Brian Bennett Rushes More

Friday, February 13, 2009

Posted by DCS

Brian Bennett's next gimmicky stunt over at his ESPN Big East Blog is to compile a running list of "Mount Rushmores" of Big East football programs. He's providing four individuals per program, that define the building blocks of their perceived success. I don't really have a problem with any of the selections he made, but I'm somewhat surprised he didn't pick Tom Jackson (if only for his NFL Game Day career status) for the Louisville Mount Rushmore. Anyway, without further ado, here are B-Squared's first three mounts:

• Louisville
• UCONN
• Cincinnati

Just a couple of more links:

• Mitch Vingle of the Charleston Gazette reports that WVU ticket prices will not go up in 2009
• Greg Gregory speaks about his departure from USF

Five, Count Em', Five New Offensive Coordinators in the Big East

Monday, February 9, 2009

Posted by DCS

With the high turnover rate in college football coaching, it's no surprise to see several new faces stalking the sidelines on an annual basis. This coming season, the offensive play calling will have a decidedly different look when five new offensive coordinators take the helm of Big East offenses. Syracuse brought in Rob Spence under new head coach Doug Marrone; UCONN replaced Rob Ambrose who left to coach Towson state, with Joe Moorhead; Jim Leavitt relieved Greg Gregory of his play calling duties at USF; Pitt's Matt Cavanagh is moving on to the New York Jets as of today, and finally, Louisville head coach Steve Kragthorpe will be calling the plays for the Cardinals now that Jeff Brohm is off to Florida Atlantic University.

There is nothing inherently wrong with the change that is occurring on the offensive side of the ball in the Big East. In fact, many could argue that Syracuse, UCONN, and Pitt will get a definite upgrade with these switches. It will be critical to see how the new play callers respond to the uncertain quarterback situations at all of these schools (with the exception of USF), making for interesting story lines going into the 2009 season.

What else is up?:

• Donnie Webb of the Syracuse Post-Standard reports that Maine may fill a void on Syracuse's 2009 schedule...
• ...Speaking of which, Brian Bennett says that 2009 scheduling has been a tricky proposition for many Big East schools
• Cincy fans submitted their Orange Bowl photos, so here they are
• Tyler Dunne of the Daily Orange Football Blog got a hold of David Oku's HS coach and reports that Oku is still undecided on his fate

Signing Day: The Aftermath

Friday, February 6, 2009

Posted by DCS

Apologies for being M.I.A. yesterday. I'm back, and I have plenty O' links to throw your way (although I'm sure you've seen all or most of these already). FYI - I plan to have my own rankings/breakdown of each recruiting class posted this weekend. Until then, enjoy these:

First: The "all-important" ESPN recruiting grades for Big East schools

• Pitt kicker Conor Lee heads the Big East's 2009 All-Academic Team
• Greg Auman says to expect a smaller USF recruiting class in 2010...
• ...he's also got plenty of post-signing day notes for you...
• ...and a little more info on the Kayvon Webster signing...
• ...not to mention the signing of JUCO product Kevin Williams
• Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review seems to think that Pitt will be looking for a new offensive coordinator soon...
• ...Chas at Pitt Blather doesn't seem to think Walt Harris will be that replacement
• The Hartford Courant's Desmond Conner on UCONN's recruiting haul...
• ...and nixes the idea of wide receiver Ellis Gaulden coming back in 2010
• Connor Barwin is on many NFL scouts' radars
• Syracuse recruit Brandon Sharpe is psyched and ready to play (D.O. Football Blog)
• Sean at TNIAAM breaks down the optimism of Doug Marrone and his new recruiting class
• Brian Bennett breaks down Cincy's 2009 schedule...
• ...and Rutgers'...and USF
• If you can throw a ball, Rutgers likes you
• More from Syracuse FB Tony Fiammetta's diary
• Brian Bennett on Louisville's recruiting class
• Keith Sargeant of Scarlet Scuttlebutt discusses Rutgers' success in South Jersey this off-season
• Brent Axe interviews Syracuse head coach Doug Marrone
• West Virginia sets up camp in Florida
• Bleed Scarlet answers the all-important questions
• Mountaineer fans will get to see their showdown with Colorado on ESPN

