginia's last two games, the Mountaineers have been held to 19 points in a loss at South Florida and 17 points in a win against Louisville. The significance is it marked the third time in 22 games under Coach Bill Stewart the Mountaineers had scored 20 or fewer points in consecutive games. By comparison, WVU only had back-to-back games with 20 points or less three times in the last 76 games of former Coach Rich Rodriguez's tenure at West Virginia.
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4. Are there chinks showing in Cincinnati's armor?

In Cincinnati's 9-0 start, the Bearcats' offense - whether Tony Pike or Zach Collaros played quarterback - has been absolutely dynamite. However, it does appear the blueprint for at least keeping it close against UC is out there. Fresno State, in a 28-20 loss to UC, rushed for 290 yards. UConn rushed for 201 in Saturday's two-point loss. Those are the only two games this season the Bearcats have allowed more than 200 yards rushing - and not coincidentally the only two games they have not won by double figures.

Re-Tweeting Week 10

Ranking the league from top to bottom and summarizing each team, in 140 characters or less.

1. Cincinnati: The Zach Pack is growing. UConn the latest to believe that Cincinnati is better off with Collaros at QB
2. Pittsburgh: Since ending West Virginia's 2007 national title hopes, the Panthers have won 18 of their past 23 contests
3. South Florida: The not-ready-for-prime-time Bulls visit Rutgers hoping to end an 0-5 streak in ESPN Thursday night games
4. West Virginia: The Mountaineers have been outgained in their past three games, but still managed to win two of them
5. Rutgers: Freshman Tom Savage makes his first start vs. USF, looking to extend Scarlet Knights' three-game winning streak vs. the Bulls
6. UConn: The Huskies' perseverance is amazing, but they have lost their last three games by a total of 10 points
7. Louisville: Coming close counts in horseshoes, hand grenades and my Big East rankings. UL moves up one spot after hanging at WVU
8. Syracuse: The Orange and Cardinals will settle this once and for all Saturday: who is the league's worst team?

Follow Brett McMurphy on Twitter at twitter.com/BrettmcmurphY

Big East Rewind: Favorites Fading? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Brett McMurphyMon, 09 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST Big East Commish: Old Bowl System Preferable to Playoffhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/big-east-commish-doesnt-expect-bcs-to-last-past-2013/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/big-east-commish-doesnt-expect-bcs-to-last-past-2013/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/04/big-east-commish-doesnt-expect-bcs-to-last-past-2013/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

John MarrinattoTAMPA, Fla. -- The demand for a college football playoff could break up the BCS after the 2013 season, but instead of adding a playoff, the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) would likely just revert back to the old bowl system, Big East commissioner John Marinatto told FanHouse.

"It [the BCS] is such an entity where there's so many diverse things that come together that make it work," Marinatto said. "I don't know if all that will continue to go on the way it is. If they're pressured to create a playoff, they would simply go back to what the system used to be like and have it as an at-large, free-for-all where people can go [to whichever bowl] they want.

"I don't think the pressure would cause people to create a playoff. I think it would cause them to go back to where we used to be [before the BCS]."

Marinatto also told FanHouse that the Big East has "no intention" of adding a ninth-football member. However, if the Big East was approached by another school that would "add value," the conference would be receptive to adding another member even it grew the basketball league to 17 teams. Marinatto stressed it would not "raid" another league to add a ninth-football member.

Also in Marinatto's interview with FanHouse, he said the BCS wants the coaches to make their ballots public after next season. He said he's optimistic they will and the coaches' poll will remain a part of the BCS formula. Marinatto also said it's possible a one-loss team could get selected over undefeated Cincinnati for a spot in the BCS title game and why the Big East's Yankee Bowl will be a success -- no matter how cold the weather might be in New York in late December/early January.

When will you add a ninth football member?
There is no intention of adding a ninth member at this point. There hasn't even been a discussion.

Do you want a ninth football member?
I understand the reasons why people feel like we could or should have a ninth member and it's primarily for scheduling. Again, we've had this discussion in the room the last five years since we expanded to 16 [schools]. It always comes down to: we'll take a ninth member if that member brings value to the membership.

Even if that means increasing the basketball membership to 17 schools?
Even if that means going to 17. We're structured in such a way that we've provided for that in our bylaws. If a ninth member of value became available tomorrow, we'd expand and go to 17.
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Would you pursue a ninth football member?
Will we raid someone to do it? No. It's not our intention to raid someone to accomplish what we want to accomplish. If under the right set of circumstances ... where someone might be disenfranchised and look for a new home. And if that school brought value, then we would be amenable. The world could change. The costs of travel could become such that an Eastern school that's now in a non-Eastern quote-unquote conference might want to look [and think] 'it makes more sense to be in the Big East.' There could be a shifting around. In that scenario, we would go to 17.

But we're not going to go out there and try and raid someone. That's not our intention.

Do you believe the BCS will continue to exist after the 2013 season?
The contract with ESPN is through [the end of the 2013 season]. There's so much resistance, or seemingly vocal resistance [to the BCS]. It's such an entity where there's so many diverse things that come together that make it work. I don't know if all that will continue to go on the way it is.

If they're pressured to create a playoff, they would simply go back to what the system used to be like and have it as an at-large, free-for-all where people can go to [to whichever bowl] they want. I don't think the pressure would cause people to create a playoff. I think it would cause them to go back to where we used to be.

We like the current system for a lot of reasons. It brings (the) regular season value because of the number of bowls that are available that provide so many students with the experience of being to a bowl game and that's a valuable thing.

The theory is if a playoff is created, the most you could do would be an eight-team playoff and those eight teams are going to be the ones that get to experience a post-season bowl. Whereas today you have probably 68 schools that get that experience, half of them walking away feeling good and winning. From a student-athlete's standpoint, we think the current structure allows for a better overall experience for more student-athletes. And that's really what, in the world of football, it's about: going to a bowl and experiencing that post-season experience.

In the Bowl Subdivision, people really cherish the post-season experiences. Whether it's the Rose Bowl or one of the lower level bowls, to get to a bowl is considered a positive experience. People around our table don't want to lose that.

Is there any scenario in which a one-loss team could be selected over a 12-0 Cincinnati team to play in the BCS title game?
I don't know until it unfolds. There are inherent flaws in the BCS system, it's not perfect. Injustice is possible. It's an attempt simply to get the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country identified to play each other. Over the years there have been injustices and we know it's not a perfect system. To answer your question, it could happen. It would be hard to see how it could happen, but again, the system is not perfect.

Should the coaches' ballots remain public and if they are not public, would the coaches' poll no longer be a part of the BCS formula?
Yes, transparency is important in a lot of things, but particularly in this at this point. We've talked about this around the room. We think chances are better that it [the coaches' poll] becomes transparent [than dropping the coaches poll from the BCS formula]. I think they understand at some level that it's important. Transparency is important for credibility. Hopefully that will happen; we'll see.

There clearly is a desire on the part of the commissioners around the country to have it transparent. We all feel that's important for a number of reasons, including credibility. I understand the logic of not publishing [the ballots] because of the pressure within certain conferences to help their own schools and a lot of other reasons, friendships and what not. But the reasons for making it transparent are more compelling than the reasons for keeping it secret.

