It was an important week for the Big East, as three teams posted victories against BCS foes. Two of these wins were on the road, as Cincinnati won at Oregon State and UConn won at Baylor. Even Syracuse got into the act, beating the Big Ten’s Northwestern.
The Big East’s biggest victory this season is Cincinnati’s win at Oregon State. But while the Big East lacks a conference-defining victory, it also does not have any embarrassing losses. Other conferences have not been so lucky.
For instance, in the ACC, Maryland, Duke, and Virginia have lost to Middle Tennessee State, Richmond, and William & Mary, respectively. So far the Big East does not have a single loss to a non-BCS opponent. When grading conferences, this factor must be considered.
As of right now, only the SEC and Big 12 can say they are head and shoulders above the Big East. The ACC, Big Ten, and Pac-10 have too many unanswered questions to be given a free pass ahead of the Big East.
Unfortunately, perception is accrued over time, so the Big East still has work to do.
Week 3 Big East Games:
No. 17 Cincinnati (3-0, 1-0 Big East): 28
Oregon State: 18
This is the one game this week that the Big East simply could not afford to lose. The conference needs a true contender, and right now Cincinnati is that team. Had the Bearcats lost to Oregon State, it would have been disastrous for the conference.
Oddly enough, it was actually Cincinnati’s defense that was the difference in this game. As Cincinnati scored touchdowns, the Beavers were held to field goals. The Bearcats did a particularly good job of shutting down the running game.
Watching Oregon State’s Jacquizz Rodgers can often conjure up images of the great Barry Sanders. But on this day, Cincinnati’s defense, which is built on speed, was more than up to the task. The real challenge for this undersized defense will come when they have to face the power rushing attacks of UConn and Pitt.
A look at the new AP poll shows that Cincinnati has crept up to 14th. Next week, Fresno State comes to town and they are not a team to take lightly. However, as long as Cincinnati is prepared, its offense should be able to get back on track.
Florida International: 15
Rutgers (2-1, 0-1 Big East): 23
The Scarlet Knights got the victory, but their offense continues to be an issue. The offense accounted for only 16 points in this one, as the defense returned an interception. Rutgers’ ground game is serviceable, but their passing attack is terrible. If they do not find a way to produce something through the air, they will be in for a long season.
Rutgers plays at Maryland next week. The Terrapins are “hide the women and children” awful. They have lost to Middle Tennessee State and needed overtime to beat James Madison. Both of those games were at home. The optimist says this is a surefire win for Rutgers. The realist sees this as a potential pitfall for the Big East. Let’s hope Rutgers handles its business.
Northwestern: 34
Syracuse (1-2): 37
Yes it was at home, and yes, it was against a bad team. However, any ‘Cuse victory over a BCS team is a good one. In this game, Syracuse kicked a 41-yard game-winning field goal as time expired. The Orange have now played three Big Ten teams. They beat one (Northwestern), lost to one in overtime to another (Minnesota), and held their own with a top-five team (Penn State). This is great news for the Big East. The conference only has eight teams, and Louisville looks terrible. The Big East needs Syracuse to be competitive against BCS foes, and the Orange have more than held their own so far this season.
West Virginia (2-1): 30
Auburn: 41
This loss was the Big East’s one misstep this week. The game was on the road, but Auburn is not a great team. West Virginia’s biggest weakness appears to be its defense, which has been bad so far this season. This weekend, Auburn racked up 400 yards of offense and moved the ball at will. With upcoming games against Colorado, Syracuse and Marshall, WVU head coach Bill Stewart has a few weeks to get this defense in order.
Navy: 14
Pittsburgh (3-0): 27
Two weeks ago, Navy’s triple-option offense racked up 342 yards in a 31-27 loss at Ohio State. It is important to remember that game when judging the value of this victory. Unlike Ohio State, the Panthers defense did a terrific job of stopping Navy’s offensive threats, holding them to only 218 total yards. Meanwhile, Pitt’s balanced offense keeps rolling. This team is a serious threat to win the Big East.
Connecticut (2-1): 30
Baylor: 22
This was a solid road win for UConn and the Big East. Baylor has weapons on offense, but the Huskies' defense continues to impress. UConn forced three turnovers and held Baylor to only 266 yards.
With quarterback Zach Frazer sidelined because of a knee injury, Cody Endres stepped in to lead the Huskies. In the pre-season, much was made of the Huskies decision to switch to a no-huddle, spread offense. Unfortunately, the first two games were a disaster for the offense. This week, UConn ditched the no-huddle and went back to the ground with great success. For better or worse, look for the Huskies to continue to focus on running the ball, shortening the game and playing solid defense.
Charleston Southern: 0
South Florida (3-0): 59
Two weeks ago, Charleston lost 42-14 to Wofford, so this win will do nothing to elevate South Florida. There’s more bad news, as SFU senior quarterback and the Big East’s all-time leader in career yards, Matt Grothe, left in the first half with what was referred to as a knee sprain. It turns out the injury is more serious than that, as x-rays revealed an ACL tear. Since Grothe is in his fifth season (he redshirted as a true freshman), it is highly unlikely the NCAA will grant him a medical redshirt and allow him to come back for a sixth season.
How damaging is this loss to South Florida? Well, as far as the Big East is concerned, Grothe is probably the single most important player to his team. In other words, the Bulls could be in some trouble offensively. Grothe has led the team is both rushing and passing yards in each of the last three seasons. Without him, the offense will turn to redshirt freshman B.J. Daniels. He looked good in relief duty against CSU, but next week South Florida must go to Tallahassee to face Florida State.
So far this year, South Florida has faced Wofford, Western Kentucky, and Chaleston Southern. Now it must face Florida State without its starting quarterback. Let’s hope the defense comes to play.
Louisville (1-1): 27
Kentucky: 31
Kentucky is a bad team, and even they managed to ring up 31 points. The Cardinals, meanwhile, have their work cut out for them. Louisville is a team with a lot questions and few answers. They are going to have a tough time winning a single Big East game this season.
What We Learned:
1. With three BCS victories this week, the Big East made a statement.
2. Cincinnati’s victory at Oregon State solidifies it as a legitimate team.
3. Syracuse is miles ahead from where it was this time last year.
Big East Respect Barometer:
This was a huge week for the Big East, as three teams won games against BCS opponents. With a No. 14 ranking, it appears the media is beginning to believe in Cincinnati. Either the Bearcats or Pittsburgh must have a great season to change the perception of the conference.
The true measure of the Big East’s success comes in the form of the national rankings. Once again this week, the conference has only one team, Cincinnati, ranked in the AP Top 25. This is not all bad, since the only other Big East team which should be ranked is Pittsburgh. As long as the Panthers keep winning, that will take care of itself. However, the fact that Pitt is not ranked is proof that Big East teams must continue to win all the non-conference games they can.
