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Syracuse Prefers the Calm of Choreography to "Rah! Football!"

Matt Glaude — 2007-09-07T09:15:00 00:00

Filed under: Syracuse Football, Big East, NCAA FB Video, Syracuse

Miami has the fire extinguisher smoke of impending destruction.

Clemson sports the classic hill sprint.

Every high school in the history of everything charges through a big sheet of paper with campy slogans like "Slay the Dragons!" or "Pirate Power . . . Aaarrrggghhh!"

Syracuse, always the innovator, has eschewed such tradition of manufactured excitement and has adopted an on-field entrance reminiscent of General Sherman's March to the Sea (except without the accompanying scorched earth and subsequent victory):

Half The Music Man, half "We are the Tiiitans!," Syracuse once again makes a mockery of everything that is holy about amateur football.

(H/T: Brian Harrison)

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Big East Thermometer: Cincinnati

Matt Glaude — 2007-09-03T20:48:00 00:00

by Matt Glaude

Filed under: Big East, Cincinnati Football

The Big East Thermometer is a weekly postgame feature that attempts to analyze the "hotness" or "notness" of a team's performance. It is based on a points system that contains no substantive guidance and is sure to be rife with errors, omissions, and inconsistencies.

How does Brian Kelly announce his presence in the Big East? How about dropping a 59-point missile on Southeast Missouri State. Kelly, a disciple of the "score until they tell us to go home" mentality, opened up his offense to the tune of 615 yards, the third-most prodigious offensive showing in the school's history.

Program Support: -22
Disappointment often comes in the form of fan frustration. Whether derived from a lack of wins or questionable institutional philosophy, supporters of a program are often the vehicles for the expression of disappointment.

At Cincinnati, however, the state of mind is switched, with the fans providing the impetus for such frustration. Against Southeast Missouri State, only 20,223 partisans showed up to voice their affection for the home team. The turnout was actually below Cincinnati's attendance last year (20,373), a figure that was good for 90th in the country. To provide context to that number, Montana, an FCS member, actually averaged 22,600 attendees last year.

Granted, Southeast Missouri State is not a particularly sexy opponent. Long an average to below-average member of the FCS, the Redhawks do not exactly serve as a sexy home opponent. However, given the fact that the game was played on a Thursday evening preceding a holiday weekend, there is no excuse to not show up and support Kelly's charges. It's not like the Reds are any good and the Bengals were still a week away from suiting up down by the river. Honestly, there cannot be that many more interesting things to do in the Queen CIty.

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Big East Thermometer: Connecticut

Matt Glaude — 2007-09-02T11:53:00 00:00

by Matt Glaude

Filed under: Big East, Connecticut Football

The Big East Thermometer is a weekly postgame feature that attempts to analyze the "hotness" or "notness" of a team's performance. It is based on a points system that contains no substantive guidance and is sure to be rife with errors, omissions, and inconsistencies.

Connecticut against Duke. The three-word fragment invokes images of basketball royalty: Krzyzewski, Calhoun, rich kids jumping in an old gym, and a host of NBA-ready potential.

Unfortunately, the aforementioned fragment only references a gridiron tussle between one of college football's worst squads against one of the Big East's least favored members.

Connecticut pulled away late from the Blue Devils in Durham yesterday, securing a 45-14 beat down. Although the final scoreline indicates everything is sunshine and lollipops in Storrs, there are still issues seeking immediate resolution.

"Special" Teams: -11
Throughout Randy Edsall's tenure at Connecticut, the Huskies have never had a lights out placekicker. Players have come and gone that have had bursts of talent (such as Matt Nuzie), but none that have cemented their place as an unquestionably reliable striker. Tony Ciaravino appears to have joined this nameless and faceless parade of "almost (in)famous."

Ciaravino attempted four field goals against Duke, all within 35 yards. Ciaravino converted three of those attempts, but the strikes strayed from center and lacked solid loft. This lack of execution was none more typified than in the fourth quarter when Ciaravino had an extra point attempt blocked following a 25-yard Donald Brown touchdown.

