Big East Week 3

[lynchjm24]

I was at the UC/BC game and watched parts of the WVU, SU and Pitt games, so I feel like I've got a pretty good handle on everyone but RU and Temple.

Winners:
Boston College (3-0, 1-0)
This might be the best team in the conference, there is no way they are any worse then second.
Syracuse (2-1)
Cincinnati actually threw the worst interception I've ever seen in my life. The 'cuse was good enough for one week. The future members didn't have a stellar week to say the least.
West Virginia (3-0)
A big win for the Mountaineers and the conference. If they lost that one the week would have been a total disaster.
Temple (1-2)
I still think Temple has one big performance in them. Hopefully it won't be in East Hartford.
Rutgers (2-1)
I have no idea what happened, but that final score doesn't instill a lot of confidence.

Losers
Connecticut (2-1)
Special teams are an unmitigated disaster. Outclassed on Friday night, but this team has improved as the year progressed the past 2 seasons.
Pittsburgh (1-1)
Showed a little life late in the game, but that loss was not a great sign for the Panthers or the BE.

Futures:
Cincinnati (1-2)
What is there to say when you get drubbed by Syracuse
South Florida (1-1)
A brutal loss at the hands of South Carolina who can go from terrible to brilliant on a week to week basis. Hopefully it was brilliant for USC this week.


Jim's Big East Power Poll
1. West Virginia
1a. Boston College
3. Pittsburgh
4. Connecticut
5. Rutgers
6. Temple
7. Syracuse

[Buccaneer]

Maybe if you would get SU at 2-1 they wouldn't be last in your power poll?

[General Mike]

Connecticut is overrated.

So is Rutgers :(

[Logan]

My roommates and I are convinced that Schiano is holding the offense back, being conservative, until Big East play starts.

Either that, or he's a fucking idiot.

[Marmel]

What a shoddy piece of reporting.

[lynchjm24]

What a shoddy piece of reporting.

Syracuse, NY (AP) -- What a shoddy football program.

[lynchjm24]

Maybe if you would get SU at 2-1 they wouldn't be last in your power poll?

Maybe if they didn't lose 51-0 and play so badly against UB.... You are right though - they are 2-1.

[Marmel]

Syracuse, NY (AP) -- What a shoddy football program.


Last year and this year is pretty bad, though by no stretch of the imagination are they the #7 team in the BE. At least you corrected their record. Uconn has never won a BE game and they are #4? and BC as 1a is a bit premature. Playing Uconn will make a team look good, though they have the potential to get there, they also have the potential to screw it all up.

Revised standings:
1) West Virginia (no doubt)
2) BC (looking good)
3a and b) Pitt and Syracuse (both have a loss to better than average team, Cuse being to a great looking Purdue team)
5) UConn - sure i could place them in the 3c slot, but they need to notch their first ever BE win before getting there.
6) Rutgers - all hype...but they need to do something to move up
7) Temple - high school caliber.

[lynchjm24]

Last year and this year is pretty bad, though by no stretch of the imagination are they the #7 team in the BE. At least you corrected their record. Uconn has never won a BE game and they are #4? and BC as 1a is a bit premature. Playing Uconn will make a team look good, though they have the potential to get there, they also have the potential to screw it all up.

Revised standings:
1) West Virginia (no doubt)
2) BC (looking good)
3a and b) Pitt and Syracuse (both have a loss to better than average team, Cuse being to a great looking Purdue team)
5) UConn - sure i could place them in the 3c slot, but they need to notch their first ever BE win before getting there.
6) Rutgers - all hype...but they need to do something to move up
7) Temple - high school caliber.

So really, you just think that Syracuse is better then I do. Other then that you really see no difference in the realtive qualities of the teams. I really don't think they are worse then Temple, I was just trying to tweak you Syracuse fans.

[General Mike]

New Brunswick, NJ (GM) - Marmel is a clown.

[Marmel]

Well, you give BC and UConn too much credit, and Rutgers slightly more credit.

In all seriousness, this bunch of teams could make afor a really interesting season. I don't think there is anyway to tell how 2-6 will play out. Should be awfully interesting.

[Marmel]

New Brunswick, NJ (GM) - Marmel is a clown.

Who did Rutgers lose to again? Same old, same old down there in Jersey so far, despite all the talk in the preseason.

[lynchjm24]

Next Week:
Furman @ Pitt
Syracuse @ Virginia
JMU @ WVU
Temple @ Toledo
Army @ Connecticut
Boston College @ Wake Forest

Rutgers with a week off before they head to the Carrier Dome.

[Marmel]

Next Week:
Furman @ Pitt
Syracuse @ Virginia
JMU @ WVU
Temple @ Toledo
Army @ Connecticut
Boston College @ Wake Forest

Rutgers with a week off before they head to the Carrier Dome.


