2010 College Football Predictions: Big East

The Big East is still here folks! After rumors of Syracuse, Pitt or Rutgers to the Big Ten, West Virginia to the SEC/ACC, Cincinnati to waiving their hands around and spinning in a circle the conference still exists for football and there is a BCS bid up for grabs. Knowing you have a 1/8 chance of getting a payday bonanza has to be good motivation going into the season and most of the teams have a legitimate shot at it. Our pick of who takes the Beast next.

1. Cincinnati

There was quite a mess left for Cincinati last year after such a successful year. This was mostly thanks to the Catholics over in Indiana. Brian Kelly's departure left the Bearcats' already slim chances against Tim Tebow's last college fame at none. UC made a wise choice in picking up Butch Jones to follow Kelly up just as he did at Central Michigan. Even though he's American and his name doesn't mean anything, Butch will keep a close version of the same offense that had them 6th in scoring in the nation last year. The even better news is that Zach Collaros is back at QB and filled in terrifically when Tony Pike got injured last year. Collaros will also have Armon Binns to throw the ball to and Isaiah Pead to hand if off to. [Seriously, the variations on spelling the name Isiah has to stop. Yes I checked three times and that is how you spell Pead's name.] Now the question again will turn to the defense and that may seem silly after the team went 12-1 and was one clock tick away from playing for the BCS title but the lasting memory is that Sugar Bowl. Also the defense did tend to be a bit porous last year against good offenses.

The crazy schedule that Cincinnati plays make predicting their season tough. Hosting UT-Martin, Indiana State, and Miami (the other one) make it seem like a cupcake extravaganza, but they also play at NC State(albeit not the toughest contest) and host Oklahoma. After those games they avoid West Virginia, Pitt and Rutgers until November and the first week of December. I think by then they will be playing Butch ball and win a second consecutive year.

2. Pittsburgh

Pitt is on paper the purported prohibitive favorites to pilfer the precarious conference prize. Alliteration aside, I already picked Clemson to go far enough and I have a rule about only picking one, what I like to call, Clemson a year. So you will not see Michigan State or Cal winning anything in the remainder of our previews. Running back Dion Lewis was a sensation last year and now in his second year he should keep the momentum going, especially behind the blocking of LT Jason Pinkston. They did lose their verteran QB Bill Stull but they have playmaker Jon Baldwin at wideout to help new QB Tino Sunseri who sounds like he right out of a Soprano's episode. The defense begins and ends with DE Greg Romeus whose name is right out of Star Trek. The Wannstache has always been a great at getting his teams tough on defense, and Pitt seems to be right at he cusp but somehow I feel they will fall short.

Pitt travels to Utah to open the season which might set the tone for when they get to Big East season. If not then, Miami comes to town in week 3. They end again with Cincinnati in another contest that very well may again decide the Big East title.

3. Rutgers

Greg Schiano is entering his 10th year at Rutgers. Now I don't know about you but that makes me feel old. In a record the Neutral Planet would be proud of, he is 55-55. Rutgers was 9-4 overall but 3-4 in conference. Tom Savage and Mohamed Sanu should be one of the best pass and catch combos in the country that most people don't talk about. The biggest strength to this team may be their defensive line. If they're able to stop the run and get to the opponents QBs, it will be a productive season in Piscataway. But will another 8 or 9 wins be satisfying for the Scarlet Knights or will it ring hollow? Who cares, it's New Jersey.

Okay, that was a little mean and Jersey jokes are far from original these days. Rutgers out of conference schedule is far from daunting with the only BCS contest being North Carolina at home and now who knows what state they will in.

4. West Virginia

Many drew parallels to Larry Coker when Bill Stewart took the helm. I had to say I concurred with it but that was perhaps unfair. Yet a few years later Stewart's seat is getting warmer despite getting the Mountaineers to back-to-back 9 win seasons. The people in Morgantown are not exactly rational and they want results now. Noel Devine is one of the most dynamic backs in the country, but he is going to need the O-line's help. That's where big Josh Jenkins and Don Barclay come in. Geno Smith will attempt to take the place of Jarrett Brown taking the place of Pat White.

The big game for WVA will be in Death Valley (yeah that one) against LSU before they get to the conference game. The last four games for the Mountaineers will be a challenge as they get Cincinnati, Louisville, Pitt and Rutgers. Ultimately I see regression instead of progression for Stewart and a lot of unhappy rednecks come January.

