My mailbag is almost as full as Santa's. The difference is, you don't have to be nice to get your letter answered from me. In fact, I kind of like it when you're naughty.
On to the Christmas Eve mailbag (and my Christmas present to myself is no expansion talk this week):
Greg B from Carbondale, Ill., writes: Concerning USF, it's amazing how quickly a program can develop a bad reputation. Two years ago, when the planets all aligned, the program reached No. 2 in the BCS rankings, and then lost three close conference games, two on the road. USF finished 9-3 and 4-3 in a conference that had four teams in the final Top 25 BCS rankings. Yet that season is judged a failure? Last year was justly considered a disappointment. Yet the early Top 10 ranking was based largely on a win over an overrated Kansas team, and the loss of two NFL-level cornerbacks from the year before exposed holes in the defense no one could have predicted. This year, having to replace huge holes on the offensive line, two starting LBs, and with new coordinators on both sides of the ball, most predictions had USF at 8-4 or 7-5, AND THAT WAS BEFORE the Bulls lost their fifth-year senior QB, Matt Grothe.
Given your recent video that mentions the correlation between 5th-year senior QBs and success, why is everyone acting surprised when the Bulls ended up roughly where people had them pegged, playing a redshirt freshman QB whose maddeningly inconsistent play could have been foreseen?
Brian Bennett: You make some valid points, especially concerning Grothe this year. However, what's so maddening about the Bulls is that we see early in the season that they're capable of being a contender, yet they never seem able to finish the season strong. The biggest knock on the program is that it has gone just 9-12 in conference play the past three years, and just 6-12 against teams not named Syracuse. The Bulls also have a maddening tendency not to show up for certain games (see: Rutgers and Pitt this year). While we may overrate the actual talent on hand, there's still too much of it in this program for these results.
Jeff D. from Roanoke, Va., writes: I'm really feeling bad for those kids in Cincinnati. They lose their head coach who got them to the Sugar Bowl. Now they have Jeff Quinn, who although I'm sure will do his best, is only there for the one game and then off to Buffalo. Why doesn't the NCAA issue a rule stating new head coaches can't be hired until after the National Championship game? I just can't see how the Bearcats have much of a chance now against Florida with all the turmoil that's gone on.
Brian Bennett: It's all about the recruiting calendar, Jeff. As long as the NCAA holds its signing day in early February, programs are not going to agree to wait until the second week in January to hire coaches and let them assemble a class. There's no real reason, of course, why signing day has to be in February, or why there can't be an early signing period like there is in basketball. But until those changes are made, we'll have the same system for hiring coaches that we have now.
James S. from Pensacola, Fla., writes: I know it's early and we're just kicking off bowl season, but do you see any Big East teams in the preseason Top 25 or will we be left out again?
Brian Bennett: How the bowl games go will have some effect, of course. And so too, will the decisions of underclassmen in regards to the draft, particularly Greg Romeus at Pitt and Noel Devine at West Virginia. But I can clearly see Cincinnati and Pitt entering the season ranked if they perform decently in their bowls, and possibly the Mountaineers, who return a strong nucleus.
Chris from Morgantown, W.Va., writes: I found this concerning WVU's O-line play this year, and as a former lineman from my high school days it absolutely blows my mind. From the school's athletic site MSNsportsnet.com: "Not only have the same five [offensive linemen] started all 12 games, but they have also played nearly every snap of every game as well. You would be hard pressed to find a group of offensive linemen anywhere in the country that did what Selvish Capers, Josh Jenkins, Eric Jobe, Joey Madsen and Don Barclay were required to do in 2009. All five were involved in at least 783 snaps (an average of 66 per game), with Capers and Jenkins both taking part in a team-best 797 plays. Outside of West Virginia's five starters, junior Matt Timmerman has the most playing time with 45 snaps. The rest have a combined 66 plays to their credit."
Brian Bennett: I've seen that stat, and it's really quite amazing, especially at a position that's so physical and violent. Surely those guys played through some severe bumps and bruises. The West Virginia offensive line wasn't always great this year, but that experience and the fact that all but Capers return next year should bode well for the Mountaineers.
Brian R. from Boston writes: In your latest email you said, "I don't know that you're ever going to see UConn have one of the top-rated recruiting classes just because it's not an easy place to which you can attract talent." I have to disagree with you here. The same was said when Jim Calhoun was coaching basketball in the early '90s. I think the results speak for themselves.
Even though the fact that UConn is located in a small rural town in a state that does not have great football recruits, if Randy Edsall is able to continue to develop his players into NFL caliber players, then more four- and five-star recruits will show interest in playing at UConn.
Brian Bennett: It's apples and oranges when you're comparing football and basketball recruiting. Location and weather don't play nearly as big of a factor in basketball, not too mention that the East Coast, and the New York area in particular, is a fertile ground for top prospects.
Just look at where the top football recruits generally are: in the South, especially Florida, and Texas and California. That's just reality. And that's why teams like Florida, Texas and USC are so good year after year. UConn is probably never going to get bush loads of players from those areas, but again, Edsall is one of the best in the game at identifying and developing talent, which in my view is just as important if not more so than the star ratings.
Luke from Chuck Town W. Va., writes: Ahoy Hoy, Brian. This question has nothing to do with Big East football. I noticed a Mr. Burns bobble head and now a Homer Simpson head in the background of your video segments. Is this something you are doing intentionally? I always knew I liked your blog for a reason (beside excellent reporting) anyone who loves "The Simpsons" is all right by me. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Brian Bennett: For that e-mail, Luke wins this week's C. Montgomery Burns Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence. Merry Christmas, everybody.
