Gameday USF

Flurries, wind and cold. I am cold, I can't imagine what the Floridians are thinking. Weather matters. You have to be mentally tough to play in it and while USF is talented, I don't think they are the toughest team around. That's probably just a bad rap caused by their failures on November and December, but it's going to stick until they beat it.

Update 7:22 p.m.: There are 98 Florida players on the USF roster. There are only 6 from Georgia, one from Arizona and one from New Jersey. 98 players...I wonder how many have seen snow?

Did everyone catch their breath watching Pitt-Cincinnati?

Here's a thought that I was thinking about when Dion Lewis scored the TD. He scored too early and allowed too much time for the Bearcats offense.

It was a mistake by Dave Wannstedt, and it's one he did against UConn earlier this year. Remember at 21-21, Pittsburgh tried to run the ball in for a TD? UConn's defense stopped them and Pitt had to kick a field goal with no time left.Same situation at 38-38 today. Luckily for the Bearcats, their defense stinks and Pitt scored too easily.

Randy Edsall said he would play defense and not let the TD to score. I think Edsall was wrong there and Wannstedt was wrong allowing Lewis to score. They should have ran the clock down and kicked a field goal and not given Cincinnati any time to come back.

Win the game on offense, not defense.

As far as today, the Gator Bowl has invited West Virginia to the Jan. 1 game. First off, WVU deserves the game over Pittsburgh. I hate to say that but if I can take a parting shot at a bowl -- good riddance.

The Gator Bowl wasn't good for the Big East because I don't think the bowl is at all interested in any of the Big East teams outside of West Virginia. A 10-2 UConn team would have no shot at that bowl -- EVER-- in any year. That to me is a problem. I sense that Champs Bowl is more interested in helping the Big East, while the Gator Bowl wants nothing to do with any team in the Northeast. Rutgers and UConn would travel there.

I don't know how the bowls will shake out. Who does the Meineke select? That's the key. If it's Rutgers to Charlotte, Pitt heads to Birmingham and this outcome is meaningless. If UConn is 6-6 is it back to Toronto? Detroit for the old Motor City Bowl in a switch?

Is UConn ever going to play a game South of Charlotte? St. Pete probably wants Rutgers if available.

Toronto is against Ohio U and a repeat -- no thanks. How many times are UConn fans supposed to go back to Detroit in one lifetime? Unless there is something else creatively, I don't know what else UConn can do. It needs to win tonight to put the pressure on. The problem is the Big East can't have bowls that teams can't go to. That, and the date of the St. Pete game has to be better.

Info on All-Star games courtesy of 1080 AM who said on the coaches show this week that Andre Dixon and Lindsey Witten are in the East-West Shrine game. Also Robert Vaughn and Marcus Easley are in the Texas vs. Nation All-Star game.

Be back later. Did I mention it's cold.

Update: Here's a story from the Star Ledger on bowls. Nothing new, but where the Car Care go will have an affect. They really want Rutgers, but Pittsburgh is going to be Top 25.

http://www.nj.com/rutgersfootball/index.ssf/2009/12/meineke_car_care_bowl_narrows.html

Update 7:50 p.m.: Senior Day festivities going on. About 1/4 full stadium. Nice job people.

Also, changes to starting lineup for USF. Kion Wilson, USF's leading tackler at linebacker is out. Also, Kevin McCaskil will start at center, Jon Lejiste at strong safety, and Sam Barrington at MLB.