Huskies coach Randy Edsall is in Atlanta today interviewing for the Georgia Tech job. Edsall was an assistant with the Yellow Jackets. While I don't think he'll get the job, let's discuss who are possible replacements if he were to leave, and also the distraction this has caused the team as it gears up for the Meineke Car Care Bowl.
Replacements:
Tulsa coach Todd Graham
Central Michigan's Butch Jones
Buffalo's Turner Gill
Kentucky offensive coordinator Joker Phillips
This isn't a big name program and big name coaches aren't going to want to come to Connecticut.
As for the distraction, I wonder how the kids feel with their coach running off looking for a new job? Look, no one should say that Edsall has no business trying to better his station in life, but I feel this is the wrong time. How awkward would it be if, say he does get the job, and the Huskies play the Jackets in Charlotte? Who does he coach for?
This is just bad timing by Edsall.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Thursday, November 29, 2007
A new poll is up: vote for the conference's top coach.
Here are my picks for a few honors, real or that I created. Let me know what you think...
Coach: Randy Edsall, UConn
Player: Pat White, West Virginia
Freshman: Noel Devine, West Virginia
Worst coach: Greg Robinson
Worst team: Syracuse
Best game: West Virginia vs. Louisville
Worst game: Pitt at West Virginia (in advance)
Best cheerleaders: South Florida
Worst cheerleaders: UConn
Biggest surprise: UConn
Biggest letdown: Louisville
Best mascot: South Florida
Worst mascot: West Virginia (when the mascot looks like the locals, it's either a great choice by the school or a bad place to live).
Best press meal spread: South Florida
Worst press meal spread: West Virginia
Best press box: Rentschler Field, UConn
Worst press box: Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati (hot and the most absurd Internet situation). Rutgers isn't far behind.
Here are my picks for a few honors, real or that I created. Let me know what you think...
Coach: Randy Edsall, UConn
Player: Pat White, West Virginia
Freshman: Noel Devine, West Virginia
Worst coach: Greg Robinson
Worst team: Syracuse
Best game: West Virginia vs. Louisville
Worst game: Pitt at West Virginia (in advance)
Best cheerleaders: South Florida
Worst cheerleaders: UConn
Biggest surprise: UConn
Biggest letdown: Louisville
Best mascot: South Florida
Worst mascot: West Virginia (when the mascot looks like the locals, it's either a great choice by the school or a bad place to live).
Best press meal spread: South Florida
Worst press meal spread: West Virginia
Best press box: Rentschler Field, UConn
Worst press box: Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati (hot and the most absurd Internet situation). Rutgers isn't far behind.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
The Huskies landing a spot in the Meineke Car Care Bowl can be viewed as a bit of an upset. Cincinnati had thought it was a lock for the Sun Bowl, but apparently that bowl wants Oregon State from the Pac-10, a team the Bearcats had already defeated.
With that, Cincy figured to play in Charlotte. But now that they are not, the Bearcats are trying to come to grips with playing in the PapaJohns.com Bowl while two teams with identical record, but who both lost to the Bearcats, are playing in more appealing games.
Meineke Car Car Bowl Executive Director Will Webb told the Cincinnati Post, "Neither school has an extensive bowl history. We know that Cincinnati has a longer Division I football tradition, and they sure have in the last year energized their fan base. We had to decide one way or the other. It was not unanimous, but UConn came out on top. The conference rank should mean something. There were some folks that argued that didn't give up on Cincinnati, with the head-to-head and ending rank. You had reasonable people that agreed to disagree."
With that, Cincy figured to play in Charlotte. But now that they are not, the Bearcats are trying to come to grips with playing in the PapaJohns.com Bowl while two teams with identical record, but who both lost to the Bearcats, are playing in more appealing games.
Meineke Car Car Bowl Executive Director Will Webb told the Cincinnati Post, "Neither school has an extensive bowl history. We know that Cincinnati has a longer Division I football tradition, and they sure have in the last year energized their fan base. We had to decide one way or the other. It was not unanimous, but UConn came out on top. The conference rank should mean something. There were some folks that argued that didn't give up on Cincinnati, with the head-to-head and ending rank. You had reasonable people that agreed to disagree."
