Opinions on Wannstedt's resignation at Pitt

With the surprise announcement that Dave Wannstedt would be stepping down as Pittsburgh Panthers head coach yesterday, I began to think. Is college football turning into a “What have you done for me lately?” world?

In some ways, it already is. In fact, in the NFL, coaches are being fired one year after getting deep in the playoffs (see Minnesota Vikings and former head man Brad Childress). Insanity? I think so.

The biggest problem with all this is the quick, sudden turnover. If athletic departments sign coaches to five year contracts but realize three years in they aren’t getting anywhere, they’re left with huge buyouts and contract obligations to head coaches (who have smart lawyers). Likewise, when coaches decide to leave programs for better jobs (see Brian Kelly) money that changes hands from one school to the next gets very messy.

How many head coaches is Notre Dame currently paying? Three or four? All I know is, the way it’s heading, one-year head coaching contracts might not be too far away.

Wannstedt’s case is particularly stunning to me. The man known to some as “The ‘Stache” just completed a 7-5 season where the Panthers shared the Big East title with West Virginia and UConn. In 2007, Wannstedt was a hero in the city of Pittsburgh—the prodigal son who returned to coach his alma mater, knocking rival West Virginia out of the national title game by defeating the Mountaineers in Morgantown.

Ironically enough, the last Big east co-champion team to lose their head coach was that 2007 West Virginia team. In a messy divorce, Rich Rodriguez left his hometown team and headed to the greener pastures of Michigan, a place where he now sits in hot water after not exactly meeting expectations.

Wannstedt had “the team” this season, picked by sportswriters and experts to win the league title, but the Panthers disappointing showing left many fans unhappy. Cincinnati was picked to finish second, and ended at 4-8, but no one in the Queen City (except for maybe some of the most fanatical followers of the Bearcats) is calling for head coach Butch Jones to resign. Why is that?

Wannstedt fell victim to the “what have you done for me now” theory. Pitt fans are growing restless and want to see a winner. I just hope they don’t bring in a new head coach that fails worse than Wannstedt. Because then, no one will be happy, everyone will be angry, and a new head coach might be brought in, just because Wannstedt’s replacement couldn’t get it done. Now.

Thoughts or opinions? Leave ‘em in the comments section. Have a good one.

Post #400: Country Roads, take me home…

In 2008, my 50th post was about Rentschler Field at the University of Connecticut. Now, 350 posts later, I’m writing for the second time about Milan Puskar Stadium, home to the West Virginia Mountaineers.

Almost heaven, West Virginia, blue ridge mountains, Shenandoah River

In 2008, fans streamed out of the stadium in the fourth quarter. In 2010, fans streamed out of the stadium in the fourth quarter, but this time, they were happier than they were two years earlier; their Mountaineers were winning, and winning big.
Life is old there, older than the trees, younger than the mountains, blowing like a breeze

As we got off the buses outside Milan Puskar, one student trainer sitting in front of yours truly noted, “This is nuts. I’ve never seen so many people tailgating.” Welcome to Morgantown.

Country roads, take me home, To the place, I belong, West Virginia, mountain momma, Take me home, country roads

Although the stadium wasn’t packed to capacity—and why would it be for two teams that were coming off of two-game losing streaks?—it was still loud and proud, just as I expected it to be.
All my mem’ries, gather ’round her, Miner’s lady, stranger to blue water, Dark and dusty, Painted on the sky, Misty taste of moonshine, teardrop in my eye

I did enjoy the new “sound effects” that the WVU athletic department chose to employ for this game (and presumably they’ve been using them all season). Before certain UC drives, the voice of Steve Carell, who played Brick Tamland in the hit movie Anchorman, would scream one of his funnier lines from the movie: “LOUD NOISES”. I loved it.

Country roads, take me home, To the place, I belong, West Virginia, mountain momma, Take me home, country roads

As for the game, well, let’s not talk about that. I’m not sure even the most negative of UC fans could have predicted a fall off quite this bad for the team that went 12-0 last regular season. Before the season all eyes were on Jones, who has done this before, taking over for Kelly at Central Michigan and winning two MAC titles as head man in Mount Pleasant.

I hear her voice, in the mornin’ hours she calls to me, The radio reminds me of my home far a-way, And drivin’ down the road I get a feeling’, That I should have been home yesterday, yesterday

Now, it’s three wins in three games for UC to be bowl eligible. No matter what happens in the end, I’ll have photos and more from Milan Puskar Stadium. Did I mention the WVU band? How could I not?

They might be one of my favorite bands in all of America, for only one reason…

Country roads, take me home, To the place, I belong, West Virginia, mountain momma, Take me home, country roads

Take me home, country roads...

Hopefully I have more opportunities to go visit Milan Puskar. It’s definitely one of the more fun places to visit it the Big East conference: win or lose.

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.”

