ESPN College Football

• A New York Times investigation shows that colleges use deception to get around Title IX regulations, including South Florida's enormous women's cross-country team.

• Bruce Irvin has a new set of challenges this season. Dana Holgorsen just hopes the Blue-Gold game on Friday looks pretty for the fans.

• Some opinions on former Syracuse center Ryan Bartholomew's draft chances.

• Another suspect in the Jasper Howard case was due in court Tuesday. Zach Frazer is hoping to avoid falling into NFL limbo.

• Eric LeGrand still finds reasons to smile despite being paralyzed.

• Jabaal Sheard hopes his arrest last summer won't cause teams like the New England Patriots to shy away from him. Dion Lewis is confident he can succeed at the next level.

Pac-12 blogger Ted Miller pointed me to a Cal fan blog that takes a new look at how to rate quarterbacks.

The blog uses a formula founded by Utah State sports economist David Berri that is designed to improve upon the the standard passer efficiency rating. Berri's formula is called "QB Score" and it has the following equation: QB Score = Total Yards - (3 x Plays) - (50 x Turnovers).

As the blog explains:

"The traditional passer efficiency rating tends to take on a 'more is better' approach: if players throw a bunch of TDs and hundreds of yards, they can get away with a fairly high turnover rate. Berri's measure has a different philosophy: if you generate yards and avoid turnovers, you will be rewarded."

I like this, because one of a quarterback's main jobs is to avoid turning the ball over, and some guys rack up stats when their team is hopelessly behind and they need to pass all the time.

Anyway, the site lists the QB score for every FBS quarterback last season, along with their passer efficiency rating. Let's take a look at the Big East results.

According to the QB Score rating, West Virginia's Geno Smith had the best season of Big East quarterbacks, with a 496 score. That jibes with my opinion that Smith was the best quarterback in the league last year.

In second place, somewhat surprisingly, was Louisville's Adam Froman at 346. But Froman did a good job of managing games and posted an 11-to-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio before getting injured.

Pittsburgh's Tino Sunseri was third with a 133 score. And then after that, every Big East quarterback had a negative score, which tells you again about how lackluster the league offenses were in 2010.

Zach Collaros, whom the coaches picked as the conference's first-team quarterback, finished 10th in QB Score, behind Zach Frazer, Bobby Eveld and Tom Savage. Collaros did have the highest passer efficiency rating, but he also threw 14 interceptions.

Not surprisingly, given the weight QB Score puts on turnovers, South Florida's B.J. Daniels finished last among the 12 quarterbacks ranked in this formula.

What do you think? Is this a useful tool to judge quarterback play?

Thanks to those of you who offered changes/corrections to my posts reviewing the 2007 recruiting classes. Trying to track nearly 200 players from four years ago with a quick turnaround can lead to some oversights, and I've tried to fix where possible. As I said in the beginning, it was not an exact science, nor was it meant to be. Of course, the underlying point remains: Teams are lucky if they get about a 60 percent return on solid contributors from their signing classes.

Now on to some of your e-mails on signing day eve:

Bill from South Jersey writes: In your article "Greg Schiano does right by Tom Savage," I could not disagree more. When a player/players commit to a school (Rutgers, USC, Notre Dame, TCU, South Florida) they should honor the commitment. What drives me crazy are the kids that say, "Well, I'm outta here because it's not working for me. I'll transfer, that's the answer." Hardships, coach either fired/quit/retire that's different. Then a college should be able to just pull a commitment whenever they feel like as well. I might agree with Schiano's reason b/c we recruit there, but where is line drawn at? When is enough enough?

Brian Bennett: I respect your opinion, Bill, but we disagree on this one. I'd buy the commitment argument if it worked both ways, but it simply doesn't. Schools only give players one-year renewable scholarships, and coaches can leave anytime after promising a player they will be there their entire four years. Why should a college student be forced to stay at a school if he decides the situation isn't right for him? We all have that freedom in our work lives, and we had it when we were students. Restricting a player from transferring to a conference school or a team on the schedule is one thing, but players should be free to go just about anywhere else they choose.