NLI Day....Signing Day....Whatever...It's Here

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Posted by DCS

The day most or all of you have been waiting for is finally here. There will undoubtedly be some heartbreak as I predict that at least two or three major recruits from the conference decide to fax their national letter of intent to another major college program (in another conference), even though they were verbally committed to a Big East school for some time. There may even be some surprise commits that fall into the Big East's lap at the last second as well. That's the beauty of signing day. Whatever the case, I have links coming out of all of my orifices right now, so please indulge:

Big East overall:

• Brian Bennett has you covered on all the signing day pressers and covered events
• B-Squared goes over the best selling points of Big East Conference schools

Connecticut (someone needs to wake Desmond Conner up from his slumber):

• Brian Bennett's analysis on UCONN's 2009 schedule

Pitt:

• Pitt nabs OL who previously committed to Maryland (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Rutgers:

• PA defensive back Abdul Smith will be a Scarlet Knight
• Tom Luicci of the Newark Star-Ledger talks about RU commit De'Antwan Williams playing "big"
• RU recruiting class evaluation on Scarlet Scuttlebutt
• More on Rutgers' recruiting class from SS
• SS again with comments from Greg Schiano
• Last Scuttlebutt link, I promise

USF (all from Greg Auman of the USF Sports Bulletin):

• Bulls pick up a last second recruit in LB Barrington
• USF gets another wide receiver before signing day
• USF dips deeply into JUCO territory
• Bulls lose WR Theliar

Syracuse:

• Notes and quotes from the Daily Orange Football Blog
• Donnie Webb on Syracuse's class

West Virginia:

• Mike Casazza of the Charleston Daily Mail discusses the commitment of Eugene Smith after the departure of Tahj Boyd
• WVU -- Best recruiting class in the Big East?
• Dave Hickman of the Charleston Gazette discusses the optimism behind WVU's class
• A 2009 schedule analysis by Brian Bennett

Mike Tranghese is a Gator Wrestler

Friday, January 30, 2009

Posted by DCS

You have to hand it to outgoing Big East Commissioner Mike Tranghese. The man is not leaving without a fight....with the Gator Bowl committee. Mitch Vingle of the Charleston Gazette has a nice little piece on how our fearless leader (for now) is pressing for face time with the Gator Bowl in order to lock up a more substantial deal.

As you may or may not know, the Big East currently has a "hybrid" bowl tie-in setup, whereby the league switches off having a tie-in with the Gator Bowl every other year with the Sun Bowl (this year Pitt played in the Sun Bowl and no Big East team appeared in the Gator Bowl). Apparently, Tranghese is not satisfied with the "either/or" scenario and wants to have a set bowl schedule every year. That being said, I think the aim here is to lock up the Sun Bowl separately as well, in order for the league to appear in both bowls each year. Regardless of how things ended up for the Big East this year, I'm happy to see that Tranghese is still working hard for the league instead of checking out. I think he'll make a fine case to these bowl committees that the Big East deserves a little more respect than they've been getting.

With that, let's look at what else I have for you this glorious Friday morning:

• Brian Bennett of ESPN's Big East Blog makes the ever-popular case that "recruiting stars" don't mean as much as most people think
• Frank Bodani of the York Daily News discusses hometown hero Will Beatty's (UCONN) journey to the NFL
• Mohamed Sanu is already enrolled at Rutgers and chompin' at the bit

Tons Going on In Tampa

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Posted by DCS

It goes without saying that the Superbowl is pretty much making Tampa, FL the center of the sports universe right now. That's good because it means the USF Bulls also get more attention and publicity than they would normally be accustomed to. For example, their practice fields (which the Pittsburgh Steelers are using) got a nice little makeover by the "God of Sod," George Toma. Also, the Gramatica brothers (two of which kicked for USF) were used in a segment for the Conan O'Brien show on kicking field goals. And if that weren't enough, USF is doing a pretty good job of making their own publicity without the help of the Superbowl:

