Bennett joins Big Ten Blog

If you are a fan of Big east football, you’ve certainly read Brian Bennett’s Big East blog on ESPN.com’s College Football blog network. If you’re anything like me, you’re a religious reader of the blog.

So when Bennett suddenly announced on Friday afternoon that he was leaving the Big east blog to go help Adam Rittenberg cover the newly revamped Big Ten (or 12, however you care to look at it) it shocked a lot of people, yours truly included.

I’ve been lucky enough to meet BB (as we in the UC football video office refer to him as) a few times. The most notable was in the Rutgers pressbox in 2009, hours before the perfect season kicked off.

Bennett had just finished a story about our new EA Sports video game system that our quarterbacks would use for the first time on that road trip. Brian had interviewed John Sells, UC Video Coordinator, about how the program worked and was being utilized by our program. Our Sports Information Director Ryan Koslen introduced us as “big fans” to BB. He stood and chatted with us for a few minutes before we parted.

So when it came around to getting help for my Journalism seminar class project this quarter, I reached out BB, and told him of the many times we’d crossed paths. He kindly obliged to answer a few questions via e-mail about our project and his view of the field of journalism.

I’m certainly going to miss Brian Bennett’s take on the Big East, but I do wish him well on his new venture in the Big Ten. I’m sure he’ll have a lot to write about there, and he’s damn good at what he does.

Enjoy it Big Ten fans. BB is a good one…and a great guy to boot.

Former Miami (OH) coach Haywood in at Pitt

Is the Mid-American Conference the Big East’s feeder program? These days it sure feels like it. Brian Kelly, Butch Jones and now Mike Haywood have all come from the MAC and become head coaches in the Big East.

Kelly may have been the best coach in the past five years in the Big East, winning Big East coach of the year honors in each of his three seasons at the helm of the Cincinnati program. Jones has had a rough time taking Kelly’s success and building on it, but promises to bring back the magic that Kelly began.

So, what’s Mike Haywood’s plan? The former Miami (Ohio) head man told ESPN.com’s Brian Bennett, “We’re just looking forward to doing the best job we can so we can develop our team and compete for the Big East championship each year.”

He also told Bennett about his first team meeting, where he told the Panther players, “I’m here for you. The most important thing for you to do is do a great job studying for finals. The second most important thing is to go out and practice well each day so you can provide yourself an opportunity to be successful in that bowl game on the 8th, so you can send Coach Wannstedt out with a win and at the same time win one for the University of Pittsburgh.”

Haywood is familiar with the Western Pennsylvania area, having recruited there when he was at Notre Dame as an assistant under Charlie Weis. He also signed two players out of Gateway High School last offseason to play for him at Miami (OH).

And, Haywood is also familiar with the Big East, having lost two games in two seasons to Cincinnati. This year was especially lopsided, with the Bearcats—a team that went 4-8—beating the eventual MAC champions 45-3 at Nippert Stadium.

In fact, Bennett yesterday wrote, “In Haywood, [Pitt] got a guy who has two years of head coaching experience and a 10-15 career record. Not exactly someone who gets people rushing out to renew season ticket orders. A natural reaction followed: They fired Wannstedt for this? For a guy whose team lost 45-3 to Cincinnati in October?”

Ron Cook, from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette said, “Really, is it so wrong to give Haywood a chance?”

I guess we’ll find out. Haywood “changed the culture” at Miami after going 1-11 in his first season in Oxford. He engineered the largest turnaround in the country this year by leading Miami to nine wins and the MAC title. Players had to sit in the front of their classes. Haywood had 6 a.m. practices and workouts. Players wore shirts and ties on gameday, all promoting Haywood’s no-nonsense style of coaching.

Will it work at Pitt?

I think we need to give Haywood a chance, like Ron Cook pointed out. Last year at this time Cincinnati was a-buzz with Butch Jones fever, happy that a man wanted to come to Cincinnati and “not just preach family, but live it.”