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Matt from Storrs writes: In one of your recent posts you talked about recruiting needs, and for UConn you didn't mention they needed a running back despite Jordan Todman's departure, or a quarterback, which in addition to the wide receivers was a struggling position. How confident are you that UConn can fill these positions?

Brian Bennett: Connecticut does at least have some options at those positions. Michael Box started a game last year at quarterback and is just a sophomore. There's also Scott McCummings, Johnny McEntee and Leon Kinnard, and the Huskies should at least be able to match the production they got in last year's passing game, which wasn't much. At running back, they have Robbie Frey back, plus D.J. Shoemate and Lyle McCombs, who was fairly well-regarded as a recruit. Todman leaves big shoes to fill, but UConn has shown the ability to plug in new players at tailback and not miss a beat.

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Dave from Pittsburgh writes: Ryne Giddins at USF deserves mentions in the ESPNU150 list -- he made a few big plays last year and looks like he'll be a future star. It sounds like he's already penciled in as a starter next year. USF's only other ESPNU 150 guy is Todd Chandler -- no idea if he'll pan out.

Brian Bennett: You're right, both those guys should have been in there. Giddins needs to have a breakthrough season for the Bulls next year. Defensive linemen sometimes take a little longer to develop.

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Zack M. from Sana'a, Yemen, writes: Great job with the blog. Thanks for keeping it so active during the off-season and giving us all our daily fix of college football. How quickly can the Big East climb out of the hole it dug for itself last season? Do you think next year might even be worse? I truly hope the best for the conference but it's hard to be optimistic. I would imagine the only recruits that would want to come to the BE would be punters and kickers ;-)

Brian Bennett: Yemen? Really? Well, I might be overly optimistic, but I think the Big East is in for a rebound soon. The majority of the teams bring back their starting quarterback, which is always big. New offenses at West Virginia and Pitt should help those teams in the long run. I could see 2011 being a sort of bridge year, and then in 2012 when all the coaches have their systems fully in place and TCU comes in, we could be looking at a really strong Big East campaign.

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Jack from Louisville writes: When you have talked about Louisville and Teddy Bridgewater sometimes it sounds like you didn't know he is on campus and is going to practice this spring. But it would just be me and how you are wording it. But I think he will be our starting QB next year and will break many records after 4 years of being here.

Brian Bennett: Yes, I'm aware Bridgewater is already enrolled and will practice this spring. That gives him a huge leg up on DaMarcus Smith, provided Smith still signs with the Cardinals. But there is still a long way to go.

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John from McKinney, Texas, writes: Read your article about recruiting needs. The old Pitt staff was going to (and probably the current Pitt staff will), hit WPIAL hard for OL in 2012. There are suppose to be 4 or 5 pretty good OL prospects in the 2012 in WPIAL. I heard WPIAL class for 2012 is suppose to be one of the strongest ones in recent years. It will be interesting to see if the new staff can hold off Ohio State for the top recruits.

Brian Bennett: That may be the case, but as of right now this year's recruiting class has only two offensive linemen in it. Given Pitt's problems on the line this year, coupled with the loss of the Panthers' starting left tackle and center, that seems like a problem to me.

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Adam M. from East Brunswick, N.J., writes: Just saw that Josue Matias decommitted from Rutgers and gave Florida State a solid verbal. I find this strange as new Rutgers recruit Savon Huggins was quoted as saying Matias wanted to go wherever he (Huggins) went. Should his hasty retreat have Rutgers fans worried?

Brian Bennett: It's my experience that a lot of players say they want to play together in college, but only a portion of the time does that turn out to be true. In the end, the player has to decide what's best for himself.

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Philip M. from Austin, Texas, writes: I do not see the point of getting to 10 members. If not going for 12, I think it's best to stay at nine. Please enlighten me on what 10 members brings. Thank you in advance.

Brian Bennett: Say hello to one of my favorite cities, Philip. The Big East doesn't need to get to 10. A nine-team league works just fine for scheduling. But the conference has said it wants to go to 10. The advantages would be an extra TV market for media-rights negotiating purposes, and potentially a stronger overall league. Remember that except for the Big 12, all other BCS leagues will have 12 members in 2011.