Big East football schedules: Week 7

Week seven sees two ESPN primetime games for the Big East. The UC Bearcats love ESPN in primetime, and will battle for yet another rivalry trophy for the second straight week. This week also marks the beginning of Big East play for UC, Louisville, Pitt, and West Virginia. UConn has the week off.

Here’s week seven.

Week 7 Big East Schedule
Thurs., Oct 14-West Virginia vs USF
Fri., Oct 15-Cincinnati at Louisville
Sat., Oct 16-Pittsburgh at Syracuse
Oct 16-Rutgers vs Army

AN: The one and only trip I’ve made to Louisville for football was on a rainy night in mid-November on the day before I turned 20 years old. The end result was a lot of wet clothing and a trip back to Cincinnati with the Keg of Nails in our possession for the first time since 2002.

I mentioned in the week one preview that Charlie Strong, the former Florida defensive coordinator, and new head coach for the Cards, has built a strong program up in the short time he’s been running the show in Kentucky’s most populous city. And the early season results are certainly showing that "The Ville" is getting better.

So, this game scares me a little bit. I’m just not sure that Louisville has the fire power they need to overcome all the playmakers that UC has, but in a game that will be played at the renovated PapaJohns Cardinal Stadium, anything could happen, as we nearly found out in 2008.

Strong has already shown the UC players he can coach a darn good team, but will he be able to translate success against the Brian Kelly system into success against the Butch Jones system? To say I’m 100 percent certain UC will win this game would be a lie, but I am confident that this game should, should go in favor of the Bearcats. But don’t be surprised if the game is closer than you think.

JM: Pitt’s coming off a close loss at Notre Dame last weekend and looks to even its record at 3-3. In my opinion, this is a must-win game. Syracuse has its first legitimate shot at a bowl game since 2004 and is coming off its biggest win of the season last week against USF.

Pitt showed some progress against the Irish, with Tino Sunseri showing some improvement and the offensive line appears to be getting its act together. This will be a nice test for the Panthers as they go against a decent opponent, but one with less talent, that they should be able to beat. Beating Syracuse would be a good confidence booster and would kick off the Big East slate the right way. I like Pitt in a close one.

AN: Obviously the best game on the schedule has to be the battle between USF and West Virginia on Thursday night in Morgantown. USF has beaten the Mountaineers in ’06, ’07 and last season, and in 2008 they lost by a touchdown in their last visit to Milan Puskar Stadium. These two teams have had some epic battles in the past few seasons, and I expect this season to be the same.

"Almost heaven..."

With Skip Holtz running the show in Tampa, the USF Bulls might be in better shape than many think. In 2008, West Virginia was primed to win a Big East title behind the likes of Pat White and Noel Devine, but in game two of Bill Stewart’s first season, the Mountaineers were walloped by East Carolina 24-3 in Greenville.

The head coach of ECU that year? Skip Holtz. Now, Holtz and the ECU Pirates traveled to Morgantown last season and lost 35-20, but at least Holtz knows he has beaten West Virginia, and will know just how intimidating Milan Puskar can be for opposing teams.

JM: Well, I guess that leaves the Rutgers-Army game as the only other game on the docket. Rutgers has looked good at times and is coming off a win against UConn, but is still inconsistent. Army, like Syracuse, has a decent shot to get to a bowl game this season. The Black Knights run my favorite offense (as well as Adam’s favorite) the triple option, which can be a tough matchup for any team. I think Rutgers should win this game, but don’t be surprised if Army pulls off the upset.

AN: I do love the option.

Thanks for joining us, and stay tuned for another week of Big East football here on the blog. Next week you’ll get a little taste of the renovated PapaJohns Cardinal Stadium with some photos and a short recap of the Louisville/UC tilt. Til then, enjoy a weekend of football.

Big East football schedules: Week 4- “Showtime”

Maybe it really is all about “The U”…




The final weekend in September is the premier weekend for college football for the Big East. This week presents the conference with a chance to prove itself against the biggest guns of college football, and once again prove that the Big East is definitely worthy of its automatic BCS bowl bid.

The Big East’s best teams play marquee opponents from the ACC, SEC and Big 12 in four matchups during the final weekend of the season’s opening month. Without further delay, here’s a peek at “Showtime Week.” Note that Louisville has the weekend off.

Week 4 Big East Schedule
Thurs., Sept 23- Pittsburgh vs Miami (FL)
Sat., Sept 25-Connecticut vs Buffalo
Sept 25-Cincinnati vs Oklahoma
Sept 25-USF vs Western Kentucky
Sept 25-Rutgers vs North Carolina
Sept 25-West Virginia at LSU
Sept 25-Syracuse vs Colgate

AN: Jake, the Panthers start with the most recent Big East conference team to play for a national title, “The U”, Miami of Florida, in primetime on Thursday night.

