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Munchie Legaux threw his first career touchdown pass, and that was good enough to give the Bearcats a 10-6 lead over Syracuse at halftime.

Neither Syracuse nor Cincinnati has looked particularly sharp. The Bearcats, who have to win out to clinch at least a share of the Big East title, have been plagued by mistakes once again. Tony Miliano missed a field goal; backup quarterback Jordan Luallen, tripped over himself en route to a sure touchdown; and a running into the kicker penalty allowed Syracuse a second chance at a field goal.

Several false start penalties have been particularly costly. On the drive in which Luallen tripped, Cincinnati had a first-and-goal at the 1 but the Bearcats were eventually backed up to the 11. Cincinnati was more content putting the ball in the hands of Luallen and Legaux early, but finally started feeding the ball to Isaiah Pead.

He had a big role in getting the Bearcats into position for their first touchdown since the West Virginia game. Legaux threw a 2-yard scoring pass to Travis Kelce to put Cincinnati up 10-6.

Syracuse has made mistakes, too, off the bye week. Ryan Nassib has missed open receivers again, and Syracuse is just 1-of-6 on third down. The Orange need one more win to become bowl-eligible.

Here are some injury updates from the Big East.

Cincinnati: Tight end Travis Kelce is expected back against Tennessee after sitting out last week with a sprained ankle.

Connecticut:Coach Paul Pasqualoni said he is optimistic D.J. Shoematewill be able to play against Vanderbilt. Pasqualoni said Tuesday that Shoemate showed encouraging signs at practice Sunday. Meanwhile, defensive end Jesse Joseph remains out.

Louisville:Defensive end B.J. Butler and center Mario Benavides will miss a second straight game because of injuries. Will Stein (ankle) will play. Receiver Josh Bellamy(hamstring) is day-to-day. Defensive tackle Roy Philon, cornerback Jordon Paschal and nose tackle Brandon Dunn could return against FIU.

Pitt: The Panthers sustained no major injuries against Buffalo. Receiver Ed Tinker is expected back this week.

Rutgers:Cornerback Mason Robinson is out for the season with a torn ACL, coach Greg Schiano announced Tuesday. Robinson was the team's top punt returner and rotated in at cornerback. Starting left guard Desmond Wynn hurt his knee against NC Central and it appears he is doubtful to play.

Syracuse:Defensive end Chandler Jones, safety Olando Fisher and cornerback Ri'Shard Anderson are out indefinitely, Syracuse announced Tuesday. All three were injured against Wake Forest. Anderson has an upper body injury, and Jones and Fisher have lower body injuries.

USF: No major injuries.

West Virginia:Dana Holgorsen said Andrew Buie and Trey Johnsonare day-to-day. Buie was hurt against Marshall, while Johnson was held out of the game. Matt Lindamood also is injured and was held out against Marshall.

Are you ready for some football? One more day ...

• Junior tight end Travis Kelce is out for Cincinnati's opener. Strip steaks for turnovers, anyone?
• Desmond Conner of The Hartford Courant profiles UConn coach Paul Pasqualoni. UConn is still awaiting word on whether it will be able to reschedule its game against Fordham to Saturday. One prediction on the outcome of the game.
• Starters will play on special teams for Louisville. Eric Crawford of the Courier-Journal wonders how the punishment of several Miami players involved in the Nevin Shapiro scandal impacts Clint Hurtt.
• The Pitt defense hopes to emulate the Steelers. Defensive line is a strong area for the Panthers.
• Rutgers is going to rotate its cornerbacks. A nice column by Jerry Izenberg on N.C. Central coach Henry Frazier. Chas Dodd is already leading the team as a sophomore.
• No more Mr. Changeup for Syracuse running back Antwon Bailey. Former Syracuse defensive coordinator Steve Russ returns as an assistant with Wake Forest.
• Winning on the road is key for USF's Big East championship hopes. B.J. Daniels learned from last season.
• West Virginia running backs are going to have to protect Geno Smith, too. Check out my Q&A with West Virginia Illustrated. Rivals.com ranks Jeff Casteel as one of the top coordinators in the nation. Dana Holgorsen's offenses are physical.

I had a chance to catch up with Cincinnati quarterback Zach Collaros to find out how the offseason is going, what he thinks of all the pub going to Geno Smith and how he good he thinks this offense can be this season.