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Shane W. from Clarksburg, W. Va., writes: First of all, I'm a huge fan of the blog. I read it every day. I was just wondering, how badly do you think staying for his senior year affected Noel Devine's draft stock?

Brian Bennett: Thanks for the kind words, Shane. I don't really think it had much negative effect. Devine still would have measured 5-foot-7 and 160 pounds last year. Maybe if he'd been healthier he could have looked better for scouts, but his size was always going to be a big question mark.

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Brian from Tampa writes: Do you think the state of Florida is now the "BIG 4". This is a Yes or No question.

Brian Bennett: No. Not yet. I agree with Skip Holtz: The Bulls need to win a Big East championship and get to a BCS game before they can consider themselves on the same level as Florida, Florida State and Miami. They are getting closer, though.

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Doug from Tampa writes: BB, your push for UCF wouldn't have anything to do with ESPN and the parent company Disney ties would it? I know you're looking out for your job and all and in a tough spot, but if you are a real journalist and have any honor than why not disclose the whole story in spite of it? Yes, it could be career suicide but you would be a hero and show you're a class act. There are better fits than UCF for the BE; if we are looking at a wish list, UCF is about 5-to-10 on the wish list correct.

Brian Bennett: I am afraid to answer this letter, because Mickey is holding my whole family hostage at gunpoint. Nah, come on, that's just silly. Hey, it's my job to give my opinions on Big East issues, and it's simply my opinion that Central Florida is the best fit for a 10th league member right now. No other available program has the facilities, market, large student body and a team that just finished in the Top 25 and beat an SEC team in a bowl game. Reasonable minds can disagree whether the Knights are the best fit. But to say UCF isn't even in the top five best available teams is just ridiculous.

The Tostitos Fiesta Bowl went about like the "experts" expected. Connecticut scrapped like crazy, but it just didn't have the firepower to keep up with Oklahoma, losing 48-20.

How the game was won: Connecticut's inability to truly threaten the upset was based on a fairly basic problem: The offense couldn't score. The Huskies didn't score an offensive touchdown, which is a problem when you're playing an explosive team like Oklahoma.

Stat of the game: Oklahoma passed for 433 yards while UConn passed for 222. The Huskies are a nice power running team, but they will need to cultivate more balance to win games like this in the future.

Player of the game: Huskies running back Jordan Todman: You know he's coming, but he still gets his yards. Todman finished with 122 yards on 32 carries. It was tough going for Todman most of the night, but he fought for every yard.

Unsung hero of the game: The Huskies defense did a respectable job keeping the Sooners out of the endzone, particularly in the second half, allowing just 14 points.

Second guessing: Trailing 7-0 in the first quarter, UConn faced a fourth and inches on the Oklahoma 19-yard line. The Huskies went for it, which was a good call. But the handoff to Robbie Frey, who was stuffed for no gain, wasn't a terribly inspired call. Heck, the center was uncovered and quarterback Zach Frazer weighs 230 pounds. A QB sneak might have been a better choice. Hey, hindsight.

What Connecticut learned: The Huskies learned that they could play a competitive game on a big stage with one of the nation's elite programs. It also learned that it needs to get better, particularly on offense, if it is going to win a game on a big stage over one of the nation's elite programs.

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Just when it seemed like two big plays from Oklahoma ended Connecticut's hopes in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, the Huskies get their own big play.

First, Landry Jones connected with Cameron Kenney for a 59-yard touchdown pass. Then, on UConn's ensuing possession, Zach Frazer was intercepted by Jamell Fleming, who rambled 55 yards for a touchdown.

That made it 34-10, and everyone pulled a fork out. Game over, right?

Then Robbie Frey returned the Sooners kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown.

A 17-point deficit still looks considerable for the Huskies -- they have yet to score an offensive touchdown.

But you never know.

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- So far, the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl is going mostly as expected: Though Connecticut is scrapping, Oklahoma is in control.

