Big East Preseason Media Poll

[Guest Vanilla Rice]

Uhhh, Uconn is overrated?  Last I checked they went to a bowl game last year and had better records than USF, Syracuse and Rutgers.  Also, the year before they were like 9-3 or something like that.  AND, they beat Pitt.  USF didn't beat Pitt last year.  Does that mean USF is overrated too?  

Sorry.  But when you go to a bowl game, how is that overrated?  That means you had a winning record.  They also beat the Big East champs last year.  Pitt was a tad bit overrated last year, but again, they were the Big East champs.  They were overrated in terms of they didn't deserve to go to the fiesta bowl.  But they were still big east champs.  

[CyberBull]

That was last year. They have a giant hole to plug at QB....that usually means troubles for even powerhouse programs.

If UCONN just reloads and keeps winning instead of rebuilding then I will owe them an apology at the end of the year. However, they return just 5 starters on offense and six on defense....not exactly conducive to be a great team this year.

[Jim Johnson]

VR -- U Conn is definitely overrated.

1) You claim that because they went to a bowl game they must be a decent team... Well, consider their schedule.

To be sure, they won 8 games last year: Murray State, Duke, Army, Temple, Buffalo, Rutgers, Toledo (in Motor City Bowl), and Pittsburgh...  

USF lost to Army & Pitt, and Toledo might have been a challenge... but the other 5 would have been easy wins for USF.

They only went to the Motor City Bowl game because the Big Ten didn't have enough bowl eligible teams...

2) Don't under estimate the loss of Orlovsky.  Their new QB (Bonislawski) only threw 7 more passes than Courtney Denson did last year.  They are unproven at QB, and will suffer a let down...

Will it be the same as Blackell to Banks? Only time will tell.

Oh, and Bonislawski is probably not as good as the new QBs at FSU (Weatherford) or Miami (Wright)... otherwise, he would be at FSU or Miami.

Utah is overrated and will drop out of the Top 25 in short order.

3) They have a number of new starters: replaicing their two top WRs... replacing their two top LBs (and top tacklers)... replacing their two CBs...  and let's not forget their entire OL...

4) Their offensive line is very suspect... all five starters are brand new in their positions:

LT -- moved over from RT

LG -- a converted DT

C -- a true freshman... (although highly-touted and 3-time all-state in MD)

RG - their "most experienced guard" only played in a few plays last year...

RT - moved out from G...

----

I don't think, on paper, USF is that much better than U Conn, but I would not say that U Conn is better than USF... and if you thinkn U Conn is better than Syracuse, then USF is as well...

Which is why I thought USF, U Conn, Syracuse, and maybe Rutgers are all about even when it comes to this season... they should finish 4-7 in any order...

[BullDoug]

Jim, I agree with you on USF is on even ground with UCONN, Syracuse & Rutgers with the exception that our Bulls correct the QB play and Tim & Johnnie Jones bring life to the D.  Not to mention the corners improve thier coverage & Verpeale starts to resemble his older bro & eliminates the frosh mistakes.  However the biggest disadvantage is all three of those games are road games.  IMO, road play is probably Leavitt's achilles.  That's why our Bulls are picked 7th.  The schedule is daunting to say the least.

It is my hope our Bulls can take two out of 3 vs. that trio., beat Cinci & upset WVU at homecoming for a 4-3 conference record & most likely a 6-5 overall.  That's a pretty steep Christmas list for Leavitt & the FootBulls to complete.  I hope Courtney is the field General we are all hoping for (want more brain & arm than legs).  With all of our tall receivers including if Carlton Hill plays there some, it should help with Denson being vertically challenged.

[dabull80]

Yea and the Bucs won the Superbowl and the years after that ?  Ugly.  Normaly I put some stock in the coaches poll but in this case you have two new head coaches who don't know the BE teams very well and I don't know if coaches can vote for their own team but JL most likely would vote humbly for his own team and then to top it off you have three new teams in the conference.  Jim & Bulldoug I think you hit the nail on the head with 4-7 can be interchangeable.  

[Greg Auman]

this preseason poll wasn't selected by coaches -- there are three media members from each school that vote in the big east preseason poll ...

[Ricky the Bull]

this preseason poll wasn't selected by coaches -- there are three media members from each school that vote in the big east preseason poll ...

Greg,

What was your vote?  

