Thursday NCAAFB: PITT@UCONN, ECU@UAB
Big East on ESPN. How bad is it? Pitt is leading the conference with a 3-0 record. Their non-conference record? 2-3 with losses to Utah in overtime, against Miami who is not the goodt, and Notre Dame.
On the other side, we've got UCONN. We've seen how bad they can be. Hell, they couldn't even put up more than 10 points against one of the worst defenses in the NCAA. Despite tihs, they are coming off a fairly decent (by Big East standards) win over WVU in what was one of the ugliest games I've seen all year.
The line is Pitt -6, with O/U around 47.5. I want nothing to do with the line, but mark me down for the under.
For those of you with CBS College Sports, you've got the chance to catch the East Carolina Pirates at UAB (-1.5). Yes, that's UAB favored over ECU. Why you might ask? Check out ECU's box score against Navy. Yes, that's 76 points by Navy in regulation. Yikes.
Like Michigan, ECU also has a chasm between offense and defense. The Pirates are 7th in passing yards and 14th in points scored per game (36.4). For all that, they're 117th in points allowed (41.3). They don't run much either, ranking 94th in the NCAA in rush yards per game.
UAB isn't a good team. They're 3-6 overall with a couple close losses to Marshall (shootout), Tennessee (overtime), Mississippi State, and Florida Atlantic. They do have wins over Troy, UTEP, and Southern Miss (overtime). They are fairly balanced, ranked 43rd in both rushing and passing yards per game. Their defense is slightly better than ECU, but that's not saying much.
I like ECU to cover and win straight up. They'll be looking to right the ship after last week's embarassment. O/U is around 68, and I have no idea what to make of it. I'm feeling the over, but 68 is quite a few points.
November 11th, 2010 at 7:03 PM ^
Wait. Pitt lost to that (yes that) Miami. Not NTM Miami
November 11th, 2010 at 7:11 PM ^
They lost to that Miami. Still, that's a horrible loss for many BCS-AQ teams.
November 11th, 2010 at 7:42 PM ^
all i can find is NFL
and i would really love to watch the Pitt/Uconn Game
November 11th, 2010 at 7:45 PM ^
Uh... ESPN or ESPN3.com
November 11th, 2010 at 7:47 PM ^
I dont think that play went as planned. INT on the 1st play yikes!
November 11th, 2010 at 7:47 PM ^
Awesome start. Pick on the first play from the line of scrimmage. Woo failed flea flicker!
November 11th, 2010 at 7:47 PM ^
Good start with that flea flicker...
November 11th, 2010 at 7:51 PM ^
That's the impact player? I see Reyes is on the field. Brian mentioned him in the UFR, but what I've seen afterwards suggests that he can play. Is Lawrence Wilson in? Oh there he is getting easily blocked out of the play.
November 11th, 2010 at 7:53 PM ^
is the game streaming anywhere else? ESPN3 isn't working for me
November 11th, 2010 at 7:57 PM ^
It's on ESPN in the AA area, which means I can't stream it on ESPN3 personally
November 11th, 2010 at 7:55 PM ^
Someone must be greasing up balls on the sidelines
November 11th, 2010 at 8:01 PM ^
Wannstache looks super happy tonight
November 11th, 2010 at 8:02 PM ^
Nice comeback there by UConn to tie it up after a shaky start - impressive - I'm rooting for them
November 11th, 2010 at 8:16 PM ^
Pitt's QB is turrrible
November 11th, 2010 at 8:51 PM ^
He's only a sophomore! (but he's 21!!!!!)
November 11th, 2010 at 8:25 PM ^
Sometimes... just sometimes (really just today)... I wish Michigan was in the Big East.
November 11th, 2010 at 8:50 PM ^
I'd rather have to earn a conference title.
November 11th, 2010 at 8:51 PM ^
BIG EAST FOOTBAW!
November 11th, 2010 at 8:54 PM ^
Honestly I'd rather win in a shootout than watching 2 offensive flail around
November 11th, 2010 at 9:00 PM ^
Then run a hb flat pass and then a run.
<br>
<br>Ugh!!!
November 11th, 2010 at 9:01 PM ^
on ESPN. Calls in playbook: stretch run, offtackle run (used mostly on 3rd and long), draw, play action bomb, and random trick play.
If our offense ever becomes boring again I'm going to be pissed.
November 11th, 2010 at 9:06 PM ^
Half time topic:
Utah vs ND this weekend. Hatred aside, anyone else feeling like ND could pull out this win? As I mentioned in the DERP of a "Lou Holtz is an idiot because the senile old man had his years confused" thread, I think ND has a shot and Utah is way overrated. The Utes are riding last year's accolades and a "big win" over Pitt that should now be realized as total crap.
