7th in media poll. No surprise.

[Scooch]

I just don't see it the way you do.

You seem to use words like "dreadful" and "mediocre" and "bad" interchangeably.

That does not make sense to me.

Obviously "dreadful" is not the same as "mediocre," which is not the same as "bad."

And, winning nine games as Cincy did last year - along with a bowl win - does not fall within any of those terms.

The same holds true for last year's Rutgers team, which, again won nine games and beat a good Iowa State team in the Pinstripe Bowl.

By the end of the year, Louisville was playing very well - though its record was not stellar. Still, most saw the Cardinals as an up and coming team - that's probably why they are expected to dominate the BE this year.

Many feel that Pitt and USF can compete quite well this year - that last year was not a true reflection of where they stand. Gosh, even UConn last year lost four games that they led in the 4th Quarter - including one against Vandy of the SEC at Vandy. And UConn has eight defensive starters back from last year - as does Rutgers by the way - a very solid defense.

I know how much so many on this board make themselves feel better by trashing the BE. I really don't understand it. And I do not think the conference reflects badly on SU. I just don't.

Although I was hoping that we would beat all of them last year, I was not surprised that we lost to Pitt or USF or Rutgers or Cincy of even UConn.

I'm pretty sure we were underdogs in all but one of those games.

So, we just see things differently.

Forget the words I used for a minute.

I'm not talking about the Big East in a vaccum, or how SU compares to it -- I'm talking about comparing this conference against the 5 major conferences.

Is there really a debate that every one of those 5 conferences is better than the Big East? If you don't think so then there's no need to continue to discuss this, because we have a huge gulf between our assessments of conference strength.

 

[OrangePA]

At this point, I actually miss your incessant defenses of Coach P as opposed to this ridiculousness about trying to convince us that the Big East is a real conference. Its a bad conference, and has been so for 9 years. And it's about to become a minor league conference.

I'm not sure what you don't see but I'll assume that is has to do with the amount of "real" college football that you watch. I believe you have actually admitted before that you have no interest in SEC or B1G football and thus don't watch it. This year, i think you should make a concerted effort to watch some SEC or B1G or Pac12 football (or even ACC) and hopefully you'll come to your senses on this.

First, I graduated from Indiana University and have been a huge Big Ten fan for years. So, you're not correct in that regard.

Second, I watch SEC teams during the post season - it's hard to avoid them. So I think you misunderstood my comments in that regard. What I have indicated is that during the regular season I do not watch the CBS SEC games - I just don't find them all that interesting.

Third, as I have observed before, I find it very interesting how this board establishes a conventional wisdom on a particular issue. And I get a kick out of how so many get upset when a poster has the utter temerity to disagree with the conventional wisdome - whether it is Pasqualoni, Hackett, the Big East, Penn State or Rutgers.

I remember when I observed a few months ago that Rutgers has a very good football program. And somebody here accused me of essentially abandoning my status as an SU Football fan - the idea I guess being that in order to qualify as a fan, I had to declare Rutgers to be a horrible program.

And, I get the same kind of sensation with the BE issue. It really bothers posters on this board - including you apparently - that I have the gall to confront the conventional wisdom.

Well, I have been watching college football for over forty years. I have been a season ticket holder for three professional football teams over the years. I have become friendly with a number of football professionals. I have purchased coaching videos and have tried my best to learn the inner workings of the game.

So, I feel pretty confident in making my assessment.

And if that bothers you, so be it.

 

[OrangePA]

Forget the words I used for a minute.

I'm not talking about the Big East in a vaccum, or how SU compares to it -- I'm talking about comparing this conference against the 5 major conferences.

Is there really a debate that every one of those 5 conferences is better than the Big East? If you don't think so then there's no need to continue to discuss this, because we have a huge gulf between our assessments of conference strength.

Your post did not compare the BE to the other conferences. It just trashed the BE.

No, there is no debate that the Big East is not as strong as the ACC, SEC, Big XII, Pac-12 or Big Ten.

And I for one have never even suggested to the contrary.

Clearly, the top BE teams are not as good as the top teams in the other conferences.

But, that does not mean that the BE is "dreadful."

Heck I just heard that some are picking WVU to win the Big XII this year.

So, while the BE does not have a top tier team this year, it does have a number of solid programs that in time likely will get to the next level.

 

[Cuseman78]

First, I graduated from Indiana University and have been a huge Big Ten fan for years. So, you're not correct in that regard.

