SB Nation - Connecticut Huskies

Four Things The Big East Conference Needs To Do Right Now

Sean Keeley — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:52:11 -0000

The Big Ten is coming for us. Maybe not us as in Syracuse but us as in the Big East. Talk all you like about Missouri and Nebraska and Boise State but at the end of the day the most obvious scenario for Big Ten expansion involves someone from the Big East jumping ship. Yes, Notre Dame makes the most sense but they're Notre Dame which means they're going to be asshats about it. That leaves us. Our teams represent the best media markets and are the most vulnerable in the finance and stability categories. If the Big East wants to nip the rampant speculation that will occur over the next 12-18 months, they should do so now with these easy steps.

Grow A F***ing Pair

The Big Ten basically admitted yesterday that they intend to inquire about the possibility of sleeping with the Big East's wife. The Big East's reaction? "I don't want to talk about it." You don't want to talk about. Well guess what, neither did Tiger Woods. How's he doing? Meanwhile everyone and their mother has written a post about possible Big Ten expansion scenarios and 99% of them involve your teams.

What happened last time the Big East tried to play it cool at first? The ACC nearly destroyed the entire conference. Seven years later and we're finally getting back on track. But even so, we're still in an extremely vulnerable position, especially when another BCS conference is throwing goo-goo eyes and promised riches at one of our schools.

Commissioner Marinatto, you need to be less Bud Selig and more Roger Goodell right now. I don't care what you do...issue a statement, hold a press conference, put Greg Schiano in a headlock until he agrees to stay in the conference...whatever it is, do SOMETHING.

Begin The Process Of Calling Up Villanova

Seriously, I don't know how many times I need to say this. And I don't care if Villanova doesn't want to become 1-A. They need to be convinced that they should become 1-A, you see what I mean? We've got guys in Providence who can smack some sense into those Philadelphia knuckleheads, right?

I've ranted on the need to bring in Villanova to the Big East before but to reiterate, it literally solves every major issue we have. It adds a ninth team to the conference, rounds out the conference schedule so it's even, maintains the integrity of the conference by adding a school that is already a member and it gives the Big East back the Philadelphia market. The Cats can split time with Temple in Lincoln Financial Stadium for the time being.

Worried about their ability to compete? Don't. Look how quickly UConn and South Florida got it together. And the timing couldn't be more perfect for the Wildcats, they're in the 1-AA finals.

This needs to happen.

Stop Thinking Like A Basketball Conference

I know. The Big East was founded on basketball. Congratulation, you win a medal. Actually, no, you don't win a medal. You win nothing. All you get to do is allow DePaul, Seton Hall and St. John's to continue to pretend that they're still viable, long-term major conference programs and not overblown Atlantic-10 teams. Huzzah and kudos.

The Big East has been run by Providence guys for a long time and that's shaped a lot of how it's been run. Basketball first. But guess what, if the conference gets raided and Syracuse or Pitt leaves, they're not going to stick around for basketball. They're gone for good. A flagship basketball program will up and vanish like a fart in the wind.

Marinatto, I know you're not willing to make the truly tough decisions. The truly tough decisions would be to excise a lot of the regional school fat that's weighing the basketball conference down. So if you can't do that, at least reorganize the basketball side in order to accommodate football a little better. Whatever that means to you...be it splitting the basketball-only schools off from the "all-purpose partners" or just shifting the way we go about business. Just don't hide behind the excuse of "we're a basketball conference," because you won't have any good basketball programs left pretty soon.

Come Up With A Ten-Year Plan

Eventually, the Big East needs to consist of 12 teams. It just does. If we can't beat the SEC or Big Ten or Big 12 with quality, we need to at the very least match them with quantity. Especially now that the MWC is gaining steam and is likely to expand or do whatever it can to get a stronger BCS foothold, the Big East can't be the weakest AND the smallest BCS conference. We can one or the other, but not both.

I said it yesterday but college conferences are like sharks, they move forward or they die. If Big East football remains stagnant for the next 3-4 years and makes no plans to expand, it will cease to exist shortly-thereafter. It will get raided by the Big Ten or someone else.

Explore your options. Identify your targets. Let's cannibalize Conference USA now in order to prevent our own cannibalization. East Carolina? Central Florida? Memphis? Navy? Army? I don't care but make something happen. At this point its about saving your skin.