Turning point: UConn, really, produced just one big play -- a pick-six interception from cornerback Dwayne Gratz. But it energized the crowd and gave the Huskies a moment of hope, which grew when the Sooners faced a third-and-4 from their 26-yard line on the next possession. A three-and-out would have established a solid momentum shift. But Landry Jones found Ryan Broyles for 35 yards. While the Sooners only ended up with a field goal, the play quashed the Huskies momentum and helped Jones get back on track.

Stat of the half: 279-109. That's Oklahoma's advantage in total yards at the break.

Best player in the half: Other than the pick-six, Jones has dominated. He completed 21-of-27 for 233 yards and a touchdown at the break. He's been accurate and efficient and the interception didn't break his rhythm.

What Connecticut needs to do: The Huskies are fighting, and the defense has made a couple of plays to keep the game within striking distance. But the UConn offense has to be more aggressive in order to get some points. That means throwing downfield and perhaps trying a few tricks. If the Huskies are playing to win and not just to keep things close, they need to take chances. In fact, quarterback Zach Frazer has looked good. He's completed 10-of-16 for 73 yards. He only averages 120 yards passing per game.

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Maybe the experts, and fans, were right: This is a hopeless mismatch.

Two Oklahoma possessions resulted in methodical -- and way too easy -- touchdown drives, while Connecticut's lone penetration into Sooners territory ended when it was stuffed on fourth-and-1.

Little is going the Huskies way. It feels like this one could be over before halftime if they don't find a way to stop Sooners quarterback Landry Jones, who was 10 -for-10 for 112 yards with a touchdown in the first quarter.

The lone positive: Huskies quarterback Zach Frazer is throwing well. He's 6-of-8 for 49 yards.

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Might this be Zach Frazer's shining moment?

Connecticut ranked 112th in the nation in passing yards and 113th in passing efficiency this season. Frazer was benched for ineffectiveness four games into the season before coming back to lead the five-game winning streak that got the Huskies to the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

Still, his season-high for passing yards is 205, and that came in the opener, a blowout loss at Michigan. He never eclipsed 200 yards again. In fact, three times he passed for fewer than 100 yards. He completed just 52.7 percent of his passes with five touchdowns and four interceptions.

There is little to suggest he could, say, pass for 220 or so yards with a couple of touchdown passes, particularly against an Oklahoma secondary that ranks 13th in the nation in pass efficiency defense.

But that very well might be what he NEEDS to do if the Huskies are to win.

It's not the most plausible storyline. But it's the sort of thing that happens when a team pulls a shocking upset during the bowl season.

And remember the Huskies had plenty of time to add some wrinkles to their offense, considering they last played on Dec. 4.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Connecticut didn't look like a BCS bowl team when it was 3-4 and coming off a 26-0 loss to Louisville. It looked like a team spinning into the toilet, a promising season heading toward the sewer.

Team meetings are often overrated -- an unfocused, unmotivated, divided team doesn't just suddenly transform because guys deliver a fire-and-brimstone speech or two -- but UConn's players seem to believe they saved their season with one.

Part of that was good leadership from upperclassmen, guys such as linebacker and team captain Scott Lutrus. And there was star power: All-American running back Jordan Todman also appealed to his team to turn things around.

"We realized at that point there was kind of a fork in the road and we were going down the wrong path," quarterback Zach Frazer said.

But Frazer specifically recalled a speech that came from an unlikely person: True freshman offensive lineman Gus Cruz, who reminded them of Jasper Howard, a Huskies cornerback who was senselessly stabbed to death on campus the previous year

Said Frazer, "You don't really think a freshman is going to stand up and speak, but some powerful words came out of his mouth... He just reminded us that, 'Hey, Jas isn't here this season, but I'm sure he's watching down.' He didn't go through that experience last year, but he's a team member and he kind of put that in our vision."

It took guts to speak up. And it took something else to create a message that resonated with the team. Cruz said he was motivated by a quote on the wall of the football complex that the Huskies see every day: "Play every play like it's the last play you'll ever play."