• Backup quarterback Grant Gregory will transfer to a D-1aa program
• Five star (scout) / four star (rivals) JUCO DE commits to the Bulls - Rivals.com profile

In other news:

• Doug Marrone was an offensive lineman and coached offensive line. Now he's putting those skills to good use (Donnie Webb / Syracuse Post-Standard)
• Nolan MacMillan is headed to Iowa much to the disdain of hopeful Syracuse fans...
• ...but Auburn picks up another running back recruit. Does this mean that it makes Auburn a less appealing destination for four star (rivals) RB David Oku? Oku is also considering Syracuse
• Brian Bennett gives his top five Big East recruiting moments of the last five years
• B-Squared gets some heated questioning over his "Big East vs. Mountain West" post
• The Hartford Courant's Desmond Conner reports that Florida receiver Mike Lang is in fact slated to go to UCONN

Big East vs. Mountain West

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Posted by DCS

There's been a lot of talk lately, about the Mountain West's appeal to the BCS to have them included as an an automatic bid in the BCS Bowl process. With the success of Utah and TCU, one can't blame them for trying to get in the door. A big part of this discussion has been their perceived comparability to the Big East and ACC Conferences in football. Well, in case there was any question about how the Mountain West stacks up against the Big East, Brian Bennett of ESPN's Big East Blog gives us the lowdown. B-Squared's analysis is pretty much gold to me, so I think we can all sleep better at night knowing that the Big East is still a valid BCS auto bid, and a better overall football conference than the Mountain West.

With that, I give you links:

• Three star (rivals) linebacker Dede Lattimore is headed to USF
• Highly touted linebacker Barkevious Mingo out of Louisiana is on his way to visit UCONN -- You've got to love this guy, if only for the name (Desmond Conner / Hartford Courant)
• Brian Bennett tells us to keep our eye on prospect Justin Brown as he chooses between Penn State and Rutgers
• Tyler Dunne at the Daily Orange Football Blog notes that Charley Loeb is jacked to start competing for the starting QB job right away
• Running back Jeremy Wright is going to be a Louisville Cardinal
• Donnie Webb of the Syracuse Post-Standard gives us a little more on newly committed Orange DE Torrey Ball
• Keith Sargent of Scarlet Scuttlebutt discusses the upcoming national signing day with Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano

I'm Back, and So Is the Big East Apparently

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Posted by DCS

I have to apologize folks, yet again, for being M.I.A. for about 24 hours. I'm but one man with a full time job that doesn't always allow me to post copious amounts of comments/information on Big East football. But alas, I'm back and I promise to try to continue posting consistently. And speaking of being back, how about all these Big East schools setting the recruiting trail ablaze? I have to say, I'm impressed with the quality of student athlete that some of our schools our pulling in. Even a school like Syracuse is managing to get back on the horse by having the number one rated overall running back in the country (rivals.com) visit them this weekend. Best of luck to the Orange in trying to lock up his commitment. For now, catch up on all the action going on behind the scenes in the Big East since I last left you:

Big East Overall:

• Brian Bennett's Friday mailbag (I know you can't live without it)
• B-Squared reviews the Big East recruiting classes thus far
• An analysis by Andy Staples of SI.com about how far recruits will come from their homes to attend a D-1a program (USF has the most "localized" recruiting class in the country)

Cincinnati:

• Connor Barwin is enticing NFL scouts at Senior Bowl practices (scout.com)
• ESPN's Brian Bennett on Cincy's recruiting needs

Connecticut:

• The Hartford Courant's Desmond Conner discusses UCONN's recruit visits
• Kevin at the UCONN Blog is jacked up about four star (rivals) wide receiver Dwayne Difton (out of Florida) becoming a Husky
• Donald Brown is reportedly sweating the NFL combine
• UCONN's recruiting needs according to Brian Bennett