The final [ballot] is the most important one. I would prefer that [all ballots through the season were public] but I don't know if that's a deal-breaker. The most important one is the final one.

Temple was kicked out of the Big East after the 2001-02 school year ...
My understanding, the group [Big East] created standards that they wanted everyone to adhere to and Temple wasn't able to meet the standards. [Marinatto was not with the Big East when the decision was made]

Could the same thing happen to another Big East school for not being competitive enough?
We have standards. In 2000, we created a strategic plan. Within our strategic plan were three elements.

One of the elements is referred to as the program standards for all of our team sports, a minimum number of scholarships you must commit; you also have to meet a certain percentage of the commitment for coaches and a facilities requirement.

When we expanded in 2003, we re-wrote the constitution and bylaws and created the contracts with the five new schools [Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, Marquette, South Florida]; an exhibit to the agreement was the strategic plan. We told everyone these are the standards we created, you have to adhere to these if you want to join and make the commitment that you're going to commit to the standards, so it's built into the contracts. It's an overall commitment to excellence. They are not competitive standards.

How close was the league to restructuring the men's basketball tournament and eliminating byes for the top eight seeds?
The way it happened, at our summer meetings, several of our coaches raised the concept of changing the format of the tournament. What I said to them was we've really not talked about this. When we expanded the tournament to 16 [teams], the current structure was the only one they could accept and go to 16 because it protected the best teams.

At the meeting this year, there was a reversal of opinion [because] on the women's side, three of the top four seeds lost, and on the men's side, two of the top four lost [their opening game]. I said to them this is all new.

I had [men's basketball associate commissioner] Danny Gavitt do an analysis. Does it require more class days, etc. Basically it was a neutral effect on all of those things. We could have changed the format. Several of the coaches in the room who were advocating for it, upon reflection, weren't as excited about doing it any longer. I've said we've only done it [this way] for one year, let's just table the idea for a year and if we feel that way next year we can revisit it. For the time being let's keep it the way it is.

I decided to keep it the way it was for another year at which point and time, we'll reevaluate to whether we want to make a change.

Are you in favor of all 16 teams playing in the Big East Tournament or would you rather it be limited to only the top 12 teams?
A year ago, I would have said no [to all 16]. But it seemed to work from a crowd standpoint. We had such good crowds last year. Now ESPN is televising the first day [the first-round wasn't televised last year]. We've got ESPN2 for the first session, ESPNU for the second session. We were afraid we would devalue our tournament by going to 16 and diluting it. That didn't happen last year, so let's see again what happens this year.

The BCS is considering hiring a full-time BCS coordinator. Is former Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese the obvious choice?
We've been talking about [having a coordinator] for a while. People [BCS league commissioners] who are sitting in the chair as the [BCS] coordinator often times feel conflicted wearing two hats because they have a built-in conflict of interest.

We've been talking about how we could potentially eliminate that perception because that person acts as the coordinator and also acts as the spokesperson. Within their own conference when you're the [BCS] coordinator, your own people [from your conference], you're not representing because you're representing the whole group.

We haven't resolved the fact we want to hire an executive director. We're talking about the idea. We haven't identified names. We haven't determined titles. We're not sure what the best scenario is to follow primarily to avoid that perceived conflict of interest.

You took over for Tranghese on July 1 as Big East commissioner. How have your first 100 days gone so far?
In so many ways I feel like we've accomplished so much. We got the Champs Bowl deal done. We got the Yankee [Bowl] deal done. We extended the [Madison Square] Garden contract [to host the Big East Tournament through 2016]. We hired a woman [associate commissioner Danielle Donehew] to take over for [associate commissioner] Donna DeMarco.

On the women's basketball side, we created the SWA [senior woman administrator] initiative for sportsmanship and ethical conduct. There are so many things we've gotten done in a short time, but there are so many things we need to start to deal with. The biggest of the logistical things is simply trying to relocate our office [Brown University bought the building the league's office is located in]. It sounds like a simple thing, but it's so all-consuming. Our intention is to stay in Providence.

The Big East added a bowl game to be played in Yankee Stadium starting next season. How can a bowl game played potentially in sub-freezing weather be a success?
We have three objectives [for our bowl games]: opponent, destination and geography.

Geography we address by being in New York because it's the center of where we are. Destination? New York City, Christmas, holidays. Opponent? Big 12. We have our three criteria met. If [Yankee Stadium] had a cover on the stadium it would be perfect, but it didn't. We had talked about doing this eight years ago. We had announced if the [New York] Jets built a new stadium with a roof we would create the Big Apple Bowl and we would host it. That would be perfect for us. The idea of being able to play this game in New York City on New Year's Day is what where shooting for.

When you go to Times Square and see the ball come down, it was just so appealing. I think that people would want to experience that. When you've watch it on TV since you were a kid, when Guy Lombardo would welcome in the New Year, then Dick Clark and so you grew up watching it. If your team is in New York City playing in Yankee Stadium on New Year's Day, wouldn't you want to go see New York lit up for the holidays and the ball coming down in Times Square?

I think we offset the weather with all those other things. And then as Randy Levine, president of the Yankees, keeps telling me: We're the New York Yankees, don't worry about the weather. The proposed dates are Dec. 29, 30, 31 or Jan. 1, but we're shooting for Jan. 1. That's ideal, you get there for the 31st to watch the ball and next day have the game. A day start would be ideal. The Yankees are in conversations with different networks to televise it, but haven't finalized what they want to do with it.

Big East Commish: Old Bowl System Preferable to Playoff originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>John MarinattoBrett McMurphyWed, 04 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST Rewind: Big East Primed for Big Finishhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/big-east-rewind-two-be-determined/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/big-east-rewind-two-be-determined/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/big-east-rewind-two-be-determined/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

And then there were two.

Cincinnati and Pittsburgh are now the lone undefeated teams in Big East play after last weekend's action.

The No. 4 ranked Bearcats and No. 14 Panthers continue on a collision course for the de facto Big East championship game on Dec. 5 in Pittsburgh. By the way, whatever Nick Carparelli, the Big East's senior associate commissioner for football, is making, he deserves a raise.

Carparelli is in charge of the league's schedule and his philosophy is having the league's top games played later in the year. That's easier said than done, but the Big East could have a pair of Top 10 teams playing for the league title if the Bearcats and Panthers don't stumble.

Stumble is exactly what West Virginia did -- again -- at South Florida. Playing in Tampa, Fla., on a Friday night for the second time in three years, the Mountaineers' league title hopes took a big hit with the 30-19 loss to the Bulls, who had lost their previous two games to Cincinnati and Pittsburgh by a combined margin of 75-31.

At just past the halfway mark in league play, five of the league's eight teams already have two league losses.