Ranking The 2009-2010 Bowls: Part 1

Mark Kieffer — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 21:10:59 -0000

Everyone and their grandma has been ranking the bowls......Except for me. So I figured that I should jump in on all the fun, and talk about the 2nd season of College Football: "Bowl Season".

Now, I am in the camp of those who think there are just way too many bowl games. I'm not going to lie. It takes quite a bit to get me hyped up for a bowl game. To be honest, almost every year I set out to try and watch every bowl game, and every year I end up watching a handful of bowls, but mostly college basketball.

This year, I'm not making any promises like that, especially when it's quite possible I'll be going down to Tempe for the bowl game. At the same time, I will make the effort of watching a handful of games, and I figured I would share my process of elimination with you, by doing a countdown of bowl games that I am looking forward to most.

In Part 1 of this three part series, I'm going to countdown the 14 bowls that I find the least exciting. I'd characterize this group by saying that I could watch some of these games, but I'm certainly not rearranging my life to watch them. I can safely say that if I somehow did not watch a single game from this group, I wouldn't be too disappointed.

#34: New Orleans Bowl (Southern Miss vs. Middle Tennessee State), 12/20/2009, 7:30pm CST, ESPN

I have absolutley no reason to get excited about this game at all. I thought Southern Miss would be a better team than they were, but they ended up being just another 7-5 midmajor. If you're hardcore, on paper these teams look pretty even in regards to scoring. It could be a close game. Accuscore has Southern Miss as a 54% favorite. Whatifsports.com has Southern Miss, just edging the victory as well. Fortunatley for me, the Vikings play the Panthers on that Sunday night, so I will be watching that as well.

#33: New Mexico Bowl (Fresno State vs. Wyoming), 12/19/2009, 3:30pm CST, ESPN

There have been years in the past, when I've flicked on the game, because it's the 1st one in the season, and it's been a bit of a novelty. Usually, I can't watch past the 1st quarter. This year, I will probably try and attempt the same thing, but will end up doing something else. Not a knock on Fresno State which is a decent team, but moreso on Wyoming. On paper, this has the makings of a blowout. With Fresno State, you have one of the best offenses in the nation, averaging 436 yards/game and about 34 points scored. With Wyoming, you have one of the worst offenses, averaging 298 yards/game, and about 17 points scored.

#32: Little Caesar's Bowl (Marshall vs. Ohio), 12/26/2009, Noon CST, ESPN

What ranks this game here as opposed to last, is probably the fact that Marshall has a new head coach from the regular season now. Since there is a "craziness" possibility to this game, I may watch the first few series.

#31: Hawaii Bowl (Nevada vs. SMU), 12/24/2009, 7pm CST, ESPN

The biggest thing this game has going for it, is that there is no College Basketball at all that night, no other College Football that night, and no NBA either. There is a Chargers vs. Titans game on the NFL Network, but that's it as far as sports go. People wanting their sports fix might be tuning into this one. Or maybe they will do something with their families on Christmas Eve (for those that celebrate it).

#30: GMAC Bowl (Central Michigan vs. Troy), 1/6/2010, 6pm CST, ESPN

This actually is a decent matchup among mid-majors. It really is. The biggest problem with this bowl is that it's sandwiched right between the Orange Bowl and the BCS Championship Game. I might watch some of it, as I wait for the Iowa State vs. Duke game, but that's about it.

#29: St. Petersburg Bowl (UCF vs. Rutgers), 12/19/2009, 7pm CST, ESPN

I know Rutgers is 8-4, but they went 3-4 in the Big East. Also, this is practically a homegame for UCF. Just not a lot about this game to sell me on.

#28: EagleBank Bowl (UCLA vs. Temple), 12/29/2009, 3:30pm CST, ESPN

Can't say much about this one, other than I'm probably not going to watch it.

#27: International Bowl (South Florida vs. Northern Illinois), 1/2/2010, 11am CST, ESPN2

I don't think I've ever watched the International Bowl and this matchup isn't really changing the chances of that happening for me.

#26: Armed Forces Bowl (Houston vs. Air Force), 12/31/2009, 11am CST, ESPN

The thick of the CUSA schedule exposed Houston as a paper tiger, it could be a close game. It is an interesting matchup in Houston has the best pass offense in the nation, while Air Force has the best pass defense in the nation. There's not enough there for me to take an interest, especially if I'm in Tempe getting ready for the Insight Bowl.

