How are the picks so far? SU:
36-13 ... ATS: 23-21
Big East Game of
the Week
West Virginia (6-1) at Rutgers (5-2)
12:00 EST, ABC Why to watch: Assuming
Connecticut’s reign atop the Big East
has a short lifespan, this week’s game
between West Virginia and Rutgers could
decide the front-runner for the
conference’s crown and automatic BCS
bowl berth. That’s especially true for
the Scarlet Knights, which rescued their
season with last Thursday’s upset of No.
2 South Florida, and have an opportunity
to knock off the league’s two
highest-rated members in a ten day
span. Despite back-to-back losses
earlier in the year, all of Rutgers’
preseason goals remain in play, provided
it can beat a West Virginia program that
kept it out of the Orange Bowl last
year. The Mountaineers have been doing
some rebounding of their own lately,
bouncing back from a loss to USF with
resounding wins over Syracuse and
Mississippi State. The offense is
humming again, thanks in large part to
the improving health of Patrick White,
and at No. 7 in the BCS rankings,
there’s still time for West Virginia to
make a mad dash for a spot in the
National Championship game. The running
game duel alone between Ray Rice and
Steve Slaton makes this game worth
blowing off your typical Saturday
agenda. Why West Virginia might win:
Defensively, Rutgers is nowhere near
where it was last season, slipping to
the middle of the Big East pack despite
opening with a squishy-soft
non-conference schedule. The
Mountaineers will take advantage by
getting outside with not only White and
Slaton, but also WR Darius Reynaud and
backup RBs Jock Sanders and Noel
Devine. Not to be overlooked is the
West Virginia defense, which leads the
conference at the stopping the run and
is fourth nationally in total defense.
The Mountaineers should be able to slow
down Rice, forcing QB Mike Teel to be
the hero against an underrated
secondary. Why Rutgers might win: Rice will
get his yards on Saturday because the
Knight offensive line has finally begun
to assert itself over the last two
games. Led by the tackles, seniors
Pedro Sosa and Jeremy Zuttah, it’s been
blowing open holes for Rice, while
allowing just one sack over that time.
And although Teel isn’t always
consistent, he’s No. 8 nationally in
passing efficiency with only one really
bad game all year. With time, the
junior will connect with Tiquan
Underwood and Kenny Britt, easily the
most dynamic pair of receivers that West
Virginia has faced this fall. Who to watch: The task of
stopping Underwood and Britt, who both
average more than 20 yards a catch,
belongs to corners Larry Williams and
Antonio Lewis, who’ll get plenty of help
from the safeties, Eric Wicks, Ryan
Mundy, and Quinton Andrews. Although,
the West Virginia secondary has been
markedly better than a year ago, it must
continue getting support this week from
a pass rush that’s produced a sack in
every game this year.
What will happen: While Rice vs.
Slaton will be a push, White will be the
difference-maker, making game-changing
plays with his legs and his overlooked
left arm. After missing the quarterback
last December, Rutgers won’t be so
fortunate on Saturday afternoon.
CFN Prediction: West Virginia 35 …
Rutgers 27...
Line: West Virginia -6 Must See Rating: (5 America's
Most Smartest Model - 1 Marie Osmond on
DTWS) ... 4
Big East Saturday, Oct. 27
Pitt (3-4) at Louisville (4-4)
12:00, ESPN GamePlan Why to watch: Bowl eligibility
could be at stake in a must-win for both
teams. While that’s no surprise for a
Panther team that’s been riddled by
injuries all year, it’s sobering news
for the Cardinals, who were considered
one of the league favorites before the
season began and hasn’t been able to
turn things around. Louisville is
coming off a devastating loss to
Connecticut, marred by a brutal
officiating call on a Larry Taylor punt
return that tied the game after
halftime. Still, the Cards did a hold a
17-7 lead in the final quarter before
allowing the Huskies to score the game’s
final 14 points. Pittsburgh mounted a
rally of its own last weekend, pitching
a second-half shutout to beat
Cincinnati, its first win over a ranked
team under Dave Wannstedt. The comeback
ended the Panthers’ four-game losing
streak, lending hope that the youth
movement, led by QB Pat Bostick and RB
LeSean McCoy, could bring a brighter
future in the Steel City. Why Pitt might win: The Panthers
have finally begun to control the line
of scrimmage, springing McCoy and LaRod
Stephens-Howling for 100 yards against a
quality Cincinnati run defense, while
allowing just one sack over the last two
weeks. They’ll continue that trend this
week versus a Louisville defense that
ranks seventh in the Big East against
the run and has had all kinds of trouble
stopping the pass. When the Cardinals
attempt to throw, they’ll face an
improving Pitt pass defense that allows
just 170 yards a game and has given up
only six touchdown passes all year.