Louisville:

• B-Squared's report on Louisville's recruiting needs

Pittsburgh:

• LeSean McCoy's agent, Drew Rosenhaus, wants Shady to be the first 'back taken overall
• Chas at Pitt Blather opines on Pitt football
• Another Pitt Blather link. This time on the recruitment of PA linebacker Dan Mason
• Sergey Zikov on the Bleacher Report gives us a breakdown of the Panthers' offense
• Another "recruiting needs" report by Brian Bennett -- this time about Pitt

Rutgers:

• Brian Bennett -- Rutgers' recruiting needs

South Florida:

• LB Tyrone McKenzie is eager to impress NFL scouts at the Senior Bowl
• Bull commit Ryne Giddins is named a Parade All-American (scout.com)
• Greg Auman on how Jim Leavitt has not yet made a decision on his offensive coordinator
• You know the drill -- Bennett's recruiting needs report for USF
• Brian Landman of the St. Petersburg Times reports on the financial implications of a home-and-home with FSU
• The Bulls nab another wideout - Derrick Hopkins

Syracuse:

• DB Rishard Anderson, out of Florida, commits to the 'Cuse -- rivals.com profile
• Syracuse's recruiting needs as pointed out by ESPN's Brian Bennett
• More on Orange recruiting by the Syracuse Post-Standard's Donnie Webb

West Virginia:

• According to B-Squared, Bill Stewart knows how to recruit...
• ...but they still have needs

Randy Shannon Not Getting Any Young(er)

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Posted by DCS

This one is indirectly related to the Big East, so please bear with me. Oklahoma State has hired Bill Young away from the University of Miami to be their defensive coordinator. Young, who was also DC at "the U," is the second coordinator to leave Miami (OC Patrick Nix was fired).

I bring this up because it will be interesting to see how Randy Shannon is able to retain recruits who had previously committed to the 'Canes under the impression that they would be working with either Nix or Young. This could have a profound impact on whether Big East schools who were also in the mix for these recruits are able to swoop in and reopen the recruiting process. I would look for USF in particular to try to take advantage of a seemingly less stable situation at Miami.

What else?:

• Greg Robinson hired as Michigan defensive coordinator is official
• ESPN's Brian Bennett discusses newly hired UCONN offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead's plans to take the Huskies to a no-huddle scheme
• Can't skip out on B-Squared's mailbag

A Couple O' Recruiting Links

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Posted by DCS

• JUCO offensive lineman Joe Evinger headed to Louisville
• RB Martin Hyppolite will be a UCONN Husky

AD Links

Posted by DCS

Here are a couple of links to the Newark Star-Ledger in regard to the Rutgers Athletic Director situation:

• What principles Steve Politi thinks the new RU AD should adhere to
• Tom Luicci has a litte Q & A with Interim AD Carl Kirschner

And:

• UCONN's Second Team All-American Donald Brown attends the Walter Camp Foundation's college football awards dinner (Hartford Courant)

The Big East Coaching Landscape Shifts Yet Again

Posted by DCS

We had been waiting on a decision from Syracuse's Doug Marrone on who would be the school's next running backs coach. That decision was made last evening when it was announced that former University of Tennessee RBs coach Stan Drayton would be coming aboard.

Drayton, in addition to coaching at Tennessee under Phil Fulmer last season, also has coaching stints at the University of Florida, Mississippi State, and Villanova on his resume, among others. With the exception of having coached at Villanova and the University of Pennsylvania, Drayton's Northeast credentials are not all that overwhelming, although coach Marrone insists, "Stan has very strong ties in the Northeast."

Given that Stan Drayton is a native of Ohio and that he played his college ball there, he can be a factor for the Orange in recruiting Midwest players. His experience coaching at three different SEC Conference schools has certainly exposed him to the fertile recruiting grounds of the South. In 2007, he was named by Rivals.com as one of the top 25 recruiters in the country for his work in helping to build the nation's number one recruiting class at the University of Florida. Most notably in 2007, he managed to recruit the Pouncey brothers who were prominently featured on the offensive line of this year's National Champion Gators team.

