There is a new No. 3
- Thread starter Majpain
- Start date
DBoston80
Undisputed #1
MikeO said:
Yea its for sure a toss up..I always lay something for entertainment value....either way its going to be a great game ecspecially for a Thursday night.
OSUDauby
Practice Squad
You have no idea what you are talking about. The Big East's BEST team has played ONE...yes just ONE team with a record over .500. I'll say that again in case you missed it. West Virginia has played only one team, Maryland with a winning record. But, sure....let's say that they are SO good and the Big East is great, yada, yada, yada...Frisches13283 said:
I'm not buying it.
WVU will beat Louisville and will most lkely go undefeated throughout the regular season. The will play Ohio State in the BCS Championship bowl and Ohio State will have the 2nd string team in midway through the 3rd quarter.
1 loss Florida, Aurburn, Tenn, Texas, Cal and maybe even Notre Dame are better than anything that will come out of the Big East aka...the Big Easy.
As for Rutgers...they will lose 2 games this season, go to a bowl game playing an out of conference opponet and get beat, dropping them from the Top 25.
Louisville is also over ranked, due to lack of schedule strength. It's not all their fault as they had a crappy Miami team they thought would have been better. But, if the Miami team was better, Louisville would have lost most likely.
Stitches
I love Mindwarp
OSUDauby said:
I have no idea what I'm talking about because I feel this is a lackluster year for the Big Ten(since they only have 2 really good teams)?
And just because some Big East teams haven't played hardly anyone over .500 doesn't mean they would lose. After all 3 of the teams I listed are undefeated(or have one loss) after all. So I guess since I think WV or Louisville has the talent and execution to beat any Big Ten team(other than Michigan and OSU) I have no clue about anything(and I'm a penn state fan by the way)?
And I like how you list Florida, Auburn, Tennessee, Cal, Notre Dame, and Texas(all top 15 teams) as being better than Big East teams(like they aren't better than 100 other teams in the country, or aren't top teams in thier own conference). But how would any of these teams do against Big Ten teams not named Michigan or Ohio State? Which were the teams I was talking about. I personally think WV or Louisville(who I think is the best Big East team even without Bush) vs any of the teams you mention would be a good game(again, a coin flip IMO).
But I guess I'm not allowed to have an opinion since I think the Big Ten isn't that good this season, when compared to years past. :shakeno:
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2004
- Messages
- 15,357
- Reaction score
- 150
WV is playing the same schedule this year as they played last year pretty much.
And come Sugar Bowl time they beat up on Georgia in Georgia. So, this weak schedule meaning they can't beat anyone worth anything logic makes no sense.
If you want to hold the opinion WV won't beat "team X" because they aren't as good. That is fine. Saying htey won't beat them because they play a weak schedule though makes no sense!!
And come Sugar Bowl time they beat up on Georgia in Georgia. So, this weak schedule meaning they can't beat anyone worth anything logic makes no sense.
If you want to hold the opinion WV won't beat "team X" because they aren't as good. That is fine. Saying htey won't beat them because they play a weak schedule though makes no sense!!
Pennington's Rocket Arm
Sucking for Luck Since 2004
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2006
- Messages
- 7,535
- Reaction score
- 1
does anyone watch the games?? it's so ridiculously ignorant just to say louisville would lose to anyone because of their schedule. or any team would win because of their schedule. how bout you watch the team you're talking about play on the field and make an opinion.
OSUDauby
Practice Squad
Frisches13283 said:
You don't know what you are talking about because you fail to mention Wisconsin in ANY post. They are a one loss team who has only been beat by the #2 in the country, Michigan. Not to mention that their defense is better than that of WVU or Louisville. And also not to mention that they have a RB who is getting more yards per game than Slatons (The Big East #1 RB).
Even in a "down" year, the Big 10 is far better and more competative than the Big East, it's that simple. If teams like WVU, Louisville, Rutgers and the rest of the Big East wants respect, they have to EARN it. And they can EARN that respect by playing out of conference games worth while. (I.E.-Playing teams like Ohio State, Texas, Michigan, Florida, Aurburn, etc, etc) Until then Big East teams will be either A.) watching THE BIG GAME on TV rather than the sidelines or B.) Caught up in controversy like they are now. It's pretty simple really.
OSUDauby
Practice Squad
Umm, Georgia was #10 in the nation. Not exactly the "National Championship" team that WVU is looking to play come Jan. 8th. 2007. Not to mention it was a 2-loss Georgia BEFORE the game.MikeO said:
Stitches
I love Mindwarp
OSUDauby said:
Go back to post #80, I mention Wisconsin. And, I agree Wisconsin's D is better than WV, but I don't know if it's better than Louisville. Louisville's D is pretty darn good.