AA: What have been the biggest things you have worked on this offseason?

ZC: We’re running a lot as an offense, working hard on tempo, getting lined up faster, working on execution, working with receivers, getting our timing down on routes, doing 7-on-7s. As a senior class, we've taken it upon ourselves to lead the activities. We've embraced the role of leadership, we’ve had a positive summer, and grown closer as a team. Hopefully that translates onto the field.

AA: How about you? How have you improved this summer?

ZC: Physically, it’s the best I've felt in a long time. We're in great condition -- the strength coaches always have us in great condition. In terms of football, I’m working on things that translate onto the field -- getting the ball off, not taking sacks. A big factor in summer is watching film, not just on the first two games, but stuff you did last year in ways you can improve. It hasn’t been just me. Others have gotten after it in that aspect and that's going to help.

AA: A lot of people are talking about Geno Smith as being the best quarterback in the Big East. How do you feel when you hear that?

ZC: I love being counted out. I’ve always looked at myself as an underdog. It adds that extra motivation you need more after coming off the season we had last year. It adds fuel to the fire, and reason to work harder, people doubting you.

AA: You lost Armon Binns, so who is going to step up in his place?

ZC: Losing Armon hurts. He was a comfort zone for me. We came in together, we grew up together in the program, so losing him will take away that comfortability for me. Anthony McClung, Kenbrell [Thompkins],DJ [Woods] -- I can't say enough about how they've come in and taken over the leadership role. We don’t miss a beat when it comes to 7-on-7s. They’re working hard, setting a good example for the younger kids. All three of those guys did a great job with that, along with them, OJ Woodard is working hard as well. As for the tight ends, Travis Kelce is back on the depth chart now, of course Adrien Robinson is still here, Blake Annen is here. It all starts up front, though; those guys up front have been doing a great job.

AA: What gives you the confidence to know your offensive line is going to be better?

ZC: Alex Hoffman has taken the lead with that group, as well as Randy Martinez. Those are two great guys in the program, great leaders for the younger guys. They’re helping them to develop, and I’m very confident in those guys. It all starts with them. If they can protect and run block, the offense has a nice feeling.

AA: Given all the potential, what are your expectations for the offense?

ZC: I think it's the same as it was last year. We had a lot of potential, and we had a lot of high expectations. High expectations are a good thing because you want to reach those expectations. We didn't last year. Turnovers killed us and not scoring touchdowns and kicking field goals and all that stuff. It comes down to execution. The experience will help me.

AA: How do you work on cutting down those turnovers?

ZC: It all starts with the quarterbacks. I have to cut down on the interceptions. I had a lot of them last year coming from behind, forcing too many balls in there. Me making better decisions is what it all starts with. We fumbled a lot last year, which you can't do. If we cut back on that, we're going to have a really good season. In practice every day, we have a five-minute period dedicated to ball-security drills. I think some of it was unlucky last year. The balls didn't bounce our way. We want to change that this year.

AA: Defense was the weak link, though. How is that unit going to be better?

ZC: Well, they’re all returning, which is a good thing. They all have a year of experience and are sick of people telling them they were the weak link and stuff like that. They want to be better. We have great leaders like JK [Schaffer], Cam Cheatham has stepped up. They're good football players. I know they work very hard in the weight room, they’re watching film and I have a lot of confidence the results on field are going to be much better this year.

AA: What goals have you set for yourself this season?

ZC: I just want to win more games, get back to a bowl game and win the Big East. For myself, I want to have a higher completion percentage, to be in the 64, 65 percent range. As long as I can lead my team to wins. I want my teammates to look at me as a leader. If I can accomplish that, I will be happy.

We continue our look at team position rankings with tight ends. This is never an easy group to judge, and this year is no exception with so many starters gone. Here they are:

1. Connecticut. Ryan Griffin finished third on the team with 245 yards receiving and a touchdown, but he was pushed in the spring by two other good players: John Delahunt and Corey Manning. Delahunt and Griffin were listed atop the post-spring depth chart. Both are big with good hands. This group has talent and depth, earning the top spot in the rankings.

2. Syracuse. Nick Provo has proven to be an excellent pass-catcher with good size. Last season, he had 33 catches for 365 yards and a touchdown and is penciled in to start in 2011. He has been injury-prone so he needs to stay healthy. Depth is a question mark here, though Beckett Wales is expected back in the fall.