JM: Miami leads the all-time series between these two former Big East foes 21-9-1, with the last meeting a Hurricanes victory in 2003. The last time Pitt beat Miami was in 1997, when Miami was reeling from NCAA sanctions received for the program’s conduct during the Dennis Erickson era.

While this Miami team is not as talented nor as intimidating, they are still a good football team, and were the preseason favorite to win the ACC and considered a dark horse national title contender. Miami is in the heart of a tough non-conference schedule, highlighted by its last game in Columbus against Ohio State. But the Hurricanes lost that game and now sit at 1-1 and are looking to bounce back.

Meanwhile, Pitt finds itself in a similar situation. High preseason expectations had Pitt fans thinking Big East title or maybe even a national title shot. While the Big East title is still very much in reach, that long-shot national championship dream is gone following an opening night, overtime loss. The Panthers’ record now sits at 1-1 as well following a week two win over FCS New Hampshire.

Needless to say, this is a huge game for both teams as each tries to get its season back on track. A win for either team would go a long way toward building momentum heading into the conference slate. This should be a very hard-fought and entertaining football game.

Another big opportunity for the Big East to net a marquee win takes place two days later down the Ohio River in Cincinnati.

AN: Bob Stoops brings his Sooners to Cincinnati, and all I can hear is, “Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweepin’ down the plain.” This is a return game for the 2008 trip that saw Oklahoma lay a 52-26 whipping on the Cincinnati Bearcats in Norman. Thankfully Sam Bradford and Jermaine Gresham have left the Sooner squad, but Landry Jones and DeMarco Murray are still around wearing the crimson and cream.

It’s practically impossible to pick against the Sooners, and through one half in Norman two seasons ago the Bearcats hung with Oklahoma. But in the end, Oklahoma is Oklahoma and they’re pretty darn good. It’ll take a nearly perfect game from the UC Bearcats to defeat one of the nation’s premier programs. And even then, the chances of winning aren’t horribly high.

Ah, "Ginormatron", what a sight. That thing is big folks...real big

That being said, this Oklahoma team has struggled at home against Air Force and Utah State. So if the “right” Oklahoma team shows up, UC could keep it close for a little while. Even though everyone chalks this game up as a loss, the “any given Saturday” rule says Butch Jones could get his biggest win this weekend by defeating the Sooners.

Jake, the ACC isn’t done with the Big East after your Thursday night game. Rutgers invites North Carolina to Piscataway, and West Virginia travels to Baton Rouge to play the LSU Tigers in “Death Valley.” So, which game is more intriguing to you? The ACC/Big East battle or the chance to prove the Big East is a big boy against an SEC power?

JM: I’m really looking forward to that West Virginia matchup. As the only undefeated team in the Big East to have beaten another BCS conference team (last week’s win vs. Maryland), West Virginia has to be considered the favorite to win the Big East. While West Virginia will not be favored to win, they do have the talent to pull off the upset—a win the Big East desperately needed.

This is also a big game for LSU, which had a sub-par year last season and head coach Les Miles may be on the hot seat if he can’t return the “Bayou Bengals” to the top-10. I like LSU in this one, but WVU will give them a game.

AN: Six weeks ago we could have argued that the Rutgers/North Carolina tilt would have been interesting on paper, but thanks to the NCAA, that game might not be as exciting. It’s tough to disagree with the West Virginia/LSU matchup though, and I agree with you Jake, the Big East needs this win.

West Virginia beat Georgia in the 2006 Sugar Bowl, and not to brag or anything, but Butch Jones was coaching for the Mountaineers in that game. Maybe West Virginia will come out in “Death Valley” and play like they did last week in the first half against Maryland. That’d make it a fun game, and a competitive game if you ask me.

Also of note, former UC offensive line coach Jeff Quinn, who is now head man in Buffalo, leads the Bulls into the place where Quinn last lost a regular season game—Hartford, Connecticut to play the UConn Huskies. Quinn and numerous other former UC assistant coaches will be the focus of our next Big East weekly schedule preview.

Beautiful Hartford, Connecticut

Week four has the potential to be a big week for the Big East, but it also has the potential to be embarrassing for a league that needs to still prove itself to the outside world.

Check back for week five of the Big East schedule preview a little later next week. Thanks for reading as always.

Week 3 Big East Preview

The only Elder Panther to graduate with Jake and I in 2007 and gain a scholarship to play college football at the BCS level is Jeff Rieskamp (pronounced Rees-camp), who signed in February of 2007 to play his college ball at North Carolina State.

Jeff Rieskamp (Elder archive photo, Dave Sharp)

I asked him about his decision just after signing his National Letter of Intent in ’07 for an article in The Purple Quill—Elder’s student newspaper. I asked him if he considered choosing UC, and what it would mean playing them in 2010. Back then Jeff told me, “It wouldn’t make that much of a difference to me, because UC recruited me, but they weren’t high up on my list.” More on that a little further down.

