2010 College Football Predictions: Does Big East Have a Legitimate Contender?

Unlike the preseason polls of last year, which left out any Big East school, this years poll has a  pair of teams ranked to start the season.

Pitt and WVU, the most notable rivalry the Big East, have been bestowed (or cursed) with recognition in the preseason coaches’ poll. Will, or could for that matter, either team be tapped to make it to Glendale at the end of the season?

We all understand the importance of rankings when it comes to the BCS. Realistically, if you have a decent schedule and ranking to start and run the schedule undefeated or with one loss (if from one of the more respected conferences), then you have an excellent chance to get to the title game.

We also understand your opponent’s factor into the equation as well, without having to get into all the specifics.

But we are talking the Big East. We are the so-to-say Rodney Dangerfield conference among all BCS conferences.This is so even with the ACC being less than stellar for years now and especially in BSC bowl games.

Therefore, with all that is going against the conference, could either the Panthers or Mountaineers get their tickets to Glendale?

Either of these teams can win any of their games on their schedule.

However, let’s take a closer look as to how things might play out and assume each team goes undefeated until the Backyard Brawl on November 26, 2010.

Non Conference Schedule:

A lot more is going to be said about Pitt if they get hot early and run the table before taking up the Big East schedule. That would include bookend road games to Utah and Notre Dame in their first five games.

Snuggled in between those games are three home games against New Hampshire, Miami (Da U), and FIU.

Conversely, the Panthers “friends” down I-79 have alternating home and away dates starting with Costal Carolina and then Marshall, Maryland, LSU, and finally UNLV.

With all due respect to the LSU game, which is on the road at the end of September, Pitt will have already played two top 25 teams with Notre Dame waiting in the wings. It will not bode well for WVU in their effort to get to Glendale with their obviously lacking non-conference schedule. However, it would not be unrealistic for both of these team to be ranked in the top 15, with probably Pitt being ranked in the top 10, if they both win all of their out of conference scheduled games.

Advantage: Pitt

Conference Schedule:

This is where things get tricky. Why? Obviously, these teams have to play one anther in one of the most storied and longest running rivalry games in the country.

This year will be the 103rd edition to the Backyard Brawl. But this game would have astronomical implications if both teams were undefeated and the makings of a national title game potential on the line. I am sure everyone remembers the 2007 and 100th edition of this game.

"A Nightmare." That was an understatement, RichRod.

Regardless of the winner, both teams have games thereafter.

The Panthers travel to Cincinnati to face a team that has beaten them two consecutive years in a row for the conference crown and WVU, who has a home game with Rutgers.

Neither of these games will be easy coming off a win against your rival. Especially if all the marbles are on the line after the Backyard Brawl.

Before getting to the Brawl, Pitt has an on again, off again, severity of schedule you might say.

They open the conference schedule at Syracuse, then home with Rutgers and Louisville, and at Connecticut and USF.

The Mountaineers are less uniform then the Panthers. They open at home with USF and Syracuse, then travel to UConn, home again with Cincinnati, and at Louisville before the Brawl.

Ironically, both teams have an open date on November 6, 2010. Also, both teams have a short week before the Brawl.

However, the difference here is that in the two weeks prior to the brawl, Pitt has to go up to Connecticut for a Thursday night game, then down to Tampa, and then back to Pittsburgh for a short week to prepare for WVU.

Travel will make you weary and so will three games in 16 days.

Conversely, WVU has an away-home-away slate, the latter a mop up game against Louisville in Kentucky, before hitting I-79 to play in the Brawl.

WVU will pick up some steam and national recognition with prior back to back wins over UConn and Cincinnati before traveling to the Ville’.

Advantage: WVU

When it’s all said and done:

With a split advantage in this writer’s opinion over the non-conference and conference schedules and how the same will effect getting to Glendale, these teams obviously need one another to get to Glendale.

Be that as it may, for either of these teams to have a chance to get to Glendale, there is a host of other factors outside of their schedule that will control their fate. This we all understand. But within the box of this little “what if” piece, both of these teams need to be undefeated going into the Brawl and obviously win the next game for either to get to Glendale.

WVU’s lack of strength with their out of conference games will be harmful if they only beat a 9-1 or 8-2 Pitt team. Beating an undefeated Panthers squad, with quality wins over Utah and Miami, will bode well for the Mountaineers

Likewise, Pitt would have to keep their momentum, and would do so knocking off another top 25 opponent in a win against an undefeated Mountaineer squad.

A 9-1 or 8-2 WVU squad is of no real help to the Panthers in a win in the Backyard Brawl. However, it will be less hurtful as in the other scenario.

 Advantage:  Pitt

The best chance for a Big East team to reach the promise land is for Pitt to run the table and go undefeated.

Pitt has the star power and will gain more recognition with every passing game those stars shine and win.

Their strength of schedule, due to their out of conference play, will further help the recognition and also in the BCS rankings at the end of the season.

But even with those factors, would the Big East still need a little more of what Rodney could not get, which is a little more respect to punch the ticket to Glendale.

As we know, time will tell.

A lot needs to occur between now and then.

However, Pitt appears to be the Big East’s best chance this year to return the conference to the National Championship game.