3. Louisville. A few fans wondered why Josh Chichester was not included in the receiver rankings. The reason is because he will be playing more tight end this season, according to offensive coordinator Mike Sanford. That should bode well for the Cardinals. Chichester is a 6-foot-8, 240 pound big-time target who had 317 yards and five touchdowns last season and should help make up for the loss of Cameron Graham. Sanford also is expecting big things from Stephon Ball and Nate Nord.

4. Rutgers. The running theme with DC Jefferson has been getting him to live up to his potential. At 6-6, 258 pounds, he has ideal size, but has yet to truly make an impact. Rutgers has a new tight ends coach in Brian Angelichio tasked with getting Jefferson to improve.

5. USF. The Bulls lose starter Kevin Gidrey but have the potential to be better here with Andreas Shields in the starting lineup. Shields is big and athletic and capable of making big plays. Isaac Virgin is listed behind Shields.

6. Cincinnati. There is much uncertainty for the Bearcats at this position with the loss of Ben Guidugli, second-team All-Big East selection. Senior Adrien Robinson, junior Travis Kelce and sophomore Blake Annen are all in the mix. Annen is atop the depth chart headed into the fall. Kelce has potential, and coach Butch Jones talked about seeing him step up this season. Someone will have to.

7. Pittsburgh. The Panthers use more of an H-back/TE in the spread offense, but they took a hit when Mike Cruz left the team in the spring. They do have talent in Hubie Graham, an Illinois transfer, and Brock DeCicco, who made a few starts last season. But this position is going to be a big unknown headed into the season.

NR: West Virginia. The Mountaineers do not use a tight end off the line of scrimmage in Dana Holgorsen's offense. What about Tyler Urban you ask? He has moved to inside receiver and will primarily play that position.

Previous rankings

• Offensive line
• Receiver
• Running back

On the eve of Cincinnati's final spring practice, Zach Collaros was at the car repair shop. He needed a new window after some punk decided to break into his ride.

But Collaros was still in a good mood. He liked the way spring drills had gone for the Bearcats, whom he feels just need some minor repairs themselves to improve on last year's 4-8 record.

They've got a great place to start with their senior quarterback, who led the Big East in passing yards (2,902) and touchdowns (26) last season. Collaros is looking for more than just stats this year, though.

"We had a great season if you just want to talk numbers," he said. "But we weren't very consistent in anything we did, whether it be the passing game or the running game."

Turnovers killed Cincinnati last year, and Collaros knows he can't have another season where he throws a league-high 14 interceptions like he did in 2010. He's trying to rein in his desire to make huge plays on every snap.

"When it's third-and-12, it's all right to not throw for the first down and punt the ball sometimes," he said. "And sometimes when you do dumb it down to a two-yard pass, that turns into a 15-yard pass. I'm working on going through my progressions, understanding the game better and not putting the defense in bad situations.

"It's on me to make good decisions. As long as I make good decisions, the offense should be fine."

Collaros can make things happen with his legs as well as his arm, but he might have been a bit too quick to scramble and throw on the move last season. While the team doesn't want him to lose that running threat, Collaros said he worked this spring on sliding in the pocket and looking for his second and third receivers while setting his feet properly for the throw.

He won't have one of his favorite targets from last year in receiver Armon Binns. But Collaros still has D.J. Woods and likes the way the new receivers such as Kenbrell Thompkins and Anthony McClung progressed this spring. Throw in running back Isaiah Pead and a tight end corps led by Travis Kelce, and the Bearcats' offense that led the Big East in scoring last year still looks loaded.

"We have a lot of weapons," Collaros said. "It just comes down to consistency and execution."

There were times last year when Collaros had to throw 40 or 50 times in a game because Cincinnati was playing from behind. He hopes a more experienced defense and a more efficient offense will mean less of those shootout-type situations. He's now the face of a senior class that went to back-to-back BCS games and doesn't want consecutive losing seasons to be a part of their legacy.

"We want to be remembered as winners," Collaros said. "We're going to do everything we can to go out as winners."

• West Virginia's new offense was on display in the first practice of spring, and it wasn't always pretty. Oliver Luck wants the Big East to look at the shady economics of bowl games.
• Cincinnati expects big things out of Travis Kelce at tight end this season.
• Paul Pasqualoni held a Q&A with UConn students.
• South Florida backup quarterback Jamius Gunsby will take off the rest of the spring to concentrate on his academics.
• A Syracuse recruit faces a misdemeanor charge.