Outside of the kicking game, Connecticut also struggled mightily on its kickoff coverage. Desi Cullen managed to strike for a 62.9 yard average (along with two touchbacks), but his teammates allowed Duke to return such blasts for 208 yards on the afternoon for a 29.7 yard average. Included in those returns was a 94-yard return touchdown converted by Jabari Marshall, who on the day generated 191 of the Blue Devils' total kickoff yards.

That is not going to get things done against the Big East.

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Big East Thermometer: West Virginia

Matt Glaude — 2007-09-01T22:10:00 00:00

by Matt Glaude

Filed under: West Virginia Football, Big East, West Virginia

The Big East Thermometer is a weekly postgame feature that attempts to analyze the "hotness" or "notness" of a team's performance. It is based on a points system that contains no substantive guidance and is sure to be rife with errors, omissions, and inconsistencies.

West Virginia is pretty good at football. The Mountaineers are so good, in fact, that its 62-point outburst against Western Michigan does not even match the 80-point atomic bomb it dropped on Rutgers in 2001. The obvious question, therefore, is who and what contributed most to the Mountaineers success.

Pat White: +12
Pat White is 12 kinds of amazing. Tabbed as a rushing quarterback, White completed 10 passes on 18 attempts for 197 yards and two touchdowns. That's good for a 184.16 passer rating. To provide context to his efficiency against Western Michigan, White only eclipsed the 180.0 mark three times last season -- against Marshall, Eastern Washington, and South Florida.

In addition to his success as a passer, White also ran roughshod through the Bronco defense. Generating 97 yards on only nine carries, White also contributed two rushing scores, many in spectacular fashion. He was, for all intents and purposes, the ultimate weapon that put his Heisman campaign in solid focus.

The most important aspect of White's performance, however, was his decision making and contributive versatility. Western Michigan frequently put significant pressure on White, sending six men to the quarterback in order to contain the slippery junior. White, to his credit, deftly eluded the rush, tucking the ball and eating up yards and, in the alternative, rolling the pocket to distribute the ball to receivers. He showed great poise in and out of the pocket that brought back memories of such multidimensional quarterbacks like Michael Vick while at Virginia Tech (another left handed magician) and Donovan McNabb at Syracuse.

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Big East Thermometer: Syracuse

Matt Glaude — 2007-09-01T20:49:00 00:00

by Matt Glaude

Filed under: Syracuse Football, Big East, Syracuse

Losing is a disease . . .
As contagious as polio.
Losing is a disease . . .
As contagious as syphilis.
Losing is a disease . . .
As contagious as bubonic plague.

Until a cure is found, Syracuse is bound to continue with its debilitating maladies.

Corey Chavers and Larry Norton: -35
Syracuse's entire offensive line played like a sieve against Washington, but it was Chavers and Norton that were the most prominent transgressors. Sporting equal part ineptitude and incompetence, Chavers and Norton continually allowed the Huskies' outside rushers to pursue virtually unabated to the quarterback. Whether one points to this tandem's lack of agility or poor handwork, the conclusion is always the same: the offensive tackle position for the Orange is an absolute mess.

The bigger issue for Syracuse, however, is that the Chavers-Norton combination must find a way to functionally perform. Each are upperclassmen with redshirt freshmen -- Tucker Baumbach behind Chavers and Jonathan Meldrum behind Norton -- positioned second on the depth chart. Much has been made of the talents of Baumbach and Meldrum, but considering that these two could not wrestle away a starting gig from Chavers and Norton, serious questions surround whether these two young Orange actually have the talent necessary to contribute.

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Big East Thermometer: Rutgers

Matt Glaude — 2007-08-30T22:19:00 00:00

by Matt Glaude

Filed under: Big East, Rutgers Football

The Big East Thermometer is a weekly postgame feature that attempts to analyze the "hotness" or "notness" of a team's performance. It is based on a points system that contains no substantive guidance and is sure to be rife with errors, omissions, and inconsistencies.

Tiquan Underwood: +5
Underwood's final statistic line is impressive -- 10 receptions for 248 yards and two touchdowns -- but it is his first half performance that really generated the point pump -- nine receptions for 228 yards and two touchdowns. To put that in context, Buffalo managed to put together only 74 total yards in the game's first stanza. That's just not an Arena Football-style performance; it's Playstation-esque.