And ok, the Big 10 may be better and more competetive overall than the Big East, I never said it wasn't. I said the top 2 teams in the Big East could probably take out the bottom 9 teams in the Big Ten(and if not, it'd be damn close). Then I said Rutgers and Pitt could probably take out the bottom 6 teams in the Big Ten. I didn't mention once that the Big East was a better conference than the Big Ten. I've said on here before that the SEC, Big Ten, and Big XII are easily the best and hardest conferences overall in college football. Does that mean the conference can't have a weak season from time to time? No.
But appearently to you if you aren't in one of the Big 3 or the Pac-10(at least if you are a team from te big east), than you must automatically be an inferior team.
OSUDauby
Practice Squad
Frisches13283 said:
Umm, there is nothing that "apparent" about that thought. It's pretty much true. I mean, you hate to have to generalize, but it's not always that far off base either.
DonShula84
Sporty Don
For the record, I dont think WVU and Louisville are average teams looking good because they play scrubs. Both teams, especially WVU, have a shot at beating any team in the country imo. The schedule bugs me because even good teams could lose a game during the regular season, and I like to see teams get challenged. I love that OSU and Texas put it all on the line early in the season by playing each other. More schools should do that imo. With Rutgers and Pitt being respectable though and WVU and Louisville playing each other they have some challenges coming up I just wish they had some out of conference challenges. Though MikeO has made good arguments in defense of why that couldnt happen.
OSUDauby
Practice Squad
I do not disagree with what either of you say. Sure, WVU, Louisville, Rutgers, Temple, etc..could beat any team on any given day. BUT, how can you like what you see when you watch WVU playing no one then complain about not getting the respect or attention that they aspire to have.
The BCS really messed up when they took the SOS out of the equation. That is what would have made teams from the Big East consider playing better competition througout the season.
The BCS really messed up when they took the SOS out of the equation. That is what would have made teams from the Big East consider playing better competition througout the season.
ZolarZ_GoPhins
Starter
OSUDauby said:
That team has also only played 7 games. WVU has 5 gams left all with BigEast teams with a winning record. Maryland has played well this year too. Why does WVU get no credit for beating them, but UofL gets all the props for playing Miami. Florida's best out of conference game is Fla St. Maryland right now is better then both those teams and has a better chance of playing in the ACC championship game.
OSUDauby said:
WVU is not guarenteed any of that. They have a tough game Thur, I am confident they will win but that game still has to be played. If after that they do finish the season undefeated then they have to be ranked number 2 in the BCS to play Ohio St. I think they would, given their current ranking and teams they have left on the schedule. IF all that happens and they do play Ohio St. I guarentee you that Ohio St better pack their lunch and be ready to play.
I doubt Ohio St has the lack of respect for WVU that you do. It is easy to talk crap when your team is on top but it is alot more fun to revel in your destruction when you come crashing down.
OSUDauby said:
We will see come bowl time. Talk all you want this will get played out at the end of the year. Then we will see who is the Easy one.
OSUDauby said:
I predict Wisconsin will lose 2 games this year go to a bowl game play an out of school conference opponent and lose. dropping them from the top 25. Wow this is fun got any more predictions?
OSUDauby said:
Ohh yeah the dreaded if only the losing team was better arguement. Dang if only Cincinatti was better they might have beat Ohio St the whole game and not just played the first half. Give me a break.
F
FLOUNDER
Here's ESPN's take on tommorow nights game
West Virginia vs. Louisville Defense This is a classic match up of strength-versus-strength, as the nation's top-ranked rushing attack attempts to penetrate the eighth-ranked run defense. West Virginia QB Pat White and RB Steve Slaton make up college football's most lethal backfield tandem. Together, they account for 239.7 of the team's 319 rushing yards per game. White is a slippery runner with good open-field elusiveness and Slaton possesses good power for his size to go along with rare acceleration in space. They are both aided by a West Virginia offensive line that has become the benchmark for efficiency in college football today. The unit makes up for its overall lack of size with exceptional technique, quickness and effort. The interior trio of OC Dan Mozes and guards Jeremy Sheffey and Greg Isdaner are the strength of this unit, which is important considering how disruptive the massive interior tandem of Amobi Okoye and Willie Williams can be versus the run. MLB Nate Harris was demoted two games ago for his poor play. His replacement, Lamar Myles, is a budding star, but the 215-pound sophomore can be exposed for his lack of size and inexperience in this game. The rest of the Cardinals' linebackers are also undersized, which means they'll need to be protected in order to make plays from sideline-to-sideline versus the run.