5. Connecticut

It was a very emotional year for UCONN last year. After losing Jasper Howard to a tragic death, the team pressed on the best they could. A couple of close losses on the field could not stop their determination as they finished up strong with a bowl win. Losing Lindsey Witten hurts the Huskies defense but Edsall has made his bones at UCONN so far by making something out of nothing. Greg Lloyd, no not that one, returns from a leg injury at linebacker and should add to the defensive effort. It is what you would expect from a team that is not able to recruit the biggest star guys out there; a lot of effort and speed in the place of mass.

UCONN's most intriguing match-up happens week 1 as they travel to the Big House. It will be a great measuring stick for both programs. I have nothing but admiration for Edsall and his team's heart, but it is likely another 7 to 8 wins and a bowl appearance for the Huskies, a Big East title remains just out of reach.

6. South Florida

Jim Leavitt created something out of nothing. Literally. He was the first and only coach at USF until this past offseason where allegations of player-smacking and non-cooperation with the administration ousted him. It was a messy affair and it was a knee-jerk reaction by the suits in my opinion. No one would even know about the Bulls existence if it were not for Leavitt and he deserved another chance. However, no time to lament Skip Holtz left his cushy pirate ship in Green-vegas to take on the Big East. Holtz has proved he can spar with the big boys, and now that he will be dipping into the Florida high school talent pool, he will have South Florida to the level Leavitt took them to, and maybe higher.

Yet it will not happen this year. A trip to Florida in week 2 will be a sober reminder of that. A horrid bowl trip will be the best Holtz can salvage from the season.

7. Louisville

Another new coach takes over a previously overachieving program. Charlie Strong, who was denied head coaching jobs in the SEC for "unknown reasons" was a hell of a snag for Louisville. Strong is one of the up and coming stars in the college game. The Cardinals have been decimated for personnel after successful coaches bolted and the previous coach, Steve Kragthorpe mortgaged the program on gambles that did not pan out. The Cards most likely will not make a bowl but the future is bright.

8. Syracuse

While other teams welcome new coaches, Doug Marrone tries to claw Syracuse back to respectability. It really is head-shaking to see the Orange in this plight. They have just as much and pretty much more tradition of any program in the conference yet they have been relegated to second fiddle status behind their basketball team. Marrone will need to get the offense going, and how will they ever do that without Ron Paulus? (/end sarcasm) On defense he's got a pair of stud linebackers in Darrell Smith and Doug Hogue but the corner needs to be turned on points scored this year. Marrone has plenty of time to make it happen, no one is pressuring him to win now, because no one else would want the challenge if they let him loose.

Player to watch: Greg Romeus
Exceeds Expectations: Cincinnati
Fails Expectations: West Virginia
In-conference game to watch: Pitt at Cincy, Dec. 4
Out of conference game to watch: Miami at Pitt, Sep. 23

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Conference Expansion: Taking the Next Step

Again this week talk of conference expansion has sprung up through out the internet. Boise State to the Mountain West. Who wins the Texas raffle? Who do they have to take in addition? Will Notre Dame finally bite the bullet and join the 21st century? All of these recurring questions are yet to be answered, but several things have become clear, most notably: Cash Rules Everything Around Me. With the ever expanding world of college athletics on the doorstep of yet another evolution (or de-evolution) the powers have proven they do not care about the fans or more importantly the student-athletes. Increased travel? Who cares? A diluted product? If it brings in more money, so be it. The idea that conferences can put out an increasingly unbalanced product that erodes rivalries and deprives fans of marquee matchups will continue to produce larger revenue is flawed. Eventually, their will have to be a truly seismic shift in college sports to continue increasing revenues? Why not skip this era of bloated conferences and jump to the biggest money grab in American Sports history. Beyond the break lies just that possibility.

In the SEC they currently use a 5-2-1 format for their football scheduling. This means a team plays their five division opponents plus one permanent non-division opponent and then two rotating non-division opponents. With this system the biggest of the big dogs Florida and Alabama play four out of every ten years. As sports fans we've been fortunate enough to get them in the SEC championship the last two seasons, because if not the last two national champions would not have met. If the SEC expands, these matchups would likely grow even more rare. The same case be can be made for many marquee matchups that don't serve as primary rivals (OSU-Michigan would be preserved... right? right?!?!) if conferences continue to expand. The increased load of a conference schedule would also likely have a negative impact on already meager non-conference scheduling. That's why I choose now to present my idea to not only make the schools more money, but to also provide the fans with a better experience.