The only thing holding back Underwood from a double-digit point pump is that his efforts came against arguably the worst back seven in college football. Buffalo's secondary is an absolute mess and simply does not maintain the kind of athletes necessary to contain a receiver of Underwood's talents. Once it became apparent that Rutgers was going to press the pass throughout the first half, the Bulls quickly retreated into a soft zone that merely attempted to contain the middle post. As a result, Underwood was able to abuse sideline, exploit the short corner, and sprint freely underneath the Buffalo umbrella on crossing patterns and hook routes. Had Underwood not turned in the performance he had, one would have seriously questioned his route choice and coverage identification.

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Willingham Calls Shenanigans, Diagnosed With Advanced Crazy

Matt Glaude — 2007-08-28T18:18:00 00:00

by Matt Glaude

Filed under: Syracuse Football, Washington Football, Big East, Pac 10, Syracuse, Washington

Paging Nurse Ratched: The asylum has a new patient. And he might just be a little bit more unstable than Max Taber.

Tyrone Willingham appears to be a pretty level guy. He holds a degree from Michigan State University and has held coaching positions at some of this country's finest academic institutions -- Rice, Stanford, and Notre Dame. Despite these facts, one should not keep sharp or shiny objects anywhere in his vicinity.

In his weekly football press address, Willingham espoused and expanded on the notion that the Carrier Dome -- an enclosed facility created by dense concrete and an impermeable teflon roof -- served as Syracuse's vehicle for unmitigated tomfoolery. Such claims have been leveled before, but such accusations usually pertained to the Dome staff piping in artificial crowd noise. Willingham, however, sees a greater evil perpetrated by Syracuse -- the Orange is playing the role of Mother Nature and creating wind patterns within the (enclosed) Carrier Dome:

"I'll be all over the weather report trying to figure out which door they open in the Dome to create the wind," said Willingham. "You laugh. No, when you play at some other places, you know that's important."

Willingham said there are differences playing in Dome stadiums such as the structure of the building and the lighting. Then he went a step further.

"The wind is different," Willingham said. "Some people would say, what wind? Always in a dome, you open certain doors. Things happen. It's a totally different environment."

Translating Willingham's comments from "not a risk to society" to "Studebakers are the tool of the devil!," Willingham's comments look as follows:

Apples are delicious, but the worms in my brain make my underpants itchy. Gobbledeegook, ribblerobble, if you wash my hair the government will learn the secrets of man!"

This may not come as a surprise to anyone not currently coaching the Washington Huskies, but a dome, in its very essence, is to provide shelter from the elements. In fact, the Carrier Dome is so enclosed that the facility must stay pressurized so as to keep the stadium's roof functioning and aloft. To allow sustained, steady, and directionalized breezes to infiltrate the facility would ruin the stadium's delicate atmosphere.

It's simple physics, but in the World of Willingham, physics is a common ruse to distract us all from the real governor of the universe: ham and cheese sandwiches.

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Big East Football Preview '07: Recap

Matt Glaude — 2007-08-22T13:05:00 00:00

by Matt Glaude

Filed under: Louisville Football, Pittsburgh Football, Syracuse Football, West Virginia Football, Big East, Rutgers Football, Cincinnati Football, Connecticut Football, South Florida Football

That concludes our journey through the Big East. We laughed, we cried, but most importantly, we learned that previewing the conference necessitates lots and lots of words and pictures.

In case you missed all the excitement here at FanHouse, here's the juice:

2006 Recap: Rutgers won 11 games and apparently experienced a brief epidemic of pandemonium;

Biggest Shoes to Fill: If you aren't Brian Leonard, Dan Mozes, Tyler Palko, Amobi Okoye, or Brent Celek, you have work to do;

Impact Freshman: Learn the names now so as to appear infinitely smarter to your friends;

Key Position Battles: It's like Jeopardy, except without Alex Trebek's smarmy answers;

Best Players: If Brent Musberger is doing a Big East game, you'll hear these names over, and over, and over . . .;

Most Underrated: The glue guys;

Most Overrated: Players that resemble Bill Clinton's presidency (zing!);

Coaches on the Hot Seat: As they say, guys that should consider renting, not buying;

Schedule Superlatives: Highlight of the best and most pointless;

Games of the Year: Given the Big East's track record, probable Thursday night affairs;

The Dregs: Hello, Syracuse and Connecticut!;

The Mediocre: The Miller Lite of football teams;

Contender One: Can Louisville carry the crown?

