By J.P. Girouard
Greetings and welcome to the inaugural edition of Best Big East Week Ever. Every Wednesday, we’ll look at the biggest conference storylines while whetting your appetite for the coming week’s slate of games. And we’ll do it with service and a smile.
The Biggest Thought: Let The Kiffin Watch Begin … In probably the least shocking move ever, the Oakland Raiders (i.e., Al Davis) fired head coach Lane Kiffin on Tuesday. Now let the speculation about Kiffin taking over the head job at Syracuse begin.
At some level it seems like a no-brainer, considering Syracuse AD Daryl Gross has a relationship with Kiffin from their days at USC. And certainly Kiffin is the biggest “name” that would even have a passing interest in the position. But as Donnie Webb of the Syracuse Post-Standard suggests, hiring a West Coast guy to take over an Eastern program isn’t always the best idea.
But here’s the rub: if not Kiffin, then who? Is there really a name coach out there that wants to take over the mess Greg Robinson is going to leave? It seems a stretch to think Gross could snag a hot mid-major coach, like a Skip Holtz or a Turner Gill. That would likely leave the Orange looking at either a FCS coach or a non-descript coordinator.
So if the idea is to make a splashy hire to generate some buzz for the downtrodden Syracuse football program, Kiffin might not just be your best bet – he might be the only bet.
Another Big Thought: Big East Quarterbacks Aren’t That Great … When Louisville quarterback Hunter Cantwell – with four career starts coming into the season – was considered a contender for All Big-East honors, you had to think the Big East quarterback situation was shaky. But with the recent injuries to Tony Pike (Cincinnati’s third-string quarterback) and UConn’s Tyler Lorenzen, the current starting quarterbacks in the Big East are:
1. Matt Grothe, USF (passing efficiency rank: 28th)
2. Pat White, West Virginia (passing efficiency rank: 36th)
3. Cameron Dantley, Syracuse (passing efficiency rank: 47th)
4. Hunter Cantwell, Louisville (passing efficiency rank: 77th)
5. Mike Teel, Rutgers (passing efficiency rank: 90th)
6. Bill Stull, Pittsburgh (passing efficiency rank: 96th)
7. Zach Fraser, Connecticut (making first start)
8. Zach Collaros/Chazz Anderson, Cincinnati (making first start)
The Big East doesn’t have a quarterback ranked in the top-25 in passing efficiency nationally, nor one ranked in the top 30 in yards passing per game. By comparison, the Big East had four quarterbacks ranked in the top-17 in passing efficiency in 2007. Sure, you can argue the Big East is much more of a run-oriented league in 2008 (four backs rank in the top-30 nationally) but the drop-off in quarterback play is still striking.
Big East Game Of The Week: Pittsburgh at USF, Thursday 7:30 pm … Last year, the Bulls were ranked number-two going into a Thursday night primetime game at Rutgers. And they lost. This game has that “upset” feel to it, but unlike 2007, USF is at home this time. Plus the one thing that the Panthers do reasonably well on offense – run the ball – is the one thing the Bulls are lights out at defending. There may be some nail-biting moments for South Florida in this one, but the one thing you can always count on is for a Dave Wannstedt-coached team to fade in a big spot. South Florida 38, Pittsburgh 24
Big East Game Of The Weak: Rutgers at West Virginia, Saturday noon … What in the world has happened to the Scarlet Knights? Two years ago, we were talking about them as the next mega-program in the Big East. Now they’re 1-3 and staring their first losing season since 2004 squarely in the face. To pile on the misery, their next opponent is a West Virginia program that hasn't lost to Rutgers in Morgantown – ever. The Mountaineers rolled to a 31-3 victory last season; that sounds about right this year, too. West Virginia 34, Rutgers 10
Underrated Storyline Of The Week: Connecticut’s Defense … Lost in the hoopla of the Huskies’ 26-21 gritty victory over Louisville was the fact that the defense isn’t playing particularly well right now. After having some problems with Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin two weeks ago, UConn gave up 508 yards of total offense to Louisville. It’ll be no easier on Saturday - Connecticut’s next opponent is a North Carolina team that has two explosive playmakers in receivers Hakeem Nicks and Brandon Tate. The Huskies can’t match the Tarheels in a shootout – especially with a backup quarterback – so their defense is going to have to get better in a hurry in order for them to remain undefeated.
J.P. Girouard blogs about the Big East for CollegeFootballNews.com. You can email him here.
Best Big East Week Ever Archives:
Best Big East Week Ever – 10/1/08
Other Articles By J.P. Girouard:
Nine Pivotal Days For The Big East
The Big East Expectations Game
Is This Going To Be Ben Mauk's Legacy?
WVU Runs Away In Big East Media Poll
Rutgers' Strange Stadium Bargain
The Coach Who Stayed
The Big East Manifesto