Will QB Zach Collaros be able to lift Cincy back to national prominence? (Icon SMI)
On July 1, college football’s ‘seismic geographic shift’ took place. The Big 10 added Nebraska becoming a league of 12 teams, while the Pac 10 shifted to the Pac 12 with the addition of Colorado and Utah. The Mountain West has made significant changes as well. Major changes across the board except for in the little ole Big East (at least until 2012 when TCU joins the league). It seems that the conference is constantly trying to avoid being raided or downplaying rumors that it will be raided. The end may be near for the Big East, but the league continues to chug along. The theme for this season is change – new coaches at power programs and big stars onto the NFL – and how teams deal with that change could shape the final standings. Here is a look at the offensive side of the fantasy ball for the Big East in 2011:
Cincinnati – The Bearcats took a major step backwards as a program last season. Coming off back to back BCS bowl appearances, Butch Taylor‘s first year produced a 4-8 record and no bowl in 2010. Despite the change from Brian Kelly to Taylor, the offense was fairly productive. That is do in large part to QB Zach Collaros. The six foot senior is poised to improve on his huge 2010 season. Collaros led the Big East in passing yards and touchdowns thrown and showed that he isn’t afraid to get out of the pocket and run as well. His height and the amount of picks he throws (14 in 2010) may hurt his draft stock with NFL scouts, but he should be considered a top tier target by fantasy scouts. For Collaros to rack up big numbers again, he’ll need help from WR DJ Woods and RB Isiah Pead. Woods has some issues with fumbles and drops, but as a junior he caught 57 balls for just under 900 yards. The six foot senior should be the top target for Collaros and should be back on special teams as a returner. Pead, on the other hand, came out of nowhere in 2010 to rush for over 1,000 yards. Expect that number, and his touchdowns, to increase. Read the rest of this entry →
Pittsburgh Panthers (7-5) v. Kentucky Wildcats (6-6)
Panthers Storyline – The Panthers underachieved so badly that they went from preseason top 15 in the country to the BBVA Compass Bowl. Admit it, you had no idea there was a bowl game called the BBVA anything. In fact, I could have just rearranged those letters and you wouldn’t have known any better. Kentucky’s QB, Mike Hartline, has been suspended for this game for violating team rules while Pittsburgh’s Dave Wannstedt will be coaching his final game after being forced out by the university.
- Impact Player(s) – QB Tino Sunseri – I could have chose RBs Dion Lewis or Ray Graham, or even WR Jon Baldwin here, but I went with the sophomore Sunseri. If the QB has an effective day the other three will also have big days. If Sunseri is bad in this game, then the others will be hurting. This is a high potential – low result offense that will probably be playing their last game together as I see at least Baldwin (a junior) going pro.
- Defense – Pittsburgh is another Big East team ranked in the BlitzIndex top 25, tied for 25 with Virginia Tech. They have Big East Defensive Player of the Year in DE Jabaal Sheard and the unit itself gives up just under 20 points per game. With the Wildcats playing without Hartline the Panther defense should be poised for big plays.
- Overview – It’s the BBVE Bowl people (See, you didn’t catch that did you? BBVA is the name of the bowl). What do you really need to know? The Panthers will look to get Lewis and Graham going early and then Baldwin will be catching TD passes from Sunseri. In Wannstedt’s final game it is only fitting that Pitt wins big and looks like a world beater.
BCS Tostitos Fiesta Bowl: Saturday, January 1 8 PM ET
Jordan Todman, currently #5 FBS in yards form scrimmage per game, will be an impact player in the Fiesta Bowl against the Oklahoma Sooners (Icon SMI)
Connecticut Huskies (8-4, 5-2 Big East) v. #7 Oklahoma Sooners (11-2, 6-2 Big 12)
Could this be the worst Bowl Championship Series Bowl game ever? Of course, the current system we call BCS has only been around since 1998. Still, many pundits in the college football world are calling out Connecticut. The Huskies finished the regular season outside of the BCS top 25 and Connecticut has four losses (the fourth four loss BCS team ever).
Of the nine other teams that qualified for a BCS bowl game this season, Connecticut’s four losses are at least double more than any other team. In fact, the Huskies were 3-4 at one point in the season before rattling off five straight wins to claim the Big East title (via tie-breakers). Will the spotlight be too bright for head coach Randy Edsall’s Huskies, who were playing in D-1AA as late as 2000?
Conversely, the Oklahoma Sooners, thought by many to be a national champion contender, won the Big 12 and were a team that was consistently in the top 10 all year long. While Connecticut is making it’s first BCS appearance, Oklahoma is making it’s eighth BCS trip (second most only to Ohio State).
The Sooners have the marque players, Landry Jones and DeMarco Murray, and the big name head coach, Bob Stoops. It’s well documented that Oklahoma under Stoops has lost BCS games to teams they should have dominated. In fact, Stoops has a five game losing streak in BCS games.
The big question for OU is – Will they overlook Connecticut?
Meineke Car Care Bowl: Friday December 31, Noon ET
South Florida Bulls (7-5, 3-4 Big East) v. Clemson Tigers (6-6, 4-4 ACC)
Bulls Storyline – Is there a better reason against this current system of bowl games than South Florida v. Clemson? My God this game stinks so badly I’ll be blasting Febreeze for three straight hours. The Bulls have new head coach Skip Holtz and a decent enough defense while Clemson has Dabo Swinney trying to convince the powers that be he shouldn’t be fired.
Impact Player: In the sense of the Christmas season, I’m going to cut to the chase here. Every Big East team playing these next few weeks has a legit enough defense and major questions on offense save for West Virginia. The Bulls fit this model perfectly with a shaky QB situation and little to no offensive fire power around him. So the answer is…there is no impact player.
Overview: Did you know that next year Belk department store chain will be this bowl’s major sponsor? Get ready for the Belk Bowl! Oh you wanted an overview of this bowl game? In all reality, the Clemson Tigers have more fire power on offense than the Bulls. However, if Holtz’s defense holds, this game should be low scoring, ugly, and tough to watch!
Delone Carter and Syracuse fans are jacked up for a home state bowl game (Icon SMI)
2010 Pinstripe Bowl: Thursday December 30, 3:20 pm ET
Syracuse Orange (7-5, 4-3 Big East) v. Kansas State Wildcats (7-5, 3-5 Big 12)
Syracuse Orange Storyline – In the interest of full disclosure, I am a full on Syracuse Man. I love the Orange and I follow them as closely as I follow any team. Having that prefaced, this next sentence comes with experience.
There are no offensive impact players for Syracuse.
QB Ryan Nassib didn’t progress or regress during the year, while injuries hurt the wide outs. RB Delone Carter did rush for over 1,000 yards (1,035), but the offense was as stagnant and predictable as any in the country. Without the defense, there would be no question SU would not be going to their first bowl since 2004. Second year head coach Doug Marrone has turned the momentum tide at Syracuse, and it just so happens he is originally from the Bronx. Read the rest of this entry →
