Tuesday presser-- Championship week

Full blog post at http://jiblogs.com/jsilvers_uconn_football_blog/?p=2171  

There is no sense in ignoring the obvious.

If UConn wins on Saturday against South Florida it will be heading to a BCS game.
The stakes couldn't be higher for the Huskies and there is no use hiding it. That doesn't mean you do anything different however.

"We are all aware how big this game is. But, we are treating it like a regular game and preparing for it (as a regular game)," linebacker Lawrence Wilson said. "Everyone is excited. This game Saturday is a real big game. Probably the biggest game in UConn history."

The Huskies game against South Florida is going to generate national waves. In the absurd world of college football, the underdog and the good story is the villain.

Then there were 9

 The TCU Horned Frogs are part of the Big East.

The conference announced today that they have added TCU and its No. 3 ranked football team to the fold in the Big East in the first expansion since creating the super league in 2004.
This expansion was also done out of necessity, though it's much more aggressive than reactionary.  The football is stagnant in the Big East. There is no way to counter this. It's not that there aren't good teams in the Big East -- there are -- but no one stands out and they all beat up on each other.

More at http://jiblogs.com/jsilvers_uconn_football_blog/?p=2165

TCU to BIg East official

The Horned Frogs become the 17th member of the Big East.

This is a no brianer considering the conference landscape, press conference on its way now.

TCU is ranked No. 3 in the country in football and is going to leave the Mountain West. TCU is located in the Dallas area and will join in ALL sports. They will play in the Big East starting in summer 2012.

More later.

Here's the release out of Providence.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Texas Christian University has accepted an invitation for full membership into The BIG EAST Conference, it was announced today.  The BIG EAST, by a vote of its Presidents and Chancellors, extended the invitation for membership.
TCU will become the 17th conference member on July 1, 2012.  Its athletic teams will begin competing in the BIG EAST in the 2012-13 academic year.
With an enrollment of 9,142 in Fort Worth, Texas, TCU competes in 20 sports.  The university’s Chancellor is Dr. Victor J. Boschini, Jr. and the Athletics Director is Chris Del Conte.  The university was founded in 1873.

Sunday bowl thoughts

Full post at: http://jiblogs.com/jsilvers_uconn_football_blog/?p=2116

The Huskies are bowl eligible for the fourth time in a row and the fifth time and in five years and if you don't think that it means anything you didn't see the Huskies and coaching staff after the game in the Carrier Dome.
The Huskies aren't Texas, USC or Notre Dame, and while I know the expectations for the Huskies are higher, but this is goal No. 1 for the team. The Huskies were happy after this game.
First off, it was an excellent performance on the road. The Huskies look like they are starting to get it together. It puts the Big East title within striking distance if Pitt falls, and, the Huskies are finally playing like we thought.

Tuesday presser -- Syracuse week

Full post at http://jiblogs.com/jsilvers_uconn_football_blog/?p=2101

I could feel the intensity and tension like it was one of those exercise bands. 

The Huskies game at Syracuse can make or break the season for the Huskies. It's no secret that the Big East doesn't have a top tier team, and that means someone has to go to the BCS game -- likely the Fiesta Bowl (how about 99.9 percent sure).

The Huskies are in the best position of any other Big East team to pull off the BCS outside of Pittsburgh, which only has to win its final three games to win the league.

Campbell arrested

http://jiblogs.com/jsilvers_uconn_football_blog/?p=2075

Laptop is a dirty word with UConn athletics, but it reared its ugly head again.
Junior defensive end Marcus Campbell was arrested on Monday morning for 5th degree larceny after being accused of stealing a back pack with a laptop in it with all the contents valued at $879 according to arrest reports.

More expansion talk

From the NY Post:

Several sources confirmed a Post report last month that TCU is a strong candidate. Houston, Central Florida, Temple and/or Villanova, which is in the midst of evaluating a move up from FCS, are other lead candidates.
Two sources said if the presidents give their blessing to explore expansion, invitations could be issued before the end of the college football season. TCU is said to be very interested, as is Central Florida.

We have been hearing for quite some time about expansion. Perhaps with the conference flailing nationally (no ranked teams) they are going to do it by numbers.

I am a strong proponent of adding 4 teams. A TCU, Houston, UCF and ‘Nova/Temple/Memphis would give the conference a strong footprint geographically.

People make too much about the geography. Dallas is easily accessible from the Northeast, as is Houston. It would give the conference a foot print — no matter how small — into Texas. That helps when you want a TV network.

Full post at: http://jiblogs.com/jsilvers_uconn_football_blog/