Why Louisville might win: Although
little has gone right for the Cardinals,
as long as Brian Brohm is behind center
and Harry Douglas is running patterns,
this is a dangerous team that can strike
anywhere and any time. Brohm leads the
nation’s No. 3 passing attack, which
figures to be a culture shock for a
Pittsburgh defense that’s grown
accustomed to facing one-dimensional
offenses, such as Michigan State,
Connecticut, Virginia, and Navy. As
maligned as the Louisville defense has
been this season, it has improved over
the last month, holding three of the
last four opponents under 25 points, a
tangible sign of progress. The Cards
have owned this series lately, winning
the last six by an average of 16 points. Who to watch: While he may be no
H.B. Blades, Pittsburgh has no qualms
with MLB Scott McKillop, who is
flourishing in his first season as a
full-timer. One of the nation’s leaders
with 87 tackles, he plays with
tremendous instincts and almost never
misses a tackle. McKillop will be
matched up with a Louisville running
game that’s lost its way for the better
part of this
season.
What will happen: A physical
Pittsburgh team that defends the pass
well is not a good match up for
Louisville. The Panthers will be in
this game for four quarters, only
falling short after Brohm finds one of
his talented receivers for a
game-winning touchdown.
CFN Prediction: Louisville 31 … Pitt
24 ...
Line: Louisville -11.5 Must See Rating: (5 America's
Most Smartest Model - 1 Marie Osmond on
DTWS) ... 3
South Florida (6-1) at Connecticut (6-1)
3:30 EST, ABC Why to watch: Go ahead and pat
yourself on the back if you pegged this
game as a match up of 6-1 teams when
this year’s schedules were released.
While South Florida and Connecticut
share the same records, they’ll enter
the weekend with very different
mindsets. The Bulls are coming off
their first loss of the season, a 30-27
defeat at Rutgers that knocked them out
of national championship contention and
temporarily halted their brief run as
the darlings of the Big East. How well
will the program deal with adversity and
a recent rollercoaster ride of emotions?
South Florida needs to rebound in a
hurry now that it’s staring at a
crossroads in its season. Connecticut,
on the other hand, is riding a wave of
momentum after beating Louisville for,
arguably, the program’s biggest win
since moving up from I-AA. Yeah, the
Cardinals got screwed by bad officiating
and aren’t what anyone thought they’d be
this year, but don’t tell a Husky team
that’s alone atop the Big East standings
with five games to play. Connecticut
knows it’s getting zero respect
nationally, making the visit from No. 10
South Florida an opportunity to convert
many non-believers. Still the only
unbeaten team in conference play, a win
would start to get everyone to notice. Why South Florida might win:
After not playing particularly well in
New Jersey, the Bulls defense should
bounce back immediately against a Husky
offense that lacks the firepower or
balance to do much damage. South
Florida was hurt last week by a Heisman-contending
back in Ray Rice, a couple of
pro-caliber tackles and a pair of
game-breaking receivers. The Huskies
have none of those elements on offense,
so it’ll be back to plenty of sacks and
few points allowed for the Bulls D. Why Connecticut might win: You
can scrutinize the Huskies all you want,
but leave the defense to a different
discussion. This unit is for real.
Connecticut has yet to allow more than
17 points in a game this season, holding
high-powered Louisville to its season
low a week ago. It has picked off 16
passes this fall and has 19 sacks behind
a no-name ensemble that just keeps
making plays. QB Matt Grothe aside,
South Florida has shown nothing on
offense this season to suggest that it’s
capable of solving this feisty group of
Husky defenders. Who to watch: Connecticut QB
Tyler Lorenzen doesn’t throw the ball
all that much, but when he does on
Saturday, he’s going to see a lot of
South Florida DE George Selvie, the
nation’s leader in sacks. While Selvie
was extremely quiet last week, the
Huskies are next to last in the Big East
in sacks allowed, and, unlike Rutgers,
don’t have the quick tackles to wall off
the Bulls’ speed on the outside. What will happen: South Florida
will get back to winning, even if it
takes a few quarters to shake a pesky
and well-coached Connecticut team. The
Bulls will get just enough from Grothe
and the defense to escape Hartford with
a hard-earned victory. CFN Prediction:
South Florida
24 … Connecticut 13
... Line: South Florida -4.5 Must See Rating: (5 America's
Most Smartest Model - 1 Marie Osmond on
DTWS) ... 4