All the home teams win next week.

[The_herd]

Last year and this year is pretty bad, though by no stretch of the imagination are they the #7 team in the BE. At least you corrected their record. Uconn has never won a BE game and they are #4? and BC as 1a is a bit premature. Playing Uconn will make a team look good, though they have the potential to get there, they also have the potential to screw it all up.

Revised standings:
1) West Virginia (no doubt)
2) BC (looking good)
3a and b) Pitt and Syracuse (both have a loss to better than average team, Cuse being to a great looking Purdue team)
5) UConn - sure i could place them in the 3c slot, but they need to notch their first ever BE win before getting there.
6) Rutgers - all hype...but they need to do something to move up
7) Temple - high school caliber.

The only thing I would change is putting Rutgers ahead of UConn here. Possible bowl talk for UConn was absurd. They don't have the talent yet. Syracuse is a step behind Pitt right now, but with Walter Reyes they have a chance to beat just about anyone. BC looks good, but they don't have the talent that WVU has.

WVU could have easily blown Maryland away. Rasheed Marshall didn't have a bad day. His stats were misleading. He had 2-3 drops on long passes that could have opened the game up. They were playing very tight. I think they had the losing streak in their heads and just didn't want to screw up too bad and blow it. Kay Jay Harris isn't even making the ESPN Heisman watch page. Which is a shame. Its very easy to see that WVU hasn't played anywhere near its best game yet. The defense is top-notch and the offense has the potential to be explosive.

[lynchjm24]

7) Temple - high school caliber.

Virginia 44 Temple 14.
I guess we'll see this week how the Orange stack up to the high school caliber team. Virginia opened as a 21 point favorite.

[lynchjm24]

[QUOTE=The_herd]The only thing I would change is putting Rutgers ahead of UConn here. Possible bowl talk for UConn was absurd. [QUOTE]

If only UConn would stop beating Rutgers, that would help this cause. Hell they beat them at Rutgers with Keron Henry at QB.

[Marmel]

We'll get blown out, no doubt. I don't see it Purdue-like, but with our crappy coach, as soon as we get down 21, he gives up. I like the balls he had scheduling Purdue and Virginia on the road and FSU at home, but he is not helping himself save his job with that schedule at all. Good, we'll be better off without him.

[General Mike]

Who did Rutgers lose to again? Same old, same old down there in Jersey so far, despite all the talk in the preseason.

We'll see in 2 weeks, clownboy.

[Marmel]

We'll see in 2 weeks, clownboy.

When the Orange win, will all you Rutgers guys quiet down until next season when the cycle begins all over again?

[Logan]

When the Orange win, will all you Rutgers guys quiet down until next season when the cycle begins all over again?

I have continually posted this, but here it is again.

You said we will be lucky to win 5 games. I'm setting the number at 5.5. You get the under, I take the over.

Money...mouth...where's it at?

[General Mike]

When the Orange win, will all you Rutgers guys quiet down until next season when the cycle begins all over again?
Hell no, We won't go. :D

[Buccaneer]

So really, you just think that Syracuse is better then I do. Other then that you really see no difference in the realtive qualities of the teams. I really don't think they are worse then Temple, I was just trying to tweak you Syracuse fans.
Just like any good reporter, huh?

[Z²+]

I hate to admit it, but this is the worst looking Pitt team I've seen in my 5 years here. Their offense is offensive, and Walt Harris makes me want to cry. My bad feeling is that the stars have to align perfectly for a bowl eligable season. And if Pitt is the #3 team in the Big East as of right now...that means Mike Tranghese must be the most influential man in college athletics to keep us in the BCS...

[cthomer5000]

When the Orange win, will all you Rutgers guys quiet down until next season when the cycle begins all over again?
Let's see what happens first. We thumped you guys last year.

[cthomer5000]

My roommates and I are convinced that Schiano is holding the offense back, being conservative, until Big East play starts.

Either that, or he's a fucking idiot.
I'm nearly convinced at this point that Schiano is a great recruiter and motivator, and terrible (I mean terrible) game-day coach. They can never adjust, he makes god-awful decisions, and he'll ignore glaring strengths/weaknesses while continuing to plug away with some pre-set offensive or defesnive gameplan. I've watched the coaching cost this team a number of games the last 3 years. Boston College from last year is seared into my brain, since I witnessed that meltdown in person.

[Swaggs]

I watched a good bit of the BC-UConn game and was not greatly impressed by the play, but I don't think BC is significantly better than UConn. I think if they play 10 times, UConn would probably win 4 times. They looked like a nervous team, playing their first really meaningful game on national television. I think they can win 6 games and get bowl eligible.

