Bloody Weekend for top ranked teams...

[ledzepp8]

But they knocked Temple out competely, not just in football, pretty big difference imo. It doesn't make sense for the ACC to kick Duke out or for the Big Ten to kick Indiana out.

Temple was only a member of the Big East in football. They've been in the Atlantic Ten in pretty much everything else, including basketball since something like 1982.

[geschinger]

Well of course you think they'll be good for the long term, we shall see, I'd bet against at least one of those programs. And they better start recruiting better. Many of their OOC schedules do match up well with many schools, but as a whole, it's a pretty weak. For a team like UConn they need to schedule better in order to get people to consider them for real.

I'm anxious to see what happens in the bowl games, hopefully the Big East teams get a little tougher competition this year than in the past couple.

The thing w/scheduling is it takes two to tango. I know UConn has tried to schedule BC and been turned down. When looking at who BC schedules for OOC opponents I can only assume it's because they wanted easier matchups. Although UConn should have looked like a patsy when schedules were setup for 2007. I know WVU has had similar problems in the past but that seems to be getting better w/Auburn, Colorodo, and Florida State stepping up and being willing to do home an homes w/WVU in future years. USF has had some better luck since I assume teams had no idea they'd be good this quickly. In the next couple of years they start a series with Miami and the University of Florida. And that will be huge for their recruiting

I too am anxious to see what happens in the bowl games. Unfortunately matchups are based on tie-ins so instead of seeing how the second best team from the BEast might fare against a top notch Pac-10 team or SEC team they will end up with a lessor matchup against the second best team from the ACC.

For the good of college football by providing a possible wakeup call to those who like the current system I think we should all be hoping for WVU to sneak into the BCS title game in which case the BEast should have at least one tough matchup.

[ledzepp8]

Because the Big East has done a good job in compiling wins, even though not against good competition, and don't have as bad of a bottom as most conferences due to only have 8 teams.

The Big East football conference has been around since 1991 and as far as I know has always had 8 teams. This isn't something new. Most conferences didn't used to have as many teams as they do now, the only reason they are expanding is to have conference championships. I don't really see what the difference is though. The Big East has 8 teams and no conference championship, the bigger conferences have championship games but have subdivisions within the conference.

[Sports Guy]

Looks like I jinxed the underdogs as I went 0-5(assuming OSU wins)

The top ranked teams stepped up today for some huge wins.

Be interesting to see if teams like Oregon gain some ground in the BCS standings.

ASU needs to win tonight to keep pace with everyone.

[Sports Guy]

I really am surprised this is even a real argument...The Big East has some up and coming programs that we could be hearing about for years to come but right now they aren't that great of a conference...The Big East needs Syracuse IMO.

With the exception of maybe WVU, none of the top Big East schools could make in the better conferences.

[Sports Guy]

A few good games next week:

LSU at Alabama...The Saban Bowl

ASU at Oregon...Potentially could be the biggest game of the year thus far(if ASU comes back tonight)

Also, OSU and BC have tough home against Wisconsin and FSU.

[mweb]

Teams in the BEast are usually consistently higher in the computer polls used by the BCS (I believe there are 6-8 of 'em) than they are in the subjective polls. Ironically enough that holds true for the teams other than WVU who the pollsters usually have ranked higher than the computers.

I believe Cincy wiped the floor with the OSU team that knocked out what many thought was the PAC-10s 2nd best team. Louisville played Kentucky as tough as UF and LSU did. However I think you are penalizing the BEast teams calling them weak OOC schedules when for the most part they are every bit as good as those from other conferences. BEast teams aren't playing weaker OOC competetion.

I think UConn is ranked about where they belong. I'm not going to overrate them based on today's win as I do think the results would of been different if the 1st half wasn't played in a driving rain.

USF and Texas have a common opponent in UCF. Texas won by 3, USF by 50. I haven't seen Missouri play to be able to agree or disagree about how they'd fare. I'm not sold on Kansas, I think they are benefiting from a ridiculously easy schedule. Their schedule is a case study on what is wrong w/mega conferences as they make it through conference play avoiding the better teams. I don't think there would be much difference in the quality of the conference this year if the 2007 USF, Rutgers and UConn teams were traded for Texas, Kansas and KSU.

