Gridiron Goddess

There has been a lot of trash talking amongst the fan bases of USC and Oregon this week. Oregon, bless their hearts, seems to think they are relevant. They seem to think they are going to be favored by a BCS system that has their average computer ranking at #8. They seem to think if they win out they will be in the BCS National Championship Game over a 1-loss SEC team.

Silly Ducks.

(USC has abdicated more National Titles than they’ve ever won. Heh heh)

Oregon should really talk to USC and Auburn fans about what if feels like to be left out of an equation you have every right to be a part of. It hurts. It still fucking hurts seven years later. I remember exactly where I was (El Guapo on Melrose RIP) and how I felt (Stunned, shocked, sickened) when the BCS Selection show announced that LSU and Oklahoma would be going to the 2004 BCS Championship game and that USC, who was #1 in the AP and Coaches poll, would be going to the Rose Bowl.  I am sure Auburn fans can lament how terrible it felt the following year when USC, Oklahoma and Auburn were all undefeated and Auburn was left out of the game.

The BCS Sucks.

Look, I am not naïve; it is not Oregon who has to worry (at least not too much). If Oregon runs the table, they should be in the game no problem. If Oregon runs the table and a 1-loss team from the SEC (or any other conference, but let’s face it, the BCS computers are biased towards the SEC) jumps them, there will be mass chaos. Anyone who has actually SEEN the Ducks play (computers, amusingly enough cannot evaluate skill, just numbers. Football is about SKILL.), does not have any doubt that this is the best team in the nation. Their speed, their agility, their ugly uniforms – they are all unlike anything out there this year.  This is kind of a shitty year for traditional football powerhouses. Florida is a disaster. Texas is in chaos. Oklahoma is rebuilding. USC is sanctioned.

So if there was any year a non-traditional team was going to sneak into the BCS title game on the strength of an undefeated record, this would be it, right?

Talk to the Boise State Broncos.

They are undefeated. They currently sit below Auburn and Oregon in the BCS poll. And the really shitty thing is, it is entirely probable that by the end of the season, a 1-loss Alabama team could jump an undefeated Boise team in the rankings. After all, the pundits will argue, Alabama plays an SEC schedule, they play a harder schedule.

OK, sure, Alabama does play a harder schedule. But they also play close to home. And they also, like other SEC schools, play an out of conference schedule against FCS opponents that should not be rewarded. Since when is bullying rewarded? But that is precisely what the SEC out of conference schedule is, Bullying.

The SEC also loads the front end of its schedule with conference games, so that their Strength of Schedule is better, earlier. Oregon hasn’t yet played the hard part of their schedule. They’ve got USC, Arizona, Washington and Oregon State ahead of them. There is no guarantee that Oregon will make it out of this weekend, let alone this season, undefeated. The Pac-10 is troublesome that way.

And I don’t think Auburn is all that, frankly. They are good. They are not great. Cam Newton is great.  Cam Newton deserves the Heisman. Auburn allowed Arkansas’ backup QB to hang 43 points on them. They won a squeaker in OT against Clemson. They did not dominate a very overrated LSU team in any way.

Auburn allows 23.5 points per game, 53rd in the country. No team has ever won the BCS championship allowing 20 points or more per game.  Only two teams have ever played for the BCS title with a defensive scoring average of more than 20 points: 58th-ranked Oklahoma in 2008 and 35th-ranked USC in 2005. Oklahoma in 2008 and USC in 2005 averaged roughly 50 points per game on offense.  Oklahoma and USC lost those BCS championship games.

Oregon , on the other hand, has gone in and decimated its opponents. It has won the way a team with championship aspirations should win. Completely. Thoroughly. They have left no doubt amongst their competitors or amongst the human pollsters. Oregon sits at #1 in both the AP and Coaches poll. In fact, the Ducks have 44 first place votes in the AP. Boise State sits at #2 with 11 and Auburn at #3 with 3.

I just get sick of SEC this, SEC that, blah blah. Arguably, the Pac-10 THIS YEAR is deeper than the SEC. The SEC East is a fucking disaster and LSU is overrated which leaves… Alabama. And Auburn.  Who will lose to Alabama in the Iron Bowl.
It’s not that I doubt or question the quality of SEC ball, it’s the SEC attitude that wears on my last damn nerve.  The pervasive overall sense is “We deserve this because we’re in the SEC.” Now I REALIZE the irony of a USC Alum saying that, but I never claimed not to be Arrogant.