Monday, November 26, 2007
Now that the regular season is over, the guessing begins as to where the UConn football team plays its next game.
As one of three teams finishing the season at 9-3, the range of possibilities include cross-country travel and even leaving the country. Based solely on the Huskies’ second-place finish in the Big East, they should find themselves in a Sun Bowl matchup against a Pac-10 opponent (Cal, Oregon or Arizona State). But if the Sun Bowl committee decides to go with Cincinnati, considered a more exciting team and one of three to defeat UConn, the Huskies will look for a spot in the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte, N.C.
“I had the chance to play golf with the Meineke people this summer (at Big East Media Day) and the Sun Bowl people as well,” UConn coach Randy Edsall said Sunday, when asked if he would be willing to make sales pitch to bowl committees.
Charlotte would provide the Huskies with a great regional matchup, facing a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference, giving both high profile and a respectable opponent. The possibilities go from Clemson to Virginia to Wake Forest to Georgia Tech to Florida State.
If somehow that were to fall through, the Papa John’s Bowl in Birmingham, Ala., would be waiting. This is the least appealing option for the Huskies because it opens up the possibility of them losing to a team from what is considered an inferior Conference USA. For all of the progress the program has made this year, a loss to say, Memphis, would validate the criticism of UConn being a product of a weak schedule.
Lastly, the International Bowl in Toronto would provide the Huskies with a Mid-American Conference opponent, either Bowling Green or Miami (Ohio).
“We’ll be happy wherever we’re going,” Edsall said. “The Big East has five bowl opportunities. There are five teams that are bowl eligible. I would just think with what we accomplished this year, people would look at the whole season and see a 9-3 football that was ranked for a number of weeks during the season. ... I think we’ll fare well.
“Whoever wants us, we’re going to go there and enjoy it and enjoy their hospitality and play a whale of game for those people that are going to be in those stands wherever it is.”
One monkey wrench in all of this would be if the Gator Bowl, long suspected to pass on a Big East team, chooses a Big East school (therefore committing itself to the Big 12 for the next two seasons) such as South Florida, then Cincinnati becomes a greater possibility to play in Charlotte. That leaves the Huskies to decide between travel to Birmingham and Toronto.
An outside possibility, according to Big East Commissioner Mike Tranghese, is that the conference may trade out of a bowl game in exchange for a game associated with another conference.
“We can; it depends who’s in the game,” Tranghese said. “It all depends on who’s in the game. We won’t even get to this until next week. We have to play out this week. ... Then we’ve got to see who’s where. There’s still a possibility of a trade out, but there’s still some other games to be played.”
As one of three teams finishing the season at 9-3, the range of possibilities include cross-country travel and even leaving the country. Based solely on the Huskies’ second-place finish in the Big East, they should find themselves in a Sun Bowl matchup against a Pac-10 opponent (Cal, Oregon or Arizona State). But if the Sun Bowl committee decides to go with Cincinnati, considered a more exciting team and one of three to defeat UConn, the Huskies will look for a spot in the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte, N.C.
“I had the chance to play golf with the Meineke people this summer (at Big East Media Day) and the Sun Bowl people as well,” UConn coach Randy Edsall said Sunday, when asked if he would be willing to make sales pitch to bowl committees.
Charlotte would provide the Huskies with a great regional matchup, facing a team from the Atlantic Coast Conference, giving both high profile and a respectable opponent. The possibilities go from Clemson to Virginia to Wake Forest to Georgia Tech to Florida State.
If somehow that were to fall through, the Papa John’s Bowl in Birmingham, Ala., would be waiting. This is the least appealing option for the Huskies because it opens up the possibility of them losing to a team from what is considered an inferior Conference USA. For all of the progress the program has made this year, a loss to say, Memphis, would validate the criticism of UConn being a product of a weak schedule.
Lastly, the International Bowl in Toronto would provide the Huskies with a Mid-American Conference opponent, either Bowling Green or Miami (Ohio).