Cruz wondered if everyone was doing that.

"I said if Jasper were here, this wouldn't be happening," he said.

What happened thereafter is the Huskies won five games in a row, won the Big East and now will play Oklahoma in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on Saturday.

Team meetings don't always work. But sometimes they do.

Said Cruz, "We've been doing pretty good after that."

It is a pity that Connecticut quarterback Zach Frazer is required to wear a helmet, for it obscures from public view the grandeur of what is known by Huskies insiders as "The Flow."

Most watching UConn on TV only get hints of the mystery and majesty of The Flow. It peaks out from beneath Frazer's blue helmet, warming his neck and perhaps warning the quarterback if a defender is near with diabolical intentions.

Oh, some might dismiss The Flow. Some might call it a mullet. Some might call it a mess. Some might wonder if Frazer is channeling Elvis. But Frazer's hair is not to be trifled with. As the Dude abides, Frazer defines the existence of The Flow in similar philosophical terms: "It happened," he said.

"Everyone on the team is jealous of The Flow, we'll just put it like that," he explained.

Perhaps. Medusa surely would feel upstaged.

"He thinks it's pretty," UConn linebacker Scott Lutrus said.

What isn't terribly pretty, however, is the Huskies passing game. The Huskies rank 112th in the nation with just 145.1 passing yards per game. And it's not just about a lack of trying: They also rank 113th in the nation in passing efficiency.

Nor has the situation at quarterback been pretty. In fact, it's been a bit of a soap opera. Frazer and Cody Endres had gone back and forth with the starting job for a couple of years, but Frazer seemed to take control when Endres injured his shoulder in 2009. Then Endres got suspended and the job became Frazer's this fall. But Frazer, who transferred from Notre Dame in 2007, was benched after the first four games for inconsistency and Endres took over, a demotion that Frazer didn't take particularly well.

Then Endres got kicked off the team for a team rules violation, and the Huskies opted to go with redshirt freshman Mike Box over Frazer. Box started the 26-0 loss to Louisville that dropped the Huskies to 3-4 overall. Back to Frazer.

Yet, when things looked most dire and the season seemed to be in a tailspin, something clicked. Frazer didn't start passing for 300 yards. Heck, he didn't even start passing for 200 yards. But the Huskies started winning. And that five-game winning streak is why The Flow is on display before the Huskies face Oklahoma in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on Saturday.

There is no question what the UConn offense is all about: All-American running back Jordan Todman, the nation's second-leading rusher, and a veteran, physical offensive line. But Frazer has been behind center since a midseason transformation, and his game management is notable for an important characteristic.

"He's won games for us," Lutrus said. "Look at his record as a starter. He's a smart quarterback who is great with checks and makes smarts decisions."

Frazer's numbers don't sparkle. He completed 53 percent of his throws with five touchdowns and four interceptions. But, again, he's 5-0 since he regained the starting job and the Huskies won the Big East championship.

"He makes good decisions. He avoids sacks. He's productive in the red zone," offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead said. "He's made plays when he's needed to. We've got an All-American running back and three All-Big East guys up front. The bottom line is whatever we need to do offensively in order to help us win games."

And Frazer believes that if Oklahoma shuts down Todman, the Huskies can throw the ball well enough to win.

"Our game plan is based on whatever they are going to do," he said. "We can run the ball. We can throw the ball. If they are geared to stop the run, I feel confident we can execute in the passing game."

Oklahoma hasn't been great against the run the this year. The Sooners have given up 151.8 yards rushing per game, which ranks 63rd in the nation, and they have been particularly vulnerable to big plays in the run game: They've surrendered 42 run plays of over 15 yards this season. Only four teams have yielded more, and none had winning records.

Still, the Sooners have played far more balanced offenses. They certainly will crowd the line of scrimmage and key on Todman and force Frazer to throw. The Sooners have been particularly good on third down this year, with foes converting at just a 34 percent clip, which ranks 15th in the nation. The Huskies struggle on third down: Their 32 percent conversion rate ranks 112th in the nation.

