Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Flying Dub-V Top 25, Week 8

Here is a look at the Top-25 for this week.

1. LSU (8-0)
2. Alabama (8-0)
3. Oklahoma State (7-0)
4. Stanford (7-0)
5. Boise State (7-0)
6. Clemson (7-0)
7. Oregon (6-1)
8. Arkansas (6-1)
9. Oklahoma (6-1)
10. Kansas State (7-0)
11. Michigan State (6-1)
12. Nebraska (6-1)
13. South Carolina (6-1)
14. Wisconsin (6-1)
15. Virginia Tech (7-1)
16. Michigan (6-1)
17. Texas A&M (5-2)
18. Houston (7-0)
19. Arizona State (5-2)
20. Penn State (6-1)
21. Texas Tech (5-2)
22. USC (6-1)
23. Cincinnati (6-1)
24. Georgia (5-2)
25. West Virginia (5-2)

Big East Preview, Week 9

A shakeup last week has some new teams looking to stay on top. Can Syracuse keep the momentum going, can WVU and Rutgers get back on track? And, Pitt and UConn may be playing for that final bowl spot. Great storylines as we head deeper into the season. To the picks!

Last Week: 1-2
Overall: 32-15

Bye Week: South Florida, Cincinnati

Connecticut at Pittsburgh: Huge game for both of these teams tonight. The Huskies are looking to build on some momentum from before the bye. Meanwhile, the Panthers are trying to kick the tires of a stalled offense. Tino Sunseri just hasn't given Pitt what they need, but Todd Graham will stick with him...for now. The Panthers will concentrate on the ground game, which may be tough to get going, since UConn is one of the best teams in the country against the run. This means Sunseri has to show up. Fortunately for him, the Huskies are terrible against the pass. Expect Pitt to have open receivers throughout the game. UConn will give up some pints, so Johnny McEntee needs to be efficient. If the Huskies are sloppy early, they could be out of this one quickly. Look for Pitt to bring the pressure early to get to McEntee. If they can cut off the run, and make McEntee uncomfortable, the Panthers should win somewhat comfortably.

Prediction: 27-17 Pittsburgh

Syracuse at Louisville: The Orange are flying high after dismantling WVU last week. The offense was fluid, the defense was punishing, and special teams had a big score. It was the first time this season that Syracuse played a full game. Louisville also had a solid weekend, taking down Rutgers in a tight contest. The Cardinal defense continues to play well, while the offense tries to figure it out. This is an interesting matchup. If the Orange play like they did last week, then they will cruise. However, we have only seen that once in seven games. Expect the Orange to have to rely on the pass quite a bit. Louisville's the kind of defense that can make you one dimensional. It's also a defense that is much more opportunistic than WVU. If the Cardinals can win the turnover battle early they will have a chance...not a huge one though. With Chandler Jones back for Cuse, Louisville's offense is going to be in for a long day. It should be a close game, but Louisville is just not strong enough offensively to pull this off. Syracuse does enough to continue the winning.

Prediction: 24-20 Syracuse

Game of the Week: (25) West Virginia at Rutgers: The Mountaineers come in off one of the worst losses in recent memory, and better not show any hangover. If they do, the season is probably over. Meanwhile, Rutgers is struggling to find players to step up offensively. Gary Nova is making too many mistakes, and Mohamed Sanu is the only playmaker on the team. The Knights will have to rely on the defense to get the job done this week, and it's hard to think WVU will struggle two weeks in a row. If the Mountaineer defense can just play respectable, WVU should win comfortably. Full preview on Friday.

Prediction: 34-21 West Virginia

Conference Realignment 2011: Not so Fast, WVU

Yesterday, it was a done deal. Today, it's on hold.

WVU may not be heading to the Big 12 after all. wvmetronews.com is reporting that sources say it hit a "bump" last night. The Big 12 is going to take a bit longer to decide, and potentially make vote early next week.

Also, the Dominion Post is reporting that the major reason for this is a "late push" by Louisville. The Cardinals were at one point the favorite to be the first team into the Big 12, but WVU overtook them over the last week. Louisville also seems to have an ally in Texas Tech, following comments made by Tommy Tuberville yesterday about travel. It makes you wonder if that is one of the snags.

This is just another chapter of pain for Mountaineer fans, who have been dying to find a new home ever since Syracuse and Pittsburgh took off. It will certainly be embarrassing at this point to have to crawl back to the Big East. Hopefully that wont be the case.

UPDATE: Pete Thamel of the New York Times just dropped a bomb on Twitter.

PeteThamelNYT Pete Thamel
Just filed to NYT: After being told it was accepted to Big12, WVU in holding pattern. Its "50-50" and "too close to call" with Lville.

Big East Power Rankings, Week 8

1. Cincinnati (6-1, 2-0): Got a major scare at South Florida, but pass the test. Now the team to beat in the Big East. Next Step...Bye Week for the bowl eligible team.

2. Syracuse (5-2, 1-1): Deserve to be in the second spot this week after an impressive thrashing of WVU. Now have a great chance at the BCS. Next Step...Trying to avoid a letdown at Louisville.

3. West Virginia (5-2, 1-1): Pathetic performance at Syracuse has WVU asking a lot of questions this week. Next Step...Trying to regroup at Rutgers.

4. Rutgers (5-2, 2-1): Not a great performance last week in Louisville. The offense needs more than just one person to step up. Next Step...Hosting West Virginia.

5. Pittsburgh (3-4, 1-1): This is probably too high, but the rest of the conference is a crap shoot right now. Next Step...Hosting UConn tonight.

6. Louisville (3-4, 1-1): A nice win over Rutgers may jumpstart Louisville's season. Next Step...Big home tilt against Syracuse.

7. Connecticut (3-4, 1-1): Still has time to sure things up a bit to make make a run at a bowl. Next Step...Roadie tonight in Pittsburgh.

8. South Florida (4-3, 0-3): The wheels have completely fallen off in conference play. Next Step. A much-needed Bye Week.