ESPN College Football

Happy Friday, everybody. Don't know about you, but it's the heart of wedding season for me. I've got one tonight and one next Friday. Cheers to the happy couples.

But first, I say "I do" to some of your e-mails ...

Nick from Pittsburgh writes: I have seen both your and Heather' best nonconference matchups, but neither included the Pitt-NC State game. Should be a great game. How do you see it shaking up?

Brian Bennett: Glad you mentioned that, Nick. That should be a terrific game. People may forget just how hot NC State was at the end of last season, and the Wolfpack return the nucleus of that team. Quarterback Russell Wilson really impressed me in the Papajohns.com Bowl against Rutgers before he got injured. This should be a hard-hitting game between two tough-nosed teams. Pitt may have more playmakers at receiver, but NC State has the electric quarterback that the Panthers lack. It's too early to predict games, but this would be a good early win for the Big East if Pitt could pull it off on the road.

Nate H. from Cincinnati writes: People will argue that preseason polls don't matter, but you and I both know they do. If a team isn't ranked in the preseason it basically assures them no chance at the BCS title game. Now, Cincinnati has finished the last two seasons in the Top 20, but again it looks like they might get the snub from the different preseason Top 25 lists. One way-too-early top 25 did snub them; it was done by your ESPN cohort Mark Schlabach. Recently he did an article that listed the Top-10 toughest non-conference schedules and in two of the 10 Cincinnati was listed as a reason why. Now is it counter productive to his argument of not including UC in the Preseason top 25 to list them as a factor in determining a "top 10 tough" schedule?

Brian Bennett: I don't feel like Cincinnati is getting snubbed. Very few programs in America could lose their bowl game, lose 10 defensive starters and expect to be ranked in the Top 25 again the next season. That doesn't mean the Bearcats aren't a Top 25 team; it just means that they have so many question marks that most preseason pollsters will take a pass for now. Unfortunately, preseason rankings do have an effect, but that effect is primarily on the BCS title race, and it's highly unlikely that any Big East team will be in that discussion this year anyway. As for your question about schedules, a team can be a tough opponent without being ranked. For example, no one in their right mind would rank Auburn in the Top 25. But don't you think West Virginia's game on The Plains is a tough one this year?

Kris from Hollidaysburg, Pa., writes: I know I'm about to sound very nitpicky, but you all (sportswriters) should stop refering to Marshall as a rival or, in your words, a "traditional rival" of West Virginia. Marshall does not rival West Virginia in any sense of the word. They've never beaten West Virginia a single time in football. Not even when they had Pennington and Moss on the same team. (Marshall is 0-8 all-time versus WVU, with the average score being 46-11.) They never take any prized recruits from West Virginia. They very rarely have had a better year than West Virginia, which means they never steal any prestige. Like you keep saying, it's summer, and things are slow, so I'm nitpicking.

Brian Bennett: The fact that Marshall is the only other Division I team in the same state (a small state at that) makes them a rival, even if the games haven't been competitive. And another reason it's a rivalry is because I hear West Virginia fans talking about the Marshall series all the time.

Zach from Baltimore writes: West Virginia has by far the best uniforms in the Big East, and one of the most recognizable nationally with the flying WV. On another note, I liked UConn's uni's, I wonder why they are changing? Why copy Penn State's look?

Brian Bennett: It's a bit of a stretch to say UConn's new uniforms look like Penn State's, though they are simplified. If you're the Huskies, why not change? It's not like you have some iconic look as it is. If you can come out with a sleek new design, you might just catch a recruit's eye. High school players look at that kind of stuff, believe it or not.

Ethan from New York writes: If you were at the head of the decision to move Rutgers to the Big Ten, would you?

Brian Bennett: First, let's be clear that there is no decision to make. The Big Ten has not approached Rutgers, and if it ever happens, it will be years from now. Hypothetically speaking, I think the Scarlet Knights would have to take a long, hard look at it. Fact is, the Big Ten could offer more money. And money drives everything in college sports. Rutgers would give up some more natural geographic rivals (Syracuse, UConn, Pitt) and only add one (Penn State). But if it came down to the bottom line, I think we all know what Rutgers -- or really any school -- would choose.

And now that I've answered that, I'm going to impose a moratorium on expansion/defection talk for the rest of the summer, barring any unforeseen news or developments. I know it's a topic that everyone likes to theorize about. I get countless e-mails about which teams the Big East should add or which teams should leave or why Notre Dame should or shouldn't be in the league. None of these things are in the works, so let's stop spouting hot air until at least the weather cools down.