Some things we may have actually figured out in the past week

1. They are so ready for basketball to start in Louisville and Syracuse.

Last week's home football games at Louisville and Syracuse drew ridiculously small crowds. Louisville's game against Arkansas State drew a Papa John's Cardinal Stadium crowd of 21,497, the smallest in the stadium's 11-year history. The low attendance was probably a combination of UL fans being fed up with Steve Kragthorpe and the caliber of opponent. However, a top-flight opponent didn't help Syracuse. Only 33,082 showed at the Carrier Dome to see the Orange battle No. 5 Cincinnati. Even with free tickets provided to SU students and $10 tickets available in the upper level, it was smaller than any home crowd during Greg Robinson's past four seasons. Apparently the honeymoon is already over for first-year SU coach Doug Marrone, whose job didn't get any easier when WR Mike Williams quit on Monday.

2. Tim Brown never felt better - or worse - about a victory.

Tim Brown, Rutgers wide receiver, grew up in Miami two houses from UConn's Jasper Howard. Saturday was UConn's first home game since Howard was murdered. Brown had considered flying to Miami for the funeral last Monday, but ended up watching it on the internet. Before the game, he walked onto the field, knelt on one knee, said a short prayer and raised six fingers to the heavens -- for Howard, who wore No. 6. More than three hours later, Brown was racing into the end zone with the winning 81-yard TD catch with 22 seconds remaining. After crossing the goal line, Brown held up six fingers. "I played for him," said Brown, who cried after the game. "I dedicate this win to him and my teammates, for helping me keep my head up and keep me strong."

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3. South Florida has gotten into West Virginia's head.

USF's victory last week against West Virginia was only the third in five all-time meetings between the schools. But has a 3-2 advantage ever appeared so dominating? West Virginia has been favored in all five meetings, but has only won one comfortably. Since winning the first meeting, 28-13 in 2005, West Virginia has been lucky it hasn't lost four in a row to the Bulls. In 2006 USF won at WVU 24-19 as a 21-point underdog; in 2007 USF won 21-13 as a 7-point underdog when WVU was ranked No. 5 and last year USF nearly won again (and probably should have if not for some critical turnovers) in Morgantown in Pat White's final home game, losing 13-7. In last week's 30-19 victory by USF, the Bulls put the clamps on RB Noel Devine the same way they've shut down RB Steve Slaton and White in past seasons.

Re-Tweeting Week 9

Ranking the league from top to bottom and summarizing each team, in 140 characters or less.

1. Cincinnati: Bearcats are nation's only team that has not lost a fumble this season. Did I just jinx a no-hitter?
2. Pitt: After Syracuse this week, Pitt hits a tough closing stretch vs. Notre Dame, West Virginia & Cincinnati, who are combined 20-4
3. USF: Bulls among eight teams with two victories this year against ranked opponents. They'll get a shot for a third vs. Miami on Nov. 28
4. West Virginia: Only Syracuse has allowed more yards passing than Mountaineers. Any chance Noel Devine can also play cornerback?
5. Rutgers: Scarlet Knights rank fourth nationally having forced 25 turnovers in eight games
6. UConn: Déjà vu again. Huskies suffer 28-24 loss for second consecutive week when defense gives up a late big play in crushing loss to RU
7. Syracuse: Will the Orange be looking past Pittsburgh this week to their Nov. 14 Battle of the Basement at Louisville?
8. Louisville: Cards' 21-13 win vs. Arkansas State was UL's first in 13 games under Steve Kragthorpe when scoring less than 24 points

Follow Brett McMurphy on Twitter at twitter.com/BrettmcmurphY

Rewind: Big East Primed for Big Finish originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Brett McMurphyMon, 02 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST Rank Truth, Heisman Heavily Favors Pollshttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/27/the-rank-truth-heisman-favors-polls/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/27/the-rank-truth-heisman-favors-polls/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/27/the-rank-truth-heisman-favors-polls/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Noel DevineGentlemen, start your hype engines.

We're just past the halfway mark of the college football season and, forget the battle for who will play for the BCS title, the most intriguing campaign is for the Heisman Trophy.

The latest flavor of the month is Alabama running back Mark Ingram, who has been touted by several TV talking heads and is the top candidate at HeismanPundit.com.

That's understandable, but why has there been hardly no Heisman mention for West Virginia's Noel Devine and Pittsburgh's Dion Lewis, who are the nation's third and fourth leading rushers?

"Dion's been very consistent," Pittsburgh coach Dave Wannstedt said. "You expect a freshman running back like him to perform that way maybe like three or four games a year, not eight games in a row."

Ingram obviously deserves consideration for the award, but is it not so much for what he's done, but who he plays for? After all, he has the No. 1 requirement to win the Heisman - he plays on a team that's ranked in the top five

Devine and Lewis have comparable -- if not better numbers -- than Ingram and have put up their numbers against tougher rush defenses than Alabama has faced (More on that later). Yet, Devine and Lewis likely won't make the Heisman ceremonies without buying a ticket because of one reason: their teams are not ranked high enough.

Since 1991, 16 of the past 18 Heisman Trophy winners all had one thing in common -- they played for top five ranked teams. Five of the last six winners were on either the nation's No. 1 or No. 2 ranked team.

Only Florida's Tim Tebow in 2007 and Texas' Ricky Williams in 1998 won the Heisman playing for teams that were not ranked on an Associated Press top five team entering the bowl games when the Heisman is awarded. In 2007, Florida was No. 12 and in 1998, Texas was No. 20.

Apparently Heisman voters -- and yes, I have a ballot -- vote for the most outstanding player in college football based on who the best player is on one of the best teams in the nation and not the overall best player period.

Ingram currently is the nation's fifth-leading rusher, averaging 125.5 yards per game. Devine is third (130.3 yards per game) and Lewis is fourth (128.6 yards), yet they are getting little Heisman mention.

Even HeismanPundit.com, called by Sports Illustrated as the Heisman's "foremost authority," does not have Devine or Lewis among its top 10 candidates, which includes Ingram and Oregon State's Jacquizz Rodgers, the nation's 10th-leading rusher, averaging 115.7 yards per game.

Did we mention Devine and Lewis have posted better numbers against tougher run defenses than Ingram?

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Ingram, who has eight rushing TDs, is averaging 6.56 yards per carry. Devine, with 10 rushing TDs, is averaging 6.66 yards per carry. Lewis, with 11 rushing TDs, is averaging 5.56 yards per carry.

The average ranking of the opposing rush defenses Alabama has faced this season is 78th out of 120, compared to West Virginia's opponents (57th) and Pittsburgh's opponents (50th).

Ingram has faced only one Top 50 rush defense (Tennessee, 33rd), while Devine has faced three (Syracuse, 6th; East Carolina, 29th; and UConn, 50th) and Lewis four (N.C. State, 13th; Rutgers, 27th; Navy, 42nd; and UConn, 50th).

"It's tough for the head coach to stand up and start screaming for his players to be a Heisman Trophy candidate," Wannstedt said. "Dion's numbers speak for themselves. When you look around at other running backs in the country, no one's been as productive as him. He's done it against very good competition."

West Virginia coach Bill Stewart said he doesn't ever want to single out one player, but Devine is a one of a kind back.

"Noel's special," Stewart said. "Our players know he's special. I've had our linemen tell me 'give the ball to [No.] 7 coach.' Our players know it's still a team game. He would be the first to tell you.

"If people don't watch him, see him, read about him, know about him, they're living in a cave somewhere."

Hopefully Heisman voters will emerge from their caves and consider more than a team's ranking when voting this season.

