Big East: Big East fear/respect
Earlier today, I highlighted five games in which the Big East could earn respect by winning. Now it's time to look at the flip side of that.
If beating the sport's big boys gains you credibility, then losing to teams people expect you to beat can damage it. Here are five games for which the Big East should be on high upset alert.
Cincinnati at Fresno State, Sept 4: The Bearcats have more talent than Fresno State. Still, traveling across three time zones and playing the first game under a new coaching staff on the road against a solid non-BCS program is fraught with peril. The Bulldogs will be looking to earn their own respect by knocking off the two-time defending Big East champs.
Connecticut at Temple, Sept. 18: The last time UConn ventured to Philly to take on the Owls, they had to go to overtime in sloppy weather conditions to escape two years ago. Temple is on the rise under Al Golden and would love to beat a team from the league that kicked them out of the BCS club.
Memphis at Louisville, Oct. 9: Speaking of the BCS club, Memphis is desperate to gain entry and still smarting that the Cardinals were among three former C-USA brethren to earn Big East invites instead of the Tigers. Louisville's talent is not so much better that it can take this or any game for granted.
Syracuse at Akron, Sept. 4: The Orange lost to Akron two years ago at home and took a while to shake free of the Zips last year in the Carrier Dome. Now they have to go on the road for the opener, which is always a tricky proposition. Ask UConn, which had to struggle past Ohio last year in another opener on MAC turf.
Maryland at West Virginia, Sept. 18: The Terrapins were putrid last year, and if they haven't improved drastically then this game should not be close. But it arrives just one week before the Mountaineers' trip to LSU, so the danger of looking ahead exists. Besides, Maryland can't actually get any worse, can it?
Others: Cincinnati at NC State (Sept. 16); Vanderbilt at Connecticut (Oct. 2); Louisville at Arkansas State (Oct.2)
Now that I've filled your head with negative thoughts, let's end on something positive. I did a similar list last preseason, and the Big East won every one of the games I highlighted as possible upsets. In fact, in the entire 2009 season, there was only one nonconference regular season game that I would call a true upset: Pitt at NC State. The Big East needs to keep that trend going.
If beating the sport's big boys gains you credibility, then losing to teams people expect you to beat can damage it. Here are five games for which the Big East should be on high upset alert.
Cincinnati at Fresno State, Sept 4: The Bearcats have more talent than Fresno State. Still, traveling across three time zones and playing the first game under a new coaching staff on the road against a solid non-BCS program is fraught with peril. The Bulldogs will be looking to earn their own respect by knocking off the two-time defending Big East champs.
Connecticut at Temple, Sept. 18: The last time UConn ventured to Philly to take on the Owls, they had to go to overtime in sloppy weather conditions to escape two years ago. Temple is on the rise under Al Golden and would love to beat a team from the league that kicked them out of the BCS club.
Memphis at Louisville, Oct. 9: Speaking of the BCS club, Memphis is desperate to gain entry and still smarting that the Cardinals were among three former C-USA brethren to earn Big East invites instead of the Tigers. Louisville's talent is not so much better that it can take this or any game for granted.
Syracuse at Akron, Sept. 4: The Orange lost to Akron two years ago at home and took a while to shake free of the Zips last year in the Carrier Dome. Now they have to go on the road for the opener, which is always a tricky proposition. Ask UConn, which had to struggle past Ohio last year in another opener on MAC turf.
Maryland at West Virginia, Sept. 18: The Terrapins were putrid last year, and if they haven't improved drastically then this game should not be close. But it arrives just one week before the Mountaineers' trip to LSU, so the danger of looking ahead exists. Besides, Maryland can't actually get any worse, can it?
Others: Cincinnati at NC State (Sept. 16); Vanderbilt at Connecticut (Oct. 2); Louisville at Arkansas State (Oct.2)
Now that I've filled your head with negative thoughts, let's end on something positive. I did a similar list last preseason, and the Big East won every one of the games I highlighted as possible upsets. In fact, in the entire 2009 season, there was only one nonconference regular season game that I would call a true upset: Pitt at NC State. The Big East needs to keep that trend going.
