Big East Football: Power Ranking the Conference
After only three weeks of conference play, the Big East seems to be more balanced than ever. Cincinnati is the only team remaining in the conference that does not have a conference loss and South Florida is the only team without a conference win. Road teams are 2-8, which means stealing a few on the road may be the difference from first place to middle of the pack. Here are the rankings for the eight teams in the Big East.
1. Cincinnati (6-1, 2-0): Cincinnati climbs to the top of the rankings for the first time this season after a dramatic 37-34 win at South Florida. Quarterback Zach Collaros ran in a two-yard touchdown with 12 seconds remaining to put the Bearcats ahead for good. The Bearcats have a bye this week before traveling to Pittsburgh on November 5. The Cincinnati offense continues to impress, averaging 41 points a game and the rush defense is one of the best in the country.
2. West Virginia (5-2, 1-1): Even though West Virginia was manhandled on the road against Syracuse on Friday night, they are still as talented as anybody in the conference and one of the favorites to win the conference. The Mountaineers defense gave up seven points in the first quarter and 14 in each of the remaining three on their way to a 49-23 loss. West Virginia ranks in the top five in the country in passing yards, led by quarterback Geno Smith.
3. Rutgers (5-2, 2-1): Rutgers lost a close, hard-fought game on the road 16-14 against an improving Louisville team. The loss was the first after four straight wins for the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers has one of the top ten defenses in the country, allowing only 16 points per game. Star receiver Mohamed Sanu already has 65 receptions, 683 yards and six touchdowns. Rutgers hosts West Virginia in the biggest game of the weekend slate for the Big East.
4. Syracuse (5-2, 1-1): Syracuse dominated West Virginia from start to finish on Friday. They are a double-overtime loss against Rutgers, from being two spots higher on the list. The Orange are not too impressive on either side of the ball, but are well-coached and consistently find ways to win. They have already played three overtime games this season and are heading into the easier part of their conference schedule in the coming weeks.
5. Louisville (3-4, 1-1): The Louisville defense is slowly developing into not only the best in the conference, but one of the best in the country. They shut down Rutgers Friday, winning 16-14 and are 14th in the country giving up just over 17 points per game. The offense is the problem and if true freshman quarterback Teddy Bridgewater can get it going, they will be a force the rest of this season and in the years to come. They rank 114 out of 120 in points scored.
6. Pittsburgh (3-4, 1-1): The Panthers had a bye last week in preparation for a Wednesday game against Connecticut. They have seemingly blown more close games than any team in the country. Running back Ray Graham has already rushed for 939 yards and nine touchdowns. The passing attack is virtually non-existent. They are in the middle of a three-game home stretch and need to pick up a win against Connecticut to keep bowl hopes alive.
7. Connecticut: (3-4, 1-1): Connecticut had a bye, just like Pittsburgh last week and looks to follow up a 16-10 win over South Florida with a big road win at Pittsburgh. The Huskies have struggled mightily this season scoring the ball and are in a bit of a transition year after the departure of Randy Edsall. A win over Pittsburgh would go a long way toward giving the Huskies a chance to reach a bowl game.
8. South Florida (4-3, 0-3): The Bulls were so impressive early in the season that many thought they had a chance to win the conference. Now they are in last place by 1 1/2 games. South Florida has had trouble beating decent teams with the exception of a season opening win at Notre Dame. Quarterback B.J. Daniels is having a solid year with 15 total touchdowns. The Bulls have a bye week before taking on Rutgers on November 5.
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