Big East, Week 5

[lynchjm24]

The masses aren't exactly clamoring for it - but here we go. I was at the UC/Pitt game and saw WVU/SU/RU/BC on TV. Thankfully I do not own a TV that would show Temple.

Winners:
Connecticut (4-1)
A solid win including good play from the special teams. A win against West Virginia is a total fantasy.

Syracuse (3-2)
Walter Reyes sure can run. Came up with the plays they needed to make in the 4th, I liked the tacked on TD in the last minute to make the score a little deceiving.

Boston College (4-1)
UMass was frisky and didn't quit, just were outclassed. Not much to take out of this one. The distance between the A-10 and Big East seems to be shrinking at an alarming rate.

Losers:
Pittsburgh (2-2)
If I were a Pitt fan I think I would have exploded at the end of the first half when they centered the ball for the FG. Oh well, Temple cures all.

Temple (1-4)
Disgraceful.

Rutgers (2-2)
Allow me to paraphrase Lisa Simpson: Good ol' Rutgers, you can always count on Rutgers.

West Virginia (4-1)
They were the better team, were just beaten by a huge play. The loss was a huge blow to the conference, they will probably still get their BCS bid, but that loss will sting for a long time.

I didn't see the otehrs, but Louisville won while Cinci and USF lost. USF played a close game with Southern Mississippi, which is a good sign I guess.

Lazy week ahead for the BE:
Pittsburgh (-14) @ Temple
If Pitt can't beat this sorry bunch of Owls by more then 14 points, Harris should resign on the spot.

Rutgers @ Vanderbilt (-5.5)
I think I like the Knights and the points here.

Florida State (-19.5) @ Syracuse
Are you here for the feeding? It's going to be a bloodbath.

Jim's BE PowerPoll
1. WVU
2. Boston College
3. Connecticut
4. Syracuse
5. Rutgers
6. Pittsburgh
7. Temple (hoot, hoot)

[General Mike]

Rutgers @ Vanderbilt (-5.5)
I think I like the Knights and the points here.


I don't. Way too many injuries for Rutgers to win.

[VPI97]

West Virginia (4-1)
They were the better team, were just beaten by a huge play.You have got to be kidding me.

[General Mike]

You have got to be kidding me.

If the game was in Morgantown, West Virginia wins by 3 scores.

And congratulations to your Athletic Department for being pussies and backing out of the last game of the VT-West Virginia contract.

[BishopMVP]

If the game was in Morgantown, West Virginia wins by 3 scores.It was 19-0 VTU late in the 3rd. WVU is lucky it wasn't worse. By this same logic, Maryland would have beaten WVU by 35 if their game had been at Maryland.Boston College (4-1)
UMass was frisky and didn't quit, just were outclassed. Not much to take out of this one. The distance between the A-10 and Big East seems to be shrinking at an alarming rate.Interesting note on this game. As well as UMass' secondary played, they could have been better. One of the starting CB's (RJ Cobbs) got stabbed in the neck during a fight around 4 am Friday morning outside my dorm...then hid it from the coaches and still started.

[Swaggs]

The whole Va Tech-WVU game was hard to watch. WVU could have won at the end and could not have played a whole lot worse and got stung by some bad calls (the helmet-to-helmet and a Tech player pushing the WVU WR out of bounds and then not calling the interference b/c the WR had been out of bounds). Still, Va Tech missed 2 FGs and QB Brian Randall (who I won't criticize much, because he did a lot to will the team to win) missed at least two, and probably three, open and streaking WRs that could have been TDs. Tech won the game up front, on both sides of the ball and special teams, obviously.

I still think WVU should win out and a 10-1 season would be far from a disaster. Of course, losing another game is probably pretty likely to happen. The Mountaineers still have not played a good game. They have averaged over 100 yards in penalties, Kay Jay Harris has not been healthy for two games in a row (soft?), and the coaches have been complaining about the WRs "loafing" on plays. They have/had the talent to go undefeated, but the coaches haven't been able to put it all together. With losing their #1 and #2 QBs, several key line members, and a lot of the defense, the Big East is going to be wide open next season.

The Big East as a whole, beyond the defections is really going to be down next season. Pitt and Syracuse are both as low as they have been in quite some time. Both may have new coaches next season. UConn and WVU both lose their QBs, so they will be starting over in a lot of ways. Things could not have worked out much worse.

[VPI97]

If the game was in Morgantown, West Virginia wins by 3 scores.I'd love to hear an explanation behind that line of reasoning. Does WVU get an extra down to try to get a first down when they're at home? 0-13 on third down conversions is the same stat no matter where you play.

And congratulations to your Athletic Department for being pussies and backing out of the last game of the VT-West Virginia contract.I hadn't heard that we got out of it yet...but if true, my donation to VT just doubled. First, we don't have to expose our fans to the environment known as Mountaineer Field...secondly, it reduced WVU's strength of schedule to that of a I-AA school. If Big East schools start playing less BCS conference teams and more teams like New Hampshire and Furman, their status as a MAC level conference will be just about complete. (Sorry for any MAC fans who feel insulted by the comparison)

[Swaggs]

And congratulations to your Athletic Department for being pussies and backing out of the last game of the VT-West Virginia contract.