Rich Rodriguez's offensive scheme is predicated on spreading opponents out and using great blocking angles and technique to generate creases in the running game. If his offensive line proves capable of overcoming a distinct size advantage inside versus Okoye (305 pounds) and Williams (300 pounds), Louisville's smallish trio of linebackers (Myles, WLB Preston Smith and SLB Malik Jackson) should be effectively neutralized.
The Mountaineers are rarely forced into obvious throwing situations, but White has proven capable of beating opponents through the air when necessary. White's accuracy is less than ideal, but he does throw well on the run and shows good touch on the deep ball. The biggest key for the Cardinals' defense is to load up with eight- and nine-man fronts versus the run without leaving themselves vulnerable to the deep ball. That means DC's Gavin Smart and William Gay will be under lots of pressure when left alone in man-to-man coverage versus speedy receivers Darius Reynaud and Brandon Myles. Reynaud leads the team with 25 receptions and is extremely dangerous after the catch. Myles also does a fine job as a route runner and is effective catching the ball in traffic. The most recent receiver to provide some big plays is Rayshawn Bolden, who is averaging 21.2 yards on just five receptions. The Cardinals cannot afford to play much nickel personnel with five defensive backs on the field, so expect the Mountaineers to target Bolden down the seams from the slot position when they see a safety locked on him. A few big receptions from the trio of Reynaud, Myles and Bolden could ultimately prove to be backbreaking for Louisville in this game.
Louisville Offense vs. West Virginia Defense QB Brian Brohm is the biggest X-factor in Thursday night's game. When he is in full form, few passers in the nation are as efficient and accurate as Brohm. However, the 6-foot-4, 224-pound junior has not found his rhythm since returning from a thumb injury that sidelined him for two games earlier this season. Louisville has averaged just 25.5 points in two past two games with Brohm throwing two interceptions compared to just one touchdown. In contrast, the team was averaging 44 points in the previous five games with the quarterbacks (Brohm and Hunter Cantwell) tossing eight touchdowns and just three interceptions. Some statistics can be deceiving, but those are difficult to ignore.
Meanwhile, Louisville has been forced to show more dedication to the running game. The good news is that RB Kolby Smith is coming off a career game with 165 yards and two touchdowns versus Syracuse. Smith is a punishing north-south runner at 215 pounds and shows straight-line some burst in the open field. The bad news, however, is that Smith pales in comparison to injured starter Michael Bush, who played a key role in last year's game versus West Virginia with four touchdowns. At 250 pounds with great speed, power, vision, hands and blocking skills, Bush provided a level of versatility that few backs can attain. While Smith should provide quality ground production between the tackles, he lacks the elusiveness and receiving skills to cause severe issues for WLB Kevin McLee and the Mountaineers' defensive front-seven.
West Virginia's biggest Achilles' heel on defense is the amount of big plays it surrenders through the air. Its defensive secondary is undisciplined and safeties Ridwan Malik and Quinton Andrews get caught peaking in the backfield too frequently on play action, which leads to gaping holes down the middle of the field in coverage. Louisville also has great perimeter matchups to target in the passing game with receivers Mario Urrutia and Harry Douglas versus cornerbacks Vaughn Rivers and Larry Williams. The matchup between Urrutia and Rivers is especially enticing because of Urrutia's 9-inch height advantage. If Brohm gets into an early rhythm and returns to early-season form, the Mountaineer secondary will be in for a long evening. However, after studying Brohm's hesitancy as a decision maker and uncharacteristically erratic arm, it seems more likely that Louisville will squander too many offensive opportunities to pull off the victory.
Special Teams
Louisville's Art Carmody is one of the most accurate place kickers in the nation. He has connected on 11-of-12 field goal attempts this season, including a long of 51 yards. PT Todd Flannery is averaging a respectable 39.7 yards per punt while landing four of his 17 attempts inside the opponents' 20-yard line. West Virginia is also solid in the kicking game with PK Pat McAfee and PT Scott Kozlowski providing good experience and consistency. McAfee has nailed 9 of his 12 field goal attempts with a long of 48 yards. One of his three misses was a block, and he has not missed from inside 40 yards. Kozlowski has adequate leg strength and good directional skills. He is averaging 40.9 yards per punt and has dropped four of his 15 attempts inside the opponents' 20-yard line.