One thing is for certain, if you want my opinion. The 2011 UC-Pitt game, well, it could get real ugly, real quick. 45-3 wasn’t a fluke. Hopefully for Pitt Panther fans, Haywood isn’t a fluke either. But if you’re a fan of UC, this could be a great hire.
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Brian Bennett also linked a story from Pittsburgh that talked about a Pitt recruit who is now starting to switch his mind about signing with Pittsburgh in February. Jameel Poteat, a running back from Harrisburg’s Bishop McDevitt High School, hasn’t ruled out Pitt but told reporters he was unhappy that the school parted ways with Dave Wannstedt as their head coach. “Pitt was my first love, but they let my man go,” Poteat told the Post Gazette. He said Cincinnati is now his No. 1 choice. We’ll see where Poteat signs on Signing Day.

Big East schedule preview: Week 12

“Players lose confidence, coaches might panic and burn redshirts and go for quick-fix solutions with junior-college signees, and recruiting suffers. In some ways, it's much easier to tear down a championship program than it is to build one.”—Brian Bennett, ESPN.com blogger (Sept. 17th, 2010)

Crunch time for the Big East football teams starts in mid-November, and week 12 could be the pivotal week in separating the contenders from the pretenders. All eight Big East teams lock horns in conference play on the penultimate week of November. Take a look at the week 12 schedule.

Week 12 Big East schedule
Sat. Nov 20-Louisville vs West Virginia
Nov 20-Cincinnati vs Rutgers
Nov 20-Syracuse vs Connecticut
Nov 20-USF vs Pittsburgh

AN: The Rutgers Scarlet Knights came in to Nippert Stadium in 2006 ranked No. 7 in the AP polls, and looking to remain perfect. In front of 27,804 fans, including your favorite blogger and my guest, the Bearcats defeated Rutgers 30-11. That game has been circled by many as the proverbial domino that led to Brian Kelly ending up in Cincinnati.

Let’s follow the events: Mark Dantonio leads UC to victory over Rutgers on ESPN, he takes the job at Michigan State a few weeks later, and Brian Kelly gets hired to take over at UC. The rest is history. BK leads UC to two straight Big East titles and jets for Notre Dame and Butch Jones takes over for Kelly at UC.

The last time Rutgers beat UC was in 2005. With UC reeling from three straight conference losses, and with the Bearcats needing a win to stay alive for a bowl (who thought three months ago we’d be saying that?) this truly is a must-win for head coach Butch Jones and the Bearcats.

Even with all the playmakers UC has on offense, injuries have bitten the two-time defending conference champions. Zach Collaros, Vidal Hazleton, Isaiah Pead, Darrin Williams, and Ben Guidugli have all missed games at some point this season, contributing to a sputtering offense and a now 3-6 record.

Rutgers hasn’t been much better, dropping an embarrassing game in Piscataway to Tulane, and they’ll come into Cincinnati also riding a three-game conference losing streak. Something’s gotta give, and given Rutgers’ troubling offense, this might be the day that the Bearcats break out of their slide, and finally (again, never thought I’d be saying this) finally get a win.

We’re like the Bee Gees, “Stayin’ Alive.” Jake, your thoughts on Pitt’s travels to warmer Tampa Bay?

JM: Well Pitt took a major step back last week against UConn, playing terribly and turning the ball over multiple times en route to a crushing loss. Pitt still controls its own destiny in the Big East, and this week’s game may very well decide who represents the conference in the BCS.

Last time Pitt made the trip to Raymond James stadium, USF was a top-10 team and the Panthers were in the midst of a nine-win season. Now, USF is surging late and Pitt continues to struggle with consistency.

I’ve said all along that USF would be much better off under Skip Holtz than under Jim Leavitt, and the improvement is beginning to show. Unlike Leavitt’s teams which would start hot before going into a late season tailspin, this year’s Bulls squad has continued to improve and is playing some of its best football right now. I still favor Pitt in this one, but in a nailbiter.

AN: Honestly, other than the Pitt-USF showdown, the other two matchups in week 12 don’t impress me much, and yes, I did just quote Shania Twain.

JM: Hilljack.

AN: Yes, I love NASCAR and country music. Deal with it. As unimpressive as it may have looked before the season, the second best matchup on the schedule might be West Virginia and Louisville, but I feel UC gave West Virginia just the kickstart that the Mountaineers needed to get back on their horse. Anything looking interesting to you, Jake, as we get into week 12?

