No Way to Spin Just How Bad Big East Football Is In 2010

The first weekend of college football action in 2010 gave us all the information we needed about the woeful state of Big East football. Pitt, UConn, Cincinnati, and Louisville all lost on opening weekend.

The discussion in the Big East right now is how to break a 5-2 logjam at the top -- not how to put the conference champ in the national title game.

Big East Presidents Should All Kick Wannstedt's Butt

Wannstedt is the coach who couldn't get it done - in Chicago, in Miami, and in Pittsburgh. Could all the poll voters have been wrong again about Wannstedt's team?

Blaming the hype and high expectations -- two Heisman hopefuls?? -- is one way the man with the big mouth covers his big butt.

The Big East needed Wannstedt to produce this year. On his shoulders the Big East crashes.

Top MWC TCU #5 In BCS; Top Big East WVU Ranked #50

Kenneth Massey uses BCS methodology to rank all 120 teams in the FBS.Here are the top four teams in the six AQ conferences and the MWC:

SEC:  1 (Auburn), 4 (LSU), 10 (Alabama), and 12 (Arkansas). Avg: 6.75.

Big 12:  6 (Oklahoma State), 8 (Nebraska), 9 (Missouri), and 14 (Oklahoma). Avg: 9.25.

Big Ten: 11 (Wisconsin), 13 (Michigan State), 17 (Ohio State), and 22 (Iowa). Avg: 15.75.

PAC-10: 3 (Stanford), 16 (USC), 18 (Arizona), and 32 (UCLA). Avg: 17.25

ACC:  26 (Virginia Tech), 30 (Florida State), 34 (Miami), and 36 (North Carolina). Avg: 31.5.

Big East: 50 (West Virginia), 63 (Syracuse), 64 (Pitt), and 69 (South Florida). Avg: 61.5

MWC: 5 (TCU), 27 (Utah), 42 (Air Force), 43 (San Diego State). Avg: 29.25. 

Stewart Gives West Virginia Enhanced Mediocrity

Bill Stewart and Dave Wannstedt should form the Old Nice Guys club for has-been coaches who never meet expectations. Come on, Mountaineer fans, don't tell me you don't miss the magic of Rich Rod just a little bit.

Sure, the Mounties could win the Backyard Brawl and sweep Louisville and Rutgers. They would finish 9-3 and save the Big East from sending a four-loss team to the Fiesta Bowl.

That would be a nice season but one without the buzz of the 2006 Sugar Bowl Champs and the 2008 Fiesta Bowl winners.

New Syracuse Football Will Dominate Big East Like Orange Teams Used To Do

Congratulations to Doug Marrone for managing the difficult rebuilding task at Syracuse. Running a lean, disciplined program the Orange shocked WVU in Morgantown when the Mounties were still a ranked team.  At 4-2 in the league, the Orange can position themselves for a tie at the top by beating UConn Saturday and hoping Pitt loses again.

With a BCS rank of 63, Syracuse is one spot ahead of Pitt and 13 behind West Virginia. How's that for bragging rights: The Big East is sending the nation's 50th or 63rd best team to the Fiesta Bowl?

UConn Proves Its 5-4 Is Better Than Pitt's 5-4

The Big East race in 2010 gives new meaning to "The Best of the Worst." UConn just beat the preseason favorite, Pitt, and sits at 2-2 in the league with three games to go.

This week's game with Syracuse and Pitt's vs. South Florida will help determine who's in second place.

The Huskies have been anything but ferocious this season. The Huskies rank 103 in total offense and 56 in total defense behind Big East members Pitt (12), Louisville (15), Rutgers (25), USF (29), and Cincinnati (53).

South Florida Reversing Leavitt's Late Season Chokes

The Bulls are ranked 69 in the BCS standings, the median ranking for Big East football teams.  Heading into Saturday's game with Pitt, South Florida is on a 3-game winning streak by a total of 12 points. 

Wins over Pitt and Miami would make Bulls attractive to the Champs Sports Bowl and relieve them of the onus of having to play their bowl game a few miles up the road in St. Petersburg.

Under Leavitt, the Bulls went 3-3 in the final six games on 2009 and 2-4 in the final six of 2008. A win over Pitt Saturday could send the Skip Holtz's team on a roll to to finish 6-0 in 2010.

Louisville, Cincinnati, and Rutgers Plummet To MAC, FCS Status

Just above Louisville in the projected BCS rankings for all 120 FBS teams are Utah State, Miami, Montana State, Jacksonville State, and Ohio.

Cincinnati ranks 94 just below Houston and just above Army. They will probably finish the year at 5-7.

Big East critics can't even remember Cincinnati's national title run of a year ago. That's what happens when you play in a marginal BCS conference, get blown out in your BCS bowl, then fall apart the season after.

At least the Louisville Cardinals, at 5-5 with a good chance to finish 6-6 with games remaining against West Virginia ad Rutgers, can claim they are rebuilding.

Rutgers' Fall Is Inexplicable; Like Pitt, Scarlet Knights Damage Big East's Rep

Sure, Greg Schiano has had a lot to deal with this season. The untimely tragedy of Eric LeGrand will resonate for years to come.

But how can a program once thought so promising have fallen so low?

Is Ray Rice the only really good running back Rutgers will ever have?

In total offense, Rutgers ranks 119 out of 120 teams with 2,615 total yards. The only offense worse than Rutgers in all of FBS is Akron's. Rutgers ranks 105 in passing and 111 in Rushing.

Is Schiano still the toast of Piscataway?