Five games to earn respect for the Big East
July, 14, 2010
7/14/10
10:49
AM ET
By
Brian Bennett | ESPN.com
The Big East is locked in a constant battle for respect, even after a year in which two of its teams reached the Top 10 and one finished third in the final BCS standings. There's good football in this league, but the only way to convince the skeptics is to keep winning big games.
Fortunately for the Big East, several opportunities to do just that await this year. Here are five games in which the league can earn respect:
Miami at Pittsburgh, Sept. 23: This is a battle between two teams who should be among the favorites in the ACC and Big East, respectively. And it's on Big East turf. Pitt needs to win this game at home to carry the banner for the league.
Oklahoma at Cincinnati, Sept. 25: The Bearcats are heading downtown to Paul Brown Stadium for this showdown with the Sooners. Though Cincinnati played well for more than a half in Norman two years ago, Oklahoma still won 52-26. The two-time defending Big East champs must at least make this year's matchup more competitive to avoid hearing about their recent losses against the big boys (Virginia Tech, Florida, etc.).
West Virginia at LSU, Sept. 25: Nothing earns you more respect from pundits and fans at large than beating an SEC powerhouse at its place. The Mountaineers have their work cut out for them, but they also have a talented, veteran team that just may be able to pull off this upset.
North Carolina at Rutgers, Sept. 25: Is the week of Sept. 25 huge for the Big East or what? The Tar Heels have gotten a lot of preseason pub because of their talented defense. Rutgers is a defensive-minded team as well, and it gets this game at home. The Scarlet Knights have heard a lot about their weak schedules; this is an excellent opportunity to shut people up.
Connecticut at Michigan, Sept. 4: Michigan isn't the Michigan of old, but it's still a name brand. UConn has been seeking name recognition for a while now despite its recent success. Winning at the Big House could go a long way to putting the Huskies on the map.
Others: South Florida at Florida (Sept. 11) and at Miami (Nov. 27); Pitt at Utah (Sept. 2); Louisville at Oregon State (Sept. 18); Syracuse at Washington (Sept. 11) and versus Boston College (Nov. 27).
Fortunately for the Big East, several opportunities to do just that await this year. Here are five games in which the league can earn respect:
Miami at Pittsburgh, Sept. 23: This is a battle between two teams who should be among the favorites in the ACC and Big East, respectively. And it's on Big East turf. Pitt needs to win this game at home to carry the banner for the league.
Oklahoma at Cincinnati, Sept. 25: The Bearcats are heading downtown to Paul Brown Stadium for this showdown with the Sooners. Though Cincinnati played well for more than a half in Norman two years ago, Oklahoma still won 52-26. The two-time defending Big East champs must at least make this year's matchup more competitive to avoid hearing about their recent losses against the big boys (Virginia Tech, Florida, etc.).
West Virginia at LSU, Sept. 25: Nothing earns you more respect from pundits and fans at large than beating an SEC powerhouse at its place. The Mountaineers have their work cut out for them, but they also have a talented, veteran team that just may be able to pull off this upset.
North Carolina at Rutgers, Sept. 25: Is the week of Sept. 25 huge for the Big East or what? The Tar Heels have gotten a lot of preseason pub because of their talented defense. Rutgers is a defensive-minded team as well, and it gets this game at home. The Scarlet Knights have heard a lot about their weak schedules; this is an excellent opportunity to shut people up.
Connecticut at Michigan, Sept. 4: Michigan isn't the Michigan of old, but it's still a name brand. UConn has been seeking name recognition for a while now despite its recent success. Winning at the Big House could go a long way to putting the Huskies on the map.
Others: South Florida at Florida (Sept. 11) and at Miami (Nov. 27); Pitt at Utah (Sept. 2); Louisville at Oregon State (Sept. 18); Syracuse at Washington (Sept. 11) and versus Boston College (Nov. 27).
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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.