Rank Truth, Heisman Heavily Favors Polls originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:14:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>dion lewismark ingramnoel devineBrett McMurphyTue, 27 Oct 2009 11:14:00 EST Big East Rewind: No Longer the Pittshttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/big-east-rewind-no-longer-the-pitts/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/big-east-rewind-no-longer-the-pitts/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/26/big-east-rewind-no-longer-the-pitts/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Pitt PanthersJust three weeks ago, we called Pittsburgh the Pitts-ophrenic Panthers after their up-and-down performances earlier this season against Buffalo, N.C. State, Louisville and UConn.

Uh, is it too late to take that all back?

As impressive as Cincinnati has been all season, Pittsburgh might be playing the best overall of any Big East team. The offense is balanced and the defense gets more dominating each week. Saturday, the Panthers (7-1, 4-0 Big East) scorched South Florida 41-14.

Since allowing 505 yards at N.C. State, the Panthers have improved their defensive numbers in each of the past four games. Pitt allowed 305 yards to Louisville on Oct. 2, 303 to UConn on Oct. 10, 286 to Rutgers on Oct. 16 and 212 to USF on Saturday.

Led by DE Greg Romeus, the defense just continues to get stronger and stronger. The offense also is doing its part. QB Bill Stull ranks third nationally in passing efficiency and RB Dion Lewis is the nation's fourth-leading rusher. Against USF, Pitt never had to punt.

The Panthers are off this week before closing the season against Syracuse (Nov. 7), Notre Dame (Nov. 140, at West Virginia (Nov. 27) and Cincinnati (Dec. 5).

Some things we may have actually figured out in the past week

1. Sorry Brian Kelly, Randy Edsall is the Big East coach of the year

Yes, we already anointed Cincinnati's Brian Kelly as the league's coach of the year in this column a couple of weeks ago, but Randy Edsall deserves the honor as much, if not more. What Edsall did the past week in an incredibly difficult situation was inspiring to say the least. The class, dignity and professionalism that Edsall displayed in dealing with the tragic death of Jasper Howard situation was extraordinary. Perhaps other coaches would have done as admirably, but I doubt it. Then Edsall somehow managed to take the Huskies into Morgantown and nearly pulled off the upset. UConn outgained WVU 501-387 -- the first team to gain 500 yards on WVU this season -- but couldn't overcome four turnovers and a late Noel Devine TD in the 28-24 loss.

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2. Rece Davis is a genius

While showing highlights of Pittsburgh's 41-14 rout of South Florida, ESPN's Rece Davis remarked the following about the Bulls: "Once again just as the leaves drop, South Florida falls off the face of the Earth." Yes, as the calendar nears Halloween, USF's season turns into all tricks -- no treats. In 2007, USF started 6-0, only to finish 3-4. Last year, USF started 5-0, only to finish 3-5. After this year's 5-0 start, the Bulls are 0-2 and could very well be sitting at 5-4 after hosting West Virginia Friday and traveling to Rutgers Nov. 12. After that 5-0 start, the Bulls have been outgained in each of their Big East games against Syracuse, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.

3. The end is near for Steve Kragthorpe at UL

When Steve Kragthorpe was hired at Louisville in 2007, it was generally regarded as a solid hire. Kragthorpe came to UL from Tulsa where he led the Golden Hurricane, 2-21 the two seasons before he took over, to bowl trips in three of his four seasons. At Louisville, though, it just hasn't worked out. In 2007, gut-wrenching, close losses to Kentucky, Syracuse and UConn kept the Cards from a bowl berth. Last year, the Cards looked to have turned the corner after upsetting No. 14 USF to get to 5-2. However, they promptly ended the year on a five-game losing streak. This year has been more of the same: a 2-5 start with their only wins against Indiana State and Southern Miss (on a last-second field goal). UL will not play in a bowl game for a third consecutive season for the first time since Ron Cooper was coach from 1995-97. That will leave AD Tom Jurich with no other choice than to replace Kragthorpe.

Re-Tweeting Week 8

Ranking the league from top to bottom and summarizing each team, in 140 characters or less.

1. Cincinnati: Off to their best start since 1954, the Bearcats have committed a national-low four turnovers
2. Pittsburgh: In only loss at NC State, Panthers allowed 505 yards. In last two wins vs. Rutgers and USF, allowed only 498 combined
3. West Virginia: Last time WVU visited USF was also a Friday night in 2007 and No. 5 Mountaineers were upset. Does history repeat?
4. UConn: Huskies' three on-the-field losses have been by two, three and four points. RIP Jasper Howard
5. Rutgers: Since allowing 47 points in opener to Cincinnati, Rutgers is allowing only 10.5 points per game in past six games
6. South Florida: TGFS -- Thank God For Syracuse. Since joining Big East in 2005, USF is 5-0 vs. the 'Cuse, 10-16 against rest of Big East
7. Syracuse: After defeating Akron, Syracuse returns to Big East play vs. Cincinnati. Since 2005, SU is 3-27 against the Big East
8. Louisville: When scoring less than 24 points under Steve Kragthorpe, the Cardinals are 0-12

Follow Brett McMurphy on Twitter at twitter.com/BrettmcmurphY

Big East Rewind: No Longer the Pitts originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>brian kellyjasper howardnoel devinerandy edsallsteve kragthorpeBrett McMurphyMon, 26 Oct 2009 15:33:00 EST Big East Picks: Pittsburgh's Scarlet Letterhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/16/big-east-picks-pittsburghs-scarlet-letter/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/16/big-east-picks-pittsburghs-scarlet-letter/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/16/big-east-picks-pittsburghs-scarlet-letter/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Each Friday, FanHouse's Brett McMurphy will preview the Big East and make his weekly predictions.

Oh and three. That was my record picking Big East games last week against the spread -- losing two games on last-second field goals if you care (and, no, you don't). No wins, three losses.

But hey, it could be worse. I could have South Florida coach Jim Leavitt's record in Thursday night nationally televised games (0-4) or I could have Dave Wannstedt's record against Rutgers.

The Pittsburgh coach has gone oh-fer against the Scarlet Knights. Four games, four losses.

Tonight, the Panthers visit Rutgers with Pittsburgh a 5-1/2 point favorite.

All week long at Pitt's practice center, TV monitors have been running continuous highlights (lowlights?) of the Panthers' past four losses to the Scarlet Knights. And you thought watching Jay Leno's new show was painful?

In its season-opening 47-15 seal-clubbing to Cincinnati, Rutgers looked Lost. Since then the Biggest Loser has fattened up on a variety of cupcakes by the names of Howard, Florida International, Maryland and Texas Southern. Freshman QB Tom Savage makes his first Big East start tonight.

Wannstedt admitted that Rutgers has "had our number the last four years."

Steely Dan couldn't have said it better. "Rutgers, Don't Lose That Number." Scarlet Knights in an upset.