Also I should probably stay out of the comment sections on certain sports sites as they just annoy me.

I have no answers for this conundrum. The BCS is not a fair determiner of NCAA Division 1’s football champion. It’s been broken from the start, and tweaks along the way have not made it better.

Of course there is the argument that Boise State’s schedule is so weak that they don’t deserve inclusion. And I understand that thought, I do. But it is a dangerous thought to have. If Boise State wins out, and thoroughly decimates their competition the way they should – well does their inclusion in a non AQ conference deny them the right to play for the BCS title?

Sadly, I do tend to think it does. And I don’t believe that is fair. The BCS sucks.  A playoff is needed. But good LORD the logistics of figuring that out… Good Luck.

It has been interesting to me, how fired up I am about the BCS on Oregon and Boise State’s behalf , in a year when USC is not a factor. That tells me one thing: The system is fucked. It favors the SEC regardless of other team’s records. True the SEC has won the last four titles. But that is the past. The BCS needs to operate in the present.

And in 2010, the Pac-10 is the strongest conference.

(I know this rant is not going to win me any fans south of the Mason Dixon line. So be it. There are enough SEC fans and supporters anyway. I am trying to drum up some love and respect for the Pac-10!)

Hey! Are you following me on Twitter?

College Football Is The Best.

I mean where else do you get consecutive upsets of the #1 team in the nation, dormant teams waking up in the most delightful of ways, unranked opponents taking ranked opponents by surprise in double overtime and spoilers spoilers spoilers galore?!

I had a blast in the USC Press Box, due in large part to how awesome my Trojans looked Saturday (and all the free Diet Coke I could drink didn’t hurt), but I will get to that in it’s own post a bit later.

For now we need to talk Gamecocks vs Wildcats, Buckeyes vs Badgers, Beavers vs Huskies, Warriors vs The Wolf Pack and Bulldogs vs Gators.

Kentucky 31 – South Carolina 28

As I said on Friday South Carolina vs Kentucky was ripe for an upset. The Gamecocks, coming off beating defending National Champion Alabama could be suffering a hangover. And Kentucky, well it’s football team seems to exist solely to play spoiler in the SEC.  Kentucky has made a career of beating conference foes it has no business beating and spoiling their big seasons.   South Carolina was up 28-10 at halftime and all reports were that the Gamecocks were not experiencing the typical post big win let down. In the second half, however, Kentucky went on a run, while South Carolina was shut down. Kentucky won, 31-28.  CHAOS!

Wisconsin 31 – Ohio State 18

When Alabama was dethroned last week from the top spot in the polls, the  Buckeyes of Ohio State were elevated to #1. And then they took a trip to play the Badgers at Camp Randall in Madison. What happened there can really only be described as an ambush. The Buckeyes were out-played, period. And I don’t think they were expecting that at ALL. They went into Madison thinking they were the superior team. The Badgers so flustered them by dominating on both sides of the ball right from the start when David Gilreath returned the opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown. No one expected Wisconsin to have a chance in this game. And that was probably Ohio State’s undoing. The Buckeyes were so flustered that normally unflappable Jim Tressel called a two point conversion. He just doesn’t do that. Wisconsin broke a three game-losing streak to Ohio State in easily the biggest victory in recent memory. In the end, Wisconsin prevailed 31-18 and began a celebration that I bet is STILL going on in Madison tonight.

Washington 35 – Oregon State 34 (2 OT)

Oh Pac-10, thy name is CHAOS. Own it. Last night, an old college friend of mine posted as her Facebook status:

Julie is watching Oregon St.-Washington but not rooting for either team. Should I care about who wins?

Well, you know I chimed in, right? How could I resist? I am, after all, the Gridiron Goddess

Amy: Because it looks bad for the pac-10 when our higher ranked teams lose to lower ranked or unranked teams. OR St beat AZ who was higher ranked than them. WA beat USC when we were ranked. WA lost to unranked ASU who almost upset WI  at WI when WI just beat the #1 team in the nation. Chaos reigns in college football and in the Pac-10 in particular but the end result is fewer ranked teams, only 1 bcs bowl bid (most of time) and less respect for the conference.