CINCINNATI -- I attended Cincinnati's first practice of the spring on Tuesday morning, and here are a few quick thoughts:

• Tuesday was the first time I had visited the program's new indoor bubble, and I was quite grateful for it on a chilly morning. It wasn't so cold that the team couldn't have gone outside to Nippert Stadium, but Butch Jones liked that his players didn't have to worry about the temperature, especially since they are only in shorts and shirts with no pads right now. Cincinnati has never been a leader in the Big East in shiny new facilities, but now the Bearcats have an indoor practice center while the NFL's Bengals do not.

• You can't tell much about the big guys without pads or hitting, so I focused mostly on the skill players. Jones has lauded junior-college transfer Kenbrell Thompkins, and I can see why. Thompkins moves well, is built thickly and made some terrific catches during the workout. Looks like he could become the Bearcats' No. 1 target at wideout this season.

• Cincinnati needs more depth at wideout, but it has some nice pieces to work with. Anthony McClung looked good in some individual drills, and Jones continues to talk up true freshman Shaq Washington, who's quick but small at a listed 5-foot-9. And don't forget D.J. Woods. Travis Kelce is back from suspension and strikes an imposing figure as a 6-foot-6, 250-pound tight end.

• Good to see Dominique Battle back at cornerback after he missed much of last year with a knee injury. Junior-college import Malcolm Murray was working at first-team safety and had an interception. Camerron Cheatham also had a couple of nice pass breakups. And it's always fun to listen to fiery defensive backs coach Kerry Coombs, who at one point yelled at a player (whom I won't identify to save him some embarrassment), "You can't play here and be a moron!" Coombs is also the first one to cheer on guys when they make good plays.

• Offensive lineman Sean Hooey has really filled out his body. He'll start at left tackle, and there won't be many guys in the country taller than the 6-foot-9, 300-pounder. The best battle on the line is between Austen Bujnoch and Andre Cureton at guard. It's hard to believe how much slimmer Cureton is; he has lost nearly 80 pounds since arriving on campus.

• Zach Collaros didn't arrive at practice until about an hour had passed because of a doctor's appointment. But that's one guy Jones doesn't have to worry about. Jones said the competition to be the No. 2 quarterback is still wide open, and that's understandable. Chazz Anderson has the experience as a senior but has lacked the playmaking skills of Collaros when given his chances the past couple of years. Georgia Tech transfer Jordan Luallen is built a lot like Collaros but is still making the transition from an option offense. Brandan Kay throws a nice ball but has been hurt a lot. Munchie Legaux's throwing motion has improved, but his accuracy still needs some work. And true freshman Stephen Weatherford, a one-time USF commitment, has an odd, low throwing motion that may need to be changed.

• I hope Munchie Legaux becomes a star, just so I can continue to type and say the name Munchie Legaux as often as possible.

• Turnovers are an obvious point of emphasis. Even on incomplete passes, players are expected to fight for the ball. A defensive player got chewed out by Jones for dropping a ball. The coaching staff also keeps score for every drill. I may write more about that on Wednesday.

• The team got into a little scuffle near the end of practice. Jones gathered the team and yelled at them for it and then ordered some running as punishment. But it was understandable, given that these guys haven't hit anybody since the first Saturday of December. "We've built up a lot of testosterone," linebacker JK Schaffer said later. I bet Jones wasn't too upset to see that intensity, especially early on so he could use it as a teaching moment.

I spent some time Thursday at Cincinnati for a story that will appear soon. While there, I got to chat with Bearcats head coach Butch Jones about his team heading into spring practice, which doesn't begin for them until March 29.

Obviously, one of the priorities this spring is correcting the turnover problems that so plagued the 2010 team. Last year, Cincinnati lost 29 turnovers and had the second-worst turnover margin in the country. It's not like Jones and his staff don't know how to teach ball security; his last two Central Michigan teams bettered the national average for turnover margin, and those two teams combined to lose the ball fewer times than the 2010 Bearcats.