Marshall at West Virginia: This is "The Friends of Coal Bowl." And who says there are too many bowl games in college football? These teams may like their coal -- I like mine black, no sugar -- but they really don't care much about each other. The schools are located a little more than 200 miles apart and they first played in 1911. I would call this a rivalry except when one team dominates, I'm not sure how much of a rivalry you can have. WVU has won the last eight meetings, including the past three years by 32, 25 and 24 points. WVU is among only three schools this season that has scored at least 30 points in every game. Against Marshall's porous defense, WVU may reach 30 by halftime. Still, I'm a sucker for an underdog in a so-called rivalry game. WVU wins, but the Herd somehow, someway keeps it within three TDs.

Louisville at UConn: Last week, an internet site reported Louisville coach Steve Kragthorpe would be fired after last week's game against Southern Miss. A few days later, another report said Jon Gruden was the No. 1 candidate to replace Kragthorpe at season's end. At this rate, the next report will indicate Kragthorpe is resigning during Saturday's game with UConn. Oh wait, that's already happened at Louisville with John L. Smith during the 2002 GMAC Bowl? Why is everyone so down on Krags, anyway? Can't we just all get along, like The Friends of Coal Bowl? The Huskies are still thinking about blowing last week's game at Pitt. UConn wins, but UL covers the 13.

About Last Night: On my Twitter page Thursday, I correctly predicted Cincinnati would defeat USF (no oh-fer for me this week!).

Last Week: 3-1 (straight up); 0-3 (against the spread)

Season: 31-6 (83.8 percent) (straight up); 10-17 (37.0 percent) (against the spread)

Big East Picks: Pittsburgh's Scarlet Letter originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Brett McMurphyFri, 16 Oct 2009 13:15:00 EST Notebook: QB Injuries Ravage Big Easthttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/07/notebook-qb-injuries-ravage-big-east/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/07/notebook-qb-injuries-ravage-big-east/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/07/notebook-qb-injuries-ravage-big-east/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Adam FromanOn Monday, Louisville coach Steve Kragthorpe was asked who would be the Cardinals' starting quarterback Saturday against Southern Miss.

"I don't want Southern Miss to know who the quarterback is," Kragthorpe said. "You guys will find out when they walk out on game day."

Forget the Abbott and Costello routine "Who's on first?", "Who's starting at quarterback?" has become the all-too-common theme in the first month of the Big East.

Last year, the league was stockpiled with clear-cut starting quarterbacks at West Virginia (Pat White), South Florida (Matt Grothe), Rutgers (Mike Teel), Pittsburgh (Bill Stull), Louisville (Hunter Cantwell) and Syracuse (Cameron Dantley). At Cincinnati and UConn, Tony Pike and Tyler Lorenzen ended up getting the majority of the starts, but the Bearcats and Huskies each used three different starting quarterbacks last season.

This year because of injuries, determining a starting quarterback at several league schools has been more like musical chairs.

Last season in the Big East, 12 players started at least two games at quarterback. This year, the league already has had 11 players start at least two games at quarterback -- and if Adam Froman starts for Louisville Saturday, he will be the 12th league QB with at least two starts this season.

Injuries have had a great impact on the position throughout the league and the No. 1 example is at South Florida where QB Matt Grothe was lost for the season with a torn ACL. In a cruel irony, Grothe's injury occurred a week after he passed White as the league's all-time leader in total offense.

Overall, the league's list of wounded QBs who have missed a start because of an injury could fill a MASH unit: USF's Grothe (knee), UConn's Zach Frazer (knee), Louisville's Justin Burke (bruised sternum) and Rutgers' Tom Savage (concussion).

Rutgers' coach Greg Schiano, who has had Savage and Domenic Natale split four starts this season, was asked about Savage's availability for Saturday's game with Texas Southern. Schiano's answer summed up how most of the coaches in the league are feeling about their own situations.

"We hope to have him back," Schiano said.

Buckeye State Bragging Rights

Forget health care, the big debate in Ohio these days is who has the better football team? Cincinnati or Ohio State.

The Buckeyes have the storied tradition, the only two-time Heisman winner, the dotting of the I, the most BCS title game losses, etc. Cincinnati has -- uh -- the better chili.

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This year, though, the Bearcats also might be better on the field. At least in the eyes of the Associated Press voters.

The Bearcats are No. 8 in this week's AP poll, one slot ahead of No. 9 Ohio State. It's the first time since 1951 that the Bearcats are ranked higher than Ohio State. Ohio State won the last meeting 37-7 in 2006, but unless they meet in a bowl game, they won't play again until 2012.

"By that time hopefully we've continued to accelerate our program where Ohio State has something to gain by playing us," Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly said. "In years past, this [which is the best team] wasn't really a conversation because Cincinnati wasn't the kind of program that would merit that kind of conversation."

While the AP voters gave Cincinnati the slight edge, it's not even close according to one member of the Kelly household.

Kenzel Kelly, Brian's 8-year old son, recently pitted Cincinnati against Ohio State on his PlayStation. The final score was Cincinnati 91, Ohio State 0 - and it wasn't even that close.

"I promptly took him to McDonald's," Brian Kelly said.

Big Four Billboard Boasting

Near downtown in Tampa, Fla., USF's marketing department put on a USF-sponsored billboard: "Big 4: Welcome to the Club Bulls Fans." It's in reference to USF's win at Florida State two weeks ago and the Bulls' quest to make the state's Big Three of Florida, Florida State and Miami a Big Four.

The billboard has the No. 3 crossed out and includes team logos of UF, FSU, UM and USF.

USF coach Jim Leavitt, who called the win at FSU the "biggest in school history, no question," was not thrilled about the new billboard.

"I had nothing to do with it, I don't know how it got up and I don't know who put it up," Leavitt told the Tampa Tribune. "We have not won national championships and we have not won conference championships. What gives us the right to sit there all of a sudden like we've won all these championships and done all this stuff? That's not me. That's never been me.

"I don't want people to sit there and think I think we're all that -- because we're not. We're a program that's trying to get competitive. We're a program trying to build."

The Bulls, who are 1-0 against FSU, 0-1 against Miami and have never played Florida, get their next crack at a Big Three/Big Four program Nov. 28 when they host Miami.

Around the League

Last season, UConn's Donald Brown led the nation in rushing with 2,083 yards. This season, the Huskies are ahead of Brown's pace -- albeit it's the combined numbers of Andre Dixon and Jordan Todman. Dixon and Todman are combining for 191 yards per game, compared to Brown's 160-yard per game average last season. "Andre is more of a slasher, while Jordan is a little bit shiftier," UConn coach Randy Edsall said about his dynamic duo. ... Pitt QB Bill Stull has gone from being booed by the home fans in the season opener to No. 5 nationally in passing efficiency. The difference? "This may be too simple, but the No. 1 thing is he's not throwing interceptions," Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said. ... Louisville has held second-half leads in two of its three losses this season, but has been outscored 41-24 in the fourth quarter this season. Pitt outscored UL 28-0 in the second half of Friday's 35-10 win. "The first three series of the second half were catastrophic," Kragthorpe said. ... How hard has it been for USF to replace kicker Maikon Bonani, who suffered a back injury this summer falling from a Busch Gardens skyride? Delbert Alvardo and Eric Schwartz have combined to miss six of nine field goals - with five of the six misses from 40 yards or closer.

