Big East Week 14 Football Breakdown
The Big East is still an automatic qualifier for a BCS game, despite their poor national reputation, so winning this conference is a big deal. With just one slate of games left, the automatic birth is up for grabs. Who wants it? To keep their chance alive West Virginia and Cincinnati are in must win situations.
Lock of the Week: West Virginia at South Florida
This marquee Thursday night matchup is an absolute must win for the Mountaineers. With a win, they have a chance to force a three way tie in the Big East and likely get the bid for the BCS, as they have the highest national ranking in the conference. West Virginia is flying high, as their two game winning streak has been impressive enough to vault them up to 23rd in the rankings. This week they need to take care of business and stomp out the Bulls bid for a victory early. West Virginia will continue to rely on signal caller Geno Smith and their high octane aerial assault. Smith has 25 touchdown tosses on the year and will look to improve on that number. West Virginia will push the ball up and down the field against South Florida and win this game in a rout.
West Virginia 42 South Florida 24
Game of the Week: Connecticut at Cincinnati
This is a must win game for the Bearcats, who still have BCS aspirations. Connecticut is a difficult matchup. They are coming off an impressive victory over Rutgers, who had a chance to wrap up the Big East. Furthermore, one more win makes Connecticut bowl eligible, so this is a big game for them as well. Do not sleep on this team that is propelled by their potent rushing attack, which was on display last week. Look for that trend to continue as the Huskies try to win their second straight contest. Their defense is on fire, forcing an absurd six turnovers against Rutgers a week ago. The defense needs to continue to be opportunistic in order to give them an edge over Cincinnati. The Bearcats boast a strong defense and an offense that can score in bunches. They only give up 19.4 points per game and their offense scores 33.4 points per game. If they continue to play great football, they should win this game and earn a share in the Big East. Their rushing attack, which averages 181.6 yards per game, is led by senior Isaiah Pead, who has rushed for over 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns. Quarterback and fellow senior, Zach Collaros, has also tacked on eight rushing scores for the Bearcats. Cincinnati will clinch their share of a conference title with a win in this game. Look for the game to be fast paced, as both teams love to run the ball, but the Bearcats defense will be the difference in this game.
Cincinnati 31 Connecticut 23
Syracuse at Pittsburgh
This game will not get the national hype of the other two Big East games this week, as they do not have BCS implications. But do not tell that to Syracuse or Pittsburgh, who will both be fighting for a victory. This game will be a dog fight, but Pittsburgh, with their 3-3 Big East record has the edge in this matchup. They will prevail, earning them a winning record in Big East play and spiraling Syracuse to a miserable 1-6 record in the Big East. The Panthers will win this game because of their great defense, which held arguably the Big East’s best offense, West Virginia, to just 21 points. Pittsburgh will shut down the Orangemen and their rushing attack will do just enough to win the game. Look for Zach Brown to continue to build on his impressive season after filling in for their injured star Ray Graham. Brown has scored five touchdowns and has averaged 4.1 yards per carry.
Pittsburgh 24 Syracuse 10