In other words, Frazer is going to have to get into The Flow. And we're not just talking about his notable hair.

"If we can run the ball, then good," he said. "But if we really need it, our passing game can step up."

Reply hopeful Huskies fans: May The Flow be with you.

Bowl games can often bear little resemblance to the regular season. There are long layoffs to deal with, injuries, fresh competition and even coaching changes.

Postseason games often bring out new heroes, too. Over the next few days, I'll take a look at one player from each team who needs to step things up for his team to have a shot at winning its bowl game.

Let's start with Connecticut, which will play the highest-ranked opponent it has seen all year in No. 7 Oklahoma in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. Who is on the spot for UConn?

It's quarterback Zach Frazer. The senior is 5-0 since returning to the starting role against West Virginia, and he's done an excellent job of managing the game and getting the team into the right plays. But his passing numbers are hardly thrilling.

Only once in that five-game streak has he thrown for more than 121 yards, and his completion rate has been under 50 percent in three of those games. He tossed a costly interception at South Florida, though he did manage to lead the team into position for the game-winning field goal (which was almost short-circuited by a near-miss pick-six).

The Huskies don't need huge passing numbers to win because their running game is so good. But against Oklahoma, they will need to at least make the Sooners honest instead of allowing them to completely stack the line of scrimmage against Jordan Todman. And UConn's chances could be severely damaged if Frazer throws it to the wrong team.

Frazer needs to continue being an efficient game manager, but he also probably must make a few more plays for the Huskies to pull off this upset.

If you'll recall from earlier this season, I had a weekly last turnover pool to determine who had the best hands in the Big East.

It's time to update that now with the regular season over. And our winner, and recipient of the Golden Hands Trophy* is Syracuse's Delone Carter.

(* not a real thing)

Carter did not fumble once while carrying the ball 204 times this season. He had the third-most carries in the Big East behind Jordan Todman and Bilal Powell while finishing fourth in rushing yards with 1,035.

I'd like to be able to compare how Carter's fumble-free streak compares with others around the country, but the NCAA doesn't keep that stat for some odd reason.

Zach Collaros won the last turnover pool among the quarterbacks as the last to throw an interception. But Collaros ended up throwing more picks (14) than any other quarterback in the league. Here are the guys who threw the least amount of interceptions per pass attempt among those who threw at least 100 passes this season:

1. (tie) Geno Smith, West Virginia and Zach Frazer, Connecticut: One interception every 55.5 attempts

3. Ryan Nassib, Syracuse: One every 42.1 attempts

4. Tino Sunseri, Pittsburgh: One every 40.9 attempts.

In the team division, Rutgers and Louisville tied for the fewest giveaways, with 15. Rutgers and South Florida lost only five fumbles each all season. UConn and West Virginia threw the fewest interceptions, with seven apiece.

UConn had the best turnover margin in the league, and it's no coincidence that the Huskies won the Big East's BCS bid, too.

Connecticut's 2010 was more like two seasons in one.

There was the first seven games, in which the Huskies went 3-4 and failed to live up to the considerable buzz surrounding the program this preseason. Their defense got beat for big plays, they made critical errors at crucial times and they had quarterback turmoil.

Then there were the final five games, when UConn went 5-0 and looked every bit like the breakthrough team many had predicted for this year. The defense tightened up and started taking the ball away, the Huskies played with loose confidence and they finally had stability at quarterback.

There will be a lot of stories written in the lead-up to the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl about how they turned their season around after a 26-0 loss to Louisville left them at 0-2 in the Big East. Players have said they were just sick of the way things had gone and decided to do something about it. Head coach Randy Edsall somehow got his team to relax and play without expectations, all the while knowing they couldn't lose another game if they wanted to win the Big East.

The one constant through this season was the UConn running game. Junior tailback Jordan Todman finished as the No. 2 runner in the country and had at least 100 yards in all but two games. Demoted to third string after four games, quarterback Zach Frazer finally settled into a groove after being reinstalled just before the five-game winning streak began. The Huskies' passing numbers are anemic, but Frazer has gotten them into the right plays and situations while mostly avoiding mistakes.