#25: Alamo Bowl (Michigan State vs. Texas Tech), 1/2/2010, 8pm CST, ESPN

Michigan State is a disappointment this year. I think many thought they had an outside shot to compete for the Big 10, and instead they finish 6-6. To add insult to injury, they also suspended 8 guys and kicked 2 off the team for some off the field drama. There's no reason why Texas Tech shouldn't roll this team by 21.

#24: Meineke Car Care Bowl (Pitt vs. UNC), 12/26/2009, 3:30pm CST, ESPN

On paper, Pitt should roll UNC. I just wonder how they will play coming off that disappointing loss to Cincy. It seems like when a team gets snubbed or loses a tough championship game like that, they don't come in ready to play.

UNC is just manic with their play. Some weeks they look great and beat Virginia Tech, while others they are losing to NC-State. Overall, I see the makings of a potentially sloppy game

#23: Humanitarian Bowl (Bowling Green vs. Idaho), 12/30/2009, 3:30pm CST, ESPN

Watch the weather forecast for this one. If it's a clear, calm day, it's going to be a shootout with my man Freddie Barnes tearing it up, and I'm going to want to watch it! If it's blizzard conditions, or just a day condusive to running the ball a lot, this bowl belongs in the #34-30 range.

#22: Music City Bowl (Kentucky vs. Clemson), 12/27/2009, 7:30pm CST, ESPN

C.J. Spiller is the reason to watch this game. If you haven't seen him play before this would be a good spot to see him as I have a feeling he'll have a big game in this one. Kentucky has a bad rush defense. That said, I see this as a Clemson romp, so I'm not exactly expecting a good game from this one.

#21: Papajohns.com Bowl (South Carolina vs. UConn), 1/2/2010, 1pm CST, ESPN

South Carolina really perplexes me. Spurrier is supposed to be this offensive genius, but South Carolina seems to have had sucky offenses since he took over. I'm rooting for UConn in this one. With everything they've gone through this season, how nice would it be to see the Huskies get a bowl victory?

In Part 2 of this series, I will count down the next tier of bowl games in terms of what I'm looking forward to. Look for that on Tuesday. In the meantime, feel free to join in on the conversation.

3rd Annual Rock M Nation Bowl Pick 'Em Contest

The Beef — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 04:00:18 -0000

UPDATE: BUMPED BACK TO THE TOP OF THE PAGE.

That's right loyal readers...the Bowl Pick 'Em Contest is back for its third season.

It is simple to participate. Simply reply to this thread with your picks. You will need to pick both against the spread, as well as the over/under, so you will have two picks per game. The spreads are LOCKED, so a movement in the line will not be taken into account. The spreads are courtesy of bookmaker.com because...well...that's the one I could find (and unless otherwise noted) They also represent where the lines were when they opened, which was a week ago (had to wait for Army/Navy to be played to determine Eagle Bowl and Texas Bowl line)

Our winner from last year is FSUncensored, who went 39-27 to win by three games over The Cool Alonzo and myself. All time, MU 1839 (our first winner) holds the best two-year record at 18 games over .500 (74-56). Of the "couples" category, The Beef and Tailgate Queen came out 3 game ahead of Bill C and Bill C's wife last year, tying their annual battle at 1-1. Overall, the contest generated a won-loss record of 1066-1244 for a not so good percentage of .461. Over the two years, we currently sit at 1711-1879 for a winning percentage of .477. Yes...I've kept track.

Picks are due by noon on Saturday, December 19th (since the first games are later that evening). Picks are lined up after the jump.

As for prizes...1st prize will get you the Rock M Nation T-shirt of your choice, unless RPT (who somehow is the keeper of the purse strings around here) decides we want to pony up some additional swag.

Anyway, we had a good time with this last year with 35 participants (up from 20 the first year) and somehow I am thinking we are going to have a FEW more than that :-) Come one, come all (and that certainly includes non-Rock M regulars...anyone from SB Nation is welcome to participate)...make me work hard at this. If you were here last season and have changed names, just let me know and I will do my best to give you your two or three-season score when all is said and done as well.

New Mexico

Fresno State -10 1/2 vs. Wyoming

Over/Under - 55 1/2

St. Petersburg

Rutgers -2 vs. UCF

Over/Under - 44 1/2

New Orleans

Sothern Miss -3 1/2 vs. Mid Tenn St.