And

Amy: Plus we already lost to UW. So when we beat AZ and Oregon State (if WAS wins), it just  doesn’t mean anything as those schools lost to the same team we lost to.

All of that said, God Damn that was one hell of an exciting game. Back and forth and back and forth and DOUBLE FUCKING OVERTIME. Washington got out to an early lead of 21-0 mid-way through the second quarter before Oregon State’s high octane offense kicked in and evened things up.  Things really heated up in the second overtime with the Huskies’ defense on the field after QB Jake Locker hit Jermaine Kearse with a 21-yard TD strike for a 35-28 lead. The Huskies thought the game was over when Beaver QB Ryan Katz’s fourth-down pass to John Reese was incomplete.

The Huskies stormed the field, only then to realize a late flag was for pass interference against Desmond Trufant. Twitter went nuts with the lateness of this call; but replays showed the Husky defender was clearly in the wrong. Just because it was a late call doesn’t mean it was the wrong call.

Quizz Rodgers then scored from the 2 on the next play to pull Oregon State to 35-34. Beavers coach Mike Riley called timeout, prompting the Twitterverse to joke that he was icing his own kicker.  Riley called for a two point conversion. But when you attempt a two point conversion it helps if the ball stays in your hands. Ryan Katz’s pass fell out of Joe Halahuni’s hands as he was hit by linebacker Cort Dennison. Washington had pulled out another victory.

Hawaii 27 – Nevada 21

The University of Nevada had been garnering quite a bit of buzz for its prowess on the football field. Sure, they play in the largely underwhelming WAC, but they went in and beat Cal earlier in the season 52-31 (Of course Cal’s performance Saturday puts that quality win into perspective) and they beat BYU 27-13 (and BYU has since utterly fallen apart with a 2-5 record).  Nevada has looked impressive behind QB Colin Kaepernick and the Wolf Pack was ranked for the first time in a couple of decades. There was “BCS spoiler” talk starting to brew in certain Wolf Pack alum circles, and if they ran the table, why not?  Couldn’t Nevada play alongside perennial BCS Busters Boise State and TCU?

Well, let’s talk about their trip to Honolulu before we answer that question. Nevada arrived at Aloha Stadium ranked #19 and undefeated.  Hawaii QB Bryant Moniz threw for three s TDs, connecting with Kealoha Pilares for two scores. But the game was really over (Let’s face it, this post is long enough and we still have Florida’s demise to talk about) when Nevada’s Kaepernick threw an interception on the Wolf Pack’s  final drive sealing their first loss of the season. Kaepernick  turned the ball over four times (two fumbles, two INTs). You can’t win the game when you lose the turnover battle.

Nevada has lost six straight at Hawaii. Good thing they are leaving the WAC for the MWC next season, the Warriors won’t be able to play spoiler to their season again unless they are scheduled as an out of conference foe. And I can’t imagine Nevada wanting to do that.

For the record, I do think Nevada is a good team. But it is not Boise State and it is not TCU and in fact, I think Nevada would get it’s ass handed to them if they played the Pac-10 teams or the Big 12 teams or the SEC teams, etc.  Their schedule does not favor them making an argument for being a BCS buster. The move to the Mountain West helps a bit, but remember, the prima donna of the MWC, Utah, will be a part of the Pac-12 next year.

Mississippi State 10 – Florida 7

Low scoring games are so flipping boring. I am glad I did not have to watch this one. Wow. Florida lost for the third time in a row, folks. Urban Meyer must be apoplectic. I am sure Florida fans are besides themselves. After all, it was only a week ago that I wrote about how hard it is for a team and its fans to readjust their thinking after a decade of dominance. But let’s get real, this Tim Tebow-less Florida team has none of the glamour and flash that it had with him under center. Mississippi State scored 10 points in the first quarter. The second quarter was scoreless. Florida scored seven in the third quarter. The fourth quarter was scoreless.  The Gators attempted a late field goal which sailed wide right.

See what I mean?  Florida, possibly even more than USC, is suffering from an identity crisis right now. Who are they without Tim Tebow?  I don’t think they quite know yet. (Ironically, Tebow scored his first NFL TD today.) I would also like to point out that the two loss Florida team that took on Mississippi State on Saturday was ranked 22. They lost. The two loss USC team that walloped Cal, was, and still is, unranked.

