New-look Big East missing some perennial contender

[Apis Bull]

Link:  New-look Big East missing some perennial contenders

New-look Big East missing some perennial contenders

Thursday, July 29, 2004

By JOHN BRUNS

The Express-Times

E. RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Stop the presses!

Hard to believe, but Miami isn't favored to win the Big East Conference football title this year.

 

That's because the Hurricanes are no longer in the conference. Neither is Virginia Tech, a perennial challenger to Miami's Big East thrown in recent years.

Those two powers will be kicking around the representatives of their new home -- the Atlantic Coast Conference -- better known heretofore more for its basketball prowess. Another Big East member, Boston College, expects to be playing in the ACC next year, while poor Temple still is wondering where it will play after completing its final Big East season this fall.

These factors certainly made the atmosphere at Wednesday's Big East Media Day held at Giants Stadium a bit different.

The Connecticut delegation was stationed in the Stadium Club location where Miami used to be seated -- alphabetically between BC and Pittsburgh.

UConn becomes a Big East football member this year, and already has gained enough respect to be picked to finish ahead of Rutgers and Temple in a poll of media members who regularly cover the conference.

"I looked over there and didn't see Larry (Miami coach Coker). But you look over there, whether it's Miami or UConn, there's a lot of wins," mused Pittsburgh coach Walt Harris. "They (UConn) won nine games last year, that's a lot of games."

The general consensus among the coaches seemed to be that with Miami and Virginia Tech gone, the race for league honors is wide open.

However, West Virginia is the team writers tabbed as the favorite. The Mountaineers, who tied Miami for league honors last year, received 25 of 28 first-place votes, with the other three going to lame duck Boston College.

Pitt was picked for third, followed closely by Syracuse. Connecticut was only eight points behind Syracuse and 24 ahead of Rutgers, while Temple was picked for last place.

West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez knows the poll puts a bull's-eye on his team's back, but he readily accepts that.

"I want us to be that team. Any coach that doesn't want that on his program is not ready or not prepared to have success," he said. "I hope we're prepared and ready because that's where you want to get to."

Having said that, Rodriguez noted that his team's first league game is against newcomer UConn. The Huskies feature a solid senior quarterback in Dan Orlovsky, who turned down Big Ten and ACC schools to play in his home state.

UConn coach Randy Edsall certainly isn't backing away from the challenge of the Huskies' first season as an official Big East football team.

"If you put the right system in place and have the right kind of people around you, I think there are a lot of things you can accomplish," he said.

Rutgers coach Greg Schiano, who came to the Scarlet Knights after having been defensive coordinator at Miami, has mixed feelings about the departure of Miami and Virginia Tech.

"I certainly enjoyed playing Miami and Virginia Tech, but I think there is a greater opportunity for all of us in the league now. I think everyone is this room feels that way," he said.

Though Rutgers ended 2003 on a positive note -- upsetting Syracuse -- the writers still picked the Knights near the bottom of the standings. Schiano and his players seem to take the attitude that they know they've improved and are not concerned about preseason rankings.

Wide receiver Shawn Tucker said: "The polls mean nothing. We can't get caught up in that."

Quarterback Ryan Hart is of the opinion that: "We're still underestimated as a team."

Boston College coach Tom O'Brien wasn't emotional at all about attending what probably is his last Big East Media Day.

"It's another year as far as we're concerned and we have to do the best job we can," he said. "No matter who is in the league, our goal is to win 11 games. I think you want to coach in the best football conference in the country."

Temple coach Bobby Wallace expressed confidence that his Owls will find an appropriate new home when their Big East days are over. He said the school is committed to continuing as a Division I-A program.

"We're working on where we're going to be next year. I think what we find is going to be good," he said. "Until that time, we have trouble recruiting locally because of all the negative things that have been written about Temple in recent years."

NOTES: Changes will continue in the Big East next year. With Temple and probably Boston College leaving, three new members will be welcomed on board -- Louisville, Cincinnati and South Florida. ... Rutgers' opener at home with Michigan State on Sept. 4 will be televised nationally by ABC. ... Speaking on Express-Times Player of the Year Brandon Mason of Phillipsburg, who is a Pitt recruit, coach Walt Harris said, "We couldn't be more excited to see Brandon come to campus in a couple of weeks to see how good he is and how mature he is. We like him on tape. We thought he was a very physical runner. He's at a position where your natural ability takes over. Quarterback and offensive lineman are a lot harder to play as a true freshman."

[smazza]

usf will be contender every year

[bulls96go]

with the right moves we will be in control of this thing on the football side

[WVUNo1Fan]