“We’ll be happy wherever we’re going,” Edsall said. “The Big East has five bowl opportunities. There are five teams that are bowl eligible. I would just think with what we accomplished this year, people would look at the whole season and see a 9-3 football that was ranked for a number of weeks during the season. ... I think we’ll fare well.
“Whoever wants us, we’re going to go there and enjoy it and enjoy their hospitality and play a whale of game for those people that are going to be in those stands wherever it is.”
One monkey wrench in all of this would be if the Gator Bowl, long suspected to pass on a Big East team, chooses a Big East school (therefore committing itself to the Big 12 for the next two seasons) such as South Florida, then Cincinnati becomes a greater possibility to play in Charlotte. That leaves the Huskies to decide between travel to Birmingham and Toronto.
An outside possibility, according to Big East Commissioner Mike Tranghese, is that the conference may trade out of a bowl game in exchange for a game associated with another conference.
“We can; it depends who’s in the game,” Tranghese said. “It all depends on who’s in the game. We won’t even get to this until next week. We have to play out this week. ... Then we’ve got to see who’s where. There’s still a possibility of a trade out, but there’s still some other games to be played.”
Regular-season conference play comes to an end this weekend, but even with the last bit of unfinished business left on the table, talk has clearly turned toward bowl season.
Behind West Virginia’s runway victory for the Big East title, calls for more prominent bowls and matchups are ringing in the office of conference commissioner Mike Tranghese.
“We’re trying to identify bowls that we can go to places our fans and teams want to go,” Tranghese said Monday. “But our other priority is who we play. Currently, we do not play the Big 10 and we do not play the SEC, and I would like to play both of those conferences.”
An option for the conference before the Bowl Championship Series contract expires after the 2009 season is trading a bowl game with another conference, something Tranghese said will be discussed in the coming weeks.
Tranghese noted that with two years remaining on the BCS contract, the Big East is eyeing a stronger presence in the BCS, considering it will likely have a team playing for that national title and doesn’t have an affiliation to any of the four BCS bowls.
“When we negotiated the contract, Boston College was still in this league playing in that one year period of limbo,” he said. “So we had no leverage, and to be quite candid and blunt, we were lucky to get what we got.”
Tranghese said the next round of negations are at least a year away but that the appeal of the conference is expanding. He noted that four bowls, which are not affiliated with Big East teams, expressed interest in becoming partners last season. With four teams finishing with no less than nine wins, the Big East is gaining appeal.
Brawl mates
Just because West Virginia has put itself in position to play for the national championship doesn’t mean Pittsburgh will allow its next-door neighbor to treat it lightly Saturday when the two teams met in the “Backyard Brawl.”
“Their the Big East champ right now, and that’s motivation,” Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said. “You’re always looking for something when you’re struggling like we are. You’re always looking for things to add to the game.”
Top players
Cincinnati’s “Bionic” Ben Mauk was named the Big East’s Offensive Player of the Week. Mauk’s heroics allowed the Bearcats to pull away in the fourth quarter for a tough road win at Syracuse. He completed 29-of-42 passes for 431 yards and four touchdowns while running for a score. Six of Cincinnati’s scoring drives lasted 1:38 or less and he established a new school record with 27 touchdown passes.
West Virginia’s Mortty Ivy took home the Big East Defensive Player of the Week honor. His 11 tackles — three for a loss — two sacks and forced fumble against UConn sparked the Mountaineers to a win for the conference title.
Ivy’s teammate, Pat McAfee, won the Big East’s Special teams Player of the Week award for the second consecutive week and third time this season. McAfee nailed all eight of his extra point attempts and launched a 46-yard field goal. Also, his three punt attempts landed inside the 20-yard line.
Behind West Virginia’s runway victory for the Big East title, calls for more prominent bowls and matchups are ringing in the office of conference commissioner Mike Tranghese.
“We’re trying to identify bowls that we can go to places our fans and teams want to go,” Tranghese said Monday. “But our other priority is who we play. Currently, we do not play the Big 10 and we do not play the SEC, and I would like to play both of those conferences.”