Mississippi State  dictated the pace of the game and kept the Gators’ largely incompetent offense off the field.

Let’s take a look at some facts:

• The Gators lost consecutive home games for the first time since 2003.
• This is the first time Florida has dropped three in a row since the Steve Spurrier era.
• With three consecutive losses Urban Meyer has accomplished something that former coach Ron Zook never did – and Mississippi State’s 2004 victory over Florida led directly to Zook’s firing.

Irony, it is alive and well in the SEC.  This win was the Bulldog’s first victory in Gainesville since 1965.

“We’re not very good right now,” said Meyer. And while that might be the understatement of the weekend, somehow this bumbling Florida team still controls its destiny in the SEC’s Eastern Division.

CHAOS people. CHAOS. It is what makes College Football so damn fun. This weekend was extra doses of fun. Up next: My recap of the Press Box experience at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Two weeks in a row the #1 team in the country has fallen. This week AP #1 takes on UCLA on Thursday night. BCS #1 Oklahoma takes on #11 Mizzou. I’m gonna say Missouri has a better than average chance at taking out the Sooners. Oregon should be #1 in the BCS, but because they are a Pac-10 team and the BCS is firmly biased against the Pac-10, well… that is a rant for another day.

-Your Gridiron Goddess

There are some interesting goings on in College Football this weekend, Football Fiends.  Besides my Press Pass, there are a number of cool match ups.

South Carolina vs Kentucky should be interesting.  Kentucky almost beat Auburn last weekend. Only a field goal as time expired elevated the Tigers above the Wildcats. South Carolina upset the former #1 and defending national champions Alabama in a stunner of a game. South Carolina might have just a bit of swagger and confidence from that historic win. Kentucky might be just angry enough at last week’s near miss to take it out on the Gamecocks. I am going with South Carolina in my picks, but I would not be surprised if Kentucky pulled this one off.

Both Florida and USC are coming off two losses in a row, something neither program is used to. How it will affect their morale is yet to be seen. Florida faces Mississippi State in an SEC battle.  Both teams are 4-2. Florida is the more talented and should prevail.

Cal is coming into the Coliseum off a big win versus UCLA. USC meets Cal coming off two losses. Five seconds and two plays are all that separate these Trojans from being undefeated. Cal QB Kevin Reilly is not the most impressive of passers which is good news for USC’s weak against the pass defense. This will be a GAME, it almost always is when Cal and USC face off. I expect USC to pull the win out here to head into their bye week before facing the dreaded Ducks of Oregon on October 30th.

Oregon State, fresh off an upset of Arizona, heads into its game versus Washington with a curiously small point-spread of -1.5.  James Rodgers is out for the Beavers – he blew his knee out. But Jacquizz is still there, and we all know how devastatingly quick and wily he can be against defenses. This is the Pac-1o and it is a competitive conference, but Oregon State is a team on the verge of greatness while Washington is a decent team that gets lucky.  In my opinion, of course.

Now, onto my picks for week 7:

USC over Cal

Miami over Duke

Pitt over Syracuse

Georgia over Vandy

South Carolina over Kentucky

Florida over Mississippi State

Alabama over Ole Miss

Oklahoma over Iowa State

FSU over BC

Iowa over Michigan

Oregon State over Washington

Arizona over Washington State

Texas A&M over Missouri

Arkansas over Auburn

Nevada over Hawaii

Utah over Wyoming

-Your Gridiron Goddess

Getting it in just under the wire!!! FOOTBALL SEASON STARTS TOMORROW! OMG, Thank You gods of football for seeing us all safely through another long, long, long offseason.

The 2010 Pac-10 Preview: Conclusion

by Gridiron Goddess

WASHINGTON STATE COUGARS

Washington State. (What you can’t see is me shaking my head.) Well, I am not the first writer/blogger/fan to say this: They cannot get any worse. They really really can’t. There are 120 FBS football teams and last season the Cougars ranked 119^th in total offense and 120^th in total defense. Pitiful doesn’t even begin to describe the team they fielded last year in Pullman.

Last year’s Wazzou offensive line gave up 53 sacks.  I’m thinking sophomore QB Jeff Tuel has to be suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome from all the times he went down last year. They did win ONE game last season, so I suppose the Cougars COULD get worse this year, but that is just beside the point.  It has to get better for Alumnus and Coach Paul Wulff. He took over in December 2007 and this year’s team will FINALLY contain players he recruited.