My idea? The League of Extraordinary Teams!

What is it? A collection of the 40 best college athletics programs broken into five divisions. Each division would operate as a regional mini-conference. It would represent a return to the Pac-8, Big-8 eras where rivalries were at their apex. Schools would be selected not solely based on the success of their football teams (although in some cases they might), but on the overall success of their athletics programs. The LXT would be creating a year round cable network that would showcase many of these programs. So who makes up the LXT?

South: Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Kansas, Oklahoma St, and pick one: Missouri, Arkansas, Texas AM, Baylor, and Tex. Tech
North: Ohio St, Michigan, Wisconsin, ND (they have to accept or relinquish all relevance), Illinois, Nebraska, Iowa and Indiana
East: UNC, Duke, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky and pick two: Miami, FSU, Clemson, GT, and SCar
West: UCLA, USC, Stanford, Oregon, Arizona, and pick three: Washington, Arizona St, Oregon St and Cal
North East: UConn, Cuse, Penn St, UVa, VT, Pitt, and pick two: Maryland, WVU, Rutgers, and BC

Don't get caught up on who made the list and who didn't. It's a rough hack and with college sports being as political as they are concessions would have to be made (Texas wants Baylor in? They're in, sorry somebody else). What these teams represent, however, are the very best in both college football, college basketball as well as many other non-revenue sports such as baseball, volleyball, wrestling, etc. Having dominance through out the sports year would allow the LXT to start a cable network similar to the Big Ten, but with a nationwide following and a ton more star power.

Fantasizing about a nationwide sports conference is fun, but why could it happen? Money. Currently the NFL sets the bar for TV contracts, not only because football is king, but also because the teams negotiate as one. People often regard the NFL as the gold standard in American Sports at this time, but the NFL's reach pales in comparison to that of college football, so if
the biggest and best decided to join forces, not only could they provide one season's worth of games, but four. The LXT network could be like the Big 10 network times 1000 in terms of content. Regional contracts could still be signed and networks would be lining up (similar to the NFL) to get a piece of the premiere college sports conference.

With all of the teams playing under one conference banner, the League would have nationwide reach and all money would be kept "in house" and distributed amongst the schools. Currently NFL schedule release day is the only one in American Sports that has become a big deal. With the LXT, the schedule makers could ensure that marquee games are staggered and release day would become a bigger phenomenon than NFL release day. How many prime time games does my school get? Who are the inter-division games? Every fan base would be buzzing. Just as the NFL works to maximize it's feature games the LXT could do the same. Four games every Thursday at two start times. Saturday's would feature a staggering number of games, but the marquee games would also be staggered so as to avoid conflicting. Week after week would feature various must see LXT games in primetime.

At the end of the regular season, the five division champions as well as the top seven non-division winners would compete to crown one LXT champion. The format would be similar to the BCS playoff proposed here previously. Of course, the LXT no longer needs the BCS skimming money off the top. Even more money kept in house.

Looking ahead to college basketball, the Christmas tournaments could be entirely LXT events ripe with desirable inter-division matchups. The return of mandatory home and homes within each division would restore some of the lost luster of rivalries and individual division tournaments would feed into a small LXT Elite Eight style tournament.

A move such as this would be unprecedented, but so would the financial gain for the schools. It would change the landscape forever, but the product would be better. As it stands, the landscape is changing, but not maximizing the money earned or the product on the field/court. Both the fans and the schools would win. every would win, except for of course the other division one schools, but when there's money to be made that doesn't matter. The schools are already proving that on their own.

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The BCS Agenda Delivers the "Best"

It's time once again to take a look at the BCS. Many other bloggers, writers and pundits are playing "what if" with Iowa, USC, TCU, Boise State and others, which is ironic considering the entire system is designed to remove all chance. Last season we took a look at the computer polls, pointing out several of the flaws, while conceding the inherent problems of the polls, but now it's time to take aim at the whole of the system. Often times people will refer to BCS voters having an 'agenda,' here's a look at what that just might mean.