Contender Two: Morgantown -- City of Dreams (and Arson);

Contender Three: Did you know Rutgers won 11 games last year?

Contender Four: No passing game? No problem!

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Big East Football Preview '07: Rutgers

Matt Glaude — 2007-08-21T13:43:00 00:00

by Matt Glaude

Filed under: Big East, Rutgers Football

Two years ago this preview would have consisted of five words: "Rutgers stinks; take the over."

Spin ahead to today. There are actually more than five words necessary to preview the Scarlet Knights. In fact, many of the words are polysyllabic, which says more about Greg Schiano's job as head coach than his won-loss record. The big question, though, is whether this recent upturn marks sustained program development, or merely a moment of exponential growth that has already seen its zenith.

WHY THEY'LL WIN

Manifest Destiny.

As each day passes it is becoming more apparent that Scarlet Knights fans view Greg Schiano as John Winthrop and Rutgers Stadium as the city upon a hill. To not assume Rutgers will stand victorious -- at least to those in Central New Jersey -- is to chastise fate.

Philosophical fallacies aside, the true reason for Rutgers' impending success in 2007 is the Scarlet Knights criminally easy schedule. Featuring the likes of Norfolk State, Army, Navy, and Buffalo, even the Terry Shea-era of Rutgers football could conceivably finish around the .500 mark.

But this isn't the Terry Shea era down on The Banks. This is the Greg Schiano era. "Choppin' Wood" is in, along with actual talent. Ray Rice is a legitimate Heisman candidate, and the defense features studs such as Eric Foster and Courtney Greene.

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Big East Football Preview '07: The Mediocre

Matt Glaude — 2007-08-17T14:00:00 00:00

by Matt Glaude

Filed under: Pittsburgh Football, Big East, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati Football

With Syracuse and Connecticut occupying the worst two seats at the Big East Bonanza, somebody needs to sit in between the kitchen door and the dais.

This is not to say that either of the following two universities cannot move from their seats on the floor to positions of honor. Recent history has shown that the Big East hierarchy is fluid in nature. 2006 saw Rutgers move from its position as a predictory "mediocre" team to one of the conferences "contenders"; similarly, Cincinnati moved from the "dregs" to the class of "mediocre."

Pittsburgh Panthers

Last year: 6-6 overall; 2-5 Big East

WHY THEY'LL WIN: The Wannstache has been stockpiling the Panther talent cupboard for almost three years now. At some point, all that potential will start paying dividends. 2007 may not see an explosion of contributions from the young talent, but it should see a steady rise of talented play.

Even if Pittsburgh's corps of youth does not immediately raise the Panther's level of play, the schedule should not turn into a Murderer's Row. Having to play at Louisville, Rutgers, and West Virginia is harrowing, but Pittsburgh should be able to accumulate a nice cache of wins in its first seven contests -- Eastern Michigan, Grambling State, at Michigan State, Connecticut, at Virginia, Navy, and Cincinnati. The Panthers should get at least four to five wins from that group and manageable home contests against Syracuse and South Florida may make Pittsburgh bowl eligible.

WHY THEY WON'T: If the offensive line continues its 2006 trend of playing like a sieve, there is no chance that the Panthers will find more success than failure. The proof is in the pudding: when Pittsburgh plays poorly up front, the offense puts on its best Syracuse impression.

In addition to the offensive line play, the loss of Derek Kinder may hamper Pittsburgh's success. One man a team does not make, but Kinder put together tangible production and senior leadership. No matter how good Oderick Turner is, he does not bring to the table Kinder's total package.

PROGNOSIS: Expect Pittsburgh to improve from 2006, even though the Panthers will finally feature a non-Palko under center. The conference record may look ugly, but overall the Panthers should string together six victories.