Second, I watch SEC teams during the post season - it's hard to avoid them. So I think you misunderstood my comments in that regard. What I have indicated is that during the regular season I do not watch the CBS SEC games - I just don't find them all that interesting.

Third, as I have observed before, I find it very interesting how this board establishes a conventional wisdom on a particular issue. And I get a kick out of how so many get upset when a poster has the utter temerity to disagree with the conventional wisdome - whether it is Pasqualoni, Hackett, the Big East, Penn State or Rutgers.

I remember when I observed a few months ago that Rutgers has a very good football program. And somebody here accused me of essentially abandoning my status as an SU Football fan - the idea I guess being that in order to qualify as a fan, I had to declare Rutgers to be a horrible program.

And, I get the same kind of sensation with the BE issue. It really bothers posters on this board - including you apparently - that I have the gall to confront the conventional wisdom.

Well, I have been watching college football for over forty years. I have been a season ticket holder for three professional football teams over the years. I have become friendly with a number of football professionals. I have purchased coaching videos and have tried my best to learn the inner workings of the game.

So, I feel pretty confident in making my assessment.

And if that bothers you, so be it.

It doesn't bother me, it truly boggles my mind that you could actually say things like "Rutgers has a very good program" or that the Big East is quality conference. We obviously have completely different standards of excellence.

Also, I find it interesting that you continually go out of your way to defend Coach P 8 years later or keep banging the Big East's drum. You literally don't miss any opportunity. Its Fascinating

 

[Scooch]

Your post did not compare the BE to the other conferences. It just trashed the BE.

No, there is no debate that the Big East is not as strong as the ACC, SEC, Big XII, Pac-12 or Big Ten.

And I for one have never even suggested to the contrary.

Clearly, the top BE teams are not as good as the top teams in the other conferences.

But, that does not mean that the BE is "dreadful."

Heck I just heard that some are picking WVU to win the Big XII this year.

So, while the BE does not have a top tier team this year, it does have a number of solid programs that in time likely will get to the next level.

Yes, I trashed the BE because for purposes of this discussion, which is about how SU will fare vs. Big East opponents this season, I am making the point that this conference is filled with eminently beatable teams.

If you prefer to call the league "solid" instead of "dreadful" go right ahead. Those are just adjectives. The point is that it's not like SU is playing in the SEC, or even the ACC this year. If we only win a game or two in this league, as we did last year, that's a bad thing.

 

[Cuseman78]

So, while the BE does not have a top tier team this year, it does have a number of solid programs that in time likely will get to the next level.

And what "next level" would that be?

 

[OrangePA]

And what "next level" would that be?

BCS Championship level.

You know, where WVU was just a few years ago.

And where Cincinnati, and before that , Louisville, was a few years ago.

 

[OrangePA]

Yes, I trashed the BE because for purposes of this discussion, which is about how SU will fare vs. Big East opponents this season, I am making the point that this conference is filled with eminently beatable teams.

If you prefer to call the league "solid" instead of "dreadful" go right ahead. Those are just adjectives. The point is that it's not like SU is playing in the SEC, or even the ACC this year. If we only win a game or two in this league, as we did last year, that's a bad thing.

You can characterize success any way you wish, I guess.

But if you expect the Orange to win more than two games in the BE this year, you could be disappointed. It may not happen. But that would not necessarily mean that progress is not being made.

For this year I a want to see improved play with a greater ability to stretch the field - with much better defense and better special teams and with a lot of contributions from the young players such as Redd, Crume, Ameen-Moore, Morgan, Lynch, D. Davis, and others.

Lets see how it goes.

 

[OrangePA]

It doesn't bother me, it truly boggles my mind that you could actually say things like "Rutgers has a very good program" or that the Big East is quality conference. We obviously have completely different standards of excellence.

Also, I find it interesting that you continually go out of your way to defend Coach P 8 years later or keep banging the Big East's drum. You literally don't miss any opportunity. Its Fascinating

I'm not sure it's "fascinating" for a few reasons.

First, I rarely if ever raise the issues - either P or the BE.

Nearly all the time, I respond to others who for whatever reason feel the need to challenge P and the BE.

Second, as I have explained repeatedly, there is a reason for my feelings about Coach P and Coach D.

For nearly twenty years I sat and watched some bad to mediocre SU Football from 1968 to the 1986. And while I sat there, I never, ever expected that my once proud team would ever get back to a major bowl such as the Sugar Bowl or the Orange Bowl.

And after five years of Coach Mac, that changed after Coach DeLeone and Coach P arrived on the scene. They were very much responsible for the new era in Syracuse Football - an era that again I never thought I would see again.