The BCS is the sports version of American Idol minus the teenie boppers voting on their cell phones. It's one big popularity contest. Some talking heads lament the possibility of the dark horses in the National Championship, 'Do you really want to watch Cincinnati vs. Alabama? Ugh', but that's not the way sports works (or should work). We didn't get LeBron-Kobe even though it would've gotten better ratings, because the Cavs lost. We haven't had a Manning Bowl, Yankees-Dodgers world series since 1981 or an all-Canada Stanley Cup Final in twenty years, because sports has no script. The great fallacy of the BCS and why some are tricked into believing the system is either a) working or b) is "better than what we had" lies in the desirability of the match-up. While various fanbases get upset annually, by and large the masses are pleased due to the marquee nature of the Championship Game. Look back at the Finals teams from all the major sports in the last decade. Every one of them has Tampa Bays, Georgia Techs, Carolina Hurricanes, Arizona Cardinals and New Jersey Nets sprinkled through out them and yet the BCS has never had a team that's not one of the winningest or iconic programs of the last twenty years. Look quickly at the list of teams that have competed for the crystal football since the BCS came about: Oklahoma (4x), Ohio State (3x), Florida State (3x), Florida (2x), Miami (2x), USC (2x), LSU (2x), Texas, Nebraska, Tennessee and Virginia Tech. Not one dark horse program and of those only Virginia Tech is not considered football royalty, but in addition to being one of only two BCS conference teams undefeated that season (going into the bowl) they also had a once-in-a-lifetime dynamic player in Michael Vick. On the flip side, consider the lesser teams that have been part of the discussion, but ultimately left out of the game: Kansas St., Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Auburn, Wisconsin, and Louisville among others. Even among the power players there's a pecking order, with several seemingly deserving teams being hurdled by late season voting shenanigans. There's a reason. College football is the golden goose of sports and the select few who get those golden eggs annually are not interested in sharing.

Another primary difference between the BCS and American Idol; the BCS voters have a vested interest in the outcome. It's difficult to assess how much being a voter for the national championship is worth, but it certainly has value. Being voters for the National Champion gives the pollsters' opinions weight, generates more exposure for them and their employers and therefore puts more money in their pocket. Inserting a non-BCS conference team into the national championship may not be the death knell for the current system, but establishing the precedent could lead to the erosion of the system that gives the writers the current stature they enjoy. Not to go all conspiracy theorist, but the BCS polls being released midway through the season is no coincidence. College football enjoys the most passionate fanbases of any sport in America, other rankings provide us with a general lay of the land week to week and the top teams know from this point on the must win out in order to ensure their place in a BCS bowl. So why do they need to be released? College basketball doesn't seed March madness weeks out and inform us who's in and who's out. Could it not be argued that the BCS is unwilling to take a multi-million dollar gamble by preventing the pollsters from seeing how the rankings stack up before the final week? Let's say Iowa stays perfect and finishes ranked third in the polls behind the SEC and Big 12 champions, but as it stands the computers love the Hawkeyes and could potentially push them into the National Championship game. If you stood to make millions more on a marquee national championship game, particularly in a down economic time, would you take the chance that Iowa could unseat Texas by not releasing the results until the final day? This way pollsters are able to see which teams the computers will eliminate (Boise State) and conversely the pollsters can see which teams the computers love and need to be wary of, so they can justify them down slightly in the polls. Consciously or subconsciously, pollsters will do what they think is needed to ensure the "best" national championship match-up. We saw this manipulation at work last year with Oklahoma receiving a late push in the polls on the strength of the margin of victory over Texas Tech.

Even more so than the voters, the primary TV networks benefit from always having a chalk match-up in the title game. ESPN and CBS both root for the SEC and ESPN has contracts with all of the BCS conferences. If a Mountain West team were to play for a national championship, it would be a tremendous boost to the Versus network. While it seems ludicrous to suggest at this point, but having the National Champion of college football and (dare I say) the NHL would provide a tremendous foothold for Versus towards creating a dent in the juggernaut that is ESPN and we know they don't like competition in Bristol. ESPN loves their "bracket busters" in college basketball, but why not in college football? They want to protect their interest in the big conferences. ESPN stays out of the picture when it comes to non-conference scheduling in college football, but they regularly pitch ideas like the ACC/Big 10 challenge in basketball, because they know those games will be money makers and the conferences need not worry about the impact on teams making the NCAA tournament. In college football, they don't have that luxury and playing such games (after the Kickoff Classic) only serves to potentially hurt their investments. When listening to the talking heads at any of these networks, remember that they themselves are in invested in these conferences and seeing someone else's team in the national championship making the other guy money instead of them, isn't in their best interest. (That said, I believe you will see ESPN slowly turn up the heat on the possibility of a college football playoff, but that's a discussion for another day.)

