BCSBusters: Big-East Report (Week #1)

The Big-East had some beastly wins this past weekend to open the 2007 campaign. However, if you visit the Big-East Bone-Yard at the bottom of the graphic below, you will quickly realize they didn’t play anyone of significance. As you may have recalled, if you followed my blogs from last year, I include Army and Navy as members of the Big-East Conference for if college football ever moves forward to BCSBuster Bracketology, these two cadet academies will most certainly be a part of the Big-Beastly in the East.

So before you Cardinal, Mountaineer, Bearcat and Scarlet Knight fans begin booking vacation trips in January to BCS Bowl destinations such as New Orleans, Orlando, Phoenix or Pasadena - try playing an actual opponent before boasting of significance. And a word to the wise, if you have any Division I-AA opponents left on the schedule, make sure you beat them (a.k.a. - Michigan, Stanford, Northwestern and Colorado)!

 

 

North		Week #1 Outcomes
62 (0-0) (1-0) (Game Recap)	VS.	24 (0-0) (0-1)
38 (0-0) (1-0) Game Recap	@	03 (0-0) (0-1)
45 (0-0) (1-0) (Game Recap)	@	14 (0-0) (0-1)
12 (0-0) (0-1) (Game Recap)	VS.	42 (0-0) (1-0)
14 (0-1) (0-1) (Game Recap)	VS.	22 (1-0) (1-0)
South		Week #1 Outcomes
73 (0-1) (1-0) Game Recap	VS.	10 (0-0) (0-1)
28 (0-0) (1-0) (Game Recap)	@	13 (0-0) (0-1)
27 (0-0) (1-0) (Game Recap)	@	03 (0-0) (0-1)
59 (0-0) (1-0) Game Recap	VS.	03 (0-0) (0-1)
30 (0-0) (1-0) (Game Recap)	VS.	19 (0-0) (0-1)
BCS Bone-Yard
Non-BCS Bone-Yard

The Big-East (to include Army and Navy) scheduled 5 MAC Conference teams, three Division I-AA teams and a couple of BCS patsies in Washington and Duke, and due to the fact the conference split the weekend performance against the bottom of the BCS, it doesn’t bode well for perception. Although Syracuse and Army came up woefully short, the rest of the conference shined, at least on the surface.

Two years ago, I totally disagreed with Tim Brando of CBS when he verbally abused the Big-East conference on national television (half-time of the Oregon State game) - “Louisville and the rest of the Big-East should be ashamed of their schedule” - this year would qualify a completely different scenario. For if Brando were to echo these sentiments this year I would whole-heartedly agree with him. The Big-East has done the Big-Worst in terms of scheduling.

Non-BSC Opponents on Big-East Schedules this Year:

Navy (4 times), Buffalo (twice), Miami-OH (twice), Marshall, Temple, Middle Tennessee, Florida Atlantic, Florida-Int, San Diego St, Eeastern Michigan and Utah.

BCS Opponents on Big-East Schedules this Year:

Washington, Iowa, Kentucky, Illinois, Maryland, Mississippi State, NC-State, North Carolina and Virginia. The only match-ups of significance are coming this weekend. While the Cincinnat-Oregon State match-up could be fairly even, I think Auburn will roll over South Florida, although you can bet the Bulls will be amped for the Tigers!

@ Sat. 9/8

@ Sat. 9/8

@ Sat. 9/15

While the Big-Lazy does get credit for scheduling a few decent BCS teams (if you think Kentucky, Washington, Iowa or Maryland are BCS worthy), the kicker for me is the patsies that follow:

Murray State, Elon, Norfolk St, SE Missouri St and Grambling. The Big-East had every opportunity in the world to improve their scheduling, especially given the fact that Rutgers, West Virginia and Louisville were so high on the BCS radar last season. So while I defended the honor of the conference in the past, it is hard to give the elite teams in this conference the credit they may deserve, at least given the woefully poor schedules this season. We would all be wise to remember this the next time we turn in our weekly poll votes. BCS posturing and poll-steering does not favor the Big-East this season.

By the way, if you question the validity of Army and Navy’s inclusion into this conference, via BCSBuster National Realignments, consider the fact that the Cadets play Wake Forest, Boston College, Rutgers, Georgia Tech and Navy (five teams who played significant bowl games last season), while the Mid-Shipmen play Rutgers, Pittsburgh, Wake Forest, Air Force and Notre Dame. The strength of the Academy schedules would run about average in the Big-Least so they would fit right in!