As far as running backs that Drayton has coached, he can boast about his efforts with Brian Westbrook at Villanova and Jerious Norwood at Mississippi State. Moreover, Florida's rushing attack in 2007 averaged a shade over 200 yards per game, good enough for third in the SEC and 23rd nationally.

Stan Drayton is Doug Marrone's third hire from the University of Tennessee. One can absolutely make the assumption that offensive line coach Greg Adkins and Director of Football Operations Kevin Van Derzee played significant roles in singing the praises of Drayton. Even if Tennessee's offense wasn't all that impressive last season and that Drayton does not have any significant ties to the Big East (or Syracuse), Marrone is at least impressed with the coach's "orange" credentials, having already served stints at two other institutions where orange is an integral school color. Marrone also hopes to recreate the above (right) scene with Drayton in the middle of a pack of Orange players after winning a national title.

____________________________

University of South Florida head coach Jim Leavitt decided last evening to part ways with offensive coordinator Greg Gregory. Leavitt, citing that, "It is time for our program to move in another direction," will seek to replace a coach who is seen as largely responsible for failing to produce an efficient red-zone offense. The Bulls went 2-5 in the Big East this season, while unceremoniously swooning down the stretch and failing to improve on offense with 10 returning starters.

Gregory (in the above picture -- left), who took the offensive coordinator post after five seasons as the school's tight ends coach, was under consideration for the Army head coach position earlier this year. It's widely thought that current Bulls wide receivers coach Mike Canales will assume responsibility of the entire offense at this point, after having returned to the squad subsequent to a stint with Mike Stoops at the University of Arizona.

It is worth noting that UCONN head coach Randy Edsall is still in the process of filling an offensive coordinator position of his own. He is seeking to replace Rob Ambrose, who took a head coach position at Towson State University.

I Owe You Links

Thursday, January 15, 2009

Posted by DCS

I mentioned earlier today that I had a lot to dish out, so as promised, here's what's going on in the world of the Big East:

• Desmond Conner has no clue about who will be the next UCONN offensive coordinator, but he can give you a rundown of other Husky-related info
• Two star Rivals DB Richard Lee is headed to Louisville...
• ...he'll be joined by Ravelle Sadler who's transferring from Western Michigan (scout.com)
• USF's Taurus Johnson is making quite the impression at East-West Shrine game practices
• Syracuse lacrosse transfer may also get a crack at the gridiron according to Dave Rahme of the Syracuse Post-Standard

You've already seen the roster and listing of Big East participants for the Texas vs. The Nation Bowl, now here's the same for the Senior Bowl. The 16 Big East players participating include:

Cincinnati: Connor Barwin, TE; Mike Mickens, DB; DeAngelo Smith, DB; Kevin Huber, P; Trevor Canfield, OL
Connecticut: Darius Butler, DB; William Beatty, OL; Cody Brown, DL
Louisville: Eric Wood, OL
Pittsburgh: Scott McKillop, LB; Mark Estermyer, DS
South Florida: Tyrone McKenzie, LB
Syracuse: Tony Fiammetta, RB
West Virginia: Pat White, QB; Ellis Lankster, DB; Pat McAfee, K

LeSean McCoy is Hearing Jeopardy Music In His Head

Monday, January 12, 2009

Posted by DCS

As basketball season picks up in the in Big East, the football news cycle gets slower and slower. Here's some info to tie you over for now:

• Former Penn State star Justin King weighs in on how Pitt's LeSean McCoy should view entering the NFL draft and leaving school early
• A look at some Cincinnati products making an impact in the NFL playoffs (Scout.com)
• Pitt nabs a Rivals 2-star DB from New Jersey
• UCONN may have itself a fine QB in Cody Embres (Washington Observer Reporter (PA))