Discussing the "what if" scenarios of college football through out the season can be equal parts fun and maddening, but in reality few if any of those scenarios have any chance of coming to fruition regardless of the outcomes on the field because they just don't fit the agenda. The big six conferences rely on their guaranteed money from BCS games and are not eager to share and both the voters and the TV networks have vested interests in delivering what those conferences want. Unfortunately, the best sport America has is currently run like Olympic figure skating. Style points and what flag you play under are just as important as performance. There is a man behind the curtain and he has no interest in getting the right National Championship game, only the best one. It's the only way they can keep their money and the masses satisfied. That's the BCS, the Business of College Sports.

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A Word on Cuse/Conn Sextuple Overtime

127-117 in 6 Overtimes. Before the Orange and the Huskies squared off last night in the Big East quarterfinals, my good friend The Concierge and I had a phone conversation. We said we just wanted a good game. Our conversations have toned down since high school when we were at each other's throats everytime these two teams took the court. Concierge has been a Syracuse fan since forever and eventually attended the school, while I had a devotion to UCONN since it was the place of my birth. Even though I ended up going to the U, I never stopped pulling for the Huskies and thankfully the Canes moved to the ACC. I am not a supporter of having more than one team in a sport, but I very well could not drop my childhood team as I began rooting for Miami.

Both of us have had some memorable victories in the rivalry and have celebrated when the teams won national championships, but last night was something completely new to college basketball alltogether. I know the teams did not set a record for most overtimes which is 7, but I can honestly say I have never seen a game go on that long in my life. Concierge and I texted during the game, but it was after the first overtime that he called me to talk about how crazy this was. At the end of the brief call he said, "I'll call you at the end." That soon turned into "I'll call you at the third overtime....call you at the fourth" and so on. By the end it was past 1:00 am and Connecticut lost and I was not looking forward to work today.

The game was an epic, but not an all-time in terms of greatness. Both teams made mistakes that prevented them from ending the game early. Not to say it was not great, but the length and marathon style is what made it unbelievable. In regulation, UCONN had 22 turnovers, shot 44% from the free-throw line, and shot 3-13 from the 3 point line. I thought that had bought them a ticket home after regulation, but Syracuse left the door open. In overtime it was UCONN's turn to keep the Orange in the game, as the Orange did not lead the game until the 6th OT. The UCONN led the game by as much as 6 in the extra sessions but could not close the deal. 24-42 free-throws overall is not the way to get it done if you are Connecticut. The Orange almost won the game in regulation but Eric Devendorf's shot was just after the buzzer. On the replay, the game clock started late after Gavin Edwards tipped the ball and it fell to Devendorf. If the shot had counted with the clock starting late I would have been upset, but then again they could have counted it and spared us all the overtime sessions. By the 6th overtime, both teams had lost critical players to fouls, but it was one of the Cuse staples that sustained them to the victory. As the players grew more exhausted and Thabeet left the game, Johnny Flynn overcame his heavy legs and worked his way to the basket as Andy Rautins hit the deep balls. The famous 2-3 zone became the difference. Connecticut perhaps should have switched to a zone themselves as they started playing seldom used players off their bench. Paul Harris and company took over against the bench players since they had the man-to-man advantaged. Once Syracuse went up by 7 A.J. Price took his last foul and headed for the bench.

The lasting image I will take from the game was after Devendorf fouled out and was replaced by Justin Thomas who had not even played 30 minutes all season. As UCONN brought the ball up the Orange players sat dead tired in the zone, but Thomas who had just come in was jumping around and waving his arms, the lone source of energy on a court of drained players. After the game Jim Calhoun was his usual salty self saying that he will look back on the game this summer, but for now it is a loss. Jim Boeheim could not have been prouder of his team.

This was a game no one will ever forget, but now UCONN has to drag itself into the tournament. They will likely get a number one seed since Oklahoma, Kansas and Pittsburgh also lost yesterday but the Huskies have never advance to the final four without winning the Big East tournament so it does not bode well they will not get to Detroit if they shoot under 60 percent from the foul line and turn the ball over more than 20 times. The Orange will face West Virginia tonight and without a deep bench, I cannot see how they can play at a high level. No doubt Bobby Huggins will be turning up the pressure on the leg-weary Orange. West Virginia will be playing their third game in as many days so that goes in Syracuse's favor. If the Cuse find someway to win tonight they will have to play tomorrow night against Louisville or Villanova and if they go on to win this tourney it will be one of the greatest team accomplishments in the history of college basketball.

