ESPN College Football

Here's your lunchtime reading ...

• The chaos of conference realignment casts a shadow on this week's conference meetings, Greg Auman writes in the Tampa Bay Times.
• Sixteen Pitt athletes recently spent six days at an orphanage in Haiti, Jerry DiPaola writes in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
• Justin Goodwin is the latest to commit to Rutgers, Mike Vorkunov writes in the (Newark) Star-Ledger.
• Several former UConn players are getting exposure at NFL camps, Desmond Conner writes in the Hartford Courant.
• Recruiting has been off to a slow start for Temple, Keith Pompey writes in the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Filling in for some lunchtime reading …

• Colleague Ivan Maisel says spring football ushers in a fresh start.
• The Tampa Bay Times' Greg Auman catches up with UCF coach George O'Leary, who talks about the move to the Big East.
• Tyler Provo's father says Syracuse is getting a smaller, meaner version of older brother Nick, Nolan Weidner writes in The Post-Standard.
• Former Rutgers WR Mohamed Sanu is on the upswing with the Bengals, Joe Reedy writes in the Cincinnati Enquirer.
• The Orlando Sentinel's Matt Murschel says Boise State is one of five teams that will struggle in 2012.

Want to know how excited Rutgers is about its new uniforms?

This video should answer your question.

I would say Scarlet Knights players are pretty thrilled. The school officially unveiled its sleek new Nike Pro Combat uniforms Tuesday afternoon in New York City, with Mark Harrison, Scott Vallone and Khaseem Greene serving as the official models. Three different uniforms were unveiled -- white, red and black -- along with a different style helmet.

The Block R remains, but rather than a red helmet with a white letter R, the new helmet is an all-chrome finish with either a red or black R, and different striping.

“The new look for Rutgers football is a clean, modern style that our student-athletes, recruits and fans will be very impressed with,” athletic director Tim Pernetti said in a statement. “Nike, along with our football staff did an amazing job of incorporating our history, mascot, and our most valuable asset, the Block R, while designing a uniform that will generate incredible excitement. This was a process that lasted over a year with tremendous input from both Kyle Flood and Greg Schiano.”

Among the other changes:

• Metallic accents and battle “scars” throughout the uniform
• Inset ribbing around the shoulders that are made to look like iron plates
• The pant stripe comes to a point and features a beveled-edge design much like a sword pant, and ties directly into the knight’s plume on the new helmet.
• All-new knight-driven number and font system

You can read more about the Nike Pro Combat technology and what went into making the uniforms in this news release.

Red uniforms will be worn at home; white on the road; and black is the alternate jersey. I love the black, much in the same way I loved the black helmets last year. But what can I say, black is one of my favorite colors.

Rutgers has asked the Big East for financial relief, after losing a home game because of conference realignment.

TCU was originally slated to visit the Scarlet Knights. But after TCU left for the Big 12, Rutgers lost a home game and ended up with six for the 2012 season.

"We'll deal with it in a very direct manner with the league. We're disappointed that we were not made whole on a league (home) game with TCU's departure," athletic director Tim Pernetti told the Star-Ledger. "Having said that, we took control of our situation. While there were opportunities out there to bring a second 1-AA (FCS) opponent in here, that's just not for us any more. We're not doing that again.

"I thought it was more important to think longer term about bringing in an opponent that could return the game, that was a high-profile BCS opponent. We ended to a great resolution to the situation with Arkansas."

The Big East had no comment.

Back in Big East country -- figuratively, at least -- for another day.

Here's what we're cooking up today:

• The performance of running back Savon Huggins headlines Rutgers' big questions entering the spring. New Scarlet Knights coach Kyle Flood is anxious to get practice started.
• TCU's snub of the Big East forced Cincinnati to add a second FCS team on its 2012 schedule.
• Connecticut should get immediate contributions from a group of transfers that includes quarterback Chandler Whitmer.
• Syracuse coach Doug Marrone has ditched his depth chart for the start of spring ball.
• A spring practice primer on South Florida.
• Some nuggets from Louisville's practice Monday. Cardinals coach Charlie Strong and Guy Fieri will be breaking bread together in May.
• Pitt's offense remains a work in progress midway through spring drills. After being shifted back to quarterback, Pitt's Anthony Gonzalez might face another move.