JM: Well, I guess I’m stuck with Syracuse-UConn. UConn stayed alive by beating Pitt last week, and Syracuse has been the surprise team in the Big East (at least on the positive side) and one of the bigger surprises in all of college football. I think Syracuse delivers the final blow to UConn’s Big East hopes and puts itself in position to maybe end up in a solid bowl game.

AN: Thanks for joining us, and as always enjoy your Big East football this week (unless you’re a fan of Cincinnati or Rutgers, in which case it could be painful)

Big East football schedules: Week 9 and 10

“Bottom line: this just isn't a good year for the Big East and there's no standout team. But if you want to watch a wildly unpredictable league race where things change just about every week, keep watching.”—Brian Bennett, ESPN.com Big East blogger (October 24, 2010)

Week nine and ten are combined here on our look at the Big East football schedules. Week ten is light on play with only half of the conference in play, and one game is a Wednesday night primetime showdown between two teams with a bye in week nine.

The week nine and ten schedules are below.

Week 9 Big East Schedule
Fri., Oct 29-Connecticut vs West Virginia
Sat., Oct 30-Pittsburgh vs Louisville
Oct 30-Cincinnati vs Syracuse

Week 10 Big East schedule
Wed., Nov 3-USF vs Rutgers
Sat., Nov 6-Syracuse vs Louisville

AN: OK, let’s start with week nine where both UC and Pitt are in action. Jake, the last time Louisville visited Pittsburgh, it ended in ugly fashion, with the Panthers winning 41-7. Will this game be any different?

JM: Pitt’s had two straight blowout wins to begin Big East play, beating Rutgers last week and Syracuse the week before. Louisville appears to be a somewhat improved team this year, but Pitt still has much more talent.

After the rough start the Panthers got off to, they have rallied back and have played much better football the last three weeks, beginning with the loss to Notre Dame in South Bend. I like Pitt to win again this week to move to 3-0 in Big East play.

While Louisville has struggled some this year and is probably not headed to a bowl this season, I like the direction of their program. Charlie Strong will have the Cardinals in position to compete for the Big East title in the next few years.

How are your Bearcats going to fare against the resurgent Orange, Adam?

AN: The last time Syracuse visited the Queen City the Big East championship trophy was in the building, and after starting on off on a 7:34 scoring drive, the Bearcats never looked back, and won 30-10. Doug Marrone’s crew defeated West Virginia in Morgantown last weekend but quarterback Ryan Nassib was less than efficient in the win, completing only 5 of his 15 pass attempts.

Even though Pitt is the technical front runner of the Big East conference at this point, Syracuse is the highest rated team (at #29 in the AP Poll). This game is an elimination game of sorts in the conference. Winner lives to fight on, and the loser needs a lot of help to get to a BCS bowl.

With UC’s uncertainty at quarterback (Zach Collaros is being listed as day to day with a leg injury) and already depleted wide receiving corps, this game could be a ball control game. Syracuse would have the edge if that were the case. Their offensive line and running backs Delone Carter, Antwon Bailey and Prince-Tyson Gulley cold allow the Orange to control the clock and the game.

Jake, a few games to look at here over two weeks, and both UC and Pitt have byes in week ten. Any particular game in this stretch catch your eye as must-see TV?

JM: I’ll be interested in that UConn-West Virginia game. After last week’s crushing loss to Syracuse, the Mountaineers have to right the ship quickly to stay competitive in the conference title hunt. A second straight loss in conference play would really put WVU in a hole, one that will be difficult to dig out of.

UConn was the trendy pick to win the Big East in the last couple of weeks before the season started. I’ve never been particularly high on this team, and they have proved me right so far. In the words of Denny Green, “They are who we thought they were.” UConn still has a shot at the Big East title but really needs a win this week and will have to do it without quarterback Cody Endres, who was kicked off the team this week. Zach Frazer will be back under center, leading an anemic Husky Offense.

Adam, what games are you watching these next two weeks?