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Middle Tennessee State quarterback Dwight Dasher (9) avoids the tackle of Troy's Bear Woods (48) in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Troy, Ala., Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
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    NEW YORK - OCTOBER 06: Matt Moore, a former college football player at Texas Christian attends The 24th Annual Great Sports Legends Dinner benefiting The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis (national fundraising arm of The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis) at The Waldorf=Astoria on October 6, 2009 in New York, New York. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for The Miami Project) *** Local Caption *** Matt Moore *** Local Caption *** Matt Moore *** Local Caption *** Matt Moore

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    NEW YORK - OCTOBER 06: Matt Moore, a former college football player at Texas Christian attends The 24th Annual Great Sports Legends Dinner benefiting The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis (national fundraising arm of The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis) at The Waldorf=Astoria on October 6, 2009 in New York, New York. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for The Miami Project) *** Local Caption *** Matt Moore *** Local Caption *** Matt Moore *** Local Caption *** Matt Moore

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    NEW YORK - OCTOBER 6: Matt Moore, a former college football player at Texas Christian University, attends The 24th Annual Great Sports Legends Dinner benefiting The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis (national fundraising arm of The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis) at The Waldorf-Astoria on October 6, 2009 in New York, New York. (Photo by Brian Bedder/Getty Images for The Miami Project) *** Local Caption *** Matt Moore

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    Middle Tennessee State quarterback Dwight Dasher (9) avoids the tackle of Troy's Bear Woods (48) in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Troy, Ala., Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

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    Troy receiver Chip Reeves (8) celebrates with teammate Sergio Perez, rear, after scoring on a 52-yard pass reception in the first half of an NCAA college football game against Middle Tennessee in Troy, Ala., Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

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    Troy linebacker Boris Lee (2) breaks up a pass intended for Middle Tennessee State receiver Malcolm Beyah (4) in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Troy, Ala., Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009. At left is Troy defender Tebiarus Gill. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

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    Troy running back Shawn Southward (20) reacts after scoring in the first quarter during an NCAA college football game against Middle Tennessee State in Troy, Ala., Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009. Middle Tennessee States's Emmanuel Perez (91) and Jeremy Kellem (20) walk away. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

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    Middle Tennessee State wide receiver Desmond Gee runs for a first down as Troy's Tebiarus Gill (10), Bryan Willis (26) and Boris Lee (2) defend in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Troy, Ala., Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

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    Troy running back Shawn Southward (20) dives to the end zone as Middle Tennessee State safety Jeremy Kellem (20) tries to make the stop in the first quarter of an NCAA college football game in Troy, Ala., Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

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Notebook: QB Injuries Ravage Big East originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Brett McMurphyWed, 07 Oct 2009 11:02:00 EST Rewind: Fab Four Emerge in Big Easthttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/05/rewind-fab-four-emerge-in-big-east/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/05/rewind-fab-four-emerge-in-big-east/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/05/rewind-fab-four-emerge-in-big-east/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,


The past week was fairly routine and predictable for the Big East: Cincinnati, South Florida, West Virginia and Pittsburgh all won fairly easy as they were expected against lesser competition.

The season isn't even to the halfway mark -- heck not every team has even started Big East play yet -- but that quartet has emerged as the Big East's Fab Four.

Entering the season, the consensus of all the preseason magazines and .com's was that any one of five teams would win the league. Those four plus Rutgers were considered good enough to win the league in a race that would be too close to call.

The Scarlet Knights lost to a Cincinnati buzzsaw in their season opener, but have allowed only 35 points in winning three consecutive games against subpar competition since, so they might be better than they showed in Week 1.

Whether Rutgers or, maybe even Connecticut, deserves to be included in the upper half of the league should be known fairly soon. In the next two weeks, UConn visits Pitt Saturday and the following week Rutgers hosts the Panthers.

Some things we may have actually figured out in the past week

1. I guess Cincinnati really doesn't need the ball that much.

In its past two games combined, Cincinnati's offense has had the football for only 35 minutes and 27 seconds or about the same amount that some teams have in one game. Yet, the Bearcats are doing plenty with their limited opportunities. In the two wins against Fresno State and Miami, Ohio, Cincinnati has scored nine offensive touchdowns in 35:27, or an average of one touchdown every 3 minutes and 56 seconds it has the ball. You want efficiency? Check this out: the Bearcats' nine TD drives the past two games averaged to a remarkable 1:54, a virtual two-minute drill. Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly isn't worried about the time of possession disparity or slowing down the Bearcats' scoring drives by saying "I'd rather score quickly."

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2. West Virginia's worst enemy is ... West Virginia.

OK, maybe this was obvious after the six turnover night at Auburn, or the four turnovers against East Carolina, or ... West Virginia is averaging 465 yards a game -- and nearly as many turnovers a game. The Mountaineers have lost 14 turnovers in the past three games. But they aren't biased toward a particular turnover. Against East Carolina, the Mountaineers lost three fumbles. At Auburn, they had five interceptions. In Thursday's win against Colorado, they lost four fumbles. "We're sloppy," WVU coach Bill Stewart said. WVU's offensive numbers -- second in the Big East, 13th nationally -- would be even more impressive if the Mountaineers could ever hold onto the dang football. In WVU's three games against FBS teams, the Mountaineers have more turnovers (14) than punts (10). Beware the Mountaineers if they can ever stop giving the football away.

3. USF is really, really good -- or maybe just taking advantage of an easy schedule.

For the third time in as many seasons, South Florida is back in the national rankings. Despite losing senior QB Matt Grothe to a season-ending knee injury in their third game, the Bulls (5-0) are No. 23 in this week's AP Top 25. Off this week, they might sneak into the top 20 this weekend if enough ranked teams lose. The Bulls' most impressive win so far was clearly at Florida State, but the Seminoles are struggling big-time this season. Also, two of USF's wins were against FCS teams (Wofford and Charleston Southern) and a third victory was against Western Kentucky, possibly the nation's worst FBS team. All of their first five opponents currently have losing records and are a combined 7-17. It won't take long to find out if the Bulls are legit contenders or pretenders. USF's next four opponents (Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, West Virginia and Rutgers) has a combined record of 15-3.

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In this Saturday Oct. 3, 2009 photo, Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden is shown walking the sideline during the second half against Boston College of an NCAA college football game at Alumni Stadium in Boston. Boston College won 28-21. The chairman of the Florida State University trustees wants Bobby Bowden to retire at the end of this season. Jim Smith said Monday, oct. 5, 2009, the arrangement with Bowden as head coach and his successor, Jimbo Fisher, as offensive coordinator isn't working. (AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper)
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    In this photo taken Sept. 12, 2009, Illinois' QB Eddie McGee (10) heads down field against Illinois State during the second half of the NCAA college football game at the University of Illinois in Champaign, Ill. Illinois will start backup quarterback Eddie McGee on Saturday against Michigan State instead of Juice Williams. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

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    In this photo taken Oct. 3, 2009, Illinois' quarterback Juice Williams (7) scrambles out of the pocket against Penn State during the first half of the NCAA college football game in Champaign, Ill. Illinois will start backup quarterback Eddie McGee on Saturday against Michigan State instead of Juice Williams. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

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    In this Saturday Oct. 3, 2009 photo, Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden is shown walking the sideline during the second half against Boston College of an NCAA college football game at Alumni Stadium in Boston. Boston College won 28-21. The chairman of the Florida State University trustees wants Bobby Bowden to retire at the end of this season. Jim Smith said Monday, oct. 5, 2009, the arrangement with Bowden as head coach and his successor, Jimbo Fisher, as offensive coordinator isn't working. (AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper)

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    In this photo made Oct. 3, 2009, Florida State offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher makes a call during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Boston College at Alumni Stadium in Boston. Boston College won 28-21. The chairman of the Florida State University trustees wants Bobby Bowden to retire at the end of this season. Jim Smith said Monday, Oct. 5, 2009, the arrangement with Bowden as head coach and his successor, Jimbo Fisher, as offensive coordinator isn't working. (AP Photo/Greg M. Cooper)

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    Washington State running back Logwone Mitz, top, attempts to leap in for a touchdown but is stopped short by the Oregon defensive during the second half of their NCAA college football game in Eugene, Ore., Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009. Oregon beat Washington 52-6.