Here’s the third week on the Big East schedule, and only five Big East teams are in action during the third week of September.

Week 3 Big East Schedule
Thurs., Sept 16- Cincinnati at North Carolina State
Sat., Sept 18-Louisville at Oregon State
Sept 18-Syracuse vs Maine
Sept 18-Connecticut at Temple
Sept 18-West Virginia vs Maryland

AN: Brian Kelly was a perfect 3-0 on Thursday nights on ESPN, and Butch Jones gets his first test with a road trip to Raleigh, N.C. This game worries me because of what happened to Pitt last season on their visit to NC State. Remember that one?

JM: Yeah, don’t bring that one up.

AN: N.C. State has quarterback Russell Wilson back, and the redshirt junior is a bit of a problem for defenses. He’s a dual threat, and I don’t mean in the typical football fashion. Wilson’s prowess on the baseball diamond may remind Bearcats fans of their own dual threat quarterback, Zach Collaros.

Collaros was a baseball star a few years ago, moonlighting on the UC baseball squad (Cincinnati Enquirer photo)

It will also be fun to see Jeff Rieskamp live in action for the first time since 2006. I have followed his career with a close eye, partially because we went to school together, and partially because we share a relative. However, we aren’t related. I love pointing that out, and there’s no doubt that I’ll be watching number 99 in red on that Thursday night.

I’ve also heard from my video counterparts at Pittsburgh that the atmosphere at N.C. State is interesting to say the least. I look forward to visiting, and while I believe it’s too early to predict, I don’t see how N.C. State won’t be favored going into this game. But the “homer” in me says that U.C. should be competitive in Raleigh. We’ll see.

Jake, a few interesting games on the docket this week, and with Pitt off, you’ll be sitting in front of a TV watching a lot of college football.

JM: I’m looking forward to West Virginia hosting Maryland. The Mountaineers play a pretty tough non-conference schedule and that continues in week three as the Terrapins come to Morgantown. Don’t let Maryland’s 2-10 record last year fool you, they’ve got some speed and talent on both sides of the ball. The Terps have gotten the ball rolling in 2010 with a nice week one win over Navy, despite being outplayed by the Midshipmen for most of the game.

Also, this is a make-or-break type year for Ralph Friedgen at Maryland as he’s feeling some definite heat after last season’s debacle. I still like WVU at home, but this should be a challenge for the Mountaneers.

AN: The most interesting game of this week, beyond the UC/NC State matchup and the West Virginia/Maryland game is Louisville and Oregon State. The Beavers have been beaten twice in three seasons by Cincinnati, including a 28-18 defeat last season in Corvallis.

UC defeated Oregon State 28-18 last season in Corvallis

While Charlie Strong and the Cardinals should be competitive in this game, I just don’t think they can come out on top, especially since this is their first road test of the season. The Rodgers brothers should be too much for the Cardinals to stop, and the Louisville offense can’t keep up with the Beavers, if you ask me.

That being said, I’d love to see Louisville beat Oregon State and the Beavers take out their frustration on Boise State next week. That would knock Boise out of the national title talk (thank God!) and make the Big East look a whole lot better—and we could use some positive PR about now.

In 24 or so hours the UC Bearcats board the buses to head to the airport and fly out to North Carolina. Thanks Jake for joining in, and to everyone else, enjoy week three of college football.

Big East football schedules: Week 2

(Coming soon...Fresno State photos)

The college game is known for great in-state rivalry games, and although Jake and I may never see our teams play their biggest in-state rivals (Ohio State for UC, and Penn State for Pittsburgh) on a regular basis, week two for the Big East features two in-state “rivalry” games.

Here’s the week two schedule, and all eight Big East teams are in action.

Week 2 Big East Schedule
Fri., Sept 10- West Virginia at Marshall
Sat., Sept 11-USF at Florida
Sept 11-Syracuse at Washington
Sept 11-Cincinnati vs Indiana State
Sept 11-Connecticut vs Texas Southern
Sept 11-Pittsburgh vs New Hampshire
Sept 11-Louisville vs Eastern Kentucky
Sept. 11-Rutgers at Florida International

AN: Jake, other than the two in-state games, and Syracuse’s travel to Washington, this week pretty much looks like a Big East scrimmage week. Your thoughts on Pitt’s matchup with the UNH Wildcats…

JM: Adam, you know how much I dislike playing 1-AA, I mean FCS, teams especially when that matchup happens after week one. I can deal with a week one scrimmage, as it can help ease the team back into playing competitive football but after then there is nothing to gain. The only thing this game can do is hurt Pitt. They will be expected to win, and if they don’t will be the subject of much hand-wringing and ridicule.

That being said, I see no way Pitt loses to UNH. Not only is UNH an FCS team, they aren’t even one of the best FCS teams. The real drama in this game will be seeing how many points Dion Lewis and crew can put on the board as Pitt will roll in this one. Adam, how bad of a beat-down are the Bearcats going to give the Sycamores?