AN: I’m honestly going to be watching that Wednesday night game next week between Rutgers and USF. After watching USF methodically dismantle the two-time defending champs in front of my very eyes this past Friday night, I’m interested to see how Skip Holtz and the Bulls rebound. Plus, it’ll be nice watching some TV without political ads for the first time in months.

And honestly, I haven’t seen much of Rutgers, but I watched part of their game against Army, and if USF can stay balanced and run the football, I like Skip Holtz and the USF Bulls to pull off the win. The Bulls need a lot of help to make it to a BCS game, but all they have to do is keep winning.

So just keep watching folks, as Brian Bennett suggested. The Big East is like the box of chocolates that Forrest Gump opines about: “You never know what you’re gunna get.”

UC bye week news and notes

The 10-0 Cincinnati Bearcats will take one week off from football this week, at least from playing a game. For the first time in school history (a phrase that has been used a lot the past three seasons in the Queen City) the ‘Cats won their first ten games. Ranked #5 in all three major polls (AP, Coaches, BCS) the Bearcats are now positioning themselves for an important showdown with Pittsburgh on December 5th.

But, next Friday the ‘Cats take on the Illinois Fighting Illini at noon. Enjoy your turkey and NFL on Thursday, wake up insanely early and get your Christmas shopping done on Friday, and then come home and enjoy some real good football from Nippert Stadium.

Here’s some other news and notes on the UC football team and program as we move through the bye week.

1. UC committed to Kelly? Yes…
The University of Cincinnati’s board of trustees yesterday announced that the university would be borrowing money for the Jefferson Avenue Athletic Complex. According to yesterday’s Cincinnati Enquirer report, “Under the financial plan prepared for trustees, UC would borrow $9.7 million and raise $2.1 million to build the fields this year. The bulk of the fund-raising would happen in 2012-13, when it would receive $5.2 million, and the entire project would be paid off by 2015.”

So this means that the indoor “bubble” will be ready to go for next season. It’ll keep me covered when it rains and when it gets cold. Oh, and make no bones about it, this move was more than just an initiative to help the school. The Cincinnati Enquirer also stated later on that, “the fields are a critical factor in UC’s strategy to retain football coach Brian Kelly.”

With sold-out games and a growing fanbase, UC is attempting to capitalize and build something that will keep Brian Kelly in Cincinnati

Notre Dame already has an indoor facility. Brian Kelly’s name has come up as a prime candidate for the Notre Dame job if much beleaguered head man Charlie Weis was to get fired this season

2. So what does BK think about Notre Dame?
Kelly says he’s flattered that he’s being considered for the job, but it doesn’t change how his team prepares week to week day to day. “As far as the rumors go, our kids really don't pay much attention to them, because I don’t” Kelly said. “I don't get distracted. We're humbled that our name is being associated with programs, but we don't really spend much time thinking about it. Our kids have become immune to it, as I have.”

Will Brian Kelly be leading UC next season? That's the million dollar question right now

It’s gotten to the point that I should just wear a shirt that says, “I don’t know,” on it and every time someone asks me about Kelly to ND, I should point at the shirt. Here’s an interesting thought about the Notre Dame job…What about Jim Harbaugh from Stanford? He can beat USC (as evidenced this past Saturday). I’m just suggesting it.

3. Running game needs to pick up steam
This week the UC offensive staff is working on beefing up the running game, which was a staple of the offense (in fact some would consider it was the only offense) under former Head Coach Mark Dantonio. Since Kelly has gotten to UC he has often talked about getting better on the ground. In the spring of 2008 he focused on short yardage situations. This spring he did the same. Now, with a bye week, Kelly and Offensive Coordinator/Offensive line coach Jeff Quinn are scheming ways to get the Bearcats to be more proficient on the ground.

“We’re spending quite a bit of time on some of the things we need to continue to work on, especially running the football,” Kelly said. “That’s going to be the secret to success in November and December. We still have some things to iron out.”