All eyes will be on Washington State this year, will this be the year the pathetic program finally turns around and contends for at least the middle of the Pac-10 pack?

Not this year. Look for Wazzou to improve a bit on both sides of the ball, but still finish dead last in the Pac-10.

Washington State opens its season at Oklahoma State on Saturday, September 4^th.

ARIZONA STATE SUN DEVILS

Dennis Erickson would appear to be on the hot seat, wouldn’t he? I mean he has all this talent, and each year the Sun Devils are SUPPOSED to contend for the Pac-10 crown and then… they fall apart. They implode. They self-destruct. (Shall I twist the knife in a little further Pat? Remember 1987? USC 55 – ASU 0. But I digress …)  Surely Erickson’s Sun Devils will have to improve on last year’s 4-8 record for his job to be secure.

This offseason, one of ASU’s issues was at quarterback. As in, who would the Sun Devil starting QB be. They waited until August 31^st to name Michigan transfer Steven Threet the 2010 starting QB. Threet started eight games at Michigan in 2008 before transferring. Coach Erickson has not ruled out sophomore Brock Oseweiler seeing playing time at QB. Now doesn’t that just make you want to strangle him ASU Fans? Stop being so wishy-washy, pick a QB, pick a game plan and fricking STICK WITH IT. Erickson doesn’t seem able to just stick with a plan at ASU and that lack of consistency has been apparent in the on field results.

But hey- Threet also seems to suffer from this disease of indecision. ASU is his third school. He spent the Spring of 2007 at Georgia Tech before transferring to Michigan in 2008. At Michigan he was the leading passer in 2008, but he was not a good match for RichRod’s offense. So maybe this will be a match  made in heaven. A union of commitment-phobes.

My prediction is that only Wazzou will finish lower in the Pac-10 than Arizona State. And next season the Sun Devils will have a new coach.

Arizona State opens their season at home against Portland State on Saturday, September 4^th.

UCLA BRUINS

Rick Neuheisel (and his big giant forehead) enters his third season as head coach of that team in Westwood. Their 2009 offense was ranked 88^th in the nation. But let’s not forget this is a team that has been beset by QB injuries so severe it is almost comical. (OK, Let’s be honest, it IS comical for Trojan fans.) Even this season is not without injury, as QB Kevin Prince has a torn back muscle from camp that is still on the mend. Neuheisel and former SC assistant coach Norm Chow are installing their version of the Pistol offense in Westwood this season, which should prove to be a good move for the Bruins.  Prince will be backed up by sophomore Richard Brehaut with junior college transfer Darius Bell sitting on the third string. Bell is a more athletic QB who seems to be what UCLA needs for their new offense. Anyway, the point is, remember when UCLA lost two QBs in one pre-season practice? They’ve learned from that, and it shouldn’t happen again this year.

UCLA’s version of the Pistol offense is the Revolver, which looks to make use of a revolving QB plan – at least in the opener against Kansas State. Depth on the O-Line will be an issue for the Bruins with some academic ineligibility and injury issues hitting their bench. Oh and don’t forget the player (Xavier Su-a-Filo) who is on a LDS Mission. The starting five must stay healthy or Prince is in trouble.

On another note, UCLA has new road jerseys this year. Gone is the effeminate powder blue, replaced with navy blue (the stripes and numbers).

I’m thinking its a 7 win season for the Bruins.

UCLA opens its season at Kansas State on Saturday, September 4^th.

CAL GOLDEN BEARS

Well Cal opens their season against powerhouse UC Davis, so that tells us a lot. I’m sorry, but I have no patience for big teams that schedule cupcakes. And plenty FBS teams do. (SEC I am looking at you. Try scheduling Ohio State instead of Louisiana-Monroe for f’s sake. But I digress… again…) Anyway, back to Cal.  Cal’s QB is Kevin Riley and he is the key to their success. When Riley is on, Cal wins. When Riley is off, Cal falls apart. And consistency has never been Kevin Riley’s strong suit.  Wide receiver was one of the weak spots on last year’s team and was a big factor in Riley’s lack of consistency.  True freshman wideout Keenan Allen could go a long way towards bringing some much needed consistency to Riley’s offense. Allen is the most highly-rated recruit Coach Tedford has ever had.

