The regular season is almost completed, but I wanted to post on the season to date in the Big East.

After the ACC's raid on the Big East, it seems the conference is recieivng a lot of unfair negative criticism. Anyone that is not biased clearly sees the agenda of ABC/ESPN to promote the ACC to combat CBS's SEC in a battle of super conferences. By bashing the Big East, ESPN/ABC ( both owned by Disney) wants to strip the Big East's Automatic BCS Bowl bid. In just the one year of the realigned conferences, the media talking heads ( ie ESPN ) and ABC has directed a full assault on the Big East.

After the ACC's unethical raid, the BCS stated it would give until 2008 for the Big East to circle the Wagons and regroup in adding Louisville, South Florida, and Cincy. In all seriousness, why did the ACC automically assume you can strip 3 teams from an 8 member confernece and then take their BCS bowl bid away and leave legitimate programs like Pittsburgh, West Virginia, and Syracuse to suffer as a result? Actually, Big East commisoner Mike Trangese has used his connections well and the Big East will keep its BCS bid. Now, we can talk football and just how the Big East is making a comeback with the emergence of Louisville & West Virginia.

Now, lets talk Big East football. Currently, the Big East has two teams ranked in the top 25 in #12 West Virginia (8-1)and #17 Louisville (7-2). South Florida is on the edge of breaking into the top 25 with a 6-3 record. Rutgers is 6-3 and looks to be bowl bound for only the second time in scholl history.


West Virginia and Louisville have established themselves as top programs this year.

With Louisville's addition to the Big East, it will raise their profile as they are currently ranked 17th in the country. The Cards look to be headed to the Gator Bowl to face Miami or FSU. Louisville is flat out loaded on offense and behind theiry dynmaic QB in super sophomore Brain Brohm and an oustanding supporting cast, Louisville will make a run for the National Championship next season.

Speaking of my beloved Mountaineers, WVU has had an amazing season to date standing at 8-1 going into the Backyard Brawl against Pittsburgh on Thanksgiving Night on ESPN. Behind two of the best freshman in the country, WVU is starting to become a scary offensive team. True Freshman running back Steve Slaton will be playing in only his fifth game and has accumalated 675 yards and 12 touchdowns so far. Under center, freshman Pat White has take control of the offense and become a running and throwing threat leading the EER team with a plethru of confidence.

On the Defensive end, WVU's Defense is currently ranked 4th in the country. All together there are 8 freshman starting for WVU. The future in Morgantown is very bright as WVU is marching toward a BCS Sugar Bowl Bid looking to play the WInner of the LSU/Gerogia SEC champion in Atlanta.
If WVU wins the BCS bowl game, look out for next year where the Big East could argubly have two top 6-7 teams in UL and WVU.


Record & Record Projection

1) West Virginia should finish 10-1 and ranked 9th to 10th in the country and play in Sugar Bowl against LSU or Georgia.

2) Louisville should finish 9-2 and ranked 13th to 15th & play FSU or Miami in the Gator Bowl.

3) South Florida should finish 7-4 and ranked around 25th-27th and play in the Tire Bowl against Boston College or Clemson.

4) Rutgers should finish 7-4 and play Stanford or Cal in the Insight Bowl game.

<small>[ November 20, 2005, 11:24 PM: Message edited by: WVUBuff ]</small>

West Virginia 45 Pittsburgh 13

West Virginia led by its amazing freshman are marching toward the Sugar Bowl date with the SEC champions.

This team is becoming special.

BUT it could all come crashing down next weekend in Tampa....The Meineke Bowl would be a REAL, REAL letdown for 'em.

and pigs could start flying out my butt

I was worried about the team yesterday but you saw how they played

I'm not worried about USF next week and I don't think the team is either

we'll win and off to the Sugar Bowl!

Really? You don't think the team is worried? If that's the case, I suppose I need to put money on USF to cover the spread.

I don't think Louisville was worried about USF either. Hmmmm.

Unlike Louisville, WVU's defense is 4th in the country. Behind its electricfying offense, WVU should be more than ok in this game. WVU is hungry and with a defense that stops the run ( as VT), South Florida's run offense cant sack up well against the physical WVU defensive front.

WVU 37
USF 17

I think the criticisms about the Big East this year are fair. After you rape the conference of three of its best teams, it's certainly going to hurt. BE bashing has been the in thing to do this season, starting with ESPN. Still, I think the BE will be fine in the long-run. WVU, L'ville and South Florida are only going to get better. Pitt has a great recruting class coming in. Rutgers, I hope, can finally start to turn it around. And once Robinson starts recruiting some players who can run his offense, Syracuse will be back.