Jones said the problem was mostly poor technique by a handful of players. Receiver D.J. Woods had a fumbling issue and needs to get stronger physically so defenders can't poke the ball free; Jones said Woods has had a good winter in the weight room. Jones also has a new coaching technique for this spring: assistants will use a click counter to track all the times they see an offensive player swinging the ball or doing other things that can lead to a fumble. For every one of those instances, running will be served as punishment.

A few other quick notes:

• Senior safety Wesley Richardson will not participate in the spring after offseason arm surgery. That could give junior-college import Malcolm Murray a chance to make his mark. Jones expects everyone else to be healthy for spring ball, which is one reason he decided to start it so late.

• The Bearcats will not have a traditional spring game but instead will hold more of an open practice on April 16. But it will be televised and have plenty of other trappings for fans. Without much experienced depth, Jones does not want to risk injury with a full spring game, but he said the team would do a lot of tackling and hitting during practice because the defense needs to learn toughness.

• I spotted redshirt freshman Camaron Beard in the weight room and the 6-foot-5 defensive linemen is a load. The coaches expect him to make an impact this year and will give him more responsibility in the spring. The staff is also high on early enrollee Shaquille Washington, who'll get a look at receiver this spring. Four other recruits should be in school before spring practice starts since the school uses a quarters system.

• Jones said getting Travis Kelce back this spring will be a boost to the team. Kelce was suspended last year. The 6-foot-6, 260-pounder will start off at tight end but could get a look as a third-down pass-rushing defensive end.

• Jones said that the day after Cincinnati lost its season finale to Pittsburgh, he had every sign and picture referencing 2010 removed from the locker room and other player areas. The Bearcats want to forget that 4-8 campaign as much as possible.

Cincinnati's vaunted receiving corps just lost one potential key piece for 2010.

Kenbrell Thompkins, a junior college transfer and former Tennessee signee, had his request to be immediately eligible denied by the national letter of intent appeals committee. Tennessee refused to release Thompkins from his letter of intent after Lane Kiffin left the Volunteers to coach USC.

The appeals committee did grant Thompkins some relief, allowing him to sit out this year as a transfer and have two years of eligibility remaining. The standard penalty for breaking a letter of intent is one year's loss of eligibility.

We could talk about how unfair it is that a coach can recruit a player, then leave for another school, and the player isn't then free to transfer to another school. But that's another topic, and the system is so ludicrously tilted against athletes I'm not sure there's even any debate.

Either way, Cincinnati is still set at its starting wideout spots with Armon Binns, D.J. Woods and Vidal Hazelton. But Butch Jones is concerned with the depth behind the starters, since his high-tempo offense requires a lot from its receivers. Marcus Barnett and perhaps incoming freshman Dyjuan Lewis will have to step up, because Thompkins had been impressive in the spring and was in line for a lot of playing time.

In other Bearcats news, tight end Travis Kelce has been suspended for the season for a violation of team rules. Kelce was behind both Ben Guidugli and Adrien Robinson on the depth chart. He's best known for running in a touchdown against Rutgers out of the Wildcat formation in last year's season opener.

Tight ends are an odd duck. They're not quite receivers, not quite offensive linemen, though they do a little of both jobs. So I thought I'd break them out into their own category as the final group for our post-spring Big East position rankings:

1. Cincinnati: It's unclear how new coach Butch Jones will use tight ends in his offense, but he's got great options there. Ben Guidugli is an all-conference performer, while Adrien Robinson is a physically imposing player at 6-foot-4, 244 pounds. Don't forget Travis Kelce, either. They just add to the seemingly never-ending offensive stockpile the Bearcats have.

2. Rutgers: D.C. Jefferson caught only five balls last year, but remember he made a late switch to tight end before the season began. A terrific 6-foot-6 athlete, this could be a breakout year for him. Paul Carrezola turned some heads this spring as well.

3. West Virginia: Tyler Urban and Will Johnson are two talented and experienced tight ends who could start for many teams. They'll help in the running game. The question is whether the Mountaineers will use the tight end more in the passing game as often promised.

4. Connecticut: Ryan Griffin quietly developed into a valuable target in 2009 and could be counted on even more this year as a receiver. John Delahunt got some valuable experience as well in '09 and should contribute.

5. Pittsburgh: What a change from the past year, when the Panthers had the top two tight ends in the league in Dorin Dickerson and Nate Byham. Now it's time for Mike Cruz to emerge as the next playmaker at the position. Virginia transfer Andrew Devlin and Brock DeCicco will also look to crack the lineup.

