Big East Breakdown: South Florida continues solid play, tops rankings

During a week of conference turmoil that saw both Pitt and Syracuse bolt for the Atlantic Coast… During a week of conference turmoil that saw both Pitt and Syracuse bolt for the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Big East still played some football.

While most media attention focused on Pitt and Syracuse’s announcement, the conference’s football teams played out a so-so 4-3 weekend.

Here are my standings heading into the last weekend before Big East play actually begins:

1. South Florida – The undefeated Bulls enjoy their second week at the top of my standings after a dominating 70-17 victory over Florida A&M. South Florida is the only team in the conference putting 60 minutes of good football together consistently. This week, Skip Holtz’s Bulls host UTEP in what should be a good tune-up for their key conference opener at Pitt next Thursday.

2. West Virginia – The Mountaineers just can’t seem to put a whole game together. WVU remains, along with USF, one of two undefeated teams in the conference, but it needed a late stop against Maryland this weekend to prevent a huge collapse after storming out to a 34-10 lead. Quarterback Geno Smith and his team will need to play the perfect game this weekend if they want beat No. 2 LSU.

3. Pittsburgh – Unlike WVU, Pitt didn’t manage to avoid a collapse this weekend, as the Panthers blew a 21-point lead at Iowa. Todd Graham’s new system seemed to be finally clicking — Pitt controlled the first three quarters. But it all went wrong from there, and the Hawkeyes outscored the Panthers 21-3 in the final quarter. Iowa badly exposed Pitt’s secondary this weekend. With Notre Dame’s spread offense coming to town, quarterback Tino Sunseri and running back Ray Graham are going to have to score some points to pull out a win this weekend.

4. Syracuse – Despite losing by three touchdowns at Southern California this weekend, the Orange keep their spot in the top half of the standings. Syracuse might not be the most talented team, but the Orange still play smart football, and I expect them to rebound this weekend against upset-minded Toledo at home. Quarterback Ryan Nassib’s game-management skills will keep the team competitive in the Big East all season.

5. Cincinnati – The same level of mediocre play made ranking these last four teams no easy task. For now, the Bearcats hold down the fifth-place spot. Cincinnati’s two blowout wins came against FCS Austin Peay and lowly Akron, but scoring 49 points in the first half like the Bearcats did this weekend is impressive against anybody. This Thursday’s nationally televised home game against North Carolina State will say a lot about how good this team is.

6. Rutgers – The Scarlet Knights were the only team in the conference with a bye week, but overall, Rutgers’ play has surprised some people this season. Big East teams in recent years have learned to never underestimate head coach Greg Schiano’s Scarlet Knights and with a home game against Ohio this week, Rutgers should head into conference play next weekend with a winning record.

7. Louisville – The award for the most inconsistent team in the Big East this season goes to the Cardinals. After struggling with Murray State and losing to Florida International, Louisville rebounded this weekend with a road win over its biggest rival, Kentucky. Head coach Charlie Strong leads a young team, which means the Cardinals could be up and down all season.

8. Connecticut – Last place seems harsh for the Huskies, but they are the only team in the conference with a losing record. UConn could easily be undefeated as it blew fourth-quarter leads in consecutive weeks against Vanderbilt and Iowa State. With back-to-back games against teams from the MAC coming up, don’t expect the Huskies to stay at the bottom for too long.

Offensive Player of the Week – Geno Smith, Quarterback, West Virginia – Smith finished with career highs in completions, attempts and yards as he registered his second 300-yard passing game of the season in West Virginia’s win over Maryland. Smith is spreading the ball around well in new head coach Dana Holgorsen’s passing system, as three of his receivers finished with more than 100 yards this weekend.

Defensive Player of the Week – Derek Wolfe, Defensive Tackle, Cincinnati – Wolfe destroyed Akron’s offensive line in the Bearcats’ blowout victory this weekend. He recorded two sacks and forced a fumble that Cincinnati returned for a touchdown.

Coach of the Week – Charlie Strong, Louisville – After a tough loss at home to Florida International, Strong’s team circled the wagons this weekend and pulled off the upset against Kentucky. The Cardinals might not be very good this season, but the Louisville faithful will appreciate the victory over the hated Wildcats.

What to watch for in Week Four – Defending Home Turf: Six Big East teams host home games this weekend, but the two biggest games by far are at Pitt and West Virginia. The Panthers host Notre Dame, and the Mountaineers face an even tougher challenge when National Championship-contender LSU enters Morgantown. Wins in these two games could go a long way toward getting the Big East some respect in football — at least while the Big East as we know it is still around.