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    In this Oct. 3, 2009 photograph, Mississippi State linebacker K.J. Wright (34) attempts to block a first half pass by Georgia Tech quarterback Josh Nesbitt (9) during their NCAA college football game in Starkville, Miss. Josh Nesbitt is making it tough on defensive coordinators. The Georgia Tech quarterback did a little bit of everything the last two weeks, baffling defenses in wins over Mississippi State and North Carolina. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

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    Stanford running back Toby Gerhart (7) scores a touchdown past UCLA cornerback Alterraun Verner (1) in the first quarter of their NCAA football game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Oct. 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

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    Houston quarterback Case Keenum and UTEP defender Aaron King chase a fumble during the fourth quarter of their NCAA college football game Saturday Oct. 3, 2009 in El Paso, Texas. Keenum was unable to recover the ball and it was instead picked up by UTEP's Roddray Walker and run 70 yards for a touchdown. (AP Photo/Victor Calzada)

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    Houston's Brandon Brinkley agonized after UTEP's Donald Buckram scored his fourth touchdown of the evening during the fourth quarter of their NCAA college football game Saturday Oct. 3, 2009 in El Paso, Texas. UTEP linemen celebrated with Buckram in the background. (AP Photo/Victor Calzada)

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    UTEP defender Roddray Walker sprints 70 yards for touchdown after recovering a Houston fumble during the fourth quarter of their NCAA college football game Saturday Oct. 3, 2009 in El Paso, Texas. (AP Photo/Victor Calzada)

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Re-Tweeting Week 5

Ranking the league from top to bottom and summarizing each team, in 140 characters or less.

1. Cincinnati: Start the hype: No. 8 Bearcats visit No. 23 USF Oct. 15 in nationally televised contest of league's only unbeatens

2. USF: Behind new defensive coordinator Joe Tresey, Bulls are third nationally forcing 16 turnovers

3. WVU: Just call RB Noel Devine "The Human First Down." Against Colorado, he had career-high 220 yards on 22 carries

4. Pitt: Bill Stull, former whipping boy of Pitt fans, is now fifth in nation in passing efficiency (11 TDs, one interception)

5. UConn: Huskies best chance for upset at Pittsburgh Saturday will be taking advantage of league's second-worst rush defense

6. Rutgers: Another FCS cupcake (Texas Southern) Saturday moves Rutgers to 4-1 before hosting Pitt on Oct. 16

7. Syracuse: Is turnover-machine hyphenated or two words? Greg Paulus' five interceptions part of SU's seven TOs in USF loss

8. Louisville: Flag day coming Saturday when nation's No. 6 (So. Miss) & No. 8 (UL) most penalized teams meet

Follow Brett McMurphy on Twitter at @Brettmcmurphy

Rewind: Fab Four Emerge in Big East originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Brett McMurphyMon, 05 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST Big East Notebook: Where QB Stands for Quality Basketballhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/24/big-east-notebook-where-qb-stands-for-quality-basketball/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/24/big-east-notebook-where-qb-stands-for-quality-basketball/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/24/big-east-notebook-where-qb-stands-for-quality-basketball/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Greg PaulusBig East coaches continually are trying to fight the perception that their league is much more than a basketball league.

"I guess everyone thinks we're a basketball league," West Virginia coach Bill Stewart said. "They're full of baloney."

Perhaps, Stewart and his fellow football coaches should stop trying to fight that image.

Especially since nearly half of the league's eight football teams feature starting quarterbacks that also played college basketball.

The best known is former Duke point guard Greg Paulus, now starting for Syracuse. Also, West Virginia senior quarterback Jarrett Brown played in 13 games two seasons ago for the Mountaineers' basketball team.

And then USF freshman QB B.J. Daniels, who will make his first start Saturday at Florida State, played in 16 games for the Bulls' basketball team last season.

Paulus said before the season his experience at Duke would help him at Syracuse.

"Having the experience and the opportunity to play for Coach K and Duke, it prepared me for everything," Paulus said.

"Playing in a lot of big games and playing in that type of atmosphere has allowed me to learn from that culture, to build on some of the things I had in high school and I'm trying to bring some of that here to Syracuse."

Paulus threw for a career-high 346 yards and two touchdowns in Saturday's win against Northwestern.

Stewart said Brown benefited greatly from his time spent on the Mountaineers' basketball team.

"You know what helped him the most?" Stewart said. "When he went over to old Bobby Huggins and played basketball that really helped Jarrett mentally and got him in better shape. I think that helped him a lot. It made him tough."

When being recruited out of Tallahassee's Lincoln High School, Daniels told schools he wanted to play football and basketball. If he wouldn't be allowed to play both sports, he wasn't interested.

USF and Memphis were the schools that would allow him to play both and he chose the Bulls.

Daniels said even though he is now the starting quarterback, taking over for the injured Matt Grothe, he doesn't plan on giving up basketball just yet.

"He's a phenomenal athlete, a highly competitive kid," USF basketball coach Stan Heath said. "It's a big challenge for him (making his start at FSU). I think getting on the hardwood in front of a crowd last year, might help him understanding that experience.

"It is a rarity (to play football and basketball); you rarely see it. Both sports are so demanding. If you're not spending year round on basketball, you're not going to be at the same level as other guys. The same thing with football. To see a guy able to do both of those at this level is phenomenal, a Charlie Ward type guy."

Don't Blame This Guy
Following Louisville's 31-27 loss at Kentucky Saturday, Louisville coach Steve Kragthorpe was, well, let's just say pretty fired up.

When a reporter asked Kragthorpe what he said to Trent Guy, whose fumbled punt return set up UK's winning touchdown late in the fourth quarter, he issued a warning to the media.

"I told Trent I'm going to kick his ass if he feels bad and I mean it," Kragthorpe said. " ... There was not only one play you can point to and say that was the determining factor.

"I'll just tell everybody right now that if you get on Trent Guy, don't ever come around me. Don't ever come around me if you say anything ... about Trent Guy. I'm going to read everything. I'm going to watch every TV station tonight. Don't say a word about Trent Guy because that guy's a stud and I got his back. ... I'm just telling you, don't do it."