Get a Load of This Guy

Monday, January 5, 2009

Posted by DCS

Recently fired Utah State head coach Brent Guy will be taking over as the linebackers coach at the University of Louisville according to Rivals.com. When it comes to his career as a linebackers coach and defensive coordinator, Guy has had a relatively hefty amount of success. He's had successful stints at Oklahoma State, Utah State, Boise State, and Arizona State (I guess he likes them states) in those capacities. It was only when he took the reins at Utah State as the head coach that he ran into some disfunction. Over four years in Logan, Guy's squad mustered a 9-38 record.

Guy will be joining former Cardinal linebacker coach Bill Miller on the defensive side of the ball. Miller and Guy will be reunited from their days on staff at Oklahoma State in the early 1990's.

A lot is going to have to be done if Louisville's defense is going to improve. Ron English remarked upon leaving Louisville, that he was surprised by the lack of stability in recruiting and retention within the program, making it difficult for him to run an efficient defense. As you'll also note below, Brian Bennett of ESPN's Big East Blog is predicting that the Cardinals' slide may get worse before things in Louisville get any better. On to that and other links:

• Scott Shafer will run a 4-3 defensive scheme at the 'Cuse
• ESPN's Brian Bennett looks back...
• ...and takes a ridiculously premature look ahead
• Rob Lunn wraps up his International Bowl diary

The Donald is Cashing In

Saturday, January 3, 2009

Posted by DCS

No, we're not talking about Donald Trump, although he's probably cashing in as well. We're talking about UCONN tailback Donald Brown who is fresh off a 261 yard performance in an International Bowl win over the Buffalo Bulls. Brown now concedes that he will be forgoing his senior season in Storrs to pursue opportunities in the NFL.

Brown is a junior and has one more year of eligibility to play college football. When asked prior to the bowl game if he was planning on leaving he said that he would stay, but as time went on reports surfaced that he and head coach Randy Edsall would discuss the matter further at a later time.

At the press conference after the International Bowl, Brown said the following:

"I'm not coming back, I'm going to the NFL. I know I told you guys earlier
that I was coming back but that was too [sic] eliminate the distractions on our
team. We had enough internal distractions going on and they didn't need that one
as a burden as well so I apologize for "lying" for what I did to protect my
team. They mean the world to me, so I'm willing to put my neck on the line for
them."

"To be honest with you, going into the season, I worked my tail off and I
made it a point to myself in the position to have the option to stay or leave.
As time grew closer and I just kept sleeping on it for nights and nights and I
just felt in my heart that was best for me. It was one of the toughest decisions
I ever had to make in my life."With the guy next to me [coach Randy Edsall]
giving me advice along the way and my parents and my high school coach made it a
lot easier for me."

This should not be unexpected at all and the UCONN backfield is left in the talented hands of Jordan Todman (who had a solid performance in the International Bowl as well) and Andre Dixon. The Huskies will also have a new quarterback handing the ball off to the new backfield; a possibility at QB is Notre Dame transfer Zach Frazier.

Brown is the second junior Big East football player who today declared that they would not return to college next year. Earlier today, Rutgers wide receiver Kenny Britt also declared his intention to make a jump to the pros. Currently, nfldraftdog.com has Brown tabbed as a 2nd round value and Britt as a 4th round value for this year's draft. It's disappointing to see these fine talents leave the Big East, but it does show potential Big East recruits that the league is producing top notch talent that can make a smooth foray into the NFL.

Yes UCONN!

Posted by DCS

Well Big East fans, it all came down to today and the UCONN Huskies to conclude the conference's bowl season in the International Bowl against Buffalo. This was today's only bowl being broadcast and another opportunity for the Big East to showcase its wares against the MAC Conference champion led by hot coaching commodity, Turner Gill. UCONN did not disappoint as they overpowered the Bulls 38-20 in a game that demonstrated why Donald Brown was certainly overlooked as a Doak Walker finalist (and winner).