As I went to bed or rather tried to, I was still worked up from the game, I simply texted the Concierge, "Grats sir." There was nothing else to say after a game for the ages and everyone, not just the players and coaches, was wiped out.

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Shackleford Files 011: Bubbling Over (Updated)

It's bubble discussion time and if any schmo that can run his motorcycle into a tree can offer his opinions on bubble teams, we figure why can't us (it worked for Phillies fans, after all). Cleet and I take a look at all of the potential bubble teams, what work they have left to do and who's definitely in or out. Due to the length we've broken the podcast up by conferences. First up, the ACC...




For those of you that would rather listen to the podcast in it's entirety, you can listen or download it HERE.

ACC
In: UNC, Duke, Wake Forest, Clemson, Florida State, and Boston College.
Bubble: Miami, Maryland, and Virginia Tech.



Big Ten
In: Michigan State, Illinois, and Purdue.
Bubble: Ohio State, Penn State, Minnesota, Michigan, and Northwestern.



Big XII
In: Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Texas A&M, and Texas (with yesterday's win).
Bubble: Kansas State and Oklahoma State.



Big East
In: UConn, Pitt, Louisville, Villanova, Marquette, and Syracuse.
Bubble: West Virginia (split decision) and Providence.



Pac-10
In: Washington, UCLA, Arizona State and Cal.
Bubble: Arizona.



SEC
In: LSU (begrudgingly) and Tennessee.
Bubble: South Carolina, Florida, and Kentucky.



WCC
In: Gonzaga.
Bubble: St. Mary's.



Atlantic 10
In: Xavier and Dayton.
Bubble: Rhode Island.



Mountain West
In: BYU and Utah.
Bubble: San Diego State and UNLV.



The Rest of the Story
In: Memphis.
Bubble: UAB and Creighton.
Out: Davidson.

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An Injury No One Wanted

Being a Connecticut fan, I was elated with the Huskies' 93-82 victory over Marquette, placing them in first in the Big East for the moment at 14-2 in the conference and in number one seed position at 26-2. Jim Calhoun, who has faced some scrutiny lately for his spat with a douchebag reporter, picked up his 800th career win joining some pretty elite company. A.J. Price had 36 and a sick crossover while Stanley Robinson looked like his old self as he had 19 and 10.

The Golden Eagles lost more than the game though as senior guard Dominic James broke the fifth metatarsal in his left foot. James was one part of the three-headed senior guard trio for Marquette along with Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews. If you are a fan of college basketball or sports in general, you cannot help but fell horrible for this kid, who from all appearances seems to be a good person, and who is undeniably a star on the court. The fates are not always just in how they dole out their courses of action, and this one appears a bitter card dealt to James and Marquette. Coach Buzz Williams was emotional after the game discussing James but indicated the team would move on and compete. The Eagles are assured an NCAA tourney bid but how far they can go is now more a mystery than it usually is come March. After the game several of UCONN's players and Calhoun offered some words to James but I'm sure there will be no comfort for the young man who has played his final college game.

Elsewhere:

Duke survives a hostile environment with hostile screens in College Park. [ESPN]

The Gamecocks virtually have their tickets punched. [FoxSports]

It's just Clemson being Clemson. [SportingNews]

Mizzou stays hot. [SI]

The recap of these games and the rest of the action. [Rush the Court]

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Shackleford Files 010: Where March is Just Around the Corner

Woohoo double digits! We discuss roundball of the college and professional varieties. Who's the most likely to make the Final Four and who could be on the outside looking in. Did any of the trades in the NBA change the landscape and who are the teams to beat looking ahead. We ask all the tough questions in sports including ones about SBTB and ugly uniforms. Cleet questions his leaders and Catfish is glad at least one media member is getting a second chance. Please listen and leave your opinions below. Thanks for checking us out and you can download the podcast HERE.

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The BCS, a Soapbox, and a Schedule

College football is poised for one of the greatest stretch runs in recent memory. Every year since 2002 there has been at least two and as many as eight two-loss teams in the top twenty five at this point in the season, but entering this past weekend there were zero. With Missouri and Kansas losing there are now two two-loss teams in the top 25, but it’s hard to dispute that parody in college football has reached the tipping point (or what should be). The bowl season should be incredible (provided we don’t get the “We deserved a better bowl” attitude from too many teams) and it hopefully will grant many of the matchups that fans long for, but due to geography, scared athletic directors, or scheduling incompatibility have yet to occur.