Also during his postgame press conference, in which he repeatedly used the word "ass," he said: "Excuse my language. That's Biblical, though. 'Ass' is in the Bible."

On Monday, Kragthorpe apologized for his contentious press conference.

Apology, Part 2
Kragthorpe wasn't the only one in the Big East issuing an apology after last week's games.

Pittsburgh athletic director Steve Pederson apologized after the public address system at Heinz Field began playing music as soon as Pitt's game with Navy ended.

Usually that's not a problem, except the Navy players were singing their alma mater. This practice is usually met with silence by opposing teams out of respect for the Navy student-athletes and future members of the armed forces.

In 2003 when USF played at Army for the first time, USF senior J.R. Reed told all of his USF's teammates and coaches at the end of the game to stand and honor the traditional singing of Army's alma mater.

"Coach (Jim Leavitt) looked confused at first, so I told him we needed to stand here and pay respect to them," Reed said.

Several fans of the Naval Academy along with servicemen and women attending the Navy-Pitt game were upset that the music drowned out Navy's alma mater, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.

Pederson said it was an honest mistake and the music began in anticipation of a post-game fireworks show.

"It has come to our attention that a miscommunication at the end of Saturday's game led to some confusion during the singing of Navy's alma mater," Pederson wrote in an E-mail to the Post-Gazette. "We have the utmost respect for this honored tradition and sincerely apologize for any impressions to the contrary."

By the Numbers
UConn RBs Andre Dixon (149 yards) and Jordan Todman (103 yards) each surpassed 100 yards rushing in the win at Baylor. It's the second time in three games that both players have topped the century mark in the same game. ... A week after Mike Williams' streak of 11 consecutive games with at least one touchdown catch ended, the Syracuse wide receiver set a career high with 11 receptions for 209 yards and two TDs in the win against Northwestern. ... West Virginia WR Jock Sanders ranks third nationally, averaging 9.67 receptions per game, while Pitt RB Dion Lewis (132.7 yards per game) ranks sixth in rushing. ... USF's visit to Florida State Saturday will be the first meeting between the Bulls and Seminoles. It will be the 32nd opponent that FSU coach Bobby Bowden has faced. Bowden has a 30-1 record against schools he's facing for the first time.

Big East Notebook: Where QB Stands for Quality Basketball originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 12:46:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Brett McMurphyThu, 24 Sep 2009 12:46:00 EST Good Weekend for Big East, Despite Grothe's Injuryhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/21/good-weekend-for-big-east-despite-grothe-injury/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/21/good-weekend-for-big-east-despite-grothe-injury/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/21/good-weekend-for-big-east-despite-grothe-injury/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Brian KellyIt 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

Good Weekend for Big East, Despite Grothe's Injury originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 21 Sep 2009 16:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Brett McMurphyMon, 21 Sep 2009 16:35:00 EST Big East Picks: Is Bluegrass Victory Finally in the Cards?http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/18/big-east-picks-is-bluegrass-victory-finally-in-the-cards/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/18/big-east-picks-is-bluegrass-victory-finally-in-the-cards/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/18/big-east-picks-is-bluegrass-victory-finally-in-the-cards/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Steve KragthorpeWhen Louisville visits Kentucky Saturday, Lexington police officials said they will increase security around Commonwealth Stadium with an additional three dozen officers. But enough about the added protection they're providing to make sure basketball coaches John Calipari and Rick Pitino get to their seats safely.

This game is for the Governor's Cup. The trophy weighs 110 pounds or approximately the same weight of the monkey resting squarely on Steve Kragthorpe's back as he tries to avoid becoming the first Cardinals coach to lose three consecutive games to Kentucky.

While Kragthorpe has not enjoyed the success most expected when he took over in 2007, he has maintained his sense of humor. At this week's press conference, he joked that the reason for Louisville's very vanilla offense in its lackluster season opener was because the Cards weren't showing their cards and only used two percent of the playbook.

"We got a little Wishbone package," Kragthorpe said. "I just got off the phone with Barry Switzer."

Switzer may have called, but he was trying to see if Kragthorpe could put him in touch with Pitino. Switzer wanted to make dinner reservations for two at Porcini's restaurant in Louisville, known for its final Northern Italian cuisine -- among other things.

This game should be a blowout: Kentucky enters on a 15-game winning streak in non-conference games, while UL enters with a shaky offense, a coach whose seat is getting hotter and a quarterback making only his second career start.

Then again, crazier things have happened in rivalry games. Call me crazy. Running back Victor Anderson leads the two-TD underdog Cards to the upset.

Cincinnati at Oregon State: Bearcats coach Brian Kelly joked that a few of his players probably couldn't find Oregon on a map. The Bearcats, though, have had no trouble finding the end zone, averaging 58.5 points this season. True, the season is only two games old, but Oregon State has the nation's 26th-worst pass defense. That's not good, especially going against UC QB Tony Pike. The game is rated even, but the Bearcats are too strong offensively and continue their climb up the national rankings.

West Virginia at Auburn: After every Auburn home victory, the locals "roll" Toomer's Corner, at the intersection of College Street and Magnolia Avenue. The oak trees -- and anything else that doesn't move -- are engulfed with toilet paper. West Virginia fans prefer burning couches after games. If the two fan bases aren't careful, the whole city might go up in flames Saturday night. Auburn will be on fire to get revenge from last year's loss at WVU and easily covers the 7-1/2 points.

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UConn at Baylor: The Huskies are without their starting quarterback and may be without their best defensive player. Plus they have to travel to Waco, Texas -- have you ever been to Waco? -- and are coming off last week's fluky two-point loss to North Carolina. Baylor and athletic QB Robert Griffin easily hurdle the Huskies and the 10-point spread.

Northwestern at Syracuse: The Orange has lost the past two weeks to Big Ten opponents and faces another Big Ten club this weekend. If Syracuse doesn't win here, the Orange could become the first team in NCAA history to finish dead last in two conferences in the same season. That ain't gonna happen. The 3-point home underdogs pull off the small shocker as QB Greg Paulus looks frantically for nets to cut down after the upset.

Florida International at Rutgers: FIU actually was scheduled to play USF this week, but in January the Golden Panthers paid $200,000 to buy out of the game. FIU then signed a home-and-home deal with Rutgers. So instead of losing big at USF Saturday, FIU will lose big at RU. But hey, at least FIU gets a home game with Rutgers in 2010 out of the deal. Led by freshman QB Tom Savage, the Scarlet Knights cover the 14.

Navy at Pittsburgh: Little known fact about the Panthers. Since the Big East was formed in 1991, the Panthers have never gone undefeated in non-conference play. Some how, some way, some where Pitt always stumbles. Not this week. Pitt survives, but Navy's option attack keeps it within seven.

Charleston Southern at USF (no line): Less said the ... USF 52-6.


The not-as-gory-as-last week details:

Last week: 7-0 straight up; 2-3 against the spread

Season: 13-1 straight up; 2-6 against the spread

Each week FanHouse Big East writer Brett McMurphy will preview the Big East and make his weekly predictions.

Big East Picks: Is Bluegrass Victory Finally in the Cards? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>steve kragthorpeBrett McMurphyFri, 18 Sep 2009 12:00:00 EST