Best Big East Signing Day Review Ever

Enjoy!

The Biggest "Duh"Ever

Look, Greg Schiano has done a great job at Rutgers. I became a fan of the Big East because of my close and unabiding relationship with the fortunes (and misfortunes) of the Scarlet Knights.

But let's face it - Schiano has gotten an awful lot from Rutgers for what, exactly? No conference titles? One season where they won more than eight games? Look, this isn't getting it done at a traditional football wasteland like Northwestern or Wake Forest - this is the only Division I university in a state rich with football talent. You knew that somebody was going to turn it around at some point.

So yeah, I think it's kind of a "duh" moment when the Newark Star-Ledger's Steve Politi suggests that it's about time the Rutgers administration stops giving Greg Schiano carte blanche. It's one thing for Schiano to strong-arm the university into a $102 million stadium expansion they can't really afford, or to be getting paid like an elite coach. But now he has to prove he can take the Scarlet Knights to something beyond a minor bowl game.

Finally.

I'm still not sure what took you so long, dude.


LeSean McCoy: 2006-2008

Procrastination: The World's Worst Cologne

Yes, I know I promised an elaborate, flashy Big East bowl recap. I didn't deliver, and I suck. But really, what were you expecting me to say: "Oh yeah, Pat White threw for a lot of yards in his last game and the Pittsburgh offense stunk?" Did that merit taking up space on CFN that could be better spent with an endless stream of marginally more meaningful year-end recaps?

Probably not. There is news, though:

Apparently Syracuse has a "Vidal Hazelton" watch going on right now, which seems like an awful lot of attention being paid to someone who's more likely to be a non-entity than a major star...LeSean McCoy can't decide whether to become an instant millionaire or take a pounding as Pitt's only reliable offensive option next season...Apparently USF is "an option" for ex-Miami QB Robert Marve.

RE: The national championship "controversy". It's only a controversy because Florida lost by one to Ole Miss. If the Gators win that game, there is no debate, Utah's perfect season or no. But sorry kids, Florida's loss is no better than the losses by Oklahoma, or Texas or USC. At that point, they fall into the fuzzy group of "one-loss teams that are somewhat better than Utah".

LeSean McCoy Apparently Isn't Stupid After All

For the last few weeks, I have been somewhat obsessed with figuring out why NFL-ready running back LeSean McCoy was insistent on staying for a fourth year at Pittsburgh. I was about to call his family members to arrange an intervention on his behalf, but somebody beat me to it as McCoy is now apparently leaning towards declaring for the draft.

For Panthers' head coach Dave Wannstedt, he's now confronted with the reality that his only reliable offensive weapon may be gone. Larod Stephens-Howling needs to emerge as something more than a reliable backup, and fast, or 2009 might be, well, like the rest of the Wannstedt era in Pittsburgh.

Kenny Britt and Donald Brown: Gone

Rutgers star wide receiver Kenny Britt made what was widely rumored official on Saturday - he's giving up his senior year of eligibility to go pro. At 6'4", 215 pounds and coming off an 87-catch All-America season, it seemed like a mortal lock that he'd opt for the NFL. Add in the fact that the quarterback next year will likely be one of two little-used fifth-year seniors - Jabu Lovelance or Dom Natale - and the decision becomes even easier to make.

Apparently, Connecticut running back Donald Brown - fresh off a ridiculous 261-yard rushing day in the International Bowl against Buffalo - has also made the same decision. (In the process, he did admit that his previous statements that he'd return for his senior year were, well, lies. Lying about one's status or the status of a team member is something Brown apparently got from his head coach.)

Again, I ask the question of LeSean McCoy - with the possibility of a rookie salary cap and the threat of career-altering injury (see McGahee, Willis) why in the world would you not take the money and run?

Adieu, Big East Bowl Season

I'll have a more formal recap up on CFN at some point next week, but the general sense I have is that the Big East blew an opportunity to get some redemption after a less-than-stellar regular season.

Sure, a 4-2 record isn't bad, and it wasn't as if any Big East squad was blown out. But in the two games that could have altered national perception - the Sun and Orange Bowls - Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, respectively, came up short. They weren't actively horrible (well, ok, Pitt's offense was horrible) but didn't exactly make a statement that the conference really could play with the nation's elite.

So in the end, the conference's best non-conference win was what, exactly? Pittsburgh over Iowa? While the Hawkeyes certainly weren't anything to sneeze at, you can't argue your conference had a great year when your best win was over the fourth-best team in the Big Ten.

I'm Not Exactly Sure What To Make Of The Sun Bowl

Thankfully, Paul Zeise at the Post-Gazette sums it up better than I ever could.