AN: OK, so I hate to do this, but last year in late August Indiana State lost to Quincy 26-20. One week later Quincy got steamrolled by Southeast Missouri State 72-3. In Brian Kelly’s final home opener as Cincinnati head coach, the Bearcats took SEMO for their own 70 point excursion, defeating the Redhawks 70-3.

My point being, if UC doesn’t beat Indiana State, who only has won one game in three seasons, by at least 50 points, then something is wrong. It’ll basically be a scrimmage for the ‘Cats in Butch Jones’s first home game as head coach of the two-time defending Big East champs.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that it’s also a homecoming game of sorts for Jesse Minter, who coaches defensive backs for the Sycamores. Minter, the son of former UC head coach Rick Minter, was a graduate assistant under Brian Kelly for two years (2007 and 2008) on the defensive side of the ball. And Rick Minter will be coaching at Indiana State as well.

Jake, which game in week two strikes you as a must see?

JM: Country roads, take me home to… The West Virginia Coal Association Friends of Coal Bowl. Trailers and Shanties all throughout West Virginia will be home to folks glued to their black and white television sets and/or transistor radios to follow this recently re-ignited in-state rivalry. West Virginia has dominated the series, going 9-0 all time and should be expected to do the same this year.

The game is in Huntington, at Marshall’s Joan C. Edwards Stadium which could potentially be a problem for the Mountaineers as they leave Morgantown for the first time in 2010. New Marshall head coach Doc Holliday has extensive ties to WVU having graduated from there in 1979 and having spent more than 20 years of his career as a coach there. Maybe in the future Holliday’s squad will have a chance against the Mountaineers, but not this year. Expect WVU to win and win big. Adam, what game has piqued your interest in week two?

AN: Well, as much as I love John Denver’s “Country Roads”, the Citrus State showdown between USF and Florida will quickly test the mettle of Skip Holtz’s USF squad. Florida will have John Brantley IV at quarterback replacing the all-time great Tim Tebow.

Fun news of the day...You can now follow Tim Tebow on Twitter (or you can just stick to following me @adamniemeyer)

USF walked in to Doak Campbell Stadium last year and beat the Florida State Seminoles 17-7, which made the Bulls claim they have made it as one of the “Big 3” in Florida. If USF wants to keep claiming they’ve arrived as a big time Sunshine State program, they’ll need to beat Florida. And if they want to know how likely it is that they’ll defeat the Urban Meyer led Gator squad they should ask their Big East brethren Cincinnati.

Maybe folks remember watching the Sugar Bowl. Or maybe folks turned it off at halftime when the game was all but over with the Gators leading the Bearcats 30-3. Either way, I don’t see USF heading into the Swamp and getting the “W”, unless of course they can find a way to summon Tim Tebow to play for them.

And that’s not happening.

Week two looks to be a rather bland week with more than a few schools taking on cupcake opponents, but football is football, especially in the Big East. Join us for week three of the Big East schedule preview early next week. Thanks for reading as always.

Odds and Ends on March 29th

Over the past week UC students had a break from classes and school work, and today that all changes. The ten-week spring quarter has begun and it’s back to work for college students here in Cincinnati, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to neglect my thoughts here. So for some tidbits of fun, here’s a few thoughts to get rolling for spring.

Moeller basketball ends up short in state title game
The Moeller Crusaders ran through the GCL South and the Cincinnati region before heading to the state semi finals on Friday evening. They faced Mentor in the final four game and withstood a state record for three point attempts. In overtime the Crusaders pulled away and clinched a spot in the state finals, defeating the Cardinals 66-59.

I had a seat courtside for that game as well as the state championship game the next evening where Moeller took on the Massillon Jackson Polar Bears. Jackson led 20-15 at halftime and opened the game up with a 24-5 advantage in the third quarter. Jackson won the game handily 57-34, denying Moeller the chance to win its fourth state title since 1999.

Through my current internship at Fox 19 in Cincinnati I got to witness both games, and from my vantage point nothing was more awesome than watching high school basketball up close and personal. The men of Moeller gave it their all, and even in winding up just a little short, they showed true heart and a spirit that made me proud to support a fellow GCL South school.

Check out this fun story on the Moeller cheering section, which exemplifies the spirit of an all-male cheering section, like any other GCL South school: http://communitypress.cincinnati.com/article/20100328/SPT01/3280308/Moeller+students+give+team+an+extra+lift

Almost Heaven, Indianapolis?
West Virginia is headed to the Final Four—the real one—in Indianapolis this upcoming weekend, and who would have picked that? While the popular picks for the national title were Kansas and Kentucky, my unconventional wisdom went with fellow Big East member West Virginia and former UC head coach Bob Huggins.

