Monday, October 10, 2011

Projecting the New Big East

So, maybe you're like me, and have already given up on the SEC and Big 12. You just know that WVU is forever stuck in the Big East, until superconferences take over the world. Well, if that's the case, it's time to try to figure out what the new Big East will look like. The conference would like to get 12 teams, which could give them a conference championship game, and possibly will help them keep the AQ status. So, what will the conference look like? Let's break it down.

The Returners:

Cincinnati
Connecticut
Louisville
Rutgers
South Florida
West Virginia

Assuming that none of these teams abandon ship (that's assuming a lot) it's not a bad core of teams. WVU is the flagship football program for the Big East, while the rest should stay competitive. Cincy, UConn, and Louisville have all been to BCS games, and South Florida and Rutgers have been NFL-producing machines. Again, could certainly be worse.

The Favorites:

Army
Air Force
Central Florida
Navy
Temple

I'm not a fan of bringing in the service academies. They have a good following, and are outstanding universities. However, going 6-6 every year with the best win being over Southern Miss just isn't really making you jump for joy. And, it does nothing for recruiting. In regards to UCF, I'm always a go for a Florida team. Plus, it would make for a solid rivalry for South Florida. Temple has really improved things since getting dumped from the Big East a few years back. And, the Philadelphia market is there for the taking.

The Possibilities:

East Carolina
Houston
Memphis
SMU
Villanova

I'm intrigued by Houston and SMU. The recruiting pipeline could always use Texas, and the Houston and Dallas markets would be solid. Both schools bring a fun version of football to the table, and could contain a level of competitiveness needed to keep AQ status. Memphis has been dying to get into the Big East since Louisville came in. Not a bad market, horrible football program...needs to improve. I'm mixed on Nova. If the conference was in better shape, then absolutely. However, this is a football program that is not sold on moving to the FBS level. The last thing the Big East needs is more insecurity. ECU has already applied to the Big East, just not sure if the conference cares.

The Long Shots:

Boise State
James Madison

The Broncos are the newest sexy pick for football-only. There is no denying the success that Boise has had recently. This team is constantly in the Top-10, and have a few BCS wins to their name. However, travel will be a killer. It's over 2,600 miles to get from Boise to Tampa. There would only be a few trips a year if they were football-only, but it's still a lot on the old budget. JMU is interesting. Their fanbase is already better than some in the FBS. They are also playing WVU next year at FedEx Field. This is a school that may be making the move to the FBS soon.

The Not Ever Going to Happen:

Notre Dame

Let it go folks, it's not going to happen...ever...ever.

The Projected Big East:

Old:
Cincinnati
Connecticut
Louisville
Rutgers
South Florida
West Virginia

New:
Air Force
ECU
UCF
Houston
Memphis
Temple

This is entirely a guess. I think Air Force is the only academy that is interested. Army and Navy will continue to roll strong as independents. ECU and UCF will finally get their wish of being in the conference. To me, Houston and Memphis are easy targets. Two schools that have a lot going for them (primarily markets), probably would drop C-USA in a second. And, Temple would welcome the Big East back. It's not a horrible conference, but certainly leaves something to be desired.

In Honor of Columbus Day, The Big East Ready to Pillage

Here is the latest from Big East conference realignment...

The Big East had a teleconference this morning, and are going to start talking to institutions in regards to joining the conference. Tom Liucci of the Star-Ledger writes...
According to the (Big East)statement, commissioner John Marinatto has been authorized "to engage in formal discussions with additional institutions and (we) are considering a model that includes 12 football-playing schools."
So, the Big East is going after it...at least that's the perception. Twelve schools would give the conference a championship game at the end of the year, and could put some pressure on the BCS heads to allow the Big East to keep its AQ status.

So, who are the teams? Air Force, Navy, UCF, Houston, Memphis, Temple, and SMU have all been rumored. And, ECU has already applied. Boise State for football may also be in the mix, but that just seems ridiculous for travel. Plus, there's no guarantee that WVU, Louisville, Rutgers, UConn, and/or Cincinnati will even be in the conference in the future. This is going to be interesting to watch.


