The Big East had a lot to prove this season after all the talk last season as to whether they should keep their automatic bid. So far, they have not lived up to the talk of last season and they are going to continue to get kicked around until they prove it.

This article is just the start of the Big East slam fest. The media loves to kick around people and you know they are going to have an absolute field day with the Big East come BCS bowl season and the champ, who in their opinion, is not highly ranked. There are many reporters with axes to grind, including those from mid-major towns.

Leonardo Wrote:The Big East is in jeopardy of falling behind the non-BCS Mountain West Conference as the sixth-highest rated league.

And still nobody outside of the Rockies will care about the Mtn West.

Cat's_Claw Wrote:Better to be an afterthought then no thought of at all.

I think everyone in the Big East FB league are serious enough about their BCS slot to commit whatever resources it takes to keep it. Just because they're down this year don't mean they'll stay that way. West Virginia finally has an open road to a BCS game. If they get the BE title they'll capitalize on it. Rodriguez is a very good coach. I think Louisville is one more Bob Petrino clandestine interview from slipping back off their current level.

The problem is that other Big East programs appear shaky. Syracuse appears to have serious problems, along with Cincinatti. S. Fla. will be about as up and down as they were in their brief time in CUSA. UCONN is the one that intrigues me. They're unique in the Northeast. They're the only game in town, no pro teams to compete with, at least locally. They already have a huge name recognition thru basketball and a new state of the art stadium. As the Big East proved before, 2 good teams is all it takes. They had Va Tech and Miami. They weren't that good most years below them.

They have the one built in advantage that is hard to beat. The huge # of TV sets in their footprint. That is why CUSA is destined to be the league nipping at their heels in the ratings. We have more teams in major markets than the MWC, MAC, Sunbelt, or WAC.

robiwon Wrote:

Leonardo Wrote:The Big East is in jeopardy of falling behind the non-BCS Mountain West Conference as the sixth-highest rated league.

And still nobody outside of the Rockies will care about the Mtn West.

Well, judging from the size of most CUSA crowds not many people care about your league either. Anyway, if the MWC surpasses the Big Least on the field the BCS will have to let us in or risk lawsuits, government intervention, and further ridicule such as this article.

ultraviolet Wrote:

Cat's_Claw Wrote:Better to be an afterthought then no thought of at all.

I think everyone in the Big East FB league are serious enough about their BCS slot to commit whatever resources it takes to keep it. Just because they're down this year don't mean they'll stay that way. West Virginia finally has an open road to a BCS game. If they get the BE title they'll capitalize on it. Rodriguez is a very good coach. I think Louisville is one more Bob Petrino clandestine interview from slipping back off their current level.

The problem is that other Big East programs appear shaky. Syracuse appears to have serious problems, along with Cincinatti. S. Fla. will be about as up and down as they were in their brief time in CUSA. UCONN is the one that intrigues me. They're unique in the Northeast. They're the only game in town, no pro teams to compete with, at least locally. They already have a huge name recognition thru basketball and a new state of the art stadium. As the Big East proved before, 2 good teams is all it takes. They had Va Tech and Miami. They weren't that good most years below them.

They have the one built in advantage that is hard to beat. The huge # of TV sets in their footprint. That is why CUSA is destined to be the league nipping at their heels in the ratings. We have more teams in major markets than the MWC, MAC, Sunbelt, or WAC.

The best thing CUSA has going for it is UTEP and I'm willing to bet that the promise of BCS membership will be enough to convince them to jump with us...if we decide to invite them.

Leonardo Wrote:The best thing CUSA has going for it is UTEP and I'm willing to bet that the promise of BCS membership will be enough to convince them to jump with us...if we decide to invite them.

You realize that one of the weaker C-USA west teams beat the best of the MWC. I wouldn't go running around saying the MWC is great either.

KNIGHTTIME Wrote:

Leonardo Wrote:The best thing CUSA has going for it is UTEP and I'm willing to bet that the promise of BCS membership will be enough to convince them to jump with us...if we decide to invite them.

You realize that one of the weaker C-USA west teams beat the best of the MWC. I wouldn't go running around saying the MWC is great either.

Well, I don't expect to win any arguments here. I'll only submit that the proof will be in the pudding.

Leonardo Wrote:Well, I don't expect to win any arguments here. I'll only submit that the proof will be in the pudding.

The BCS isn't going to invite anyone. The only thing is to take it down. UTEP isn't heading for the mountains either.

I wouldn't be shocked to see the MWC and C-USA pass the Big East. C-USA is in a good position with our media markets, recruiting locations, T.V revenue, bowls, etc. We are the leading candidate if someone gets invited (which will not happen)

Leonardo Wrote:

robiwon Wrote:

Leonardo Wrote:The Big East is in jeopardy of falling behind the non-BCS Mountain West Conference as the sixth-highest rated league.