Over/Under - 59

Las Vegas

Oregon State - 1 1/2 vs. BYU

Over/Under - 60 1/2

Poinsetta

Cal -3 vs. Utah

Over/Under - 53 1/2

Hawaii

Nevada -14 vs. SMU

Over/Under - 73 1/2

Little Caesers

Ohio -2 vs. Marshall

Over/Under - 50

Meineke

Pitt -3 vs. UNC

Over/Under - 44 1/2

Emerald

USC -9 vs. BC

Over/Under - 45 1/2

Music City

Clemson -7 vs. Kentucky

Over/Under - 52 1/2

Independence

Georgia -7 vs. Texas A&M

Over/Under - 64

Eagle Bank (LSVC odds)

UCLA -4 vs. Temple

Over/Under - 46 1/2

Champs Sports

Miami (FL) -3 vs. Wisconsin

Over/Under - 56

Humanitarian

Bowling Green PK vs. Idaho

Over/Under - 68 1/2

Holiday

Arizona -1 vs. Nebraska

Over/Under - 41

Armed Forces

Houston -5 vs. Air Force

Over/Under - 61

Sun

Oklahoma -9 1/2 vs. Stanford

Over/Under - 56 1/2

Texas (LVSC odds)

Mizzou -6 vs. Navy

Over/Under - 54

Insight

Minnesota -3 vs. Iowa State

Over/Under - 48

Chick-Fil-A

Va Tech -4 1/2 vs. Tenn

Over/Under - 50 1/2

Outback

Auburn -8 vs. Northwestern

Over/Under - 54 1/2

Gator

West Virginia -2 1/2 vs. Florida St.

Over/Under - 60 1/2

Capital One

Penn State -3 vs. LSU

Over/Under - 44

Rose

Oregon -3 1/2 vs. Ohio State

Over/Under - 51 1/2

Sugar

Florida -10 vs. Cincy

Over/Under - 55 1/2

International

South Fla. -6 1/2 vs. No. Illinois

Over/Under - 50

PapaJohns

South Carolina -4 1/2 vs. UCONN

Over/Under - 53

Cotton

Ole Miss -3 vs. Okie State

Over/Under -  50 1/2

Liberty

Arkansas -7 1/2 vs. East Carolina

Over/Under - 63 1/2

Alamo

Texas Tech -7 vs. Michigan St.

Over/Under - 60 1/2

Fiesta

TCU -7 vs. Boise St

Over/Under - 54

Orange

Ga Tech -4 vs. Iowa

Over/Under - 51

GMAC

Central Mich -4 vs. Troy

Over/Under - 64

BCS Champ

Alabama -5 1/2 vs. Texas

Over/Under - 45

Good Riddance

ibleedscarlet — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 23:35:15 -0000

More photos » by Tom Uhlman - AP

Browse more photos »

As the rumors continue to swirl, and the sources start to come forward, it appears that Brian Kelly is going to be the next Notre Dame head coach. Rutgers went down this road with Greg Schiano a few years ago, and the constant "will-he or won't-he" between Michigan/Miami and Rutgers was maddening. Sorry Bearcats fans, our coach stayed, but yours is all but gone.

Let me be the first to say goodbye to Kelly. Hell, if he needs help packing his suitcase, or needs a ride to the airport, no sweat off my back. Cincinnati's loss is Rutgers gain.

First off, Cincinnati is a good team that Kelly has somehow made great. With 1 returning starter from last year's defense, BK has pulled off a magic act in guiding the Bearcats to an undefeated season. He's lost quaterbacks and running backs over the last two seasons, but no matter who he throws in to replace them, they succeed.

Second, and more importantly for Rutgers fans is that Kelly simply owns Greg Schiano and the Scarlet Knights. If you need any more evidence than the 1st game of this season on Labor Day when Kelly out-smarted and out-classed Schiano in all phases of the game, then you're crazy. But I'll give you more: Kelly is 3-0 against the Scarlet Knights, knocking them from the Top 10 in 2007, and costing them a chance at the Big East title with a tight victory last year. Kelly and the UC program have a hex over Rutgers ever since that 44-9 drubbing that Rutgers laid on UC in 2005.

Now with Kelly and Tony Pike gone, there is a clear path to the top of the Big East for Rutgers. West Virginia will be a mid-pack team next year, and UC will drop from the perch atop the division. Pitt and UConn will be a tough test as well. But the door is open for Rutgers. Let's stop and thank Brian Kelly for that.