Isaiah Pead racked up 175 yards against West Virginia on Friday night

Kelly talked more about his practice schedule. Take note of what he says. “It’s so important that you really emphasize relative to practice that it’s quality not quantity,” Kelly said. “We’ve backed off our practices quite a bit. We’ve talked to the kids about giving us 1½ hours of locked-in focus. The word we’ve used is purposeful. You’ve got to have a purpose when you go out to practice.”

So far this year the Bearcats have produced quality and quantity on gamedays. Practice really does make perfect.

4. The UC defense should work hard on defending run
It’s no secret that UC has had a tough time defending the power running attack over the past few weeks. Both UConn and West Virginia ran for over 200 yards a piece on the Bearcats defense—which up to this point in the season had been quite strong. UC held prominent Oregon State running back Jacquizz Rogers to 73 yards rushing in game three.

UC's defense has had no trouble sacking quarterbacks. Here, Ricardo Matthews sacks West Virginia's Jarret Brown. UC is 5th in the nation in sacks, tied with USC

But, UConn’s Jordan Todman ran for 162 and West Virginia ran for 202 yards as a team against the ‘Cats last Friday evening. The more lingering problem for UC is that Pittsburgh is a power running team. They will line up, “Big Ten style”, as I call it, and pound it up the middle with freshman sensation Dion Lewis.

Lewis has run for 1291 yards this season, with an average of 5.8 yards per rush, and 13 touchdowns. Did I mention the kid is a true freshman? Only three times this season Lewis has been held to under 100 yards rushing (Navy, NC State, and Louisville). Perhaps those games hold the keys to stopping the best runner in the Big East this season.

Now, some will argue that the nation’s leading rusher, Ryan Matthews of Fresno State, also had a great day against the UC defense. Those are the same people who would forget that UC’s plan that day was to limit the big play ability of Matthews. Kelly’s plan that day was to play a lot of cover two, as he stated after the game, to give Marcus Barnett (the wideout turned cornerback for that game) some help in pass defense.

5. Big East replay catching grief for “questionable calls”
On Friday night in the West Virginia-UC game, the Bearcats faced first and goal from the one yard line. Zach Collaros turned and handed the ball off to Isaiah Pead, who dove forward for the endzone. He lost the ball, West Virginia recovered it, and the play was, of course, reviewed by the video replay booth.

It was determined by the booth that Pead stretched the ball across the goal line and therefore scored before he lost the ball. (This picture below, courtesy of the Cincinnati Enquirer, is as close a view as I could get my hands on…for now)

Let’s not forget that John McDaid and crew were officiating this game. McDaid might be the worst official in the Big East conference, and maybe the nation. Every time we get him, I cringe. McDaid had the UC/USF showdown in mid-October, the Pittsburgh loss (their only one this year) at NC State, and last season he had the Backyard Brawl between Pitt and WVU, plus the UC game one week later in Hawaii (one of the worst officiated games I’ve ever witnessed).

Maybe the Big East shouldn’t be worrying about their replay booth, and be more worried about who the man is on the field making the calls.

West Virginia fans note that they “lost the game” on this call. Brian Bennett, Big East blogger for ESPN.com, who was in attendance at the game, wrote, “Did those calls decide the game? No. I generally believe that one call, unless it's at the very end, should not be blamed for a loss. Teams have many opportunities to make up for such calls, and indeed, West Virginia got stopped on a fourth down deep in Cincinnati territory in the fourth quarter. The Mountaineers should only point fingers at themselves.”

But he wasn’t done there. Later on he wrote, “As to whether the Mountaineers would have won, my feeling is: score more points. West Virginia would have had the ball on its own 1. Who knows if Cincinnati makes a stop, gets the ball back and scores before halftime? Or maybe not. In the end, the Mountaineers had the ball inside the 30 and got stopped on fourth down. They lost by three. So they had plenty of chances after the call to win the game.”

Not too much to argue there folks. A lot of football left and WVU just couldn’t get it done in the second half. Call me myopic, but I agree with Bennett, and not just because it went for my team.
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Hope you’ve enjoyed some insight. I’ve gotta get back to homework, but later this week I hope to post a few thoughts on one of the most influential teachers I’ve had at UC, and possibly a little piece on why I love NASCAR so very much.

Have a good Wednesday all.