6. Louisville: Cameron Graham has shown flashes of his ability and had a nice spring. The senior should turn into a more consistent presence, especially in the Florida-esque offense. Pete Nochta needs to live up to his potential.

7. Syracuse: Losing Mike Owen leaves this group as a big unknown. Senior Nick Provo, who finished the spring as a starter, hasn't posted many stats in his career. Hofstra transfer Jose Cruz is a big target.

8. South Florida: The Bulls didn't use tight ends much in the spread offense. They could see a resurgence under Skip Holtz. Current starter Jeff Hawkins has only played in one career game.

Don't ask me. Ask the ministry.

Oh, OK, ask away:

Grant from Nashville writes: Can you see Charlie Weis in the Big East, at Louisville or as an A.D. somewhere? We know he loves Rutgers ... is there room for him on Greg Schiano's staff?

Brian Bennett: Uh, no. Weis is almost certainly headed back to the NFL to be a coordinator, which is what he does best. His Notre Dame time proved that he's not exactly suited to be a college head coach. And an athletic director? That's mighty far-fetched.

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Kainan M. from Breeden, W. Va., writes: If West Virginia goes to the Gator Bowl (assuming that we beat Rutgers and Pitt loses) who do you see us playing? And do you think that the Gator Bowl will take WVU into better consideration because of the fan base? And if all that happens,would Pitt go to the Meineke Car Care Bowl?

Brian Bennett: There are still so many possible bowl scenarios out there for the Big East, and I hope to address as many as possible in a blog post soon. But to answer your question: I think there's a good chance West Virginia goes to the Gator Bowl if it beats Rutgers regardless of what happens in the Cincinnati-Pitt game. Yes, that's right -- I think a 9-3 Mountaineers team could go to Jacksonville ahead of an 11-1 Bearcats squad.

The reason: ticket sales. West Virginia travels better than any team in the Big East, and the Gator -- which is in its last year of a deal with the league and is miffed that it won't get Notre Dame -- wants to fill the stadium. I'm hearing of two possible matchups: West Virginia vs. Florida State, which would match Bobby Bowden's first and last schools where he was head coach; or West Virginia-Virginia Tech, which would be big for obvious reasons.

There's a chance a Pitt loss could knock the Panthers way down the pecking order because of the Panthers' reputation for poor traveling fans. Remember, bowl games are businesses. They don't care which team is more deserving.

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John from New Market, Tenn., writes: I wanted to let you know a little info about the empty seats at Mountaineer Field during the Pitt game. The empty seats were in the student sections, and the dorms were closed all week. Morgantown is not an easy place to find overnight housing in, and not many students have money to pay for a hotel room and/or gas to drive up, then back home, then back to Morgantown again on Sunday.

Brian Bennett: I understand that and appreciate the situation over Thanksgiving weekend. My questions are: Couldn't the students have found other people who could have taken their tickets? And why didn't Pittsburgh take its full visitors' allotment? The bottom line is that you don't see empty seats at other big rivalry games over Thanksgiving weekend, when I'm sure some schools have the same situations. If this is the Big East's best rivalry, then there shouldn't be an empty seat in the house.

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Henry N. from Nashville writes: I haven't seen anyone mention former Louisville offensive coordinator (and ex-Rams coach) Scott Linehan yet for the Cardinals' opening. Is he a viable candidate? I would think that would be a home-run hire. As an aside, I can't see why UL would even consider hiring Philip Fulmer. He has proven that all he knows how to do is recruit to a name school. It's only when he's had good assistants (ie-Cutcliffe on O, Chavis on D) that he has fared reasonably well from an Xs and Os standpoint on either side of the ball.

Brian Bennett: I do think Tom Jurich will at least consider Linehan, who did a great job as offensive coordinator at Louisville. The big question would be whether Linehan has any real recruiting ties after being in the NFL for so long. I don't see him as one of the top candidates at this point.

And while Fulmer would like the Louisville job, I don't think he'll be considered for it.

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Joe from Bridgeport, Conn., writes: I have heard some talk about Randy Edsall's fourth down call in the waning seconds of the Syracuse game. What else can he do in that situation? Inside the 30, he can either go on 4th (which he did) or kick a FG which he then would have been accused of running up the score also ... at least with a 4th-and-10 the Syracuse 'D' had a chance to stop them without more points going up. You are not going to punt inside the 30. I really don't think he was piling on as others have said.