Greetings from the Midwest. Let's see what's happening around the Beast.

• South Florida player Boo Simon quits football after being diagnosed with epilepsy. The Bulls are working at an accelerated pace this spring.
• Pitt's new defense is similar to the one employed by former coach Dave Wannstedt. Panthers RB Isaac Bennett gets a showcase opportunity in practice while Ray Graham is on the mend.
• Tavon Austin's versatility stands out for West Virginia. Donte Campbell could be the Mountaineers' next 1,000-yard receiver.
• Connecticut coach Paul Pasqualoni has no issues with taking transfers, as long as they fit his program.
• Kyle Flood's friends and family members weigh in on the new Rutgers coach.
• Cincinnati coach Butch Jones discusses the second section of spring football.
• Athlon Sports ranks the current and future Big East coaches.
• Louisville offers a defensive back from Florida.

Ivan Maisel and Beano Cook discuss the historical perspective of signing day, the future of Rutgers and Navy joining the Big East.

You can say all you want about the glaring holes on his résumé:

Greg Schiano never won a Big East title.

Greg Schiano never beat West Virginia.

Greg Schiano never did much more than break even in 11 seasons as head coach at Rutgers.

I say this: Schiano rescued Rutgers football. He turned a longtime doormat into much more than just a respectable program. He turned the Scarlet Knights into winners, all while graduating his players and turning out more than his share of NFL prospects.

For that, he should be forever embraced in New Jersey.

Perspective is hard to have in sports. The demands on coaches and players are exponentially higher today than they were 10 years ago, even at a place that endured as much losing as Rutgers did before Schiano arrived in 2001. Coaches are no longer given time to build, the way Schiano was. They are given time to deliver championships, with a ticking clock set to a handful of years.

Part of what makes what Schiano did all the more impressive is that he lasted so long without delivering a title. That points directly to the state of the program when he took over as a hot-shot defensive coordinator from the University of Miami. Rutgers had not had a winning season since 1992. Rutgers had not played in a bowl game since 1978.

Slowly but surely, Schiano went to work. Ahem. He chopped wood. He started winning games. It took five hard, long seasons for the results to show.

In his last seven seasons with the program, Rutgers went 56-33 with six winning seasons and a 5-1 bowl record. The only losing season was 2010, when the Scarlet Knights had to endure a devastating injury to Eric LeGrand that not only rocked every player on the roster, it rocked Schiano to the core.

That 4-8 campaign led to renewed questions about whether Schiano was the right man to continue to lead Rutgers into the future. Some Scarlet Knights fans were antsy because they had seen progress, but not enough progress. Where were the rings? Where were the championships in the most winnable conference among the six automatic qualifiers?

You see, this is what Schiano did. He won so much, winning seasons were no longer good enough.

Not even this past season. Rutgers came oh-so-close to getting that coveted title in 2011. A turnaround campaign had the Scarlet Knights playing for a share of the conference title on the final week of the regular season. All they needed was a win over UConn, a team Rutgers had an advantage over in nearly every category on paper.

But Rutgers put forth one of the most dispiriting efforts under Schiano, inexplicably losing 40-22. It was the best shot for a league title since 2006, and Rutgers looked as if it forgot how to actually play football.

Still, a rebound victory over Iowa State left Rutgers with the longest bowl winning streak in the nation (five) and with expectations to compete for a Big East title in 2012. Several sites have Rutgers in their way-too-early preseason Top 25.

Nearly everybody on a top-notch defense returns. Those who follow Rutgers believe this is the very best team the program has fielded since the Ray Rice days of 2006. Schiano talked at length earlier this month about the possibilities for this upcoming year.

"I’m encouraged by the direction the program’s headed, and I’m encouraged by the people in the program," Schiano said. "The coaching staff and players and support personnel. It takes a long time to build that kind of human capital in a place and I’m excited about it.”

He had to be excited about the impressive recruiting class coming together as well.

But an opportunity he probably thought might never open up presented itself. Schiano decided to jump at the challenge of coaching in the NFL after pouring 11 seasons of himself into his Rutgers job. The timing of his departure is terrible, no question about it. He is letting down a lot of young men, and a lot of fans.