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Big East Football Preview '07: Schedule Superlatives

Matt Glaude — 2007-08-17T10:43:00 00:00

by Matt Glaude

Filed under: Syracuse Football, Big East, Rutgers Football, Syracuse, Connecticut Football

Over the last couple of weeks, FanHouse has highlighted a number of schedules and games that deserve particular recognition. For instance, Rutgers took home honors for having the schedule loaded with the most calories and the Louisville- West Virginia game was named the conference's biggest game.

This essay focuses on some schedule aspects that have not been considered previously. Its sexiness is unquestioned.

Game of Endless Pointlessness

Who: Norfolk State at Rutgers

When: September 15, 2007

Watchability: I'd rather drink gasoline.

I do not care how bad Rutgers was before the Schiano Revolution; playing Norfolk State is unforgivable. In the last two seasons, the Spartans have accumulated all of eight wins against 14 losses. And the team hasn't even improved its winning percentage during that period (Norfolk State has put together consecutive 4-7 campaigns).

Even Mike Teel -- he of a 13-12 touchdown to interception ratio -- should look like an NFL lock against the Spartans.

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Big East Football Preview '07: Most Underrated

Matt Glaude — 2007-08-16T10:07:00 00:00

by Matt Glaude

Filed under: Syracuse Football, West Virginia Football, Big East, Syracuse, West Virginia

The whole concept of "underrated" is a cognitive fallacy. Athletes, like many of life's circumstances, perform to the mean. While maturation effects talent (and, residually, where the mean resides), performance is not likely to deviate from actual potential.

Thus, what follows is not a dissertation on players that are "better" than common perception. Rather, the essay merely proposes a number of student-athletes that may have been overshadowed by superior players or, due to external circumstances, may not have been noticed by the college football community.

1. Owen Schmitt, Bad Ass -- West F'n Virginia

Owen Schmitt is the kind of guy that sits down for a dinner of nails and anvils, then washes down the meal with a gallon of pure testosterone.

He is, for all intents and purposes, a real life Bill Brasky.

The great thing about Schmitt -- other than the fact that he makes John Wayne look like a playful schoolgirl -- is that he relishes his role with the Mountaineers. If Rodriguez needs Schmitt to decapitate a defensive end in passing scenarios, Schmitt does it with atomic force. Need Schmitt to immobilize a linebacker in order to open the edge for Steve Slaton? No problem; Schmitt will tear out his heart and eat it as desert for his all-iron meal.

It may be a stretch to say that Schmitt makes the West Virginia offense go. But his prowess on the goal line is unquestioned, as is his blocking outside of the red zone. He holds and indispensable role in the Mountaineer offense and carries out his duties in a remarkably unremarkable way.

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Big East Football Preview '07: Impact Freshman

Matt Glaude — 2007-08-15T12:00:00 00:00

by Matt Glaude

Filed under: Pittsburgh Football, Big East, Rutgers Football, Pittsburgh, South Florida Football

"Impact" is obviously a relative term. Some freshman contribute immediate gains and earn the tag as franchise-like players. Others contribute on a lesser scale, either by strengthening a team's weaknesses or enhancing a team's strengths.

The following represents a handful of freshman expected to have such a program impact in 2007. For the record, redshirt freshman (or those expected to redshirt) are considered.

1. Mike Ford, RB, South Florida

In 2006, the South Florida Bulls managed to accumulate 1,874 yards on the ground. Matt Grothe -- South Florida's All-Everything quarterback/savior -- accounted for a third of those yards and almost matched the total number of carries accumulated by the Bulls' top two running backs (178-195).

Despite this odd state of affairs, Jim Leavitt's charges went 9-4 and have become a chic pick for the 2007 season.

If South Florida is to turn the corner from "Curious Anomaly" to "Viable Contender," Mike Ford's rushing prowess must take center stage. Easily the Bulls' most heralded recruit since the program's relatively recent inception, Ford has the opportunity and skills to diversify South Florida's offensive performance and methodology.

A guy that rushes for a Florida state record 2,836 yards as a high school senior tends to have that effect. Of course, in order for that effect to take place, Ford must try and keep his nose out of trouble.