Turns out it could help my mom win her pool as only we have West Virginia cutting down the nets one week from today, but a WVU loss on Saturday evening could put us in second or third place. I’ll take my odd picks, and the bragging rights that come with picking a national champ.

Rainy days in Martinsville
Rain canceled yesterday’s running of the Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 in Martinsville, Va., pushing the start of the race to this afternoon, a few minutes past midday. Tons of storylines to follow at NASCAR’s shortest track, so tune in if you have the time.

Mark Martin paced practice on Saturday morning, and he starts 16th today in Martinsville. Will he visit Victory Lane and bring home a grandfather clock? (NASCAR.com photo)

Spring football starts across the nation
UC got kicked off under new head coach Butch Jones two weeks ago before taking the last week off, and the two-time defending Big East champs will re-fire their engines tomorrow morning. The spring has brought a completely new style of practice to Nippert Stadium, but it’s just as intense as it was under the previous regime.

And part of the previous regime, most notably head coach Brian Kelly, got kicked off in South Bend last week. Kelly’s uptempo, energetic style of offense and practice surprised some Notre Dame players. It’s something the players at Cincinnati are used to, but at Notre Dame it’s all new, and it’s going to take some time for players to get used to everything.

While the head coach at UC, Kelly ran very high paced practices, a practice he has brought with him to Notre Dame (Photo from Twitter.com; Tom Gelehter)

One of Notre Dame’s opponents this season got kicking this morning in Annapolis, Md. Ken Niumatalolo and the Naval Academy Midshipmen got the ball rolling on spring practices with one of the most underrated players in all of America leading the charge under center, junior quarterback Ricky Dobbs. The Georgia native led the Middies to a huge win in the Texas Bowl last season 35-13 over Missouri, and captured ten wins for the Academy.

David Fox of Rivals.com says that Dobbs, “could end up being the academy’s top QB since Roger Staubach.” Pretty high praise for the best throwing Naval Academy quarterback in years. Dobbs’s threat to run and throw will keep defensive coordinators guessing all season long. It’ll be fun to watch Navy take on former UC defensive coordinator Bob Diaco when Notre Dame and Navy meet up on October 23 in East Rutherford, N.J.

I know who I’ll be rooting for.

More personal odds and ends
The girl’s basketball season is reaching its conclusion and although we’ve only won one game this season we’re trying to make some progress toward getting better for next season. As girls basketball winds down boys volleyball begins and I begin my fourth stint as an official.

I got to officiate two matches yesterday and although the kids seem to change from year to year very little changes at each school. It’s fun to think back to when I was a young kid running around the gym at St. William, learning all the skills necessary to become a decent volleyball player and have a little fun too.

The Beatles and I agree today, “How I long for Yesterday…”

Have a good one today, and stay dry if you’re stuck in the rain.

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.

Quarterbacks White and Mauk put on show in 2007 WVU-UC game

Ben Mauk picked apart the West Virginia defense to the tune of 323 yards and two touchdowns while his counterpart Pat White ran for 155 yards and two touchdowns of his own two years ago when the Mountaineers visited Cincinnati. West Virginia took the game 28-23 and handed the Bearcats their third and final loss of the 2007 season.

It was also the last time Brian Kelly and the ‘Cats lost a home game.

West Virginia rushed for 295 yards total and held onto the ball for just over 36 minutes, keeping Mauk and the high powered Bearcat offense off the field. Mauk completed 19 of his 34 throws for an average of 17 yards a completion.

It was once again the Marcus Barnett show for the ‘Cats. The redshirt freshman from Upper Marlboro, Maryland caught ten of Mauk’s passes for 210 yards. He scored both touchdowns through the air.

West Virginia’s 3-3-5 “stack” defense—which became a staple under then Mountaineer and current Michigan Head Coach Rich Rodriguez—didn’t give UC fits through the air, but the ‘Cats only ran for 84 yards. Granted, much of the time UC was trailing and had to throw to get back in the game, but West Virginia’s defense did not hesitate to yield some yardage to the Bearcats through the air.

UC trailed 28-10 early in the fourth and was able to narrow the gap to 28-23 with 2:26 left on the clock but Jake Rogers’s onside kick fell in the hands of the Mountaineers’ Franchot Allen. Steve Slaton and company picked up a few first downs and the game was over.

Everyone who remembers last season’s tilt in Morgantown will recall that the Mountaineers scored 13 points in the final 1:11 to force overtime. West Virginia had to settle for a field goal and it took UC just three plays (Pike to Goodman for 10 yards—with a roughing the passer penalty, Ramsey rushed for five yards to the WVU two, and Pike hit Kazeem Alli for the two yard score) to win the game 26-23.

Alli celebrates after he caught the winning pass from Tony Pike last season in Morgantown

What kind of game will unfold this evening? Since the game is sold out, I suggest you tune in to ESPN2 at 8PM to see how everything turns out.