I will forever be grateful for what they did for my program. I feel the same way about Coach Mac and the players from that time period.

I also feel some gratitude to the Big East for helping both the BB program and the FB program achieve more than most could have ever expected.

So, you might find it "fascinating," but it's really not all that complicated.

Also, I find some of the nonsense on the board so silly that I feel compelled to respond even though it really is pointless. For example, the constant jibberish about how we need a new OC, no matter who the OC happens to be at the time.

Bottom line, though, this is really just entertainment. It's fun to debate folks like you. I don't take it all that seriously.

 

[Cuseman78]

BCS Championship level.

You know, where WVU was just a few years ago.

And where Cincinnati, and before that , Louisville, was a few years ago.

That was when the conference had an auto bid. Thats ancient history in a couple years.

 

[Cuseman78]

I don't take it all that seriously.

I'm with you there. And let the record state, I'm pro P and will also be forever grateful to him and Mac for a great 15 year run. I'm just not on their payroll

 

[OrangePA]

That was when the conference had an auto bid. Thats ancient history in a couple years.

Gee, I seem to recall WVU beating both Georgia (SEC) and Oklahoma (Big XII) pretty good in the Sugar Bowl was it?

There was nothing automatic about those two BE wins.

 

[rrlbees]

Your post did not compare the BE to the other conferences. It just trashed the BE.

No, there is no debate that the Big East is not as strong as the ACC, SEC, Big XII, Pac-12 or Big Ten.

And I for one have never even suggested to the contrary.

Clearly, the top BE teams are not as good as the top teams in the other conferences.

But, that does not mean that the BE is "dreadful."

Heck I just heard that some are picking WVU to win the Big XII this year.

So, while the BE does not have a top tier team this year, it does have a number of solid programs that in time likely will get to the next level.

You even say the BE is not as good as the other conferences. So no matter what adjective is used, good, bad, dreadful, solid, it doesn't matter because comparatively, the BE is bottom of the barrel. And we play all of those teams. Which means relatively speaking our conference schedule sucks and if we only win 1 or 2 BE games, then we really suck ourselves. To be one of the weakest teams in the weakest major (?) conference is not a good place to be.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

 

[JeremyCuse]

You even say the BE is not as good as the other conferences. So no matter what adjective is used, good, bad, dreadful, solid, it doesn't matter because comparatively, the BE is bottom of the barrel. And we play all of those teams. Which means relatively speaking our conference schedule sucks and if we only win 1 or 2 BE games, then we really suck ourselves. To be one of the weakest teams in the weakest major (?) conference is not a good place to be.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

Bingo, the fact were trying to rationalize losses to UConn, Pitt and Rutgers is incredible.

 

[OrangePA]

You even say the BE is not as good as the other conferences. So no matter what adjective is used, good, bad, dreadful, solid, it doesn't matter because comparatively, the BE is bottom of the barrel. And we play all of those teams. Which means relatively speaking our conference schedule sucks and if we only win 1 or 2 BE games, then we really suck ourselves. To be one of the weakest teams in the weakest major (?) conference is not a good place to be.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk 2

No.

The Big East is not at the bottom of the barrel.

It is simply the No. 6 conference in major college football right now: (1) SEC; (2) Pac-12; (3) Big Ten; (4) Big XII; (5) ACC and (6) Big East.

There are of course many other conferences in major college football.

And, there are many teams in the five conferences ahead of the Big East that are not all that competitive e.g. my alma mater, Indiana in the Big Ten, Kansas in the Big XII, Duke in the ACC, and on and on.

So, the determination on the part of this board to denigrate the Big East, is a silly exercise that splits hairs and ignores the actual competitiveness of the BE teams.

 

[rrlbees]

No.

The Big East is not at the bottom of the barrel.

It is simply the No. 6 conference in major college football right now: (1) SEC; (2) Pac-12; (3) Big Ten; (4) Big XII; (5) ACC and (6) Big East.

There are of course many other conferences in major college football.

And, there are many teams in the five conferences ahead of the Big East that are not all that competitive e.g. my alma mater, Indiana in the Big Ten, Kansas in the Big XII, Duke in the ACC, and on and on.

So, the determination on the part of this board to denigrate the Big East, is a silly exercise that splits hairs and ignores the actual competitiveness of the BE teams.

i didnt use the term major college football. I said weakest major conference. Can you tell me what other conferences would be considered major? You didn't list ant either. I don't believe anyone would consider any other conference as major. The big east is bartely considered major now.