Big East Set to Take Center Stage on Thursday Night
Big East conference play will kick off Thursday night in front of a national television audience on ESPN when South Florida takes on Pittsburgh.
No. 16 South Florida is the highest ranked team in the Big East and along with West Virginia, is the favorite to represent the conference in a BCS bowl game.
The Bulls enter 4-0 and are the only undefeated team remaining in the conference. They started off the season with a big road win against Notre Dame 23-20 and have continued their dominance against cupcakes Ball St, Florida A&M and UTEP.
South Florida comes in averaging 45.5 points per game, good for 10th in the country. Quarterback B.J. Daniels, who always had the talent, but was turnover prone has come on strong this season. He has passed 1,024 yards and eight touchdowns with only one interception. Daniels is also a threat with his feet with 215 yards rushing and two touchdowns.
Pittsburgh started the season strong, winning their first two games against Buffalo and Maine. They appeared poised to win their third game of the season, but collapsed on the road against Iowa, falling 31-27 after giving up three fourth quarter touchdowns. The Panthers fell last week to Notre Dame 15-12 and had their chances in that one as well.
Running back Ray Graham has rushed for over 500 yards on the season and is the key to victory for Pittsburgh. He will have to take some of the pressure off quarterback Tino Sunseri for the Panthers to be successful.
If Pittsburgh wants to contend in the Big East, this is a winnable home game that could give them the momentum they need to prove they are for real. South Florida needs to take care of business on the road and prove they are the team to beat in the conference.
Prediction: South Florida 27 Pittsburgh 21
