Pull for UConn & South Florida on Saturday

[IthacaMatt]

If they were to beat Cinci and WVU, then Louisville would win the Big East outright and go to a BCS bowl as a 7-5 team.

That certainly would be the end of the Big East's BCS bid.

 

[Chip]

USF game is tonight. If I were positive we were going to lose I'd hope for your scenario. But it would make UConn and USF bowl eligible. Since ND is all but assured the BE's Champs Bowl, it leaves 5 bowls for 7 teams, with us being the team needing another conference to not qualify enough teams.

 

[OrangePA]

If they were to beat Cinci and WVU, then Louisville would win the Big East outright and go to a BCS bowl as a 7-5 team.

That certainly would be the end of the Big East's BCS bid.

You want the BE to lose its AQ?

Why?

What if something, god help us, were to happen to our ACC commitment? Wouldn't you want a fall back position just in case?

 

[690West]

You want the BE to lose its AQ?

Why?

What if something, god help us, were to happen to our ACC commitment? Wouldn't you want a fall back position just in case?

Did I miss something? Why would we lose the ACC? Not the strong words of a coach who's probably correct? Has to be something else

 

[jcuse44]

I think he was referring to the Bernie fine situation...that's my guess. I know some people were freaking out saying the ACC would pull the offer because of the Fine mess, which I thought was quite laughable.

 

[IthacaMatt]

USF game is tonight. If I were positive we were going to lose I'd hope for your scenario. But it would make UConn and USF bowl eligible. Since ND is all but assured the BE's Champs Bowl, it leaves 5 bowls for 7 teams, with us being the team needing another conference to not qualify enough teams.

It's not about this year, it's about the future.

 

[IthacaMatt]

You want the BE to lose its AQ?

Why?

What if something, god help us, were to happen to our ACC commitment? Wouldn't you want a fall back position just in case?

Because nothing's going to happen to our admission to the ACC. We are still a prime time brand. So is Penn State. Programs are bigger than 1 coach.

Long run, we want the Big East to lose its AQ status so that UConn and Rutgers are diminished, giving us an advantage in the Tri-State recruiting area. We used to do a lot better down there when we were the only "big time" option in the area. This would return UConn and Rutgers to UMass and Temple type of status within 5-10 years, just like the A-10 is not what is used to be 10 or 15 years ago. A consolidation of power is going on, and we want our recruiting competitors to be left on the island of misfit toys.

And here Kaiser is always talking about how the Football board is the smarter one.

 

[OrangePA]

Because nothing's going to happen to our admission to the ACC. We are still a prime time brand. So is Penn State. Programs are bigger than 1 coach.

Long run, we want the Big East to lose its AQ status so that UConn and Rutgers are diminished, giving us an advantage in the Tri-State recruiting area. We used to do a lot better down there when we were the only "big time" option in the area. This would return UConn and Rutgers to UMass and Temple type of status within 5-10 years, just like the A-10 is not what is used to be 10 or 15 years ago. A consolidation of power is going on, and we want our recruiting competitors to be left on the island of misfit toys.

And here Kaiser is always talking about how the Football board is the smarter one.

Hopefully, you're right, but what we have seen in recent years is that college football is in a fluid state.

One never really knows what could happen in two years.

And, I don't see the end of the Big East as the method for "diminishing" Rutgers and UConn.

I see real problems if the BE is destroyed. UConn and Rutgers will not go away quietly or easily.

I would prefer the continued existence of the BE for two reasons: (1) I want Rutgers and UConn to stay there - that conference will be sufficiently diminished under such circumstances and (2) as I said earlier I hope it doesn't happen and I don't think it will happen,m but I want the protection of the BE, if the ACC thing falls through.

Never presume anything.

 

[MaxwellCuse]

30-27 WVU. Sort of puts this argument to bed.

As for the fate of BE football, I think the conference will be around as long as Notre Dame wants it to be around. The Big East appears to be the only conference that can assure ND football independence, which remains priority #1 for the leadership in South Bend. AQs may be on the way out anyway, but as long as the BE can give ND the ability to park its Olympic sports in a viable conference it serves its purpose.

 

[SUtyger]

The arguement is only put to bed if Cinci beats UConn. Otherwise, Louisville still wins the tie breaker against WVU.

 

[MaxwellCuse]

P doesn't beat Cincy. I'd bet you at least $2 on that one.

 

[IthacaMatt]

Hopefully, you're right, but what we have seen in recent years is that college football is in a fluid state.

One never really knows what could happen in two years.

And, I don't see the end of the Big East as the method for "diminishing" Rutgers and UConn.

I see real problems if the BE is destroyed. UConn and Rutgers will not go away quietly or easily.

I would prefer the continued existence of the BE for two reasons: (1) I want Rutgers and UConn to stay there - that conference will be sufficiently diminished under such circumstances and (2) as I said earlier I hope it doesn't happen and I don't think it will happen,m but I want the protection of the BE, if the ACC thing falls through.

Never presume anything.

I don't want the conference to dissolve. I want to see it survive, too. But just without its football automatic qualifier status. That will turn it into a glorified "Conference USA +". Eventually, it will become a second tier league without the AQ status. Then UConn and Rutgers won't be football competitors any more. When that happens, even their basketball fortunes will decline, because those teams will get less television revenue due to conference affiliation, and over time, that will permit Syracuse as an ACC member to really create some distance between themselves and UConn and Rutgers for all sports.

 

[IthacaMatt]

And to return to the original point, both upsets didn't take place, so the Big East will send in a credible 9-3 team in WVU, who could represent fairly well with the right bowl matchup. It would have been the instant death of the Big East's auto bid if a 7-5 Louisville had been the Big East representative in the Orange Bowl.