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Wyoming Coach Calls Syracuse Classless

Matt Glaude — 2007-08-05T19:43:00 00:00

by Matt Glaude

Filed under: Syracuse Football, Big East, Mountain West, NCAA FB Coaching, Syracuse, Wyoming Football

Drama!

You may not know it given Syracuse University's performance on the gridiron the last two seasons, but the Orange have bigger fish to fry than the Wyoming Cowboys.

As Donnie Webb of the Syracuse Post-Standard reports, Syracuse backed out of its 2009 trip to Laramie, Wyoming. The contest constituted the final leg of a home-and-home series which began last season in the Carrier Dome.

Joe Glenn, head coach of the Cowboys, is not particularly pleased with the $200,000 check that Syracuse mailed to Laramie:

"It's just horrible, and it shows no class (by Syracuse)," Glenn told the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle of Cheyenne. "We signed the contract, and we went out there last year to play them. It doesn't show much character on their part."

Glenn, however, did not stop there. Instead of simply realizing that a home game featuring Syracuse is only marginally more exciting than a colonoscopy, Glenn has begun channeling the spirit of Pedro Cerrano:

"I've got a new favorite team this season," Glenn quipped. "Anybody who beats Syracuse."

"They leave a hole in our 2009 schedule, so if you want to wish bad luck on somebody this year, wish bad luck on Syracuse," Glenn said. "They signed a contract to come to Laramie and play, and they didn't honor it so I'm putting all kinds of voodoo on them."

Methinks that Glenn is going to have to buy a lot of hats and t-shirts this season in order to support his new love of everything that manages to topple the mighty Orange.

Outside of Glenn moving into Randle Patrick McMurphy territory, the real issue here lies with the poor construction of the arrangement. The buy-out clause governing the agreement only required either side to pay a fee of $200,000. Poison pill provisions are designed to make contracting parties adhere to the duration of the contract; in effect, such provisions are to provide strong incentive to maintain the status quo rather than upset it.

Why, then, did Wyoming not increase the poison pill clause to an amount that would remove alternatives to completing the series? The Cowboys obviously wanted Syracuse to visit Laramie. To not ensure -- through contract -- such circumstances occur puts the onus on Wyoming for not carrying out its responsibilities. Fingering Syracuse as the villain merely obfuscates the fact that Wyoming shoveled just as much dirt out of the grave as the Orange did.

To assume otherwise is to absolve Wyoming of its responsibility to protect its interests.

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Private Firm Proposes Carrier Dome Replacement

Matt Glaude — 2007-08-05T17:55:00 00:00

by Matt Glaude

Filed under: Syracuse Football, Big East, NCAA FB Rumors, Syracuse Basketball, Big East Basketball, Syracuse

Dr. Daryl Gross, Syracuse University's Director of Athletics, describes the proposal as merely a "concept," but its ramifications transcend idle discourse.

Late Thursday afternoon The Daily Orange -- Syracuse's daily student-edited newspaper -- broke the story that a private development firm has approached the University with plans for a new football stadium. The information was procured through an anonymous source, yet Dr. Gross confirmed the proposal through a written statement to the newspaper:

"Recently a private developer approached the University and expressed interest in conducting a feasibility study related to an idea they had for a new privately-financed athletic stadium," Gross wrote in a statement to The D.O. "Private developers frequently approach the University with ideas and we indicated to this developer that they could conduct a feasibility study at their own cost.

"It is very premature to consider this a University project, as this is simply a concept that has been advanced by a developer. We expect that the developer will discuss the results of their feasibility study with us once it has been completed."

The consequences and questions surrounding this proposal are significant. Notably:

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Sportsline's Darst Puts Robinson on Hot Seat

Matt Glaude — 2007-07-17T15:08:00 00:00

by Matt Glaude

Filed under: Syracuse Football, Big East, NCAA FB Coaching, Syracuse

In case you didn't know, the man to the right is Greg Robinson. He was named head coach of Syracuse University's football program on January 11, 2005.

Through his tenure in the Salt City, Robinson has compiled a woeful 5-18 record and has registered only one Big East Conference victory -- a 20-14 beatdown of Connecticut in 2006.