Leave it to Pitt to make a three-point loss in a semi-meaningful bowl game seem like a step backwards, thanks in no smal part to some epic incompetence by quarterback Bill Stull. Not to channel Seth Meyers and Amy Poehler from SNL, but 7 for 24 and 52 yards passing? Really?

LeSean McCoy may want to get out while the getting's good.

Tale Of Two Quarterbacks

Both West Virginia quarterback Pat White and Rutgers signal-caller Mike Teel finished their careers with close, hard-fought bowl wins in which they were named MVP. And for White, the surprise was that his award came for what he did with his arm (a career-high 332 yards passing) rather than his legs.

But let's not go crazy here, unlike some other folks I generally consider to be level-headed. The conventional wisdom about Pat White still holds - he is NOT a quarterback at the next level. It's a long way from lighting up North Carolina's 84th-ranked pass defense to making NFL throws, throws which White has not shown a consistent ability to execute. I am aware of White's solid passing efficiency numbers, but like Tim Tebow, those numbers are a mirage based on the system and his ability to run the football - things that won't necessarily hold up at the next level.

Now contrast to Rutgers quarterback Mike Teel, whose name almost never gets mentioned as a legitimate pro prospect. Yet every time I watch Teel - a three-year starter in a pro-style offense - he's shown the ability to make the kinds of throws you'd expect a pro quarterback to make. And he's done it this year without any real semblance of a running attack and with only one consistently productive receiver.

It's highly unlikely that Teel would ever be an NFL starter, but he certainly has to be a better pro prospect than the grossly overhyped Hunter Cantwell. And he's far more likely to be holding a clipboard at the next level than Pat White, if for no other reason than White may be too busy catching passes and returning kicks to be bothered.

Do You Believe In magicjack?

Mix what amounted to a home game with a matchup against an overmatched C-USA foe, and you have the non-entity that was the magicjack (I guess magicjack has something to do with phone service, natch) St. Petersburg Bowl. If ever there was a game that USF could NOT afford to lose, it's this one.

But I'm not going to go as far as Rich Cirminiello at CFN and suggest that this game made much of a difference perception-wise. There's still a growing sense of apathy surrounding the program (the crowd was the smallest for a first-year bowl in a decade) after three disappointing seasons in a row. Matt Grothe needs to be something other than, well, Matt Grothe next year or the proverbial window is going to shut. And perhaps Jim Leavitt's coach tenure as well.

The Best Big East Bowl Preview Ever

As brought to you by the great folks at CFN. Enjoy!

And if I don't talk to y'all - happy holidays and stuff.

If It's Wed--er, Thursday, There Must Be Random News To Report

The awkwardly sponsored bowls are coming! The awkwardly sponsored bowls are coming!

• Noel Devine apparently fixed (or had fixed for him *nudge wink*) whatever academic issue was dogging him and will play in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. Although I'm not sure I'm down with the idea of creepy Bill Stewart putting anyone on a leash...
  
  
• Former Clemson offensive coordinator Rob Spence will be taking that same position at Syracuse. Spence was an innocent casualty in the crossfire of the Tommy Bowden firing.
  
  
• Apparently Rutgers is on the short list of schools that USC wide receiver/quasi-washout Vidal Hazelton would like to transfer to.
  
  
• USF receivers coach Mike Canales may end up getting the Illinois offensive coordinator position, and Bulls offensive coordinator Greg Gregory is likely to be a candidate at Army. Or so we hear.

The Best Big East 2008 Awards Ever

As seen on CFN.

What is it with Big East running backs?

First LeSean McCoy makes the rather curious decision not to enter the NFL draft. (although some folks aren't exactly convinced that will hold) Now, UConn's Donald Brown makes the same call, electing to come back for his senior year.

McCoy and Brown may not have been first-rounders, but certainly wouldn't have gone much past the third round if they came out. Considering the short shelf-life that running backs have to begin with, it seems strange the neither would want to take their chances in the draft now. It becomes doubly odd when you consider the chatter about the rookie pay scale going forward.

Contrast these scenarios to the end of last season, when Steve Slaton and Ray Rice couldn't leave fast enough.

Doug Marrone Hired As Syracuse Head Coach

Yep, it's like official and stuff. Read more about my thoughts here.

If It's Wednesday, There Must Be Random News To Report

Because I'm all about the news aggregating:

• Rutgers athletic director Bob Mulcahy is out amid controversy over allegations of unchecked spending - including the controversial $100+ million stadium expansion - and sketchy side deals, including some involving Greg Schiano. It'll be interesting to see if a new A.D. gives Schiano the same leeway that Mulcahy did with regards to the football program.