And still nobody outside of the Rockies will care about the Mtn West.

Well, judging from the size of most CUSA crowds not many people care about your league either. Anyway, if the MWC surpasses the Big Least on the field the BCS will have to let us in or risk lawsuits, government intervention, and further ridicule such as this article.

Man this thread is hilarious.

1. The MWC is in no position right now to pass the Big East. Case in point the 3 criteria on the BCS AQ standards.

a. If case you did not know the Big East with the help of using UofL, UC and USF rankings and being able to drop Temple and BC rankings was the NUMBER 5 Conference in 2004 in regards to the computer rankings. The Big 10 was the number 6.

b. In case you did not know the Big East with the help of UofL BCS Ranking of the number 5 current BCS Conference in regards to highest BCS Rankings. Again the Big 10 was 6th with Iowa final BCS Ranking of 12.

c. The Big East had 2 teams in 2004 in the Final BCS Rankings. They were only 1 behind the 10 team Pac 10 who had 3 in the Final BCS Rankings.

The only instance that the MWC had finished higher then the Big East was the Highest Ranked team with Utah at number 6 and Louisville at number 10. Other then that the Big East pretty much smoked the MWC even if you count Boise State and Fresno. I agree with you, UTEP is not going anywhere. Too much bad blood between them and the current MWC schools.

Now in 2005, it is very clear that the Big East even in it's down state is still the number 6 league in the Nation. The two top schools in the Big East if they do what they are suppose to do will end up ranked with one in the Top 10 and the other in the Top 15. Both have a easy road here on out.

I look back and see a tough WV team during the years of Don Nehlan. I knew their was a good chance of them beating the Ville in mountaineer land.
They are getting better as the year progresses.
Top to bottom the BE is stronger than C USA.
Top two or three is much closer.
I would like to see the top two CUSA and Mac football schools go to the BE.
Then take the top four of each Conf and start a new league.
This Conf would be voted in as a new BCS Conf.
For the BCS to survive they must ad 1 more Conf.

KNIGHTTIME Wrote:

Leonardo Wrote:Well, I don't expect to win any arguments here.  I'll only submit that the proof will be in the pudding.

The BCS isn't going to invite anyone. The only thing is to take it down. UTEP isn't heading for the mountains either.

I wouldn't be shocked to see the MWC and C-USA pass the Big East. C-USA is in a good position with our media markets, recruiting locations, T.V revenue, bowls, etc. We are the leading candidate if someone gets invited (which will not happen)

By next year the C-USA will surpass the MWC as the number 7 league for a couple of reason:

1. Location, Location, Location. Most of the C-USA schools are in very fertile recruiting grounds.

2. Much better bowls. BB really help you guys in getting both the Houston and keeping the Liberty Bowls.

3. Much better TV markets then the MWC. They are in the Mountain for God sakes.

As for the Big East we should see a better on field product next year. Every team in the Big East is extremely young but they have some nice young talent like Brohm at Louisville and Gwaltney and Slaton at WVU.

The Big East is the biggest joke in college football. I'm not talking in comparison to CUSA, I'm talking about college football as a whole. The Big East is currently a laughing stock. They are holding on to their BCS bid for dear life. They have only 8 teams that are either a fraction of their former selves (Pitt, Cuse, WVA), nobody cares about at all (USF, Cinn, UConn) or are one lost coach away from slipping back into obscurity (Rutgers, Louisville). With such a small conference, no championship game and a bunch of weak teams on a national level, the Big East doesn't deserve to be anywhere near that BCS bid.
This isn't just coming from the CUSA fans, but fans and followers of ALL of college football. The Big East is a joke.

I'm perfectly comfortable with our status in CUSA as a mid-major. Are Big East schools comfortable with their conference being the joke of college football?

my feeling is the same now as it was at the begining of the year... The BE is the #6 conf and is and will remain a member of the BCS. It is a club and they are a member... they wont get kicked out.. on the fb field... the MWC is a little ahead of CUSA right now.... that will not last long... maybe 1 more year.. over the long run... CUSA will be the best of the rest.. both on and off the field.... will that get us an auto bid... I doubt it.... if the BCS were to go to 7 we have 1 huge advantage over the MWC... market size... which is part of the new bcs considerations.... :stupid:

Leonardo Wrote:

KnightLight Wrote:The Big East is in jeopardy of falling behind the non-BCS Mountain West Conference as the sixth-highest rated league.