There were two seasons in one for Connecticut in 2010. The second part was good enough to make this a historic year.

Offensive MVP: Jordan Todman

And also the MVP of the Big East. He had 1,574 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns, and averaged more than 30 carries per game during the final five games.

Defensive MVP: Lawrence Wilson

The senior led the Big East in tackles for the second straight year, with 115. His interception return for a touchdown in the finale against South Florida was huge.

Turning point: The season looked ready to go down in flames when Edsall dismissed then-starting quarterback Cody Endres three days before the game against Louisville, in which the Huskies got shut out. Instead, they regrouped and came back to beat West Virginia in overtime the next game. They wouldn't lose again.

What's next: UConn could be the biggest underdog in BCS history when it faces Oklahoma in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl. A good showing in that game could quiet the many skeptics. Edsall will be a hot candidate for open jobs across the country. The team loses Frazer, Wilson a couple of offensive lineman and possibly Todman if he goes to the NFL. But most of the starters return, meaning the Huskies could be strong contenders again in 2011.

1. Huskies were just tougher: Is Connecticut the most talented team in the Big East? Probably not. But the Huskies are going to the BCS because they were better at handling adversity than any other league team. Their three key wins -- at home against West Virginia and Pitt, and at South Florida in Saturday's finale -- came by a total of eight points. In each, they faced tough times; they trailed in the second half against the Mountaineers and Panthers, and they needed a goal line stand in the final two minutes to avoid falling behind against the Bulls. Each time they answered, and that's why UConn, improbably, is the Big East's BCS representative. That being said ...

2. UConn needs to diversify: The South Florida game tape will no doubt be dissected in either Norman, Okla., or Blacksburg, Va., on Sunday night. The Bulls stacked the box and were athletic and aggressive enough to hold Jordan Todman to just 2.8 yards per carry and no runs longer than 9 yards on 33 attempts. The Huskies couldn't make South Florida pay in the passing game, throwing for just 112 yards. If Zach Frazer and the UConn passing attack doesn't improve in the next month, it will have trouble competing against Oklahoma or Virginia Tech.

3. West Virginia has only itself to blame: The Mountaineers and their fans were hanging on every play of the South Florida-Connecticut game, hoping the Bulls could win and send their team into the BCS. West Virginia had the best defense in the Big East and probably should have won the league going away. But even in Saturday's 35-14 win over Rutgers, the problem that plagued the Mountaineers -- turnovers -- reared its ugly head. They lost three fumbles inside the Scarlet Knights' 15-yard line and nearly gave away two more. That kind of sloppiness with the ball is why West Virginia lost to Syracuse and Connecticut -- and why it's now hoping for the Champs Sports Bowl at best.

4. Bobby Eveld will push B.J. Daniels: Eveld, a true freshman walk-on, made his first career start in place of the injured Daniels against UConn. Though he had his share of mistakes -- he threw three interceptions, two of them on tipped balls -- he also showed a pocket presence and moxie that ought to make Daniels a little nervous. A 6-foot-5, he's nearly six inches taller than Daniels, and he delivers nice, accurate balls. He threw for 105 yards in the fourth quarter and led his team on a scoring drive in the final two minutes for the second straight game. At the very least, the Bulls should let Eveld compete for the starting job next spring with the mercurial Daniels.

5. Rutgers and Cincinnati face long offseasons: The Scarlet Knights and Bearcats, who had seemingly begun to establish themselves as perennial bowl participants, each finished off 4-8 seasons on Saturday. Rutgers coach Greg Schiano needs to do a thorough examination of his program and staff, especially on offense. He might also lose former rising star Tom Savage to a transfer. Butch Jones never could get the young Cincinnati defense to play well, nor could he fix the team's turnover problems. There may have been some complacency around the program after two Big East titles, and there are some holes to fill on the roster. Neither team is going bowling, but each team's offseason should be busy.

TAMPA, Fla. -- Lawrence Wilson grew up in Tuscaloosa, Ala. He went to Paul Bryant High School, for crying out loud. Yet Wilson couldn't get as much as a head nod from any SEC schools.