That is a hazard that comes with coaching.

Now, though, we may get some answers about whether another coach can elevate this program further than Schiano did. The Rutgers athletic department is in dire financial straits, so the options for bringing in a dazzling head coach less than a week before signing day might be limited.

Whoever comes in must not only save what is shaping up to be an excellent recruiting class, he must also win immediately.

Scratch that.

He must win championships immediately.

That is the standard now.

With a little less than a week to go before the Big East kicks off bowl season, I figured I would give you some updated ticket sales numbers for each school.

Cincinnati: The Bearcats have moved about 9,000 tickets for their game against Vanderbilt in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl on Dec. 31 in Memphis, Tenn. Doug Mosley, associate athletic director for external and media communications, says: "Sales continue to be steady. Our student trip package did well and our fans have responded generously to the One Team, One Ticket offer, where they purchase tickets for students and spirit groups. Overall, we're very pleased with how UC fans and our community has stepped up to support the Bearcats' trip to the 53rd Annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl."

Louisville: The Cardinals are approaching 10,000 tickets sold for their game against NC State in the Belk Bowl on Dec. 27 in Charlotte, N.C.

Pitt: The Panthers have 2,100 tickets out for their game against SMU in the BBVA Compass Bowl on Jan. 7 in Birmingham, Ala.

Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights have passed the 10,000 ticket mark and counting for their game against Iowa State in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl on Dec. 30 at Yankee Stadium. If you need to be reminded, Syracuse sold around 8,000 tickets for its Pinstripe Bowl appearance last year. Who is New York's team again?

West Virginia: At last check, the Mountaineers had sold a little over 6,000 tickets from their allotment for the Discover Orange Bowl against Clemson on Jan. 4. WVU sports marketing director Matt Wells told the AP last week that the midweek slot had impacted sales because the game was after the holiday break. The Tigers are not burning up ticket sales, either, with about 8,000 sold.

It is important to remember that these numbers only count tickets sold through the university. There are lower-priced options available at other places, and that is a contributing factor in some cases to sluggish sales.

Our friends at ESPN Insider took at look at the most overrated and underrated bowl teams this year. One Big East team checked in on the underrated list:

Rutgers.

Here is a little of what Will Harris had to say:

Despite the poor line play, unproven backs and a quarterback shuffle, Rutgers went 8-4 thanks to outstanding defense, game-changing special teams and one big-play offensive weapon in ace wideout Mohamed Sanu.

That recipe has been good enough this year and will yield even more dividends as the offensive identity is further established. This team is better than 39th right now, and a good investment for future seasons, as well.

You have to be an Insider to read the rest of the post, but this should make Rutgers fans happy -- a bit of nice pub for a good season.

Rutgers players went through their pro day on Wednesday, with 35 scouts and whoever wanted to watch via the Internet looking on.

It wasn't a great day for wideout Tim Brown, who didn't receive an NFL combine invite and probably needed a good workout. Brown measured in at just 5-foot-6 and 3/4 inches and 151 pounds. He had been listed at 5-8 during his college career. His actual size makes what he accomplished at Rutgers even more impressive, but it doesn't exactly thrill tape-measure obsessed scouts.

And Brown, who had been dealing with an ankle injury, ran just a 4.52 and a 4.44 in the 40-yard dash.

Rutgers' two possible first-rounders, Devin McCourty and Anthony Davis, did most of their work at the combine. Davis didn't do any drills Wednesday, while McCourty focused only on position work.

Center Ryan Blaszczyk had the best performance on the bench press, hoisting 225 pounds 31 times. Fullback Jack Corcoran, who weighed in nearly 70 pounds less than Blaszczyk, managed to 30 reps.

Linebacker Ryan D'Imperio had a nice day, running a respectable 4.65 in the 40 and showing off good athleticism in the other drills. He also worked some at fullback. Defensive lineman George Johnson measured in at 6-foot-4 and 3/8 and 268 pounds and put in some time at linebacker.

You can view the complete Rutgers pro day results here.

Good news for Rutgers fans who need a winter dose of football.