As far as WVU goes, this was supposed to be a rebuilding year after all the loses we suffered. No one was expecting the type of year we've had. Pat White and Steve Slaton look like the real deal. This team is going to be scary on offense for the next few years. And their defense is underrated.

And welcome WVUBuff. It's great to have another Mountaineer fan on board. Go Eeers!!

Its absolutely been the "in" thing started by the ESPN talkin heads ( aka empyt suits) Corso, Herbstriet, and company. Suprisngly, Mark May doesn't bash the Big East. However, he still gets in his cheap shots at WVU. But, that is all in fun because of the backyard Brawl.

Did you catch Coach RR's comments concerning Pitt's #4 ranked recruiting class they have going this far? Evidently, Wandstett has been stating WVU is not a recruiting threat in Western PA and that Pitt will always get the best players over WVU, PSU, and others more times than not. RR's response to that comment after the game was he just hoped that recruits realize WVu has BCS bowl game to prepare for and that coaches that are making a lot of in house visits obviously arent going to a bowl game.

It certainly adds spice to the Backyard Brawl. Im eastatic Pitt has such a great recruiting class. It will make this game that much better in futire years.

There certainly was a time long, long ago when WVU couldn't begin to compete with Pitt or Penn State in Western Pa. We'd always end up with the scraps. That's certainly not the case any more. Plus, now that WVU has widened its recruiting base, western Pa. isn't nearly as important as it once was. RR has started recruting more in the deep south - Alambama, Louisiana, Mississippi. Wanny made a statement during the Brawl about needing more speed. Seems to me that if he wants to recruit more speed, it's not going to be from western Pa. JoePa has discovered that at Penn State.

West Virginia 3-TIME Big East Champions!!!!!!!!!!

I'm looking forward to our sensational freshman taking on the SEC Champions in the Sugar Bowl.

Well Done Mountaineers! Coach RR has done an amazing job in building a national power in Morgantown in just his fifth season after taking over legendary coach Don Nehlen. After the trails and tribulations in the first year of going 3-8, WVU has rebounded to finish in 2nd place in 2003, and Big East champs in 2003, 2004, and now 2005. Its about time RR's name gets mentioned with the elite coaches in America as he leads his alma malter.

With a victory next week, WVU will finish 10-1 before preparing for its BCS bowl clas with either LSU or Georgia.

If WVU wins the Sugar Bowl, look for the EERS to be a top 5 preseason team and a national championship contender with almost its entire team coming back in 2006.

Good day to be a Mountaineer!

[ November 26, 2005, 11:10 PM: Message edited by: WVUBuff ]

USF announced today that they signed their coach through the 2012 season

great job!

this will allow USF to start building a strong program

You can dis the Big East, but the Big East hasn't put a 4 loss team in the BCS. Colorado and Florida State are both playing in their conference championships this weekend and stranger things have happened. Having WVU in the Top 12 maintains the requirement to remain in the BCS. The Big East, in both football and basketball, does need to get some more high-quality out-of-conference wins in upcoming years.

Go Pitt!

I thought that's what we've been doing already.

I'm just taking a moment out of my day to reflect on then 7-3 Pitt's performance in last year's Fiesta Bowl. Nothing says perenital BCS-contender like that performance. Did Pitt even use its full allotment of tickets? Isn't that the same Pitt that this year could only put 33,000 into its rented stadium on Homecoming.

You must be so proud.

[ December 02, 2005, 12:23 AM: Message edited by: PennState4Ever ]

Hold up Lion, Pitt did beat Penn State last time they played, right?

Addiitonally, that was a one year anomaly with the Big East champ being weak.

WVU Can play with anyone as we will see in the Sugar Bowl. Also, as good as the WVU team is becoming, 7 starters( almost all the skill players) are freshman. Take into account 4 other first year starters as sophomores & 4/5 of the teams letterman are returning, WVU has the potential to be scary good.

What is the point? WVU will give the Big East a top 3-10 team in the following 3 years after this season. Add a tremendous Louisville team at least the next two years, and that is two heavyweights.

Throw an improving Pitt with its great recruiting class and Big East football will be throwing more than a few punches in the next couple of years.

BTW, Miami's attendence was 44k on a top 10 team this year. Boston College's attendence was down 5k to 37k. Throw in Duke's attendance at 19k & Wake Forest's at 27k & you got one great conference.

Dookie averaged 19K?

wow--were they giving away b-ball tickets or something with paid admission?

Guess we'll be seeing the Georgia fans in Atlanta this year

Wish I could make it