UPDATE: As expected, Brian Kelly has officially been named head coach at Notre Dame.

Poll

If Brian Kelly becomes the Notre Dame head coach, will the Irish head to a BCS bowl next season?

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Monday (12/07/09) Edition

WVUIE97 — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:55:26 -0000

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's best place for sports links, information and entertainment. Today we're being brought to you by Howling Monkey. Thanks to Mike for the suggestion.

Yes, I made it out of Jersey alive. It was cold and wet, but the win took the sting out of any discomfort. The Bacon Explosion was a success (although we didn't use the rub or BBQ sauce, just the meat) and I highly recommend trying it at least once. In all honesty though, the Rutgers people we tailgated in and around couldn't have been any nicer. I was, however, embarrassed by some of our fans at the game. Wow! That's all I'll say. Please, take at least a moment to remember those lost at Pearl Harbor on this day, 68 years ago. Keep the tips, suggestions and requests coming and I'll see you after the jump...

To Birmingham! - TheUConnBlog.com
It's relevant, but I really just wanted to link to the picture on the post.

Hideous - Card Chronicle

Jurich and Charlie Strong discuss Louisvile football coach position; no offer made - Courier-Journal

Pitt to face North Carolina in Meineke Car Care Bowl - PPG

Syracuse shooters continue to strike from long distance - syracuse.com

No. 3 Villanova makes 16 3s, tops Maryland 95-86 - SI.com

Rich Rodriguez's Hurricane Katrina Comparison: Likens Team Struggles To Devastating Storm - Huffington Post
WTF!?!?! Thanks to penguindc.

Videos of Interest:

Thanks to WVIllustrated.com.

Football Gallery of the Week:

Here's a showdown gallery of all the cheerleading squads from teams in the BCS bowls and polls for picking the winners of the cheerleader battles.

via coedmagazine.files.wordpress.com

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is a sexy Floridian. Here's Heather Shanholtz.

via www.bustedcoverage.com

Howling Monkey image via popsop.ru

South Carolina to Take on UConn in the Papa John's Bowl

Gamecock Man — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 01:50:50 -0000

The bill is finally set: the Gamecocks will take on the Connecticut Huskies in the Papa John's Bowl at 2:00 on January 2.

Here are some quick facts about the Huskies:

UConn is 7-5 and riding a three-game winning streak into the bowl game.
All five of the Huskies' losses came by four or less points. Those were against UNC, Pitt, WVU, Rutgers, and Cincinnati. In other words, one of the ACC's better teams and the all-stars of the Big East.
The Huskies came into the year expecting to win games with their defense. Surprisingly, though, that hasn't happened. The team is 72nd in the country in total defense and 47th in offense, reversing expectations. They're 23rd in scoring offense. The defensive weakness is against the pass.
The Huskies like to run the ball. They have two solid backs in Jordan Todman (1152 yards) and Andre Dixon.(967).
Watch out! UConn is tenth in the nation in kickoff returns; they average 27 ypr as a team with Todman the main guy at 25.5 ypr.
As you've probably heard, the Huskies have dedicated their season to slain corner Jasper Howard, who was murdered during the middle of the season in a campus stabbing.

That's all for right now. We'll have more coverage here at Garnet and Black Attack in the coming weeks. For now, check out more coverage at The State and Leftover Hot Dog. I'll end by saying I'm a little disappointed we didn't get Pitt, but I'll take the challenge UConn brings and hope we can end the season on a positive note.

Thoughts on the Bowl Situation

Gamecock Man — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 05:27:53 -0000

With Pitt losing and UConn winning today, it now appears that we'll be facing one of these two teams in the Papa John's Bowl. The question now is which one. After taking a closer look at the selections, I personally believe we're going to take on UConn. For the Big East, the selections up to the Papa John's are as follows:

BCS-Champion

Gator: Second

Meineke Car Care: Third

Papa John's: Fourth

Here's how I see this panning out.

BCS-Cincinatti

Gator: West Virginia (not the second-best team in the conference, but the the Gator Bowl wants to pit Bobby Bowden against his old team for his swan song)

Meineke Car Care: Pitt

Papa John's: UConn

Now, there is some question as to whether or not the Meineke Car Care Bowl might take Rutgers instead of Pitt. I'm not really sure why, given that Pitt is a clearly superior team with a dedicated fan base. However, that's what's being said, and if it happens (I believe this is an unlikely scenario), Pitt will fall to Birmingham. If it doesn't, though, Papa John's will likely take UConn instead of Rutgers because it took Rutgers last year.