As mentioned, Donald Brown was worth the price of admission, carrying the ball 29 times for 261 yards (nine yards per carry) and a touchdown. With over 200 yards in the first half alone, Brown and soon-to-be departed offensive coordinator Rob Ambrose made it clear to Buffalo that they were going to be partying like it's 1909 by running play after play after play. Husky quarterback Tyler Lorenzen only made six pass attempts, completing four of them for 49 yards and a touchdown.

UCONN sealed the game with a little over two minutes left in the fourth quarter. Buffalo quarterback Drew "free" Willy was picked off in the endzone by Husky linebacker Dahna Deleston, who in turn, rushed the ball back 100 yards for another score. UCONN ends their season 8-5.

All three International Bowls ever played have now been won by Big East teams (Cincinnati in 2007 and Rutgers in 2008), while UCONN gets their first bowl win since a victory over Toledo in 2004's Motor City Bowl. The Big East Conference concludes the bowl season 4-2, and are now 12-4 in bowls since 2006 (certainly something boast about when negotiating new bowl tie-ins).

More on Donald Brown:

It is still unclear whether Donald Brown plans on returning for his senior season. He smiled while evading a post-game interview question, instead noting that he would be celebrating the victory with his teammates. There is no question, that with the early departure of top flight running backs Shonn Greene (Iowa), Knowshon Mareno (Georgia), and Javon Ringer (Mich. State), Brown would be considered a leading candidate for the the Doak Walker award in 2009. The Heisman may prove at least somewhat elusive for DB because it is unlikely that UCONN will perform well enough (a BCS bowl appearance is helpful when pushing a Heisman candidate) in the 2009 season. That being said, there is a lot excitement in Storrs over the potential of Notre Dame transfer QB Zach Frazier to lead the team to more promising results. For right now, I encourage all UCONN and Big East fans to revel in the success of the conference's regular and bowl seasons.

First standings, then links:

Pac 10 5-0
SEC 5-2
Big East 4-2
CUSA 3-2
Big 12 3-2
MWC 3-2
Sun Belt 1-1
ACC 4-6
WAC 1-4
Big 10 1-5
Indies 0-2
MAC 0-4

• He gone. Kenny Britt is going to the NFL...
• ...is that going to be a problem for Rutgers?
• Frank Ahrens at the Bleacher Report looks back and ahead for the West Virginia Mountaineers
• Eduardo Encina of the USF Sports Bulletin updates us on the Robert Marve situation -- his father is sick in Tampa; could he come to USF?

Buck Up Big East Fans, It Aint All That Bad

Friday, January 2, 2009

Posted by DCS

Losses by Big East teams in bowls -- Pitt in the Brut Sun Bowl and last evening's defeat of Cincinnati in the Orange Bowl -- understandably have fans of the conference hanging their heads low. I can't stress enough that this should not be the case. Yes, it's disappointing to see Dave Wannstedt's Pitt team not muster a single point against an Oregon State team that had given up 65 points to Oregon two weeks prior. Yes, it's gut wrenching for the Big East Champ Cincinnati Bearcats to lose a mistake-filled game to a former conference member and hated ACC rival in the most important bowl for the conference this season. If we want to be considered a serious BCS conference, than it is completely necessary to feel utterly discouraged by these developments and expect that things should turn out differently.

The bottom line is that the Big East Conference still has a winning bowl record this season (3-2). Even with Virginia Tech's victory last evening, the ACC is a pitiful 4-6 in bowls despite placing 10 teams in the the post-season (not to mention, they are 1-2 against the Big East). Look at the Big 10 Conference. This "big time" grouping of teams is mustering a measly 1-5 bowl record this season. With UCONN yet to play, there is one more opportunity for a Big East bowl win, and it's a game that can decide whether we conclude the bowl season with a winning record or not.