To J. Darin Darst of CBS Sportsline.com, this resume makes Robinson a front runner for "first coach fired" in 2007:

As for Robinson, he is only in his third year at Syracuse, but while Louisville, West Virginia and Rutgers are winning 10 games a season at the top of the Big East, his squad is down at the bottom of the conference. Nobody expects them to compete for the national title, but how about a bowl game? It doesn't take much to get to a bowl game these days -- just six wins. There is no excuse for a major program like Syracuse to not make a bowl game. The Orange went 1-10 and 4-8 in Robinson's first two seasons, so if there isn't improvement in year three, it's bye, bye Robinson.

Darst's opinion, however, fails to properly assess the circumstances under which Robinson is operating. As a consequence, his positioning of Robinson is improper.

Pertinently, Robinson has gone through, at best, about two and one-half recruiting cycles. Having been hired in early 2005, the third-year Orange coach was saddled with a recruiting class compiled of primarily former coach Paul Pasqualoni's prospects. These players, for the most part, did not fit the style of play Robinson desired and were fairly reviled nationally.

This has left Syracuse in the position of having only classes of freshman and sophomores that are truly Robinson "guys." Until these classes have the opportunity to mature and grow within the Robinson mold can an honest assessment of Robinson's ability be made. To fault Robinson for failing to succeed with players that he has no connection to is folly (unless, of course, you are Notre Dame and are sick of Tyrone Willingham).

Dr. Daryl Gross -- Syracuse's Director of Athletics -- recognizes this fact, even though he is hopelessly dedicated to making the Orange into a national title contender. Improvement is certainly expected on The Hill, however, to dismiss Robinson before the close of the 2008 season (or, arguably the 2009 campaign) would simple put Syracuse into a cycle of hot seat coaches required to win immediately. That, unfortunately, is not how a program is built; that is how turmoil becomes par for the course.

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Louisville Dominates Big East "National" TV Package

Matt Glaude — 2007-07-17T12:43:00 00:00

by Matt Glaude

Filed under: Louisville Football, Pittsburgh Football, Syracuse Football, West Virginia Football, Big East, Rutgers Football, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, West Virginia

Who would've thought that the network that brings you Arena Football League action also wants you to watch Brian Brohm throw a bazillion touchdowns on its college football broadcasts?

While television schedules are inherently fluid in nature, the Big East Conference announced today during its Media Day festivities the 2007 television package for the league. Louisville, fresh off of its defeat of Wake Forest in the Orange Bowl, will highlight the conference's televised slate of games with seven total appearances on "national" networks (the Cardinals games against Murray State and Kentucky will appear on ESPNU and ESPN Classic, respectively).

Steve Slaton and West Virginia will appear on ESPN or ESPN2 five times, although only two of those contests -- against Pittsburgh and at Marshall -- will occur on a Saturday. In fact, of the 22 games listed as "national" broadcasts, only seven will occur on a traditional Saturday afternoon or evening. That's a whopping 68 percent of the Big East's "nationally" televised contests.

Rutgers and Pittsburgh will make four "national" appearances. It appears, therefore, that the nation is just as enamored with Ray Rice's rushing ability as it is with Dave Wannstedt's awe-inspiring mustache.

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Big East Media Tabs Mountaineers as 2007 Favorite

Matt Glaude — 2007-07-17T11:15:00 00:00

by Matt Glaude

Filed under: Louisville Football, Pittsburgh Football, Syracuse Football, West Virginia Football, Big East, Rutgers Football, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Syracuse, West Virginia, Connecticut Football

The Big East Conference media horde has spoken and two things are abundantly clear: (1) West Virginia is carrying a ton of cache within the league; and (2) Syracuse head coach Greg Robinson better be renting his place in the Salt City.