Since Rutgers does not look real impressive right now, I'm hoping that either Pitt or Syracuse can pull out a 7-win season. If Syracuse could somehow put it together for a week and beat UVA next week, they would be looking like a pretty solid 3-1 team. If Pitt wins the games it should (Furman, Temple, Rutgers, and South Florida), they will just need to beat one or two of the remaining teams (Syracuse, UConn, Notre Dame, BC and WVU both at home) to become bowl eligible.

I think WVU played about as poorly as they could vs Maryland and still pulled it out. I really feel like WVU should run the table, but they have killed themselves with penalties all season long and really need to tighten up their discipline or they will get knocked off. Rasheed Marshall did not play real well in the game, but every pass he completed in the Maryland game was for a first down, except the last (game winning TD). The defense had their best game of the season, while the offense was a little off--particularly our WR Miles (first time I've seen him play), who dropped at least two, and more like four, long catches that hit him in the hands.

Overall, I'm still pretty excited about the future Big East. Pitt and Syracuse are down a bit right now and that is unfortunate for the league at this time, but WVU looks like an elite team right now. We need good Pitt and Syracuse teams for the long-term health of the Big East. Hopefully one or both of UConn or Rutgers will put it together sooner rather than later and become bowl eligible this season. I think once Louisville joins up, they will become a school on the prestige level of WVU/Pitt/Syracuse (and Va Tech, in the years before and after Michael Vick); not a year-in-year-out title contender, but an occasional top 10 team. Hopefully Cincinnati and South Florida (along with Uconn and Rutgers) can get that level, too.

[Swaggs]

I'm nearly convinced at this point that Schiano is a great recruiter and motivator, and terrible (I mean terrible) game-day coach. They can never adjust, he makes god-awful decisions, and he'll ignore glaring strengths/weaknesses while continuing to plug away with some pre-set offensive or defesnive gameplan. I've watched the coaching cost this team a number of games the last 3 years. Boston College from last year is seared into my brain, since I witnessed that meltdown in person.

A Mack Brown Jr.? :)

Is this Schiano's first head coaching job? I've heard lots about him being of Miami pedigree, but never heard much about his history before that. It is quite possible that he just is not experienced enough yet.

[cthomer5000]

A Mack Brown Jr.? :)

Is this Schiano's first head coaching job? I've heard lots about him being of Miami pedigree, but never heard much about his history before that. It is quite possible that he just is not experienced enough yet.
First head coaching job, and even in his 3rd year here (or is it 4th?) he is still the youngest division IA coach.

[General Mike]

First head coaching job, and even in his 3rd year here (or is it 4th?) he is still the youngest division IA coach.

4th year. I still like him as a coach, and I mean who else is going to take the job.

[cthomer5000]

4th year. I still like him as a coach, and I mean who else is going to take the job.I would not be opposed to Rutgers making a serious (and I mean, serious) offer to Steve Spurrier. Although I don't think he'd take the job for all the money in the world.

In general though, I think it'd be fairly easy to pick from among the ruins of ex-NFL coaches to find a coach who could be a college success.

[General Mike]

I would not be opposed to Rutgers making a serious (and I mean, serious) offer to Steve Spurrier. Although I don't think he'd take the job for all the money in the world.

In general though, I think it'd be fairly easy to pick from among the ruins of ex-NFL coaches to find a coach who could be a college success.

Yes, but who is going to take the job?

[ISiddiqui]

News flash, we (Rutgers) STILL suck ass. It won't change gentlemen. I've been hearing this we'll be better stuff since I was a Freshman back in '98 and every year its the same old story. After all, Terry Shea really worked out ;).

Back to the A-10 with us! At least we'll have a chance ;).


Oh, and General Mike is right, no coach wants anything to do with Rutgers. Schiano had a bit of brain damage when he decided to turn down the Miami job to take over our lowly team :D.

[Swaggs]

I think it would be silly to get rid of Schiano before giving him at least five seasons. He is obviously a talented recruiter and was impressive enough of a coach to get on at Miami. If you get rid of him now, he probably goes somewhere and becomes a defensive coordinator for two or three years and gets another head coaching job, with the experience he got at Rutgers, and do well. Of course, if he does well at Rutgers, he may jet for a more prestigious job, although I believe he is from Jersey.

[lynchjm24]

Just like any good reporter, huh?

I didn't realize I was now a journalist, I thought I was just posting my opinion of the Big East. I even titled the list - 'Jim's Big East Power Poll'.

[Marmel]

What a shitty Big East Season for all teams involved.

And Rutgers is still Rutgers.

[cthomer5000]

Rutgers is certainly still Rutgers. This season has been the most disappointing football season of any team I've ever been a fan of.

I do not believe Schiano can coach.

[ISiddiqui]

Y'all just don't listen to me ;). I told you so... its the same thing with Shea. All the expectations were heightened, but it was same old Rutgers.