As far as who I'd prefer to play goes, I guess I would have to say Pitt. I would like some sort challenge and the profile boost that would go along with beating a quality opponent, and Pitt provides those opportunities. UConn, while a feel-good story and certainly a tough, well-coached team, just probably aren't on our level in terms of talent. An easy win over UConn would give us our eight wins and a morale boost, but I don't think it would mean much more than that.

On the other hand, after watching parts of the Pitt-Cinci game today, I certainly think Pitt would be a tough out for us. Their physical offensive line and tough, stealthy back Dion Lewis would give our interior defense a tough game. On the other hand, though, I was not overly impressed with the Panthers' defense. Although it played well early, it wilted down the stretch. Cinci was able to beat Pitt in numerous ways: the Bearcats ran the ball, hit receivers underneath, got big plays verctically, etc. If our offense were to play at the level it did against Clemson and the first three quarters against the Gators, I think we could score lots of points on the Panthers. The game would be tougher than UConn, but I'm fairly confident that we could take the victory.

Come back tomorrow to discusss our draw when we learn more.

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Thursday (12/3/09) Edition

WVUIE97 — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:12:04 -0000

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's best place for sports links, information and entertainment. Today we're being brought to you by Ursus, in honor of today's Miss Throwdown. Even when I'm not trying, the red & gold label pops up.

This is eerie. There's plenty of news and such about this game, but it just feels quiet and that gives me an uneasy feeling (hopefully it's just this head cold I'm fighting). I'm heading up to NJ tomorrow. Anybody else going to the game? The tipline is open, as always. Let's get going...

What You May Have Missed:

Gold and Blue Report for Thursday - WVMETRONEWS.COM

Preview: WVU - Rutgers - BlueGoldNews.com

Game Preview: Rutgers - WVIllustrated.com

Lots of uncertainty in Big East bowl picture - ESPN

Big East picks, Week 14 - ESPN

Obituary: Serafino Dante 'Foge' Fazio / Head football coach at Pitt for 4 years in '80s - PPG
RIP Foge

News of Note (FB):

West Virginia's Jarrett Brown laughs at idea Rutgers sees him as a villain - Star Ledger

Life unchanged for WVU's Bitancurt - Charleston Daily Mail

Bitancurt earns place in WVU football history - Times West Virginian
Hertzel Column

Trying to make sense out of WVU bowl picture - Charleston Gazette

'06 Rutgers game gave hint of Brown's future - Charleston Gazette

Jarrett Brown will face the team he got his first start against Saturday - WVIllustrated.com

Revamped Rutgers is gunning for WVU - Charleston Daily Mail

Final Plunge - WVMETRONEWS.COM

Clarke making impact on offense - Times West Virginian

Savage has already earned Mountaineers' respect - Register-Herald

WVU’s defense intact - Parkersburg News and Sentinel

WVU hoping to end its woes on the road - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

WVU seeking second win away from home Saturday at Rutgers - Inter-Mountain

News of Note (BB):

Men's Basketball: BIG EAST Games Now On Sale - MSNsportsNET.Com

Jay Takes Your Questions - MSNsportsNET.Com

West Virginia Shuts Down Radford - MSNsportsNET.Com
The women improve their mark to 6-1.

WVU women sloppy in win - Times West Virginian

Recruiting:

On the Recruiting Trail: Dec. 2 - EerSports

Around the League (and Beyond):

BIG EAST Slate: Week 14 - WVIllustrated.com

Rutgers fullback Jack Corcoran hopes to make most of a quiet ending to his career - Star Ledger

Expect a shootout between Pitt and Cincinnati - PPG

Brian Kelly: Pittsburgh's weather, field won't affect Bearcats - Cincinnati Enquirer

NOOOOOO!!! - With Leather
"Cincinnati's Brian Kelly to be next head coach at Notre Dame, according to report."

Mardy Gilyard overcame great odds to lead Cincinnati Bearcats - SI.com
"Two years after being homeless, Gilyard has Cincy on brink"

Sources Say Edsall Has NOT Been Contacted By Notre Dame - Hartford Courant

And Mayes Makes 22 - Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician
22 players have left the program this year...wow

Syracuse football outlook: Majority of starters will be back for 2010 season - syracuse.com

Charlie Strong may be top choice to coach Louisville football - Courier-Journal

USF's Leavitt suddenly dean of state coaches - Tampa Tribune

Nebraska can make mess of BCS - Cincinnati Enquirer
I think I can honestly say for the first time....Go Huskers!!! Make a mess out of this!!!!