All of these tremendous weeks, bowls, and at the end of it lays not a pot of gold, but a steaming pile. Looking ahead, what potential national championship matchup will appease the masses? Any game that involves Penn State will be discounted by SEC or Big XII fans (which ever gets left out). If any undefeated team gets left out (most likely Penn State), the critics will crow. A game that features USC, but neglects other one loss teams will be derided by everyone outside of Compton. Invariably, the question will be asked, “Did the BCS get it right?” This question is as biased as campaign advertisements, and with no clear cut criteria, how can it be accurately answered? When a team hoists the trophy on January 8th, they will not be undisputed and more than likely it will be based largely on the matchup they got in their final game. Matchups in the championship game playing a huge role are nothing new. Last year, if Missouri or West Virginia had won on the final weekend, we’d have had a different matchup and a different champion. But looking ahead, college football has never had as many teams that could stake a claim to the big game.

The college football mantra, “Every Game Matters,” will continue to haunt fans, as a late loss by any number of teams will rob their schools of a shot at the big game. Looking at USC, how many of the BCS top ten would be favored in a national championship game against Pete Carroll’s squad? Potential betting lines should not be used to pick a national championship game, but would anyone feel comfortable giving points to the Trojans? The two most likely candidates to be favored are Texas or Alabama, both schools which have tough remaining schedules as well as conference championships to contend with. A loss to Oregon State early in the season should not end the Trojans season, nor should it cost the fans an opportunity to see them compete for a national championship. With the current BCS top ten, there are no less than seven guaranteed losses left (not including conference championships). When these teams lose a single game it should not preclude them from the quest for a championship. “Every Game Matters” makes a great soundbyte, but as parody continues to prevail it will only continue to rob these schools and fans of the best matchups that college football has to offer.

Stepping off my soapbox, here’s a pocket composite schedule for the rest of the season for the BCS top 20 as well as a few teams of interest to me.

Final Note: Are they going to invite several candidates for the Heisman trophy or just award it to Colt McCoy now. Even if they don't end up in the national championship game, he's going to win it. Right?

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Tar Heels Blowout Rutgers, Move ACC out of the BCS Cellar Momentarily

The wine sure must taste sweet today in Chapel Hill. Not only did North Carolina spank Rutgers in New Jersey 44-12 claiming their first road win in six years, they also scored one for their conference. Now it appears it is the Big East who sits at the bottom of the BCS auto-bid totem-pole. The Big East has a chance tonight to somewhat redeem itself when Kansas comes into Tampa to face South Florida, but if the Bulls lose, what then?

The impressive Tar Heel win will now lead to momentum behind some media picking them to win the Coastal division of the ACC. Right now, they would have to be the favorite considering what Virginia Tech has shown so far. The game was never close once Hakeen Nicks sat wide open in the back of the endzone in the second quarter. The Scarlet Knights showed shaky pass coverage all night, as Brandon Tate caught the highlight of the night on a double move for a 69 yard score. Butch Davis won the "teacher vs. pupil" battle over his former assitant at Miami Greg Schiano. The wood-chopping axe has grown slightly dull in New Brunswick. After losing Ray Rice, the offense looks lost and senior quarterback Mike Teel's errant throws are not helping. Teel was supposed to step up and lead the offense, but his undersized line is not helping and his accuracy has led to incompletions and big mistakes including 66 yard interception return by Bruce Carter of the Heels. The defense did not help the cause much either, yielding a 50 percent third-down conversion, and gave up 378 yards of total offense. Rutgers outgained Carolina by 5 yards overall, but it was the ability of the Tar Heels to finish and convert the big play that lead to the blowout. Some indicated it would be a rebuilding year at Rutgers, that is definitely the case now as they start 0-2.

The ACC probably had nowhere to go but up, but with Wake surviving Ole Miss and Carolina's win, things could be brought back to respectability, well relative respectability. The West Virginia loss at East Carolina was embarassing for the school and the conference. If the supposed best team in a BCS conference gets hammered by a non-BCS conference team, it makes you wonder about the credibility of those automatic bids. Again, South Florida needs to show up tonight against a tough Kansas team. USF barely escaped another Conference USA team in Central Florida which lost in overtime to the Bulls last week 31-24. Obviously teams in conferences change from year to year but isn't this the argument against automatic bids to the BCS?

