Football: Pitt jumps USF in rankings after victory

Despite Pitt and West Virginia’s losses in the biggest games of the weekend, the Big East… Despite Pitt and West Virginia’s losses in the biggest games of the weekend, the Big East fared well overall. Big East teams won every other game they played, to finish with a respectable 5-2 record in week four of the season.

This weekend marks the beginning of conference play for half of the league’s eight teams: Pitt beat South Florida last night, and Rutgers travels to Syracuse Saturday.

Here are my rankings of the Big East teams heading into conference play:

Pittsburgh – After blowing two straight fourth quarter leads, the Panthers rebounded big last night when they destroyed South Florida 44-17. Before the game, the previously No. 16 Bulls were the clear-cut top team in the conference, but Pitt has to jump them in my rankings with the way the team played last night. Ray Graham looks simply unstoppable  — averaging nearly 10 yards a touch and rushing for more than 200 last night. This could just be the beginning for the Panthers, who have been trying to adjust to head coach Todd Graham’s new offense and might finally be getting the system down.

South Florida – Heading into Pittsburgh last night, the Bulls were in a position to dominate after another decisive victory over UTEP. But the Panthers humbled quarterback B.J. Daniels and the rest of the USF offense, which could only manage 17 points at Heinz Field last night. This could be a fluke game for the Bulls, but their run defense has been exposed and their offense proved to be stoppable. The Bulls will have to regroup quick with a road game against Connecticut around the corner.

West Virginia – Turnovers and special teams did in the Mountaineers during their Saturday night primetime 47-21 loss to now-No. 1 LSU. The game was much closer than the score suggests, as WVU outgained its opponents with quarterback Geno Smith throwing for 463 yards against one of the nation’s best defenses. Head coach Dana Holgorsen’s team hosts Bowling Green this weekend in what should be a tune-up for their conference opener against Connecticut next week.

Cincinnati – In their Thursday night nationally televised game against NC State, the Bearcats manhandled the Wolfpack on their way to a dominating 44-14 victory. Cincinnati’s offense, led by quarterback Zach Collaros and running back Isaiah Pead, continues to put up some big numbers as it’s scored over 40 points in all three of the team’s wins. It’s crucial that the Bearcats don’t have a letdown this week when they travel to in-state rival Miami of Ohio.

Syracuse – The Orange continue to do things the hard way. Despite picking up their third win of the season against Toledo in overtime this week, Syracuse needed some luck to do it — the referees gave them credit for an extra point that was clearly wide. Whether this win will stand up remains to be seen, as Toledo is protesting the game. Nonetheless, this week was just another example that the Orange are built to play — and usually win — close games.

Rutgers – The Scarlet Knights moved above .500 this week as they beat previously undefeated Ohio 38-26 at home. This week’s trip to Syracuse will say a lot about the quality of both teams, but with quarterback Chas Dodd and wide receiver Mohamed Sanu playing as well as they are, Rutgers could be a sleeper team throughout conference play.

Connecticut – Since no team in the Big East is completely struggling this season, it’s hard to say which is the worst team in the conference. So consider UConn and Louisville 7A and 7B. The Huskies, who, like the Panthers, have lost two close games, returned to winning ways on the road this weekend at Buffalo. UConn’s defense completely shutdown Buffalo’s spread on the way to a 17-3 victory. A win against Western Michigan this weekend will be key for the Huskies’ confidence before they head to West Virginia the following Saturday.

Louisville – Charlie Strong’s Cardinals surely enjoyed their bye week after last week’s win against rival Kentucky. Louisville still has two weeks to wait until its Big East season begins as the team hosts Marshall this week before traveling to North Carolina. A split appears the most likely outcome and would have the Cardinals at 3-2 heading into conference play.

Offensive Player of the Week: Mohamed Sanu, Wide Receiver, Rutgers – The talented junior pass catcher recorded career highs in yards (176) and touchdowns (2) in the Scarlet Knights’ win over Ohio. Rutgers might not have very much talent or depth at a lot of positions, but the Scarlet Knights definitely have one of the best receivers in the conference.

Defensive Player of the Week: Kevyn Scott, Cornerback, Syracuse – Scott made a huge play in the Orange’s overtime win against Toledo as he picked off his second pass of the season on the Rockets’ first play of the extra period. Scott is one of the best players in a Syracuse defense that is expected to make big plays at the end of close games.

Coach of the Week: Greg Schiano, Rutgers – By far the longest tenured coach in the Big East, Schiano has made a habit of doing more with less at Rutgers. With the Scarlet Knights projected by many to be the worst team in the Big East this year, Schiano’s team sits at 2-1 — and don’t be surprised if it pulls off the upset at Syracuse in its conference opener this weekend.

What to watch for in week five: Conference Games – Though I’ll be sure to keep an eye on the Rutgers at Syracuse game Saturday, the biggest game in the Big East this weekend was Thursday night in Pittsburgh.