Gator Bowl can select Florida State for Bobby Bowden sendoff - SI.com

What's On Tap:

Oregon State Beavers vs. Oregon Ducks Preview - ESPN
Tonight is the Civil War/War of the Roses for the Pac-10 berth in the Rose Bowl at 9 pm on ESPN. Oregon is favored by 10.5. And here's this week's betting assistance:

Video of Interest:

This video is making the rounds and I'm pretty sure for the wrong reason. Based on the old "Freeze" play we used to run at WVU when Trickett was here, my guess is this one lineman is the only one who did what he was supposed to do.

Video of (Dis)Interest:

Gift Suggestion Gallery of the Week:

Here's my Christmas wish list. If anyone wants to get me any of these, I promise not to return or re-gift.

via coedmagazine.files.wordpress.com

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is also on my Christmas wish list. Please welcome Romanian beauty, Madalina Diana Ghenea.

via babes.flabber.nl

Ursus image via www.brandsoftheworld.com

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Wednesday (12/2/09) Edition

WVUIE97 — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:33:57 -0000

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's best place for sports links, information and entertainment. Today we're being brought to you by Carling Black Label in honor of today's Miss Throwdown.

Rutgers prep is in full swing. Other than that and the women's game tonight, it's kinda quiet. Keep the tips, suggestions and requests coming. Here we go...

What You May Have Missed:

Bill Stewart talks to the media about the Rutgers game - WVIllustrated.com
Video of the weekly presser

Gold and Blue Report for Wednesday - WVMETRONEWS.COM

Stew's Views: "Finish The Fight" - BlueGoldNews.com

Coach Bill Stewart Quotes - MSNsportsNET.Com

Football: Selected Player Quotes - MSNsportsNET.Com

Big East stock report - ESPN

Hoppy's Commentary - WVMetroNews
"It hurts to see Bobby Bowden’s ungraceful exit from Florida State."

Mountaineers in the NFL - WVIllustrated.com

Week 13 Bowl Projections - FOX Sports on MSN

Updated projections on all 34 bowl matchups - Stewart Mandel - SI.com

Forde Yard Dash - ESPN

News of Note (FB):

Recalling 2007, West Virginia's Stewart passed on field goals - PPG

WVU could face Seminoles in Gator Bowl - Charleston Daily Mail

WVU-FSU Gator matchup could hit a snag - Charleston Gazette

Healthy defense giving WVU great results - Charleston Gazette

Aggressive Approach - MSNsportsNET.Com

WVU’s goal to get offense started - Times West Virginian

WVU football as big as state itself - Times West Virginian
Hertzel Column

Knights know QB Brown all too well - Register-Herald

West Virginia puts its focus on strong finish - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Sanu poses multiple problems for WVU - Inter-Mountain

Recruiting:

On the Recruiting Trail: Dec. 1 - EerSports

Michigan State Pursuing WVU Commits - EerSports

What's On Tap:

WVU women host Radford - Times West Virginian

Around the League (and Beyond):

Rutgers' offensive lineman Kevin Haslam proved the doubters wrong - Star Ledger

Bearcats' Kelly could throw fast bowl for Notre Dame - CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

Make no mistake, Pitt and Cincinnati play cleanly - ESPN

Louisville football recruiting hinges on timing of coaching hire - Courier-Journal

Just Because The Season's Over Doesn't Mean SU Players Can Keep Getting Injured - Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician

UConn duo a big concern for USF - Tampa Tribune

Pitt's 2006 recruits on the verge of claiming goal - PPG

Villanova Wildcats' Mouphtaou Yarou tests positive for hepatitis B - ESPN

UF's Dunlap suspended from SEC title game after DUI charge - Tampa Tribune
I agree with Charley: the stupidity of college athletes never ceases to amaze me.

Video of Interest:

Video of (Dis)Interest:

30 seconds of simply mesmerizing...