Conferences are being evaluated top to bottom now and inter-conference battles are now being used as a measuring stick. Why is this important? Because in college football the polls are important, conference repuation is important to the coaches and the media who vote. Even the UCONN (who just got off beating Temple by 3) and Virginia (who just got off beating FCS Richmond by 16) is an important one for conference standing. As Ohio State knows what you do for your conference one year can have effects on where you stand in the future. Since Ohio State and subsequently the Big Ten got drubbed in the past two BCS title games, and USC spanked Illinois in the Rose bowl, voters scrutinize the Big Ten more closely now. If the Buckeyes fail in putting up a good showing tomorrow and then dominate the Big Ten, the polls will be harsh on the entire conference. The Big East does have something the ACC does not have; BCS bowl wins this since 2000. With only eight teams in the conference, the Big East may just want to invite East Carolina over in football right now.

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College Football Predictions: The Big East

Mike Tranghese and friends over at the Big East have been quite happy with themselves with the recent success the conference has had despite losing its three top programs to the ACC. While the ACC has floundered in football, especially in BCS games while the Big East has been strutting. Capped off by last years’ West Virginia lambasting of Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl, the Big East looks (and mostly prays) for the trend to continue. They already lost one high profile coach, and may lose their others to other power conferences, but the talent keeps coming in and the Big East keeps performing. Bottom line is, the trend will not end this year, and it figures to be West (by God) Virginia taking the title home again.


I see this conference as a two boat race between West Virginia and South Florida. Rutgers will be hurting from losing Ray Rice and three starters from the O-line. The Scarlet Knights had what has now become a disappointing 8-4 season last year. I expect them to take 3rd in the Big East, but they face Pitt, West Virginia, and South Florida all away from the comforts of Jersey. South Florida became everyone’s darlings last year for a few weeks last year before losing steam and getting routed by Oregon in the Sun Bowl. Jim Leavitt is a coach you can enjoy watching because you know he really cares for the program and is not just hamming it up on the sidelines. Matt Grothe is the head of the offense for the Bulls. As the saying goes, to kill the dragon (bull in this case) you must sever the head. If Grothe is held in check, the Bulls seems to flounder. But with another year of experience behind him, I expect the South Florida offense to perform well. They will be tested early, facing Kansas on September 12th in Tampa, but expect them to perform just as well, if not a shade better than they did last year. Expectations are suddenly up for the stache of Dave Wannstedt after shocking WVU in the “Backyard Brawl” last year, ending the Mountaineers title hopes. But this is Dave, the stache, they will struggle once again, even with sizzling sophomore LeSean McCoy in the backfield. Losing NFL first round pick Jeff Otah on that line makes it even harder for McCoy and you can bet there will be many defenders in the box when the Panthers take the field. Another blow to the team was losing DE Doug Fulmer for the season with a knee injury. Louisville and coach Steve Kagthorpe have an uphill battle I front of them. Hopefully the luster from years past can propel them to signing the same level of talent they had beginning with John L. Smith years ago. A lot will be expected from Hunter Cantwell as he replaces Brian Brohm, but he is a senior and the Cards will need him. The first game against Kentucky may very well be a barometer of how the team will fare this season.

That leaves us with the lads from Morgantown. West Virginia was brought to new heights under Rich Rodriguez, but now they face the long years ahead. But Lo! Pat White returns to the delight of Moutaineer fans and Erin Andrews(obligatory) and even though backfield mate Steve Slaton is now cashing checks from Sunday, Noel Devine is more than able in the backfield (8.6 yards per rush last year). Many have pointed to the Bill Stewart factor as being a similar situation to when Larry Coker inhabited the powerhouse Miami team of Butch Davis. I say a thousand times yes to this comparison. Rich Rodriguez may not be welcome in the wild and wonderful state, but fans will miss what he brought to the program. This West Virginia team will thrive this year with their only out of conference road test coming against Colorado and I look for them to play with a purpose after just missing the national championship last year by giving it away to Pittsburg in the last game of the regular season. Their home date with Auburn will probably decide whether they enter the BCS title conversation or have to rest their hopes on simply another Big East title. Either way I see them coming out on top, or then after this year, I see dark days ahead. So enjoy the sun while it shines in Morgantown, because it won’t last after this year.

Big East picks
Conference Champion: West Virginia
Below Expectations: Pittsburgh
Above Expectations: Louisville
Player to Watch: Matt Grothe, QB, South Florida
Game to Watch: South Florida @ West Virginia, December 6th

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