• Louisville fans are apparently conflicted when it comes to head coach Steve Kragthorpe. Not so much these guys.

• The All-Big East teams were released today. Take a wild guess as to who was coach of the year...

• Just found this gem from Randy Edsall's post-game press conference after UConn was punked by Pitt. I knew Edsall was a defensive guy, but still.

Best Big East Week Ever - Key Games of 2008

As seen on CFN.

Enjoy.

Skip Holtz At Syracuse? Yeah, That Might Work

I'd written on CFN a few weeks back that I thought Syracuse AD Daryl Gross had one chance to make a big, splashy hire to replace Greg Robinson - former USC offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin. Obviously that's not happening. Nor is Randy Edsall going to take what would be (generously) a lateral move to leave Connecticut for the Orange.

With Buffalo's Turner Gill looking like a strong candidate to take the Auburn job, East Carolina head coach Skip Holtz appears to be the frontrunner at Syracuse. It would be a very solid hire - Holtz has won everywhere he's been and has ties to the northeast from his days at UConn. The surname doesn't hurt, either. When your other likely choices were non-descript NFL or college assistants (sorry, Steve Addazio), the son of Lou Holtz seems like a real good bet.

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On a completely unrelated note, it turns out Rutgers defensive end Jamaal Westerman played the second half of the season with a torn bicep, which is just ridiculously manly.

Big East Bowl Lineup Is Set

A thumbnail, first-blush look at the upcoming Big East bowl lineup:

Magicjack St. Petersburg Bowl (12/20) - USF vs. Memphis
It's hard to get jacked up about a South Florida program that went 1-4 down the stretch playing in ANY bowl game, much less against a Memphis team that lost at home to Louisville. Then again, the Bulls also lost to Louisville. And what exactly is a "Magicjack" anyhow?

Meineke Car Care Bowl (12/27) - West Virginia vs. North Carolina
Every time you hear the ESPN announcers discuss Pat White's prospects at the "next level", take a drink of your beer. (If Andre Ware is doing this game, you can also add the fun of taking a shot of Jack Daniels every time he mentions that White has a "NFL arm".)

PapaJohns.Com Bowl (12/29) - Rutgers vs. N.C. State
Besides the fact both teams are on huge rolls, this game is a classic example of why performances against "common opponents" often mean squat. N.C. State throttled UNC, which throttled Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights blew out USF, who destroyed the Wolfpack.

Brut Sun Bowl (12/31) - Pittsburgh vs. Oregon State
LeSean McCoy vs. Jacquizz Rodgers should be an awesome matchup of top-tier running backs. I will, unfortunately, spend the majority of the broadcast trying not to laugh whenever I see the name "Jacquizz" displayed on my TV screen.

International Bowl (1/3) - Connecticut vs. Buffalo
Over-under on how many passes Connecticut completes against the Bulls - 6. Over-under on how many times Turner Gill's status as a "hot coaching commodity"* is mentioned - 13.
*provided he's not already coaching at Auburn

Fedex Orange Bowl (1/1) - Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech
Consider the absolute cluster that was the ACC championship game (in terms of attendance). Add in the fact Cincinnati has one of the smallest fanbases of any BCS program. This might be a great game, but it might engender the philosophical question - "if a great college football game is played but nobody is in the stands to watch it, did it actually happen?"

Steve Kragthorpe Believes Running It Up = Class Act

Look, we can argue all day about whether calling timeouts with a minute to go in the first half and throwing for another score - the way Greg Schiano did in the Scarlet Knights' 63-14 obliteration of Louisville - is appropriate. (apparently, Schiano doesn't have a big problem with it, as he did something very similar to Norfolk State last year)

What I found hilarious, though, was Schiano's non-conciliatory halftime interview with Erin Andrews, where he stoically said that his team is "trying to get better" and essentially will stop destroying Louisville when he feels like it. Contrast that with Steve Kragthorpe's halftime comments, which consisted of calling Schiano a "class act" and saying that he wished he had a great offense that could score 49 points in a half.

Is it any wonder why one coach was able to pull his team out of the muck of a 1-5 start, and the other has completely lost his team after a 5-2 start?

And as an aside, I find it funny that Louisville defensive coordinator Ron English supposedly had words with the Rutgers head coach at halftime. Unlike his boss, English had the stones to actually express his displeasure with Schiano's act. However, he would have been better served expending energy on constructing a defensive plan that didn't involve receivers getting 10 yards behind his secondary.

UPDATE: Apparently Louisville AD Tom Jurich doesn't like all the negativity surrounding Krags while preaching that it's important to stay the course.