For the first time in school history, the Scarlet Knights will broadcast the team's pro day activities on its Web site, ScarletKnights.com. The broadcast will air March 10 at 2 p.m. and will show 16 former Rutgers players performing drills for scouts, including the 40-yard dash, 225-pound bench press, broad jump, vertical jump, three-cone drill, flexibility tests and individual position testing.

Greg Schiano and former stars Ray Rice, Jeremy Zuttah, Jamaal Westerman and Kevin Malast will be among the guests on the broadcast. Among the Rutgers hopefuls who will be working out are offensive tackle Anthony Davis and cornerback Devin McCourty, each of whom have a shot at being first-round draft picks.

It used to be that only scouts and maybe a handful of media members got to watch pro day workouts. But now with this and NFL combine performances being shown live, there's more access than ever before. All of which serves to feed an insatiable appetite for football of any kind, even if it's just guys running and jumping in shorts and T-shirts.

The official signing day class for Rutgers can be found here. The 25 prospects include several highly-rated players who jumped aboard for Greg Schiano in the last two days.

The class includes six offensive linemen, four linebackers, four receivers and three well-regarded defensive backs, all areas of need for the Scarlet Knights. Three players have already enrolled and will take part in spring practice.

A postseason ranking of the Big East's Top 30 players ...

No. 24

Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers, Fr.

Preseason rank: NR

Why him here: Remember that potential is a big part of these rankings, and while Sanu offered terrific production as a true freshman, his ceiling seems almost unlimited at this point.

To recap his remarkable 2009: Sanu enrolled early at Rutgers after being ruled ineligible to play his senior year of high school because he was too old under New Jersey rules. Originally slotted at safety, he was moved to receiver late in spring practice when the Scarlet Knights struggled to find options at that position.

Sanu was the team's second-leading receiver with 51 catches for 639 yards and three scores, but he was more than just a wideout. Rutgers used him often under center in the Wildcat formation, and he was one of the most effective runners the team had, going for 346 yards and five touchdowns while averaging 5.6 yards per carry.

Sanu is almost all legs right now on his 6-foot-2, 215-pound frame, but he should continue to fill out and get stronger as he matures. He's already shown that he's versatile enough to do almost anything, and Rutgers fans will have the pleasure of seeing what that entails for at least the next two seasons.

No. 25: Jarrett Brown, QB, West Virginia
No. 26: George Selvie, DE, South Florida
No. 27: Kion Wilson, LB, South Florida
No. 28: Jabaal Sheard, DE, Pittsburgh
No. 29: Lindsey Witten, DE, Connecticut
No. 30: Jeff Linkenbach, OT, Cincinnati

1. Cincinnati (10-0, 6-0 Big East): The Bearcats have been No. 1 in these rankings ever since Labor Day and did nothing on their bye week to change that status.

2. Pittsburgh (9-1, 5-0): The Panthers didn't play last week. They could take this week off if they wanted to and still play for the Big East title on Dec. 5.

3. West Virginia (7-3, 3-2): The Mountaineers -- yawn -- were off last week, too. But they move up after the Rutgers fiasco. A 9-3 finish with a win over Pitt would look a lot better than 8-4 or 7-5 at this point.

4. UConn (5-5, 1-4): The Huskies have only one league win, but nobody would want to play them at this point. The oft-quoted statistic is that UConn's five losses came by a total of 15 points; three of its wins came by a total of 18 points.

T-5. Rutgers (7-3, 2-3): What exactly was that on Saturday, Scarlet Knights? You had worked so hard to establish a small semblance of credibility, which is now gone after an 18-point loss at Syracuse.

T-5. South Florida (7-3, 3-3): Yes, Rutgers thrashed South Florida 31-0 less than two weeks ago. But these two teams seem very similar, in that you'd trust them at home but would never bank on them beating a good team on the road.

7. Louisville (4-7, 1-5): One thing you can say for the Cardinals this year: they haven't been truly blown out of any game except those against Cincinnati and Pitt, who are both in the Top 10. It's not enough to save Steve Kragthorpe's job, however.

8. Syracuse (4-7, 1-5): I thought the ceiling for this team at the beginning of the season was five wins. The Orange are one upset of UConn away from bumping their heads on that.