Released today in the college football hotbed of Newport, Rhode Island, the 2007 Big East preseason media poll does not contain too many surprises. The Mountaineers took home 20 of the available 24 first-place votes, while Louisville (3) and Rutgers (1) picked up the remaining tallies:

2007 BIG EAST FOOTBALL PRESEASON MEDIA POLL

1. West Virginia (20) 188

2. Louisville (3) 167

3. Rutgers (1) 142

4. USF 123

5. Cincinnati 86

6. Pittsburgh 80

7. Connecticut 45

8. Syracuse 32

The bottom of the poll could generate some mild arguments. Pittsburgh is obviously carrying more pure talent than Cincinnati, but given the fact that the Panthers must travel to Rutgers, West Virginia, and Louisville this season (in fact Pittsburgh is the only Big East school which will run such a gauntlet), it is not totally out of the scope of reason that the Panthers will lose those three games. Thus, Pittsburgh's position behind Cincinnati is not without merit.

The other area of intrigue is the slotting of Syracuse and Connecticut. Plagued with question marks on the offensive line and behind center, neither program is likely to challenge for the league's championship in 2007. However, to see the Huskies a full 13 points ahead of the Orange is striking, especially considering the fact that Syracuse -- operating under similar youthful and injury-plagued conditions to that of Connecticut -- drilled the Huskies just one short year ago. Methinks that Syracuse's trip to East Hartford, Connecticut on November 17th swayed the vote.

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Old School: Syracuse Triumphs Over Maryland

Matt Glaude — 2007-07-16T18:45:00 00:00

by Matt Glaude

Filed under: Maryland Football, Syracuse Football, ACC, Big East, NCAA FB Video, Maryland, Syracuse

"Old School" is the College Football FanHouse's irregular look back at the rich history of college football, usually through the medium of embeddable flash video. Check out the Old School archive for more famous plays and infamous hair.

1956 was one hell of a year. The United Kingdom finally got around to banning heroin, Elvis Presley released Heartbreak Hotel, the first snooze alarm clock was invented, and sexual repression and kind manners ruled social interaction.

And, of course, Syracuse was in the midst of an unparalleled era of success. Just three years shy of securing its first -- and only -- national championship, the Ben Schwartzwalder-led Orangemen were poised to elevate Syracuse's program profile higher than it had ever been before. The first step in the transition from regional power to national contender: beating preseason darling Maryland in College Park.

Watching Jim Ridlon dominate the Terrapins is fun. Watching an old lady who likely thinks that the camera evaporates her soul is even better.

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Rutgers Hypes Rice for Heisman

Matt Glaude — 2007-07-11T11:56:00 00:00

by Matt Glaude

Filed under: Big East, Heisman, Rutgers Football

Are you an epileptic? If you're unsure, do you want to find out?

Rutgers University -- late of an 11-2 campaign and poised for unmitigated global domination -- has decided that its junior tailback Ray Rice is a Heisman Trophy candidate.

Instead of allowing Rice to let his feet do the convincing in 2007, the Scarlet Knights athletic department has taken it upon itself to woo voters with carnival-like junk, a run-of-the-mill website, and a video rumored to air in Times Square:

The junior running back's Web site, SeeRayRun.com, is slated to debut today [June 27, 2007], according to a news release from Rutgers late yesterday. Created by the Rutgers athletic department, the site will feature a complete biography, game-by-game statistics, highlight video, photos, and news and notes on the 20-year-old All-American.

This is only the beginning of the campaign to garner the first Heisman in the history of the Rutgers program. Schools push hard for their stars to be recognized as Heisman candidates, and Rutgers is no exception. Leonard had his own Web site and was also featured on billboards on the New Jersey Turnpike and in a highlight video that ran four times an hour on a jumbo screen in Times Square. According to Rutgers assistant athletic director Jason Baum, Rice might get his own video, and reporters across the country will receive a SeeRayRun-themed gift next month.

I sincerely hope that the gift is a jean jacket with SeeRayRun emblazoned over the Bon Jovi "Heart & Dagger" logo.

The website, however, is the campaign's coup de grace. Featuring video of Rice running through inferior opponents, a photo gallery, and flash features that will inevitably give even the most balanced viewers a seizure, the site manages to appear as superficial as one of Hugh Hefner's amply-endowed girlfriends.

The real issue with the website, though, is that major factual events are missing from Rice's biography. The entire section reads like media guide whitewash. Where's the information about Rice decommitting from Syracuse and Greg Schiano's questionable overtures to create such circumstances? How about some personal opinions pertaining to ballistic missile treaties and the role Russia plays in such negotiations?

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