And remember…Country Roads, Take me home, to the place, I belong

Big East predictions: Why they can, why they can’t

With a few days remaining until the college football season kicks off it’s time for us to bat around all kinds of ideas to keep ourselves busy. My idea is to look at each Big East team today and give you a short list of reasons as to why they can win the Big East title and a few ideas as to why they can’t.

Let’s start with the Bearcats of Cincinnati, the team I know the most about, and the team who kicks off Big East play with Rutgers in just six days.

Cincinnati

Why they can: UC returns starting quarterback Tony Pike and wideout/returner Mardy Gilyard. Plus, two time defending Big East coach of the year Brian Kelly is still roaming the sidelines in the Queen City.

Why they can’t: The Bearcats are replacing ten starters on defense, and will employ a new defensive scheme.

The Bearcats were picked to finish third in the conference by the coaches. Most feel that replacing ten starters on defense will hurt the ‘Cats but those same people forget that Brian Kelly started his coaching career as a defensive coordinator in Division 2 where he won two national titles at Grand Valley State. If he can successfully defend the Big East title, it won’t surprise me.

Connecticut

Why they can: They’ll be an underdog in most Big East games, and that will provide some incentive for the 2007 Big East co-champions.

Why they can’t: Donald Brown is in the NFL now

The only team to defeat the 2008 Cincinnati Bearcats were voted sixth by the coaches a few weeks back and Randy Edsall was not happy about it. “We haven't gotten any respect since we've been in the league,” Edsall said. “I mean, really. And that's fine.” Whether they can prove that they deserved a higher ranking is still up in the air. They open Big East play with a trip to Pittsburgh in October.

Louisville

Why they can: They play seven games against Big East foes

Why they can’t: See above, and they have a bad offense, a bad defense, and they’re just bad all around.

Steve Kragthorpe is on the hot seat down in Louisville and a lot of folks expect that seat to melt under a bad Cardinal team. After the 2006 Orange Bowl victory the Cardinals have fallen off the face of the planet. This season should be no different. Kragthorpe is even worried about facing Indiana State this weekend—a team that has won one game in their past 53 tries. “I’ll kind of lay there in bed thinking, ‘Did we cover this enough? Did we cover that enough?’”

Pitt

Why they can: Picked to win it all by the coaches in lateJuly. TJ Porter is going to be good at wide receiver.

Why they can’t: Dave Wannstedt is the head coach, Bill Stull is the quarterback.

As much as WPTS radio personality, and former guest blogger Jake Meyer would like to admit it that Pitt is in the running I have a feeling that Pittsburgh will be held back by Stull’s limited arm and Wannstedt’s coaching. With that said, Wannstedt did allow offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh to go to the NFL, a move that can only help. Look for Frank Cignetti Jr. to try to revamp the Pitt offense. The final game of the year, a home matchup with the UC Bearcats could be another de-facto Big East title game.

Rutgers

Why they can: The Scarlet Knight offensive line is stout, and their stadium expansion will be in full effect against the top four finishers in the Big East last season—UC, Pitt, West Virginia and USF

Why they can’t: Schiano is 0-3 against Cincinnati in his past three tries, including a devastating loss in 2006 when Rutgers was ranked #7 nationally.

Head coach Greg Schiano is keeping his quarterback plans for the opener against Cincinnati under wraps. He names three players—senior Dominick Natale, senior Jabu Lovelace and true freshman Tom Savage—as his starting quarterback, all separated on the depth chart by the big word “OR”. Is this the year Rutgers finally beats the Bearcats and take an early lead in the Big East standings? We’ll know in six more days.

Syracuse

Why they can: Greg Paulus is playing quarterback

Why they can’t: Greg Paulus is playing quarterback

New head coach Doug Marrone has his work cut out for him in his first season back at his alma mater. With former Duke basketball player Greg Paulus making headlines as the starting quarterback, Marrone now must find 21 other guys to play for his team. He’s had quite a few people bail on the new program, and it will most likely take him a few years to get back to winning, but at least he knows he’s got a quarterback for this season.

USF

Why they can: Matt Grothe is back for year four at quarterback, and defensive end George Selvie will cause havoc

Why they can’t: They always seem to tank around mid-October, and I think they’ll lose to UC because Brian Kelly will out scheme his former defensive coordinator Joe Tresey

USF is a popular pick to win the Big East this season because they return Grothe and Selvie, but everyone seems to forget that it’s the same old song and dance year in and year out in Tampa. The Bulls start off hot, beat a few ranked opponents and then fall apart in mid-October. This season their mid-October matchup is a Thursday night duel on ESPN with the 2008 champs, the UC Bearcats.