On to the Christmas Eve mailbag (and my Christmas present to myself is no expansion talk this week):
Greg B from Carbondale, Ill., writes: Concerning USF, it's amazing how quickly a program can develop a bad reputation. Two years ago, when the planets all aligned, the program reached No. 2 in the BCS rankings, and then lost three close conference games, two on the road. USF finished 9-3 and 4-3 in a conference that had four teams in the final Top 25 BCS rankings. Yet that season is judged a failure? Last year was justly considered a disappointment. Yet the early Top 10 ranking was based largely on a win over an overrated Kansas team, and the loss of two NFL-level cornerbacks from the year before exposed holes in the defense no one could have predicted. This year, having to replace huge holes on the offensive line, two starting LBs, and with new coordinators on both sides of the ball, most predictions had USF at 8-4 or 7-5, AND THAT WAS BEFORE the Bulls lost their fifth-year senior QB, Matt Grothe.
Given your recent video that mentions the correlation between 5th-year senior QBs and success, why is everyone acting surprised when the Bulls ended up roughly where people had them pegged, playing a redshirt freshman QB whose maddeningly inconsistent play could have been foreseen?
Brian Bennett: You make some valid points, especially concerning Grothe this year. However, what's so maddening about the Bulls is that we see early in the season that they're capable of being a contender, yet they never seem able to finish the season strong. The biggest knock on the program is that it has gone just 9-12 in conference play the past three years, and just 6-12 against teams not named Syracuse. The Bulls also have a maddening tendency not to show up for certain games (see: Rutgers and Pitt this year). While we may overrate the actual talent on hand, there's still too much of it in this program for these results.
Jeff D. from Roanoke, Va., writes: I'm really feeling bad for those kids in Cincinnati. They lose their head coach who got them to the Sugar Bowl. Now they have Jeff Quinn, who although I'm sure will do his best, is only there for the one game and then off to Buffalo. Why doesn't the NCAA issue a rule stating new head coaches can't be hired until after the National Championship game? I just can't see how the Bearcats have much of a chance now against Florida with all the turmoil that's gone on.
Brian Bennett: It's all about the recruiting calendar, Jeff. As long as the NCAA holds its signing day in early February, programs are not going to agree to wait until the second week in January to hire coaches and let them assemble a class. There's no real reason, of course, why signing day has to be in February, or why there can't be an early signing period like there is in basketball. But until those changes are made, we'll have the same system for hiring coaches that we have now.
James S. from Pensacola, Fla., writes: I know it's early and we're just kicking off bowl season, but do you see any Big East teams in the preseason Top 25 or will we be left out again?
Brian Bennett: How the bowl games go will have some effect, of course. And so too, will the decisions of underclassmen in regards to the draft, particularly Greg Romeus at Pitt and Noel Devine at West Virginia. But I can clearly see Cincinnati and Pitt entering the season ranked if they perform decently in their bowls, and possibly the Mountaineers, who return a strong nucleus.
Chris from Morgantown, W.Va., writes: I found this concerning WVU's O-line play this year, and as a former lineman from my high school days it absolutely blows my mind. From the school's athletic site MSNsportsnet.com: "Not only have the same five [offensive linemen] started all 12 games, but they have also played nearly every snap of every game as well. You would be hard pressed to find a group of offensive linemen anywhere in the country that did what Selvish Capers, Josh Jenkins, Eric Jobe, Joey Madsen and Don Barclay were required to do in 2009. All five were involved in at least 783 snaps (an average of 66 per game), with Capers and Jenkins both taking part in a team-best 797 plays. Outside of West Virginia's five starters, junior Matt Timmerman has the most playing time with 45 snaps. The rest have a combined 66 plays to their credit."
Brian Bennett: I've seen that stat, and it's really quite amazing, especially at a position that's so physical and violent. Surely those guys played through some severe bumps and bruises. The West Virginia offensive line wasn't always great this year, but that experience and the fact that all but Capers return next year should bode well for the Mountaineers.
Brian R. from Boston writes: In your latest email you said, "I don't know that you're ever going to see UConn have one of the top-rated recruiting classes just because it's not an easy place to which you can attract talent." I have to disagree with you here. The same was said when Jim Calhoun was coaching basketball in the early '90s. I think the results speak for themselves.
Even though the fact that UConn is located in a small rural town in a state that does not have great football recruits, if Randy Edsall is able to continue to develop his players into NFL caliber players, then more four- and five-star recruits will show interest in playing at UConn.
Brian Bennett: It's apples and oranges when you're comparing football and basketball recruiting. Location and weather don't play nearly as big of a factor in basketball, not too mention that the East Coast, and the New York area in particular, is a fertile ground for top prospects.
Just look at where the top football recruits generally are: in the South, especially Florida, and Texas and California. That's just reality. And that's why teams like Florida, Texas and USC are so good year after year. UConn is probably never going to get bush loads of players from those areas, but again, Edsall is one of the best in the game at identifying and developing talent, which in my view is just as important if not more so than the star ratings.
Luke from Chuck Town W. Va., writes: Ahoy Hoy, Brian. This question has nothing to do with Big East football. I noticed a Mr. Burns bobble head and now a Homer Simpson head in the background of your video segments. Is this something you are doing intentionally? I always knew I liked your blog for a reason (beside excellent reporting) anyone who loves "The Simpsons" is all right by me. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Brian Bennett: For that e-mail, Luke wins this week's C. Montgomery Burns Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence. Merry Christmas, everybody.
Brian Bennett | email
College Football- ESPN.com Big Ten blogger
- Joined ESPN.com in 2008
- Wrote for The Courier-Journal
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Andrea Adelson
Adelson joined ESPN.com in 2010 after spending time as a college football columnist at The Orlando Sentinel. She has covered college football since her days as a University of Florida student, and lives in Orlando, Fla.
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