An option for the conference before the Bowl Championship Series contract expires after the 2009 season is trading a bowl game with another conference, something Tranghese said will be discussed in the coming weeks.
Tranghese noted that with two years remaining on the BCS contract, the Big East is eyeing a stronger presence in the BCS, considering it will likely have a team playing for that national title and doesn’t have an affiliation to any of the four BCS bowls.
“When we negotiated the contract, Boston College was still in this league playing in that one year period of limbo,” he said. “So we had no leverage, and to be quite candid and blunt, we were lucky to get what we got.”
Tranghese said the next round of negations are at least a year away but that the appeal of the conference is expanding. He noted that four bowls, which are not affiliated with Big East teams, expressed interest in becoming partners last season. With four teams finishing with no less than nine wins, the Big East is gaining appeal.
Brawl mates
Just because West Virginia has put itself in position to play for the national championship doesn’t mean Pittsburgh will allow its next-door neighbor to treat it lightly Saturday when the two teams met in the “Backyard Brawl.”
“Their the Big East champ right now, and that’s motivation,” Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said. “You’re always looking for something when you’re struggling like we are. You’re always looking for things to add to the game.”
Top players
Cincinnati’s “Bionic” Ben Mauk was named the Big East’s Offensive Player of the Week. Mauk’s heroics allowed the Bearcats to pull away in the fourth quarter for a tough road win at Syracuse. He completed 29-of-42 passes for 431 yards and four touchdowns while running for a score. Six of Cincinnati’s scoring drives lasted 1:38 or less and he established a new school record with 27 touchdown passes.
West Virginia’s Mortty Ivy took home the Big East Defensive Player of the Week honor. His 11 tackles — three for a loss — two sacks and forced fumble against UConn sparked the Mountaineers to a win for the conference title.
Ivy’s teammate, Pat McAfee, won the Big East’s Special teams Player of the Week award for the second consecutive week and third time this season. McAfee nailed all eight of his extra point attempts and launched a 46-yard field goal. Also, his three punt attempts landed inside the 20-yard line.
Sunday, November 25, 2007
Less than 24 hours after his team was handed its worse defeat in program history, UConn football coach Randy Edsall was moving forward as the Huskies sit and wait to learn the opponent and location of their next game.
Even a 66-21 loss to West Virginia, one which gave the Mountaineers the conference championship, Edsall and his coaching staff hit the recruiting trails for the next three weeks toting the team’s 9-3 record, second-place Big East finish and upcoming bowl game.
“They left already,” Edsall said of his coaching staff. “We got in here (Sunday) morning and had the film graded and things and we had a 10 o’clock staff meeting. They were out of here by 12 o’clock, heading on planes, heading places to start recruiting.”
As for the yet-to-be-determined bowl game, Edsall claimed to not have a preference, but said if university or conference administrators want him to pitch his team to a bowl’s committee, he’d be ready.
“That’s pretty much for the other people. That’s (Athletic Director) Jeff Hathaway to do those things, and our conference to do that. If they want me to get on the phone and call anybody, I’ll be more than happy to call anybody. I know all of the people that are involved with the selection.”
Even a 66-21 loss to West Virginia, one which gave the Mountaineers the conference championship, Edsall and his coaching staff hit the recruiting trails for the next three weeks toting the team’s 9-3 record, second-place Big East finish and upcoming bowl game.
“They left already,” Edsall said of his coaching staff. “We got in here (Sunday) morning and had the film graded and things and we had a 10 o’clock staff meeting. They were out of here by 12 o’clock, heading on planes, heading places to start recruiting.”
As for the yet-to-be-determined bowl game, Edsall claimed to not have a preference, but said if university or conference administrators want him to pitch his team to a bowl’s committee, he’d be ready.
“That’s pretty much for the other people. That’s (Athletic Director) Jeff Hathaway to do those things, and our conference to do that. If they want me to get on the phone and call anybody, I’ll be more than happy to call anybody. I know all of the people that are involved with the selection.”
Saturday, November 24, 2007
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