WVU-Connecticut Final Thoughts

Another slow start for West Virginia turned into a blowout. A key defensive play ignited a 23-point 3rd quarter, and the Mountaineers rolled through the Huskies. It was a complete effort for WVU, as the Special Teams unit put in their best performance this year.

Most Valuable: Stedman Bailey. This could have gone to a few different people, but we give Bailey the edge for having yet another huge game. The redshirt sophomore finished with 178 yards with two touchdowns, including an 84-yard strike. Bailey made an unreal juke move to bust open that play, and then turned on the afterburners to get to the house. He now has four consecutive games with over 100 yards receiving, and continues to get stronger.

Least Valuable: Corey Smith? I know this is kind of harsh, considering the dude lost his punting job last week. However, Smith still had a chance to keep his kickoff job, and he pulled one right out of bounds. He also averaged less than Tyler Bitancurt. Smith didn't kill the team, but it's just easy to single him out the most.

Most Surprising: Special Teams. This unit brought it. Tyler Bitancurt's field goals and kickoffs were solid, Mike Molinari's punting was incredible(including three inside the twenty), and the coverage finally brought some confidence. UConn's longest return on a kickoff was just 26 yards, and longest punt return just 19. The only issue was Tavon Austin nearly dropping every punt, but he still averaged over 10 yards a return. It was certainly a step in the right direction for the group.

Least Surprising: The Passing Game. Sure, it was a slow start, but you had to expect Geno Smith would eventually get it going. The Huskies are too beat up in the secondary, and it showed in the second half. Smith finished with 450 yards passing and four touchdowns. It could have been an even bigger day, if it weren't for a few drops. Dana Holgorsen admitted after the game that he gave up on the run too soon, but it must be hard to go back to it when you have a quarterback slinging it all over the yard.

Play of the Game: The Fumble Return. Halfway through the 3rd quarter UConn was driving deep into WVU territory, when Pat Miller stripped Johnny McEntee of the ball. Juwone Snow recovered it to go 84 yards. That set up a Tavon Austin TD catch, and it was smooth sailing after that. Just a huge play by Miller and Snow.

Quarterback: It was a slow start, but Geno ended up with huge numbers. He didn't have a great game, but finished with four touchdowns and 450 yards. Imagine if he played up to his full potential. Could have had eight touchdowns. Needs to improve completion percentage. Yes, I'm being picky.
Grade: B+

Running back: The Huskies did a nice job in slowing down Dustin Garrison and company, and Holgorsen did admit he gave up too early on the run. However, WVU did get close to 100 yards, including a fantastic touchdown run by Garrison.
Grade: B

Wideout: Three receivers over 100 yards again. There were some nice catches, but there were also some big drops. Plus, route-running and tempo left something to be desired. We have seen this group play better.
Grade: B

Offensive line: Not their best day, but managed to have a good second half. Geno still had a lot of time to throw the ball, but the run game was smothered for a while by UConn.
Grade: B-

Defensive line: The pressure was back. Johnny McEntee was getting drilled the entire game, and the big boys up front did a great job in blowing up the rush game. UConn finished with just 82 yards on the ground.
Grade: A-

Linebacker: Jewone Snow nearly took a fumble to the house, and Najee Goode seemed to be in every play. The unit looked better this week, especially in the second half.
Grade: B

Secondary: A pretty good performance for this unit, especially in pressure and against the run. Some coverage packages still look shaky, but seem fixable.
Grade: B

Special Teams: Good kicking, good coverage, pretty good returning. This is a recipe for success. Best game so far for this unit.
Grade: A-

Coaching: Kudos to all this week. Great schemes, great halftime adjustments, and a great call to make a change at punter. There's also no telling how important whatever was said at halftime was, because it was a different team in the second half.
Grade: A