Vicky's Gallery of the Week:

Here's Gunaxin's rankings of all 36 models from last night's show.

via www.gunaxin.com

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is South Africa's greatest export since Charlize Theron. Staying with the Vicky's theme, please make Candice Swanepoel feel welcome.

via www.wallpapergate.com

Carling Black Label image via goes2eleven.net

Sizing Up the Gamecocks Bowl Prospects

Gamecock Man — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:33:47 -0000

Now that we've taken out the Tigers, it's time to start thinking about our bowl prospects. While the win over Clemson was nice, we're unfortunately out of the running for a New Year's Day bowl. Shreveport and Memphis are probably out, as well, as those bowls will divvy up Auburn and Arkansas due to geographical concerns. That leaves the Peach Bowl, the Music City Bowl, and the Papa John's Bowl. Let's take a look at our chances for each one.

The Peach (aka Chick-fil-A) Bowl

Sorry, Gamecocks fans: although the bowl's officials are playing nice with Carolina, the word is that the Gamecocks best possible bowl destination is likely in the market for an UGA-VA Tech matchup. I don't think this bowl is completely out of the picture for us; a lot depends on the ACCCG outcome. A GA Tech victory probably means that the Dawgs and Hokies will get the bid. However, I think it's possible that a Clemson win in the ACCCG could prompt Chick-fil-A to go with GA Tech, spurn UGA, and match us up with the Yellowjackets. That's still a bit unlikely, though. The Jackets played in Atlanta last year and would be coming off two losses, and I suspect those factors would steer Chick-fil-A away from Tech and back towards the UGA-VA Tech pairing. All in all, I think this bowl is a long shot for us. While we'd probably be a good draw, we're just not as attractive to Chick-fil-A as UGA, who is a hometown favorite and finished ahead of us in the standings.

The Music City Bowl

This is probably the bowl the Gamecocks deserve, as this one typically takes the best available lower-tier SEC East team. However, a bid here is far from certain. Although we finished ahead of the Wildcats in the standings by virtue of a head-to-head win, the MCB doesn't have to choose us over UK, and it likes the 'Cats because they traveled well two straight years in 2006 and 2007. The bowl does not appear to be averse to taking Kentucky again, neither because the 'Cats finished below us or because they have been to the MCB so frequently of late. Personally, I expect you'll see Kentucky go to Nashville, but I could be wrong. One factor going in our favor is that the organizers may jump at the chance to match us up against UNC, which would be an attractive bowl to both Gamecocks and Tar Heels fans.

The Papa John's Bowl

The Papa John's Bowl is, frankly, a lower bowl than we deserve. It's also a fairly unattractive bowl, being in an old stadium on the wrong side of the tracks in Birmingham and featuring a matchup against a lower-tier Big East team. However, there's a very good chance that this is where we'll end up if the Peach and MCB pass on us. Our likely opponent here would likely be UConn. Rutgers or South Florida are also unlikely possibilities.

Summing Up

Frankly, I think we're going to end up in Birmingham. That may not be a terribly attractive draw, but it does have a couple of things going for it. First of all, Birmingham isn't too far from Columbia, so while I expect a lot of people will stay home because of the locale, I expect others will choose to go because it will be a short, inexpensive trip. I also, believe it or not, like the idea of playing a Big East team. While beating GA or VA Tech in the Peach or UNC in the MCB would be more satisfying, I also feel like a game against UConn is probably a more likely win, and this young team could use that momentum going into the offseason.

Whatever happens--and obviously there will more to say about this over the next few weeks--I think that if we can win whichever game we draw, we can call this season a moderate success.

So, which game would you like to see us in? And which one will we get?

SB Nation - Connecticut Huskies

Four Things The Big East Conference Needs To Do Right Now

Ranking The 2009-2010 Bowls: Part 1

3rd Annual Rock M Nation Bowl Pick 'Em Contest

Good Riddance

If Brian Kelly becomes the Notre Dame head coach, will the Irish head to a BCS bowl next season?

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Monday (12/07/09) Edition

What You May Have Missed:

News of Note (FB):

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Recruiting:

Epic Schadenfreude:

Around the League (and Beyond):

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Football Gallery of the Week:

Miss Throwdown:

South Carolina to Take on UConn in the Papa John's Bowl

Thoughts on the Bowl Situation

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Thursday (12/3/09) Edition

What You May Have Missed:

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The Shotgun/Throwdown: Wednesday (12/2/09) Edition

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Recruiting:

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Around the League (and Beyond):

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Vicky's Gallery of the Week:

Miss Throwdown:

Sizing Up the Gamecocks Bowl Prospects