Brian Bennett: I have no problem with Edsall's decision. UConn had an 11-point lead with under a minute to go. Yes, it would have been hard for Syracuse to score, get an onsides kick and score again in that time frame, but you can blame the Huskies after all their tough losses this season? Edsall could have opted for a field goal, but it would have been a long one and it was a very windy day. It was a good call and the right call in that situation. If Syracuse didn't like it, the Orange should have stopped it.

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Barrett N. from Atlanta writes: I always enjoy reading your articles and insight; however, isn't it time that the media stops trying to blame Bobby Petrino for anything having to do with the Steve Kragthorpe era? The guy took a step back every season ... how does this have to do with Petrino misses? The guy proved without a doubt that he couldnt coach with talent or without talent. Leave anything about Petrino at the door and focus on what happened. He was a failure from the start and he did it on his on accord.

Brian Bennett: I agree to a point. There's little doubt that Petrino didn't recruit well in his last year or so at Louisville, probably knowing he wasn't coming back. That left huge gaps in the Cardinals' classes and made it hard to field a competitive team in the past two years after injuries, transfers and dismissals took their toll. However, Petrino left a pretty loaded team for Kragthorpe in 2007, with 18 returning starters coming back from the Orange Bowl win. And Kragthorpe went 6-6. Kragthorpe and others have hinted that they had to clean up Petrino's messes inside the program, but no one has ever publicly said what those messes were or why they weren't addressed earlier.

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Ben B. from Newark, N.J., writes: What's the justification for UConn over Rutgers in the power rankings? RU has the better overall record, the better conference record and won the head to head matchup. Is your ranking solely based on the Rutgers-Syracuse game?

Brian Bennett: These are subjective rankings, of course, but I feel like UConn has had a better body of work and has been more consistent. They've been incredibly competitive in every game and have done so against a strong schedule. Rutgers has gotten blown out twice and has two decent wins: over South Florida and over UConn on a last-second play. I think if you asked coaches which team they'd like to play less right now, they'd say UConn.

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Daniel J. from Colorado Springs, writes: First off Brian. I would like to thank you on an excellent year with many great blogs. I happen to be a huge Bearcats fan and though it seems very unlikely I think there still might be a chance for UC to make the national title. The only way this can happen is if Texas loses, of course. and hopefully Alabama will get beat down badly, or Florida. The toughest part though will be TCU, which is where Oregon State comes in. We beat Oregon State Corvallis, and that win has been looking better and better ever since.

Say they beat Oregon and we beat Pitt and Texas and Alabama lose, do you think all of that would be enough to boost the Bearcats to the national championship game?

Brian Bennett: Thanks for the kind words, Daniel. First of all, I don't think the SEC title game matters. I don't see a rematch happening, not with so many deserving unbeaten teams. Cincinnati needs Texas to beat Nebraska and should hope Oregon State beats Oregon and Georgia Tech beats Clemson. Remember that Clemson is one of TCU's best wins, and the Tigers just lost to a mediocre South Carolina. Cincinnati would have a better résumé if all that happened, and I think the Bearcats would go to Pasadena.

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Ben from Pittsburgh writes: Earlier this season, especially against Rutgers, Cincinnati ran Tim Tebow-esque plays with Travis Kelce out of the "Bearcat" formation. This seemed to be pretty darn effective in short yard and goal line situations. Do you know if coach Brian Kelly will bring this back against and a stingy Pittsburgh defense? If so ,why, and if not, why not?

Brian Bennett: It's interesting that Cincinnati did that in Game 1 and not once since. Wouldn't it be funny if we saw it again in the last game? My understanding of why Kelce hasn't come in for that play is that he has had trouble fumbling in practice. And when Zach Collaros was playing, the Bearcats didn't really need that formation to have a running threat at quarterback.

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Jason from Cincinnati writes: If Cincy loses at Pitt; explain to me why they are less deserving of at at-large bid to the BCS than an undefeated non-BCS school, or a Big Ten retread like Iowa?

Brian Bennett: Repeat after me: Deserve's got nothing to do with it.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Call off the search for a favorite in the Big East. The team to beat is the same team that almost nobody in the league could beat last year.