Of course, Cal’s running game has a huge hole where first round draft pick Javid Best used to run his plays. Shane Vereen is another running back out of Berkeley who looks to fill Best’s shoes for the Golden Bears.

Cal also has some mental weak spots. They were blown out five times last season and when they get too far down, the mistakes grow even greater and build upon each other until they have a near disaster on their hands. This also speaks to some offensive consistency. That WILL go a long way to healing what ails Tedford’s Golden Bears.

Defensively, Cal was decent against the run in 2009, but struggled against the pass. Cal has one of the best linebackers in the Pac-10 in Mike Mohamed, but the other three LB spots in the Bears’ 3-4 D are green. Time will tell, I suppose.

Cal opens the season at home against UC Davis on Saturday, September 4^th.

WASHINGTON HUSKIES

Make no mistake, USC will be out for revenge on October 2^nd at the Coliseum. Last season’s shocking loss to the Huskies at the hands of former USC Assistant Coach Steve Sarkisian HURT, y’all.  But that aside, let’s give Coach Sark a big round of applause. In 2008, UDub went 0-12 and last season they went 5-7, which by any other standard would not be a good season but after the slide into the depths of suckitude the Huskies had been on for a number of years, 5-7 was something to celebrate.

We will know soon if the 2010 Huskies will be an even better team as they open their season at BYU. Talk about trial by fire. But then, Washington is not one to schedule patsies even in their down years.

QB Jake Locker is making a run for the Heisman and the hype alone should do a lot to elevate this Husky team and make them hungry for wins. The team returns all five starters on the offensive line – led by all-conference candidate Jermaine Karse. Sophomore Chris Polk started last year at tailback, wide receiver and defensive back and was the first freshman in school history to rush for more than 1,000 yards.  All reports on the Husky defense are that they were a pleasant surprise in training camp.

2008 was rough and had Coach Sark not gotten in there and turned it significantly around, things could have been bleak for years for the Huskies. After last season, they know how to win. And last season many of their seven losses came by just a few points. This year, they will know how to close the gap and the Huskies should be bowl eligible for the first time since 2002 at season’s end.

Washington opens its season at BYU on Saturday, September 4^th.

The 2010 Big 12 Preview

Football Fiends, College Football Season starts in 48 hours and I have simply run out of time. (And frankly, I have to admit to a severe amount of ambivalence about the Big 12.) My apologies to Big 12 fans, but here’s the thing:

Texas will win the conference.

And that concludes your 2010 Big 12 preview here at Gridiron Goddess. I’ll tell you what, in 2011, we’ll do the Big 12 FIRST. Deal?

-Your Gridiron Goddess

Oh No Romo (soon to be a regular Harem of the Goddess member on this site!) is back!

Now for the Part 2 extravaganza that is, the Big East preview.

Pittsburgh

So they didn’t win a Big East title and Dave Wannstedt is still coach. People always make mediocrity seem like a bad thing. It’s not as awful as people think it is.

I remember meeting Dave Wannstedt once, during his tenure as the coach for Chicago. Or at least I thought it was him. He sure did look like Wanny.

At least they got Dion Lewis. This guy can run (Grudenism). And he’ll run the Panthers through the Big East treadmill.

It’s a bit of a rough start for the Panthers though. They open on the road against Utah on September 2. After New Hampshire, they face the U on September 23. They need to take at least two of those three games. Yeah it’s early in the season, but it’s never good to start a season 1-2.

Louisville

Louisville fans might want to buy this because I don’t foresee the Cardinals winning a Big East title this season. Then again, the Pitino Extortion trial is probably causing these tissue boxes to fly off the shelves.

When you’re projected to finish last in the Big East, it’s not going to go well. But who knows, maybe they can rise above the expectations and clinch a Orange Bowl berth. That was tough to say with a straight face.

I leave this question for Louisville fans. Do you miss Bobby Petrino? Better question, should anybody pony up an iPad for Charlie Strong, if he guides the Cardinals to a seven-win season?

Rutgers

This seems obligatory, but it isn’t. Greg Schiano has brought relevance to New Jersey’s top football college. He’s guided the Scarlet Knights to three straight bowl game victories.

However, Rutgers seems to have a problem. Pittsburgh has been landing recruits from New Jersey. Schiano shouldn’t be letting Wanny into Scarlet Knight territory.

