Big East Breakdown: Cincinnati takes over top spot

RJ Sepich

Staff Writer

Last week, I warned the West Virginia and Rutgers football teams… Last week, I warned the West Virginia and Rutgers football teams about their dangerous Friday night road games.

But in typical Big East fashion, the teams still lost to Syracuse and Louisville, respectively.

Only one team — the Cincinnati Bearcats — remains undefeated in conference play, yet seven of the eight teams in the conference still believe they have a decent chance of earning the Big East’s BCS bid.

So with two more conference games on the slate this weekend, here’s my attempt at ranking the teams in the ever-changing landscape that is Big East football:

1. Cincinnati – Being the only team without a loss in the conference is enough of an accomplishment to earn the Bearcats (6-1, 2-0 Big East) the top spot for the first time this season. They’ve beaten two of the worst teams in the conference, Louisville and South Florida, but winning is really all that matters in the Big East. A touchdown for clutch quarterback Zach Collaros with 12 seconds remaining gave Cincinnati a win against South Florida last weekend. The Bearcats are guaranteed to stay at the top of the standings because of their bye this weekend.

2. Syracuse – The Orange’s (5-2, 1-1 Big East) complete domination of West Virginia in their 49-23 upset is enough to up Syracuse to the second spot in my rankings. Quarterback Ryan Nassib has been good all season, but his performance last Friday bordered on perfection. If the Orange can prove last weekend wasn’t a fluke with a road victory at Louisville this Saturday, they will make a statement to the entire conference that Syracuse is a real contender for the championship.

3. Rutgers – Losing to Louisville last Friday night doesn’t look good on the Scarlet Knights’ (5-2, 2-1 Big East) resumé because it was a game they easily should’ve won. Three turnovers and two missed field goals cost them what would’ve been a crucial victory. Rutgers gets the perfect opportunity to respond this Saturday when it hosts West Virginia in a game that could go a long way toward determining who wins the Big East this year.

4. West Virginia – After spending most of this season as the heavy favorites to win the Big East title, the Mountaineers (5-2, 1-1 Big East) collapsed against Syracuse Friday night and looked vulnerable offensively and defensively. It might have been a fluke, but West Virginia can’t play many more games that way if it wants to go on and win this conference. Fortunately for the Mountaineers, they still determine their own destiny. That could all change if they don’t come away with a victory at Rutgers this Saturday.

5. Pittsburgh – After back-to-back offensive debacles that resulted in losses to Rutgers and Utah, the Panthers (4-4, 2-1 Big East) exploded for more than 500 yards and 35 points in an important win over Connecticut Wednesday night. Pitt’s inconsistency remains a big concern, but Panther fans will have renewed hope that this season isn’t lost if quarterback Tino Sunseri can repeat his career-high 419-yard performance — despite running back Ray Graham’s season-ending injury.

6. Louisville – Earlier this season, I wondered whether the Cardinals (3-4, 1-1 Big East) would win any games in the Big East, but Charlie Strong’s team proved me wrong with its 16-14 upset of Rutgers. I still don’t expect much from the Cardinals moving forward, but this team might still have a slim chance of pulling off a few more upsets and sneaking into a bowl game.

7. Connecticut – The Huskies (3-5, 1-2 Big East) couldn’t back up their win over South Florida with another upset at Pitt. Despite Connecticut being the defending conference champion, its title chances are all but over this season and even a bowl game seems like a stretch. On the bright side, freshman running back Lyle McCombs rushed for 100 yards for the fifth time this season at Pitt, and he should be the Huskies’ go-to-guy for years to come.

8. South Florida – It only took the Bulls (4-3, 0-3 Big East) three weeks to complete their seemingly annual first-to-worst fall in the Big East standings. Before Pitt demolished them, the Bulls looked like real contenders for the conference title. Losses to Connecticut and then Cincinnati this weekend ended that dream, and now a needed bye week will give Skip Holtz’s team the opportunity to regroup with the hopes of at least making a bowl game this season.

Offensive Player of the Week: Ryan Nassib, Quarterback, Syracuse – The senior passer played a huge role in the Orange’s blowout of West Virginia. Nassib passed for four touchdowns and ran for another as the Orange scored 49 points and made the Mountaineer defense greatly resemble Swiss cheese. With a road game at Louisville this Saturday, it will be Nassib’s job to make sure the Orange don’t suffer a big letdown.

Defensive Player of the Week: Chandler Jones, Defensive End, Syracuse – As impressive as Syracuse’s offense was in that game, its defense played a huge role in limiting the potent West Virginia offense to just 23 points. Jones, who finished with six tackles and two sacks in the game, played a huge part in helping the Orange put pressure on Mountaineer star quarterback Geno Smith all night.

Coach of the Week: Doug Marrone, Syracuse – In his third year on the job, Marrone has done wonders with the Orange. Taking over a once-proud program that had become a perennial cellar-dweller, Marrone has completed the turnaround of Syracuse football. Last Friday’s win over West Virginia surely was one of the most memorable moments in recent history for Orange fans.

What to watch for in week nine: Who can rebound? – Avoiding losing streaks is crucial for teams expecting to win the Big East and that is what both West Virginia and Rutgers must do this weekend. Their matchup in Piscataway is easily the biggest conference game of the weekend and the winner will come out of the showdown feeling a lot more confident about its title chances.