[Guest Vanilla Rice]

I beg to differ.  If you've noticed UCONN over the years, they have had a dramatic rise similar to USF's.  Edsall is one of the up and coming coaches in the nation.  There's one thing that the UCONN program has that USF doesnt.....MONEY!  They have got some real nice new facilities out there (new stadium, new offices, weight room, indoor practice field).  Yes, they did play an easy schedule, but they still had Pitt, Syracuse, Ga. Tech, West Virginia on the schedule.  And they beat Pitt!  Remember, we got our asses kicked against Pitt last year.  Also, losing to Army and Cincy wasn't very impressive either.  Those were two of the worst teams in the nation!  Rather embarrasing when you lose to Army.  That shouldn't have happened.  We made their **** season.  Because of that, I think we deserved the preseason ranking we got.....but I would have put us one spot ahead of Rutgers.  This year we have the potential to beat anyone in the Big East.  But......I think the top three teams will be the top three (WVU, Pitt, L'ville).  After that, it's anyone's ballgame between Syracuse, Uconn, Rutgers, USF and Cincy.  BUT, we still have a chance to upset any one of those in the top three.  But that will be VERY tough.  

[Bullpride08]

I beg to differ.  If you've noticed UCONN over the years, they have had a dramatic rise similar to USF's.  Edsall is one of the up and coming coaches in the nation.  There's one thing that the UCONN program has that USF doesnt.....MONEY!  They have got some real nice new facilities out there (new stadium, new offices, weight room, indoor practice field).  Yes, they did play an easy schedule, but they still had Pitt, Syracuse, Ga. Tech, West Virginia on the schedule.  And they beat Pitt!  Remember, we got our asses kicked against Pitt last year.  Also, losing to Army and Cincy wasn't very impressive either.  Those were two of the worst teams in the nation!  Rather embarrasing when you lose to Army.  That shouldn't have happened.  We made their **** season.  Because of that, I think we deserved the preseason ranking we got.....but I would have put us one spot ahead of Rutgers.  This year we have the potential to beat anyone in the Big East.  But......I think the top three teams will be the top three (WVU, Pitt, L'ville).  After that, it's anyone's ballgame between Syracuse, Uconn, Rutgers, USF and Cincy.  BUT, we still have a chance to upset any one of those in the top three.  But that will be VERY tough.  

Come on, Edsall is a great up and coming coach, similar to Leavitt, BUT ALSO SIMILAR TO LEAVITT he's going to experience a complete changing of the guard, much like Leavitt did in 04'.  Edsall, after the recent waves of suspensions, has only 9 returning starters out of 24 spots- and two are the star RB's who must split time.  Big time QB, WR, DL, DB's....sorry but Uconn's just like USF where they're to new to 1-A, and to young to simply reload at ALL OF THOSE POSITIONS.  It will be a transition year for them, if not then Edsall deserves COY.

As for Syracuse you couldn't be more off-base on your assessment.  Perry Patterson is their QB, 6-4 240lbs, and ran around, over, and through FSU last year.  However he was a soph last year and made some mistakes, plus he had out-dated and antiquated Coach Pasqualoni coaching him.

Syracuse is returning Patterson, Damien Rhodes (who's got a ton of NFL potential AND IS A BURNER) is a stud at RB...they return 9 starters on offense and 6 on defense.  Their new HC loves to blitz and run Billichek style defenses.  Da Cuse has 4 LB/DE types that are big, fast, experienced, and quick--if these guys take to Robinson's system early they will have a very stout defense- unlike last year.  

I've been in the Carrier Dome, (in-laws from Cuse and Rome) despite only holding like 35k for football it has to be one of the loudest places on earth during a football game.  The Dome is low, no A/C, bleachers are on top of the field....man the FSU players will tell you that place was hellish to play.

If USF wants to go bowling next year the formula is rather simple, win 4 of 5 at home (that means beating either UL or WVU), and try to win two on the road.  The best shots at that are Uconn, and Rutgers....Rutgers does not play good at home, and Schiano runs an undisciplined camp, and Uconn's lost so much we may have a shot.  

Forget Pitt, Syracuse, Miami or PSU on the road.  I would be in shock and awe if we beat any of those four on the road-- maybe in 06', possibly in 07' but probably not this season.

[Guest Vanilla Rice]

You're right.  I don't know that much about Syracuse and I admit that.  I was just basing things on, they can't be that great of a team if they got their head coach fired last year.  But i have heard that the Carrier dome is one of the loudest and hardest players for a visiting team to play in.  With that in mind, that gives USF an immediate disadvantage.  Also, USF doesn't have the best record when it comes to playing in filled stadiums with a loud opposition.  But again, I don't know that much about Syracuse.  Again, right now it will be tough for the top three not to finish in the top three (WVU, L'ville and Pitt) but I'm sure someone who you least expect will beat those teams this year (maybe USF).  But I think after those three it's anyone's ball game in terms of Cincy, Uconn, Rutgers, Syracuse and USF.  I'd like to dog Cincy as the worst team, but hey, they did beat us last year so I can't dish out to much crap on them as being the worst team in the big East.