Now he's a fifth-year senior linebacker for Connecticut, and maybe the perfect poster boy for these underdog, under-loved Huskies.

Wilson's 55-yard first-half interception return was the only touchdown for UConn on Saturday night, but his team somehow found a way to beat South Florida 19-16 and clinch its first-ever BCS berth.

"Payback is what I call it," Wilson said. "For overlooking me. Now we're going to the BCS. I can't believe it."

Neither, probably, can the rest of the country, or even the rest of the Big East. The Huskies are in just their ninth year of playing at the FBS level and their seventh in a automatic bid conference. What's more, they started this year 3-4 overall and 0-2 in league play before improbably winning their final five games. At 8-4 and never having once been ranked this season, UConn is shockingly BCS-bound.

It is also bound for a month's worth of knocks from critics. None of it will leave a mark.

"People have already said a lot of things about us," quarterback Zach Frazer said. "That's fine. We know we deserve to be here."

Saturday's game showed why a lot of people doubt the Huskies' ability to compete in a BCS bowl.

They managed only 232 total yards against South Florida, which came in with a simple yet effective plan: Stop the UConn running game. Everybody has tried that this year, but most failed. The Bulls overloaded the box all night and practically begged Frazer to beat them over the top.

Yet even with the numbers stacked against the run, star tailback Jordan Todman pounded it 33 times into the crowd. He gained only 93 yards, just the second time this season he has been held under 100 in a game. The longest Connecticut run of the night went for nine yards.

Running it in a phone booth still is usually a more preferable option than throwing it. Frazer, never an accurate passer, completed less than half his attempts (13-of-29) for a paltry 112 yards, the fourth straight game the Huskies have been held under 125 yards passing. You can already envision the headaches an athletic defense like Oklahoma or Virginia Tech will cause with a month to prepare against such a one-dimensional attack.

But Saturday's game also illustrated UConn's strengths: its resiliency and resourcefulness.

The defense came up with a crucial stand after South Florida drove to the 5-yard line in the final two minutes with three chances to take the lead. Frazer completed two key passes after USF's tying field goal to get within kicker Dave Teggart's range.

Special teams proved to be enormous all night. Teggart drilled the 52-yard game-winner with 17 seconds left after making a 50-yarder earlier in the half. Punter Cole Wagner was an unsung hero, averaging 53 yards on six punts in a game of field position. And returner Robbie Frey kept setting up the Huskies in good spots; he got the winning drive started on the UConn 40.

"Football is not about style points; it's about winning and losing," head coach Randy Edsall said. "This is who we are."

Is that identity good enough to merit a BCS game? You bet, Edsall says.

"The bottom line is we won the game and nobody can take anything away from us," he said. "We played by the rules and we won the Big East, so we get the BCS. That's what the rules are, and we're going."

Few would have thought that possible on Oct. 23. The Huskies got blasted 26-0 at Louisville that afternoon, just days after Edsall dismissed starting quarterback Cody Endres for failing a second drug test. Connecticut had lost to Rutgers the week before and was blown out by Michigan and Temple earlier in the year. The season hung in the balance.

"You could see it on everyone's faces -- we were like, 'Where are we going to go and what's going to happen?'" Frazer said. "We could have easily gone down the tank and gone home for Christmas."

But this is a team that learned to battle back from adversity last year, when teammate Jasper Howard was murdered after a midseason game. Following some heartbreaking losses, the players regrouped to win their four games. Edsall is hoping that the Orange Bowl takes the Huskies because Howard, who would have been a senior this year, called Miami home.

Reps in loud blazers from both the Fiesta and Orange bowls checked out the delirious UConn locker room, and perhaps they argued over who should get stuck with the Huskies. This a team that nobody wanted in a BCS game, full of players hardly any big schools wanted, with a style of play nobody wants to watch.

Like it or not, though, the Huskies are going to the BCS. And nobody can overlook them any more.

"We worked for it and we earned it," Wilson said. "We had a hard path, but we proved we're a great team."