Sadly, this won’t get turned into an intense issue. It’s not like we’ll see an epic war go on between the two. Although, Rutgers has won four of the last five meetings between the two teams.

That said, how did Rutgers go their first 22 seasons without a head coach? I didn’t even know teams could exist without head coaches. It amazes me, the things I learn.

South Florida

It’s a new era at USF and Skip Holtz is leading the way. The Jim Leavitt administration has left the building and now the Holtz Express is looking to bring “Sexyback” to Tampa. They’ll do so without this guy at quarterback.

Before you crap your pants and freak out that USF doesn’t have a quarterback with a Mohawk, they do have someone in store for the season.

You might know him as B.J. Daniels. Daniels played most of the previous season and showed promise. He brought it in the air and on the ground, leading the team in rushing. Daniels has experience going into this season. Maybe he can make Holtz’s first season as USF head coach a fun one.

This is the end of my dance around the Big East. Although we didn’t cover basketball, allusions (or so I think) were made. I do recommend that you “Use Your Allusion.”

Folks, what would Your Gridiron Goddess do without her fellow football addicted pal Oh No Romo? Well, she would go insane, and you would not get ALL BCS Conferences previewed this year. So many many thanks go out to Oh No Romo and let’s all send him a bunch of virtual beer, OK?

Ahh yes, the Big East! Oh how I love you, Big East.  I can’t think of a better way to spend my Monday night than to watch Big Monday on ESPN. My favorite part is when Bill Raftery says ONIONS!

Wait a minute! We’re talking about basketball right? Crap damn it! This is turning into a disappointing day.

What’s so special about Big East football? They don’t even have Miami to dominate the conference anymore. Who’s actually good in the Big East?

Syracuse

No Greg Paulus? No problem! Ryan Nassib is going to guide the Orange to a conference championship and be hailed in the form of statues on campus and folk songs, right?  I wouldn’t count on it, but who knows.

This will be Nassib’s first chance to shine. In a backup role last season, the soon-to-be sophomore passed for 422 yards and three touchdowns in eight games.

Of course, quarterback might not be the Orange’s biggest problem.  In fact, Delonte Carter and Averin Collier both face the possibility of not playing in the 2010 season. Carter is facing misdemeanor assault charges and Collier is facing academic ineligibility. This is still a game of running the football, after all.

Connecticut

Let me start out by saying that this guy is crazy. The idea that UCONN can go undefeated seems unlikely. Then again, they do have teams on their schedule like Buffalo and Texas Southern. So anything is possible, I suppose.

That said, I do think there’s a lot of potential with this UCONN team. They’re a team with eight starters returning on both sides of the ball, including quarterback Zach Fraser.

The redshirt senior split time with Cody Endres last season and will most likely do so this season. One concern for UCONN is their receiving game. They lost their top receiver, Marcus Easley, to graduation.

We should have a better idea on what to expect from this UCONN team when they head to the Big House to take on Michigan, Sept. 4.

Cincinnati

No Tony Pike, no Mardy Gilyard, no Brian Kelly. These three reasons alone are enough to make Cincy Bearcat fans turn their focus to their pro counterparts, the Bengals. Fear not CatBear fans! Quarterback Zach Collaros is on the Davey O’Brien award watch list.

The junior did get playing time behind Pike, last season. Collaros passed for 1434 yards and 10 touchdowns in 12 games, last season.

As for coach, well the Bearcats picked up the guy who replaced Kelly at Central Michigan, Butch Jones (great name by the way!) I suggest you read this story on Jones. It’s definitely a good one.

As for receiver, they did lose Gilyard, but they still have Armon Binns for his senior season. Binns was fifth in the conference in receiving yards and tied for first with Gilyard for receiving touchdowns. The potential is there for Cincy to make another run. And they won’t have to run into Tim Tebow in a bowl game.

West Virginia

Can senior Noel Devine take the Mountaineers to the top of the mountain? If he rushes for 1400 yards and more than 10 touchdowns this season, then it’s certainly a possibility. Devine in fact stayed for his senior season to improve on his skills.

As for quarterback, it will be Geno Smith’s offense to run. The sophomore did see action, last season. He played the most against rival, Marshall.  In the game, Smith took over for an injured Jarrett Brown and threw a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to put the Thundering Herd away.

