According to this article (most is subscriber only) Eloy Vargas was blown away on his recruiting visit to Florida. Vargas reportedly has it down to either Pitt or Florida, but the Gators now hold the edge after the visit.
The only amusing thing about this, since many seem to treat recruiting issues as life-or-death issues, is that both Pitt and Florida don’t actually have an available scholarship to give Vargas for the 2008 season. Neither, though, seems too concerned.
“BIG EAST RISING:
Meanwhile, remember all those (myself included) who believed three years ago that the ACC was set to become the national superconference while the Big East could easily wither and fall from the BCS tree? This, after the ACC’s theft of Miami, Boston College and Virginia Tech.
Well, Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese, after a brief and understandable session of vitriol aimed at the ACC, merely set about doing what he does — being the most competent manager in college athletics. He kept his conference in the vital BCS fold by making shrewd acquisitions in South Florida, Louisville and Cincinnati. He took an active role in rallying the troops.
And here we are watching the Big East — just off a sparkling 5-0 bowl season, 12-6 record in 2006 games against BCS opponents and three teams ranked in the final top 12 — continuing the trend so far this season.
When I picked South Florida for my preseason top 10, I was mocked by a few friends. They aren’t laughing so hard anymore after the Bulls’ 26-23 “upset” Saturday at Auburn.
Cincinnati on Thursday destroyed (34-3) a good Oregon State team that beat Oregon, USC and Hawaii (on the islands) last year.
Rutgers dispatched with ease a troublesome Navy that went 9-4 in ’06.
West Virginia avoided an ambush in a legislated trip to Huntington, its first in 92 years, by whipping backyard rival Marshall 48-23. And Louisville kept Middle Tennessee at bay with 58 points led by Heisman candidate QB Brian Brohm.
Then, you have the ACC.
On Saturday, Miami and Virginia Tech got demoralized by a combined 79 points. Florida State needed a late score to put away smelly Alabama-Birmingham and seems to be getting zero from its offensive coordinator switch to Jimbo Fisher. Maryland struggled to put away the same Florida International outfit (26-10) that Penn State pounded 59-0. North Carolina lost to C-USA also-ran East Carolina.
Getting excited about a BC-Georgia Tech ACC title game on the heels of Wake-GT last year? Somehow, this isn’t working out the way most everyone imagined.
Wonder if Penn State would like to be in the Big East now? Considering the league gauntlet it would have to play, probably not. It’s a lot easier trip to an automatic BCS bowl out of the Big Ten. ”
Nice!
is eastern michigan or grambling any different that fiu or buffalo??? listen, we ALL play those kind of teams!! wvu vs marshall, louisville vs mtsu, michigan vs app. state..everybody plays the murray states of the world, yes, including us here at pitt…….
I live in Atlanta where college fball is more important than breathing. It has been tough over the past few years listening to the SEC/ACC banter and how the Big East did not deserve a BCS bid.
Things have changed. The past two mornings on sports talk radio on my drive in, the BE has been discussed. This is remarkable for the south east. On monday, Jim Donnan, former UGA coach said the Big East was tp to bottom better than the ACC. This morning the resident college fb expert said that USF gives the BE its 4th power team. He went onto say, “next year we will be talking about Pittsburgh”.
People are noticing, and it feels good.
Let’s Go Pitt!
The conference is doing well despite Pitt’s average efforts…hoops of course, is a different story.
Cheer up Matt. You have one more year before you will have to admitt that Pitt is a contender out of the BE.
He also said buffalo was a good team. Can you believe anything out of his mouth? And no one can confirm that PSU was cleaning the stadium after ND last weekend.
We won’t be playing until he’s dead.
Play your 4 home games with big televen, and 4 away. Schedule two “real” opponents (next year, at syracuse and pitt home). Play your two dogs at home. 12 games, 7 at home. The year after, your schedule is the same, just flip Syracuse at home, at Pitt. Replace the 2 dogs with other dogs. Done. Simple. Every year after, insert Alabama, Virginia, etc in place of Syracuse.
Instead they want 3 dogs at home and skirt playing pitt. That is the real problem. Why play Pitt who can beat you 12-0 instead of all three of FIU, Buffalo, and Temple? You’re going to get the same amount of money for tickets, thats why they don’t. They have a better chance at a better record if they only play 3 or 4 real games instead of 4 or 5. I’m sure they’d schedule 4 powder puff teams if they didn’t think there would be retribution against them come bowl time (“we’re not taking a team who won’t even schedule 1 real team OOC”).
This is the same thing done by ND every year and they get invited to BCS and other top bowls without beating a single program that is ranked. Then they get exposed.
The big ten this year will get into two top bowls and may not have a top ten team. Yet everyone cried last year about the B’Easts auto BCS bid.
Unfortunately I just broke one of my records, it was entitled “Stuart’s Greatest Hits.” Seriously dude, your fixation with “that shithole to the East” is a little disturbing, maybe you should just focus on your own team?
Although, to be fair, reading your insightful and completely unbiased rantings can be pretty damn entertaining sometimes. The writers of this blog should be paying you, because I’m sure a good number of (non-Pitt fan) visitors are here solely for the unintentional comedy you provide. Cheers!
Its so amusing watching Joe cry on the sidelines at every single call against his team…please just go away already. Good luck with that “tough” buffalo team this week, make sure you run up the score d-bag.
I don’t think i’d make a very good AD because I speak the truth and don’t sugar coat anything. I think you have to be nice to people even if you can’t stand them in that job. Not my thing.
Penn State Still Sucks. Hail to Pitt.
Stuart, should we schedule UConn instead?
You should schedule 2 middle of the road or better BCS teams OOC minimum, or throw in a real rivalry game. Take LSU’s schedule as an example. I’d like for you to try to find someone with an easier schedule in the nation. Even if you go 12-0 you shouldn’t go to the BCS game – people rip ND every year for sceduling a soft schedule, but you people take it to a whole new level. You will be playing 2 teams this year that aren’t below average. There will be at least half a dozen teams that are more deserving of going to the NC game with 1 or even 2 losses. As a matter of fact, I don’t see how you can’t go undefeated unless your dumb QB screws this up. You get the middle of the road OSU and WI teams at home, and that’s it for your schedule. Will anyone else have a winning record on it?
Our offense has put up points on crap opponents – so what? Purdue has put up 52 a game – are you saying they’re better than you? Take the competition into consideration when telling us how many points you’ve scored.
Your RB can’t go anywhere until you wear down poor teams in the 3rd and 4th quarters. This won’t happen against good teams. Your QB is terrible – he threw as many TDs for the other team as he did for yours against a crappy team.
Insulting Pitt’s injured QB does nothing to prove your’s isn’t garbage. That’s called a red herring.
I’ve watched your team play another poor team, and let me tell you, your QB is going to be my MVP by screwing your season. Open your eyes. If you play a top team from any other conference, your offense won’t score a point.
Your defense is fine. See? I can be objective, even though I hate that shithole. You better pray they can outscore a good opponent, if you ever play one.
Beat up “tough” buffalo this weekend and tell us how good you are again. No one is buying that garbage, that’s why you’re not ranked in the top ten. Wait til your QB pisses away a game this year so you drop like a rock. We’re all waiting. Its not a matter of if, but when.
link to post-gazette.com