Yes, Cincinnati has a new look this season, but it's not just because of the revamped defense. The Bearcats are much more explosive on offense.

Their 47-15 beatdown at Rutgers was a clinic of offensive efficiency and balance, especially during an opener. Last year's Orange Bowl team never scored that many points in a game, and the 47 points were exactly twice as much as Cincinnati averaged during league play in 2008.

	AP Photo/Mel Evans
	Brian Kelly's offense was running on all cylinders Monday.

"We thought we could get it going last year," coach Brian Kelly said. "But we had all those quarterback injuries, so we had to go manage the game. Today, we could let [quarterback] Tony [Pike] manage the game. I told the kids, I didn't do a lot of heavy lifting today from the sidelines."

It's scary to think that Kelly, the reigning two-time Big East coach of the year, just now feels like he's got all of his pieces in place at Cincinnati. But this is the first time he's had a returning, veteran quarterback and the depth he wants at receiver and running back. Combine that with eight months to prepare for Rutgers, and the results were awe-inspiring.

A lot of teams lack sharpness in their openers. Kelly believed in his veterans so much that he had them come out in the no-huddle and throw all over the field from the start. Cincinnati committed only two penalties all day.

"I thought it was important early on for us to do something a lot of college football teams aren't doing in the opener, and that's be really aggressive," he said.

The Bearcats scored on six of their first seven possessions. Their first four scoring drives all lasted under two-and-a-half minutes. A team that struggled at times running the ball last year piled up 168 yards on the ground while averaging 4.9 yards per carry. Ten different players caught at least one pass. Against a blitz-loving defense, they surrendered just one sack.

"Offensively, we're light years ahead of where we were this time last year," Pike said. "We have weapons at several positions, and I'd put ours up against anybody in the country."

New threats included sophomore running back Isaiah Pead, who scored his first two career touchdowns. He took one screen pass 41 yards, juking a defender onto the ground with a stutter step on his way to the end zone.

And Kelly got to play mad genius by putting backup tight end Travis Kelce under center near the goal line. The 6-foot-5, 247-pound Kelce, a former quarterback who'd never played a snap before, ran the ball three times and scored two touchdowns.

"Florida has been running this package very well with Tim Tebow," Kelly said. "We went down to study with Florida, and we stole it from them. I don't mind saying that."

This team's supposed No. 1 question was its defense, which replaced 10 starters from last year, switched to a 3-4 base and had to adjust to a new coordinator. The Bearcats held Rutgers to 15 points and took two of those back with a safety. They were no doubt helped by the Scarlet Knights' offensive ineptitude, but they still managed five sacks and three interceptions, one of them by former Notre Dame quarterback Demetrius Jones, another successful Kelly project.

"We're hungry, and we always want to try to prove people wrong," safety Aaron Webster said. "We feel that the only people who believe in us are in this locker room."

That should change now, as Cincinnati proves it deserves to be the first Big East team to crack the Top 25, and is once again the team to beat.

"If people from the outside start believing in us, that's good," Webster said. "But if they don't we're going to play the same way."

Or maybe even better.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Cincinnati just can't be stopped.

The Bearcats scored again behind new touchdown machine Travis Kelce. That's three carries, two touchdowns for The Secret Weapon. Now that's efficiency.

Does Brian Kelly call off the dogs? We're only halfway through the third quarter after all. Or does he make a statement with a couple more scores?

A statement has already been made. Anyone who doesn't rank Cincinnati in the Top 25 this week just wasn't paying attention today.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Boos rained down on the home team from Rutgers fans as the first half came to a close. Yeah, it has not been a good day so far for the Scarlet Knights.

Best player in the half: Cincinnati quarterback Tony Pike. He's done just about everything right, except for a broken screen pass that turned into an interception. But Pike is 20 of 25 for 286 yards and two scores. I feel pretty good about picking him as my Big East offensive player of the year. (Not so good about picking Rutgers to win the league).

Stat of the half: Three. That's how many interceptions Dom Natale has thrown already. Unacceptable from a guy whose main job was to manage the game. I don't see how Rutgers can do anything but play Tom Savage in the second half.

Best call: Take your pick. Brian Kelly has been masterful. My personal favorite were the two Wildcat-like runs by Travis Kelce for a touchdown. Totally unexpected, and very effective. That had to take the wind out of the Scarlet Knights' sails, watching an unknown backup tight end run over them.