That is a very real possibility. The MWC can still add a lot of beef but there is nobody that the BE can add that is going to help much if at all. Actually the teams I've heard mentioned for future Big East membership would make that league look even weaker if they were added. I think that when it comes time for the evaluations the MWC will have easily surpassed the "Big Least".

I think your wrong in your evaluation of the potential teams for the BE vs MWC; the schools mentioned most for BE have very good potential, in fact maybe better than the MWC candidates. Both the BE and MWC candidates would benefit significantly IF the BC$ monies come into play. Also, the perceived (and real) superiority and strength of a BC$ league team would help them all over their former non BC$ mates. The potential members (BE and most likely MWC) already have decent facilities, or in the progress of upgrading. With the windfall of BC$ funds this would most likely escalate. The edge here is with the BE candidates because the money is already there imo.

The reason the BE candidates get an overall edge is recruitment. For the most part they are all in the hot bed of college talent, the southeastern USA, and are in large markets (most) and which are much more college oriented when it comes to football than the mountain states and western states. The national TV exposure is greater in the eastern and southeastern U.S. than in the Mountain and even western U.S.

I think if either league gets a boost with expansion, it would be the BE (with its BC$ money and the location (ultimate reason the BE is better positioned) of the new members).

Chemmie Wrote:They have only 8 teams that are either a fraction of their former selves (Pitt, Cuse, WVA), nobody cares about at all (USF, Cinn, UConn) or are one lost coach away from slipping back into obscurity (Rutgers, Louisville).

I didn't realize Rutgers ever left the obscurityville's city limits.

Tigercat, I think the big east is doomed as a football league. Even before Miami and the others left the league was considered weak compared to the other BCS leagues. The idea that Louisville could step up and be an Alabama or Michigan is absurd. Here is their problem. They are already getting a great deal of negative press. Last year Pitt was blown out in the Fiesta bowl. If their entry gets blown out again (which is likely) the complaints will turn into a roar. They cannot remain if they cannot compete.

I said this in 1998, and I'll say it now. The ONLY reason that the Big Least was EVER admitted into the BCS was Miami of Florida, and to a much lesser extent, VPI. They are now gone. Now all they have is a piece of paper keeping them in. Shoot, they had to BEND THE RULES to get credit for what Louisville did IN ANOTHER CONFERENCE.

Everyone knows that they don't deserve their status. Their champion ranked lower Coalition League champions on previous occasions (1998 and last year). That should tell you something.

And no, a bowl game or a national championship is not won by a conference, it's won by a team.

Sophandros Wrote:I said this in 1998, and I'll say it now.  The ONLY reason that the Big Least was EVER admitted into the BCS was Miami of Florida, and to a much lesser extent, VPI.  They are now gone.  Now all they have is a piece of paper keeping them in.  Shoot, they had to BEND THE RULES to get credit for what Louisville did IN ANOTHER CONFERENCE.

Everyone knows that they don't deserve their status.  Their champion ranked lower Coalition League champions on previous occasions (1998 and last year).  That should tell you something.

And no, a bowl game or a national championship is not won by a conference, it's won by a team.

Just a slight correction sir, the Big East is not the only league to have a BCS League Champion ranked lower then a Coalition League Champion more then once.

In 2000 and 2004 the Big 10 had the same problem and is in danger this year of having it happen again. It is very possible this year the Big East Champion will have a higher BCS ranking then the Big 10 Champion yet no one ever mentions this.

For the record in 2000 the Big 10 Champion Purdue was ranked 17th and TCU was ranked 14th.

In 2004 the Big 10 Champion Michigan was ranked 13th and you had 2 Coalition teams-(UofL ranking went to the Big East) that were ranked ahead of the Wolverines in Boise State and Utah.

Problem is Maize that there is no comparison between the current Big East and the leagues you mentioned.
Whoever you send to a BCS bowl better not get blown out. If they do the anti big east roar in the media will spell doom the Big east in terms of the autobid. If you cannot compete they need to open that slot up for competition. If it means anopther Big 12 or sec team then so be it.

TopCoug Wrote:Problem is Maize that there is no comparison between the current Big East and the leagues you mentioned.
Whoever you send to a BCS bowl better not get blown out. If they do the anti big east roar in the media will spell doom the Big east in terms of the autobid. If you cannot compete they need to open that slot up for competition. If it means anopther Big 12 or sec team then so be it.

Coog the ACC has not won a BCS game in 5 years.

Again no one mentions this.

I just state a simple correction and on a post.

No matter what the uproar the Big East is not going anywhere for the time being. You know this and I know this.

BTW I am still waiting for the 5 Million Dollar payout for the Big East Champ. Now if ND makes a BCS game that is all they will get for now on though.