The real difference between these two teams is in the return game, where West Virginia is far more lethal. Vaughn Rivers is averaging an impressive 12.8 yards per punt return, including a 50-yard touchdown. He also serves as the No. 2 kickoff return specialist behind Reynaud, who has emerged as one of the premier kickoff return men in the country with his average of 30.8 yards per attempt. Reynaud has one touchdown return of 96 yards this season.
Louisville's return units, on the other hand, have failed to provide its offense with a spark. Trent Guy has taken over for the struggling Patrick Carter as the team's top punt return specialist, but Guy is only averaging five yards on four returns. JaJuan Spillman is the team's top kickoff return man with a measly average of 18.7 yards per attempt. The Cardinals have also struggled in kick coverage, which has to be a major concern for Petrino and his staff heading into Thursday night's game.
Matchups
• West Virginia RB Steve Slaton vs. Louisville MLB Nate Harris
• Louisville RB Kolby Smith vs. West Virginia WLB Kevin McLee
• Louisville WR Mario Urrutia vs. West Virginia CB Vaughn Rivers
Scouts' Edge
West Virginia commits too many penalties and its defense gives up too many big plays via the air, which will be capitalized on by a good opponent like Louisville. If Brohm were on top of his game the Cardinals could outlast the Mountaineers in a shootout. Unfortunately for Petrino's team, he's not.
It took three overtimes for the Mountaineers to pull off a miraculous comeback last season after trailing the Cardinals by as many as 17 points in the fourth quarter. Thursday night's Big East showdown will be close, but not that close. Slaton will prove up to the task, and White will make a few key throws to keep Louisville off-balance. In the end, Rodriguez's squad will play its best game of the season and knock off the home team at a not-so-intimidating Papa John Stadium venue. Points may also be tougher to come by than most may expect.
Prediction: Mountaineers 30, Cardinals 21
West Virginia vs. Louisville Defense This is a classic match up of strength-versus-strength, as the nation's top-ranked rushing attack attempts to penetrate the eighth-ranked run defense. West Virginia QB Pat White and RB Steve Slaton make up college football's most lethal backfield tandem. Together, they account for 239.7 of the team's 319 rushing yards per game. White is a slippery runner with good open-field elusiveness and Slaton possesses good power for his size to go along with rare acceleration in space. They are both aided by a West Virginia offensive line that has become the benchmark for efficiency in college football today. The unit makes up for its overall lack of size with exceptional technique, quickness and effort. The interior trio of OC Dan Mozes and guards Jeremy Sheffey and Greg Isdaner are the strength of this unit, which is important considering how disruptive the massive interior tandem of Amobi Okoye and Willie Williams can be versus the run. MLB Nate Harris was demoted two games ago for his poor play. His replacement, Lamar Myles, is a budding star, but the 215-pound sophomore can be exposed for his lack of size and inexperience in this game. The rest of the Cardinals' linebackers are also undersized, which means they'll need to be protected in order to make plays from sideline-to-sideline versus the run.
Rich Rodriguez's offensive scheme is predicated on spreading opponents out and using great blocking angles and technique to generate creases in the running game. If his offensive line proves capable of overcoming a distinct size advantage inside versus Okoye (305 pounds) and Williams (300 pounds), Louisville's smallish trio of linebackers (Myles, WLB Preston Smith and SLB Malik Jackson) should be effectively neutralized.
The Mountaineers are rarely forced into obvious throwing situations, but White has proven capable of beating opponents through the air when necessary. White's accuracy is less than ideal, but he does throw well on the run and shows good touch on the deep ball. The biggest key for the Cardinals' defense is to load up with eight- and nine-man fronts versus the run without leaving themselves vulnerable to the deep ball. That means DC's Gavin Smart and William Gay will be under lots of pressure when left alone in man-to-man coverage versus speedy receivers Darius Reynaud and Brandon Myles. Reynaud leads the team with 25 receptions and is extremely dangerous after the catch. Myles also does a fine job as a route runner and is effective catching the ball in traffic. The most recent receiver to provide some big plays is Rayshawn Bolden, who is averaging 21.2 yards on just five receptions. The Cardinals cannot afford to play much nickel personnel with five defensive backs on the field, so expect the Mountaineers to target Bolden down the seams from the slot position when they see a safety locked on him. A few big receptions from the trio of Reynaud, Myles and Bolden could ultimately prove to be backbreaking for Louisville in this game.