West Virginia University

Why they can: Jarrett Brown has experience at quarterback and Noel Devine is back at running back

Why they can’t: Bill Stewart can’t manage games

West Virginia has a chance this year to prove that the Big East can play with the biggest boys in college football when they travel to Auburn and play host to Colorado. Last year West Virginia lost to Colorado in overtime when Bill Stewart mismanaged the game late and didn’t allow his senior quarterback Pat White—now with the Miami Dolphins—to lead his team to victory. White’s replacement Jarrett Brown looks to put the Mountaineers back in the national title hunt.

Hopefully you learned a little bit about each team in the Big East by reading my short thoughts on why they can and why they can’t win the conference. Tomorrow I’ll step away from the Big East and look into football the way it used to be played; the flexbone triple option attack that Navy will employ against Ohio State on Saturday in what I consider to be the most awaited game of the weekend. Until then, enjoy your Tuesday.

The Big East really isn’t that bad, right?

Coming off the heels of my comparison of the two worst BCS leagues—according to one expert’s rankings—today I re-visit the idea of how bad the Big East will be this year, according to more writers who have the name ‘expert’ tabbed on their business cards.

While I don’t claim to be a college football expert by any means, I know I’m much more informed and a much better arguer than Bill Kimm of NASCAR.com who made an absolutely ridiculous statement earlier this week. (Read his clip here: http://www.nascar.com/2009/news/features/08/04/head.2.head.jjohnson.free.pass/index.html) If I was in a NASCAR writing mood I’d consider ripping what little credibility Mr. Kimm’s argument has. If you’re a NASCAR fan then maybe you can already see what’s wrong with his arguments.

But, back to the more pressing issues of the day, college football, and more importantly, the Big East conference. I’ve been keeping tabs on the Yahoo! Sports/Rivals.com rankings throughout the summer. For the countdown check out this link: http://collegefootball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=954694

The UC Bearcats came in at #33 overall, not bad considering the fact that we have to replace 10 starters on defense. The only two other Big East teams that came in ahead of us were South Florida at #25 and West Virginia at #19.

This sparked an open discussion between Rivals.com writers Olin Buchanan, Tom Dienhart, David Fox, Mike Huguenin and Steve Megargee about the Big East. Would any Big East team finish in the top twenty at season’s end?

Well, history says, “At least one team currently in the Big East has finished in the top 20 every season since 2004,” Buchanan writes. “After all,” he continues, “Cincinnati's 11-3 showing last season was something of a surprise. I wouldn't bet on a Big East team to contend for the national title, but getting one team in the top 20 doesn't seem too unlikely.” Well, that’s a plus, right?

Not so much. Let the Big East bashing commence. He finished with, “If it doesn't happen, that would add fuel to the Mountain West Conference's argument to be included as an automatic qualifier for a BCS bowl.”

Put the nails in the coffin, the Big East is dead.

David Fox offered this; “The Big East's worst nightmare is a possibility, but I doubt that will happen. There’s not a top-15 team in this conference, but there are five candidates who could fit in the 15-25 range.” Well, I guess that’s an okay scenario. No top fifteen teams but we could potentially put two or three within the last ten spots of the poll. That’d save some face for the Big East. As long as Buchanan doesn’t get to continue his Mountain West promoting.

But Olin Buchanan isn’t the only one touting the Mountain West. “I think each Big East team will have at least three losses, and I don't think, given the relative strength of the other leagues, that a Big East team is going to finish in the regular-season top 20,” wrote Mike Hueguenin. “I think things could get mighty interesting in December, when a nine-win Big East team is guaranteed a BCS slot and an 11-win Mountain West team could be on the outside looking in.”

Last year the Big East champs had 11 wins, but let's not mention that. The Mountain West is, after all, a much better conference for football

I know Utah won the Sugar Bowl last year, but seriously men, do we need to say the Big East is worse than Mountain West? I guess they get paid to express their opinions. Maybe I need to be on payroll somewhere so people will respect me as an “expert.”

Steve Megargee wrote, “The Big East doesn't figure to have any elite teams this season. It wouldn't surprise me if the league champion had four losses…I'll be surprised if any Big East team lands in the top 10, but I would guess somebody from that conference finishes somewhere in the high teens.” Another luke warm reception for the Big East.

What will it take for the Big East to gain national respect? Well, as I stated on Tuesday all it would have taken was West Virginia to beat Pittsburgh in 2007 and head to the national title game (where, in my opinion, they would have throttled the Ohio State Buckeyes) to gain some respect for the Big East.

Take it or leave it folks, how you see the Big East is up to you, but if you are a fan of Big East football then I’m just telling you something you already know. It’s going to take years for a Big East team to make it to a national title game because of the perception that the Big East is a weak league.

Even if Rutgers, UC, West Virginia or even USF were to run the table this year and go undefeated, they’d probably be left out of the national title game where two teams with one loss will duke it out. And then, well, then maybe the guys at Rivals will write about how the Big East got screwed.

And we can all point to this article and say, “Wow, he was right.” (Probability of that happening is very low, but hey, let me have my dreams.)