Any info on this? As far as I knew, we still played VT one more time next season at home.

With our Maryland game on the schedule every year, I would rather play a school from a difference conference anyway.

[General Mike]

I'd love to hear an explanation behind that line of reasoning. Does WVU get an extra down to try to get a first down when they're at home? 0-13 on third down conversions is the same stat no matter where you play.

Virginia Tech ijust isn't a great team. Where the game is played definitely makes a difference in the series.

I hadn't heard that we got out of it yet...but if true, my donation to VT just doubled. First, we don't have to expose our fans to the environment known as Mountaineer Field...secondly, it reduced WVU's strength of schedule to that of a I-AA school. If Big East schools start playing less BCS conference teams and more teams like New Hampshire and Furman, their status as a MAC level conference will be just about complete. (Sorry for any MAC fans who feel insulted by the comparison)
Comparing Mountaineer Field to Lane Stadium is like comparing apples to apples. Personnaly, my experience at Lane Stadium was as bad as at any college stadium I've ever been at. The only stadium in the country that was worse than it was Veterans stadium for an Eagles-Giants game.

[General Mike]

Any info on this? As far as I knew, we still played VT one more time next season at home.

With our Maryland game on the schedule every year, I would rather play a school from a difference conference anyway.

I read on another message board that Virginia Tech bough the 'Eers out. I guess it's not official yet tho.

[cthomer5000]

I don't even want to talk about it. 3-8 won't shock me at this point. Schiano. Can't. Coach.

[cthomer5000]

and VT is an underrated team. They won the game, flat-out. They don't need to make any excuses for that.

[scooper]

VT won that game. Special teams are 1/3 of football. It all counts. WVU was lucky it was as close as it was.

I have no love for the VPI, by the way.

[Z²+]

Schiano. Can't. Coach.

Walt. Harris. Too.

[General Mike]

Walt. Harris. Too.

Say hello to Dave Wandstadt, Z²+. :D

[Z²+]

Say hello to Dave Wandstadt, Z²+. :D

At this point, I'd take Dave Dial over Walt Harris. :(

So much for my big prediction of Rutgers rolling into Pittsburgh for a battle of 4-2 teams. Hell, they may both roll in with 4 combine wins between them...

[General Mike]

At this point, I'd take Dave Dial over Walt Harris. :(

So much for my big prediction of Rutgers rolling into Pittsburgh for a battle of 4-2 teams. Hell, they may both roll in with 4 combine wins between them...

They both SHOULD be 3-3 at worst, and I could see Pitt beating BC at Heinz Field.

[Z²+]

dola...

Or maybe we'll bring back Johnny Majors for yet another stint. They seem to bring him back once every decade or so to finish the demolition of the program before they hire new blood.

Home games are really starting to become fun to go to, now that the only 4 things you hear chanted from the student section (in no particular order) are:
* Palko sucks
* Fire Walt
* "Larry would have caught that"
* Penn State Sucks

:(

[Z²+]

They both SHOULD be 3-3 at worst, and I could see Pitt beating BC at Heinz Field.

I'd like to think we can beat Temple, but this team is so psychologically screwed up right now, I'm not sure they have the confidence to play a competent game of footbll. The coach tells the media at the press conference, "yeah I played it safe because I felt the offense was more likely to committ a turnover than score the touchdown". Good thinking Walt.

As for BC, even at home, I have my doubts. Our line (both sides of the ball) are a joke. One thing Walt can do is recruit skill players. But for whatever reason, he cannot recruit the big boys for the O and D lines. Our offensive line has been horrendous for years, but this year takes the cake. Palko is supposedly an outstanding QB, maybe tops in league. But he can't even complete a three-step drop without taking a sack or running for cover. I'm confident the D-line could be shredded for 200 yards by 5 sacks of potatoes and Homer's dad from the Simpsons. Its frustrating to watch at times.

But at least the Pitt/Rutgers game should still be good :p

[lynchjm24]

dola...

Or maybe we'll bring back Johnny Majors for yet another stint. They seem to bring him back once every decade or so to finish the demolition of the program before they hire new blood.

Home games are really starting to become fun to go to, now that the only 4 things you hear chanted from the student section (in no particular order) are:
* Palko sucks
* Fire Walt
* "Larry would have caught that"
* Penn State Sucks

:(

Well they are right on 3 out of four. Palko is struggling, but he looks like he's going to be a pretty good one. The offensive line gave him no time against UConn and the running game went nowhere. Makes it tough when you don't have bigtime playmakers at receiver.

[SteelerFan448]

Palko doesn't have a big time arm. I still don't feel too confident that he will be anything special for Pitt. I was ticked at Harris against Furman and I thought they should have fired him during the game against UConn.