Louisville Offense vs. West Virginia Defense QB Brian Brohm is the biggest X-factor in Thursday night's game. When he is in full form, few passers in the nation are as efficient and accurate as Brohm. However, the 6-foot-4, 224-pound junior has not found his rhythm since returning from a thumb injury that sidelined him for two games earlier this season. Louisville has averaged just 25.5 points in two past two games with Brohm throwing two interceptions compared to just one touchdown. In contrast, the team was averaging 44 points in the previous five games with the quarterbacks (Brohm and Hunter Cantwell) tossing eight touchdowns and just three interceptions. Some statistics can be deceiving, but those are difficult to ignore.
Meanwhile, Louisville has been forced to show more dedication to the running game. The good news is that RB Kolby Smith is coming off a career game with 165 yards and two touchdowns versus Syracuse. Smith is a punishing north-south runner at 215 pounds and shows straight-line some burst in the open field. The bad news, however, is that Smith pales in comparison to injured starter Michael Bush, who played a key role in last year's game versus West Virginia with four touchdowns. At 250 pounds with great speed, power, vision, hands and blocking skills, Bush provided a level of versatility that few backs can attain. While Smith should provide quality ground production between the tackles, he lacks the elusiveness and receiving skills to cause severe issues for WLB Kevin McLee and the Mountaineers' defensive front-seven.
West Virginia's biggest Achilles' heel on defense is the amount of big plays it surrenders through the air. Its defensive secondary is undisciplined and safeties Ridwan Malik and Quinton Andrews get caught peaking in the backfield too frequently on play action, which leads to gaping holes down the middle of the field in coverage. Louisville also has great perimeter matchups to target in the passing game with receivers Mario Urrutia and Harry Douglas versus cornerbacks Vaughn Rivers and Larry Williams. The matchup between Urrutia and Rivers is especially enticing because of Urrutia's 9-inch height advantage. If Brohm gets into an early rhythm and returns to early-season form, the Mountaineer secondary will be in for a long evening. However, after studying Brohm's hesitancy as a decision maker and uncharacteristically erratic arm, it seems more likely that Louisville will squander too many offensive opportunities to pull off the victory.
Special Teams
Louisville's Art Carmody is one of the most accurate place kickers in the nation. He has connected on 11-of-12 field goal attempts this season, including a long of 51 yards. PT Todd Flannery is averaging a respectable 39.7 yards per punt while landing four of his 17 attempts inside the opponents' 20-yard line. West Virginia is also solid in the kicking game with PK Pat McAfee and PT Scott Kozlowski providing good experience and consistency. McAfee has nailed 9 of his 12 field goal attempts with a long of 48 yards. One of his three misses was a block, and he has not missed from inside 40 yards. Kozlowski has adequate leg strength and good directional skills. He is averaging 40.9 yards per punt and has dropped four of his 15 attempts inside the opponents' 20-yard line.
The real difference between these two teams is in the return game, where West Virginia is far more lethal. Vaughn Rivers is averaging an impressive 12.8 yards per punt return, including a 50-yard touchdown. He also serves as the No. 2 kickoff return specialist behind Reynaud, who has emerged as one of the premier kickoff return men in the country with his average of 30.8 yards per attempt. Reynaud has one touchdown return of 96 yards this season.
Louisville's return units, on the other hand, have failed to provide its offense with a spark. Trent Guy has taken over for the struggling Patrick Carter as the team's top punt return specialist, but Guy is only averaging five yards on four returns. JaJuan Spillman is the team's top kickoff return man with a measly average of 18.7 yards per attempt. The Cardinals have also struggled in kick coverage, which has to be a major concern for Petrino and his staff heading into Thursday night's game.
Matchups
• West Virginia RB Steve Slaton vs. Louisville MLB Nate Harris
• Louisville RB Kolby Smith vs. West Virginia WLB Kevin McLee
• Louisville WR Mario Urrutia vs. West Virginia CB Vaughn Rivers
Scouts' Edge
West Virginia commits too many penalties and its defense gives up too many big plays via the air, which will be capitalized on by a good opponent like Louisville. If Brohm were on top of his game the Cardinals could outlast the Mountaineers in a shootout. Unfortunately for Petrino's team, he's not.
It took three overtimes for the Mountaineers to pull off a miraculous comeback last season after trailing the Cardinals by as many as 17 points in the fourth quarter. Thursday night's Big East showdown will be close, but not that close. Slaton will prove up to the task, and White will make a few key throws to keep Louisville off-balance. In the end, Rodriguez's squad will play its best game of the season and knock off the home team at a not-so-intimidating Papa John Stadium venue. Points may also be tougher to come by than most may expect.
Prediction: Mountaineers 30, Cardinals 21