This season could be one of growing pains for Smith. However, with a solid running back in Devine behind him, the process should be a bit smoother than usual.

This concludes part 1 of the Big East preview. I’ll try to keep it all together for part 2.

Oh No Romo returns with part 2 of our Big Ten preview.

Purdue Boilermakers

The Boilermakers started a new era under a man named Hope. Unfortunately, a 5-7 record doesn’t always bring unicorns and ice cream cones to West Lafayette.

If there is a silver lining for the Boilermakers it’s that five of those seven losses were by seven points or less. This includes a two-point loss to the eventual Pac-10 champs, Oregon. And they did score key wins over Ohio State, Michigan and Illinois.

Miami transfer Robert Marve will be at the starting helm for Purdue. There’s no doubt that pressure will be on him. Because we all have to realize that Curtis Painter is not walking through that door (which is probably a good thing).

Illinois Fighting Illini

Okay so we’re probably still living in the glory days of our Rose Bowl season of several years ago. But I see a lot of potential. Aww, who am I kidding! We’re due for a four-win season this year. Which raises the question of why Ron Zook is still on the sidelines in Champaigne?

For the record, I don’t know. I do know that all eyes will be on Nathan Scheelhaase. The redshirt freshmen will be starting at quarterback for the Illini this year. He’s got the speed obviously, but does he have the arm. If he doesn’t, Eddie McGee is waiting on the sidelines. I’m still undecided on whether that is good or not.

The Illini open the season against Missouri. If they lose to their “arch-rival” again, then it will not be a pretty season for me to watch Illini football.

Minnesota Golden Gophers

So who likes the idea of Minnesota football being played outdoors? Me, me! Football should be played outdoors in Minnesota (take the hint Minnesota Vikings). The Gophers biggest win at home last season was against Michigan State. But they fell short against Illinois and Wisconsin.

Could this be the year that it all comes together for Minnesota? It all depends on quarterback Adam Weber. The senior had a down year, last season, passing for 2500 yards with 13 touchdowns and 15 interceptions. Weber attributes that to having shoulder surgery after his sophomore season.

Weber told the Star Tribune that he had lost some confidence during his junior season. Don’t worry though because Weber has said that he’s better this year and even took part in Manning Camp. This camp included Washington’s Jake Locker, Houston’s Case Keenum and Ohio State’s Terrelle Pryor. There’s no word on if they gathered around a camp fire, ate s’mores and told scary benching stories. My guess is Peyton Manning told the Curtis Painter story.

(Gridiron Goddess: USC @ MN September 18th. You’re going DOWN Golden Gophers!)

Northwestern Wildcats

I mentioned Illinois as being one of my favorites. Well Northwestern has always been a favorite of mine. I pick them over the Illini for football. That said, it was great to see Northwestern get to their first January Bowl Game since 1996, when they lost to a certain somebody’s USC team.

Despite losing to Auburn in the Outback Bowl, the Wildcats look great and are ready to make themselves a threat in the Big Ten. They’ve already been marketing themselves as “Chicago’s Big Ten Team.”

Pat Fitzgerald has done an excellent job as head coach of Northwestern. He’s done a lot for this program in a short period of time. I hope Fitzgerald stays for a long time and brings this program to heights that have never been reached before.

Indiana Hoosiers

What do you say about an Indiana team that only won one Big Ten game last season? They beat Illinois, by the way. I’m trying to figure out what to say.

If this was 2008, I could talk about how Indiana had made it to their first bowl game in almost 15 years and how things might be on the up and up despite the death of Terry Hoeppner before the 2007 season.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. They did however lose three close conference games, in which they had the lead going into the fourth quarter. They lost to Northwestern on a last second field goal and to Michigan with a Tate Forcier touchdown late.

The third loss was to the Iowa Hawkeyes, who they had a 10-point lead over going into the fourth quarter. Maybe things can go their way this season and the Hoosiers can win those close games.

For the eyes, they will be focused on senior quarterback Ben Chappell, who is on the Unitas Golden Arm watchlist. Hopefully Indiana can get out of this rut that they’re stuck in, but who knows at this point and time.

Now you are probably wondering why Nebraska isn’t included in this. They aren’t in the conference yet. So you will just have to wait for the Big 12 preview.