Well I only see the computer ratings for the 3 ranked Big East schools. EDIT: Tied for 16th is too high for UConn going into today. What was that ranking based on? Beating Louisville at home by 4 with the help of a bogus call and beating a bunch of bad teams. A lot of unranked schools would have been 6-1 with UConn's schedule.

Ok, so Oregon State is the 2nd best out of conference win for Big East schools? Their ok.

I don't know what schedules you're looking at, but yes, the Big East schools have played poor OOC schedules. They all have 5 OOC games, and combined have played 3 teams(4 games) that are currently ranked, 2 of which may not be ranked after this week. No teams ranked ranked higher than 14, and again, Kentucky and UVA will drop a lot tomorrow. And there's tons of cupcakes in there. Florida St and Miami alone probably have more impressive OOC opponents than the whole Big East combined.

Yes, Kansas has played a bad schedule, but I'll take what they've done over what UConn has done.

[mweb]

Temple was only a member of the Big East in football. They've been in the Atlantic Ten in pretty much everything else, including basketball since something like 1982.

Well that makes my point about them even better.

[mweb]

The thing w/scheduling is it takes two to tango. I know UConn has tried to schedule BC and been turned down. When looking at who BC schedules for OOC opponents I can only assume it's because they wanted easier matchups. Although UConn should have looked like a patsy when schedules were setup for 2007. I know WVU has had similar problems in the past but that seems to be getting better w/Auburn, Colorodo, and Florida State stepping up and being willing to do home an homes w/WVU in future years. USF has had some better luck since I assume teams had no idea they'd be good this quickly. In the next couple of years they start a series with Miami and the University of Florida. And that will be huge for their recruiting

I too am anxious to see what happens in the bowl games. Unfortunately matchups are based on tie-ins so instead of seeing how the second best team from the BEast might fare against a top notch Pac-10 team or SEC team they will end up with a lessor matchup against the second best team from the ACC.

For the good of college football by providing a possible wakeup call to those who like the current system I think we should all be hoping for WVU to sneak into the BCS title game in which case the BEast should have at least one tough matchup.

Well it depends on how they do, but those are the types of matchups that I want to see, as they help make these types of debates more clear, plus are much more entertaining than big school vs cupcake.

The 2nd best team in the ACC is better than UConn imo, who I guess is the 2nd best team in the Big East.

I understand it's not all these schools fault in regards to scheduling, but it doesn't change anything in terms of analyzing them this year.

[mweb]

The Big East football conference has been around since 1991 and as far as I know has always had 8 teams. This isn't something new. Most conferences didn't used to have as many teams as they do now, the only reason they are expanding is to have conference championships. I don't really see what the difference is though. The Big East has 8 teams and no conference championship, the bigger conferences have championship games but have subdivisions within the conference.

I'm aware that some conferences have expanded, my point is just that it's easier to be good top to bottom when you have 8 schools compared to 12, plus it's easier when you keep out programs that are in your conference otherwise, but wouldn't perform well.

[mweb]

Convincing win for Ohio State tonight, still think they'll lose to Michigan.

[Sports Guy]

Convincing win for Ohio State tonight, still think they'll lose to Michigan.

So do I...Next week won't be easy either.

[ledzepp8]

Well that makes my point about them even better.

And how exactly?

[ledzepp8]

I'm aware that some conferences have expanded, my point is just that it's easier to be good top to bottom when you have 8 schools compared to 12, plus it's easier when you keep out programs that are in your conference otherwise, but wouldn't perform well.

Well the point is that the bigger conferences are basically two conferences in one, as not ever team plays each other. So if you looked at the subdivisions of each bigger conference, you could say the same thing.

And I still don't know what you're talking about when you say the Big East is keeping out programs that are in the conference otherwise. Besides the fact that the Big East didn't become a football conference until 1991 and thus the basketball conference has been around for a lot longer. But they aren't keeping any of the basketball conference teams out.

Notre Dame won't join any conference.

Depaul doesn't have a football team.

Georgetown is in Division I-AA.

Providence doesn't have a football team.

St. John's doesn't have a football team.

Seton Hall doesn't have a football team.

Villanova is in Division I-AA.

[mweb]

And how exactly?

Because it's easier to get rid of a team that isn't involved with any other sports in the conference.