Big East
While the Big East focus the past few weeks has been, rightfully, on South Florida and Cincinnati, who will square off next week, the conference has other schools lurking in the shadows. Two such programs, Pittsburgh and Connecticut, meet Saturday afternoon at Heinz Field. The Panthers have compiled a 4-1 record while showcasing a new star in frosh RB Dion Lewis. Lewis is 5th in FBS rushing with 580y and has 7 rushing TDs with 1 receiving. The 3-1 Huskies counter with some youth of their own as soph QB Cody Endres starts at QB with Zach Frazer still not 100%, soph RB Jordan Todman leads the team in rushing with 396y and frosh WR Isiah Moore is the top receiver with 11 catches for 145y. Endres played well in the road upset of Baylor and will need to exploit the Panthers suspect pass D.
ACC
Ahh, the ACC. Fans of baseball wildcard races much really love a conference loaded with multi-loss teams knocking each other off on a weekly basis. Reader Jim J. points out that only three teams are left unbeaten in conference play: Virginia Tech (no surprise), Maryland (Huh?) and Virginia (Huh?). The Terps should bite the dust this weekend on the road against Wake Forest, but who can be sure with this collection of misfit teams? Virginia Tech hosts Boston College in an interesting match-up. The Hokies have won fairly easily against their former Big East foes in the past two conference championships, but have dropped three straight regular season games. That should change here, but the Eagles will stick around because they play sound D and have received good leadership from Dave Shinskie, their 25-year-old frosh QB. Shinskie is 2-0 as a starter and has thrown five TD passes total in wins over Wake Forest and Florida State.
SEC
Well the SEC now acknowledges that the celebration penalty called against Georgia near the end of their loss to LSU should not have happened. Will the conference now apologize for somehow bothering Georgia’s kick coverage on the ensuing kickoff, brought back by RB Trindon Holliday for 40y? Will the conference please apologize for not allowing the Bulldogs D to tackle RB Charles Scott on the winning 33y TD run two plays later? And why did the conference make Georgia QB Joe Cox throw that pick to LB Perry Riley to end the game moments later? They have a lot of explaining to do.
With that win the SEC West won round one in their battle with the East with a 4-0 record. Of course East standard bearer Florida took the weekend off. The Gators are back in the fray this Saturday with much more than division pride on the line against an LSU team that continues to win in less than pretty fashion. For the Tigers to pull off the upset they will need to protect QB Jordan Jefferson better, after allowing six sacks against Georgia, and will need to get to the Florida QB, whether it be Tim Tebow or back-up John Brantley. Remember, the Gators have lost to at least one SEC West opponent every year since 1999.
While the Big East focus the past few weeks has been, rightfully, on South Florida and Cincinnati, who will square off next week, the conference has other schools lurking in the shadows. Two such programs, Pittsburgh and Connecticut, meet Saturday afternoon at Heinz Field. The Panthers have compiled a 4-1 record while showcasing a new star in frosh RB Dion Lewis. Lewis is 5th in FBS rushing with 580y and has 7 rushing TDs with 1 receiving. The 3-1 Huskies counter with some youth of their own as soph QB Cody Endres starts at QB with Zach Frazer still not 100%, soph RB Jordan Todman leads the team in rushing with 396y and frosh WR Isiah Moore is the top receiver with 11 catches for 145y. Endres played well in the road upset of Baylor and will need to exploit the Panthers suspect pass D.
ACC
Ahh, the ACC. Fans of baseball wildcard races much really love a conference loaded with multi-loss teams knocking each other off on a weekly basis. Reader Jim J. points out that only three teams are left unbeaten in conference play: Virginia Tech (no surprise), Maryland (Huh?) and Virginia (Huh?). The Terps should bite the dust this weekend on the road against Wake Forest, but who can be sure with this collection of misfit teams? Virginia Tech hosts Boston College in an interesting match-up. The Hokies have won fairly easily against their former Big East foes in the past two conference championships, but have dropped three straight regular season games. That should change here, but the Eagles will stick around because they play sound D and have received good leadership from Dave Shinskie, their 25-year-old frosh QB. Shinskie is 2-0 as a starter and has thrown five TD passes total in wins over Wake Forest and Florida State.
SEC
Well the SEC now acknowledges that the celebration penalty called against Georgia near the end of their loss to LSU should not have happened. Will the conference now apologize for somehow bothering Georgia’s kick coverage on the ensuing kickoff, brought back by RB Trindon Holliday for 40y? Will the conference please apologize for not allowing the Bulldogs D to tackle RB Charles Scott on the winning 33y TD run two plays later? And why did the conference make Georgia QB Joe Cox throw that pick to LB Perry Riley to end the game moments later? They have a lot of explaining to do.
With that win the SEC West won round one in their battle with the East with a 4-0 record. Of course East standard bearer Florida took the weekend off. The Gators are back in the fray this Saturday with much more than division pride on the line against an LSU team that continues to win in less than pretty fashion. For the Tigers to pull off the upset they will need to protect QB Jordan Jefferson better, after allowing six sacks against Georgia, and will need to get to the Florida QB, whether it be Tim Tebow or back-up John Brantley. Remember, the Gators have lost to at least one SEC West opponent every year since 1999.
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