Something else to consider is that the two teams that have lost in bowls for the Big East thus far, have done so after improving on their previous situations. This is the first season in Dave Wannstedt's four years as head coach, that Pittsburgh has gone to a bowl. Sure, they didn't pull out a victory, but it's something to build on going into next season. More importantly, Brian Kelly's Cincinnati squad has never seen the type of success that they encountered this season. Going to a BCS bowl game is a huge deal for a team that had been looked upon as a peon in the world of college football a few short years ago. Building blocks are now in place for these two programs to continue their winning ways and win bowl games in the future.

I'm also well aware that critics will try to point out that the Big East Conference's bowl victories came in lower tier bowls against teams of suspect talent. People can criticize all they want, but these are still valuable wins in my mind. Pat White going out the way he did against a solid UNC team coached by someone as well recognized as Butch Davis is something to crow about. Rutgers downing an equally hot team as NC State in the Papajohns.com Bowl is another accomplishment not to be diminished. Sure, the USF victory in the Magicjack St. Petersburg Bowl may not seem like much, but the drubbing they delivered should speak volumes about their ability to score at will and win in convincing fashion.

I hope this little pep talk has Big East followers feeling at least a little better about this season. I leave you with updated bowl conference standings, and links that will both bring closure to last night's defeat and ones that will have you looking more optimistically to the future of Big East play. We now need everyone rallying around the UCONN Huskies in their Saturday match-up with Turner Gill's Buffalo Bulls.

Pac 10 5-0
CUSA 3-1
SEC 3-1
Big 12 3-1
Big East 3-2
MWC 2-2
Sun Belt 1-1
ACC 4-6
WAC 1-4
Big 10 1-5
Indies 0-2
MAC 0-3

Closure:

• Brian Bennett of ESPN's Big East Blog chalks up Cincy's loss to mistakes and a stout Hokie defense....
• ....but B-Squared notes that fans should not look down on the Bearcats' season
• Orange Bowl analysis from Matt Zemek of scout.com
• Orange Bowl pics, courtesy of scout.com

UCONN will cheer you up:

• A year in review for UCONN on the UCONN Blog -- many positive things to note about the Husky football team
• Desmond Conner of the Hartford Courant updates us ahead of the International Bowl

I Smell Brut Sun Bowl Links and More

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Posted by DCS

Get your fill of Brian Bennett's antics on ESPN's Big East Blog:

• A Sun Bowl preview
• The Panthers feel they have something to prove
• B-Squared gets UCONN defensive end Rob Lunn to do his job for him

A trio from Scout.com:

• The International Bowl will be a homecoming of sorts for UCONN's Moe Petrus, eh?
• "Mr. PAC 10" is liking Pitt over OSU today
• It's game day!

What else?:

• The Newark Star-Ledger's Tom Liucci discusses the future of Rutgers football
• P. Diddy, Party, Same hotel as the Cincy Bearcats...you do the math
• Zach Berman of the Washington Post with a fine bit of journalism covering the ascent of Brian Kelly and the Cincinnati Bearcats

Want to Go Bowling? Play Tough Teams

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Posted by DCS

I came across an interesting piece from the Wiz of Odds today. Apparently, it pays to play tough schedules in D-1A college football; it'll get you into a nice bowl. The teams with the toughest road to bowls?:

1) Florida
2) Oklahoma
3) Texas
4) Alabama
5) Boise State
6) Utah
7) USC
8) Pitt
9) Cincinnati
10) Penn State

Make your own judgement on the above list, but as far as I can tell, I can't see any ACC teams on here. PAC 10? Just lonely ole USC. Props to the Big East for not backing down from serious competition.

Meanwhile:

• Auspiciously, West Virginia has already beaten UNC in the virtual world
• B-Squared's Big East All Freshman team
• UCONN O-Coordinator Rob Ambrose may be on his way out to be the Head Coach at Towson
• Syracuse Head Coach Doug Marrone hires an Offensive Line Coach
• Doug Marrone gets his first recruit: All Big East D-Lineman Arthur Jones will stay for his senior season
• Cincy's DE Barwin kicks it old school