I've been thoroughly unimpressed in their season despite having a few meh to decent wins against fringe ranked teams (like Air Force). That said, they haven't looked amazing and were then rolled by the only team deserving of a ranking (TCU, who I'm also skeptical about, although much less).
To me, Tulsa ~ Utah. Judging by last week's game, that means ND is ~ Utah according to the transitive property of recent games (albeit a weak property).
Discuss through the half.
November 11th, 2010 at 9:08 PM ^
2nd topic: Is this week's slate of games the meh-est of the year thus far? There was a week around #3 where no ranked teams played each other, but it panned out because rankings were still in preseason bias mode. By now, we know more about teams, and this week looks boring.
Discuss through the half.
November 11th, 2010 at 9:21 PM ^
There's still some good games out there this weekend. USC (NTUSC) is playing UF for the SEC East crown. That is a battle between ranked teams.
Off topic, but I talked to a Cincinnati alum today and I asked him his opinion on Brian Kelly. Response: "What an arrogant shit head. No one liked him person-wise while he was here but we all put up with him because we were winning. I also knew some of the players and Kelly was very demeaning. Many players hated him after the recruiting process. Two faced coach."
I'm sure he's a little bitter that they are now losing and Kelly jumped ship, but still, I could see that as being the case.
November 11th, 2010 at 9:36 PM ^
I know a couple big CMU fans and they said the same thing about Kelly. Good coach, but complete asshole.
November 11th, 2010 at 10:05 PM ^
That was my thinking about this weekend's slate of games as well. Nothing really jumps out at me other than the PSU @ OSU game, and possibly Oregon @ Cal. I hope that the Michigan game turns out positively so I can watch all other games with no care about who wins, and be happy all weekend.
November 11th, 2010 at 11:43 PM ^
Just because I'll be watching it live...for free...yes.
November 11th, 2010 at 9:23 PM ^
If UConn can score this half I predict a win.
November 11th, 2010 at 9:27 PM ^
"late with the horse collar"
isn't that two penalties?
November 11th, 2010 at 9:36 PM ^
Yikes. That was a BAD punt.
November 11th, 2010 at 9:37 PM ^
I'm not a big fan of mascots but I'll give this to UConn - at least they have a real animal - I can deal with that
November 11th, 2010 at 9:45 PM ^
Pitt going in.What was the line on this game?
November 11th, 2010 at 9:54 PM ^
UConn -6 to -6.5, though 5dimes had it as UConn -3.5. Could have been an opportunity for spread arbitrage there...
November 11th, 2010 at 9:46 PM ^
the offenses of uconn and pitt are so bad. i know our D is bad, but I'd much rather have a sweet offense and no D because I would be gouging my eyes out if our QBs were as bad as frazer or sunseri.
its an arm punting battle out there
November 11th, 2010 at 9:53 PM ^
Why did UConn build a stadium so far from campus? Really strange decision for a school that wants to be a bigtime football power.
November 11th, 2010 at 10:05 PM ^
Maybe financial issues or risk involved? I'm pretty sure when they bumped up to FBS recently that one of the requirements is stadium capacity. It doesn't make sense to me either. I know campus isn't that "that" safe of an area. Who knows?
November 11th, 2010 at 10:22 PM ^
The main campus is in Storrs. I can't imagine that Storrs is an unsafe area. Maybe the Hartford campus is in a bad area, but Storrs is in the middle of the country. The campus has a higher population than the town.
It might be, but that'd be amazing.
November 11th, 2010 at 10:49 PM ^
Ah, I thought the main campus was in Hartford. I know the law school is in Hartford and it had the reputation of a less than "safe" area.
November 11th, 2010 at 10:19 PM ^
Land, formerly part of air field, was donated to the state. The stadium was first built with the hope of luring the Patriots out of the Boston area. UCONN was just supposed to be a side beneficiary. When the Pats settled the details to play in what is now Gillette Stadium, UCONN became the primary user.
At the time, they weren't really a football power at all. They were just investingating into moving to the FBS level, and had previously been playing on a small field near campus. Due to tight times that several university athletic departments faced (like Wisconsin when they cut baseball), they took the new, bigger stadium for a much lower cost in order to boost their athletic accumen.
November 11th, 2010 at 10:28 PM ^
It's too bad for the students though - I'd hate to have to drive to a home game if I were in school.
November 12th, 2010 at 12:57 AM ^
They bus the students to the game if they buy a $4 bus ticket.
November 11th, 2010 at 10:04 PM ^
don't you go for 2 there?
Make it you tie.
Miss it, you can still get the lead with a FG.
If Pitt kicks a FG in this quarter you now need a touchdown.
Smarter strategizers please advise?
November 11th, 2010 at 10:06 PM ^
It's only the end of the 3rd quarter, so don't risk killing momentum with a missed 2-point conversion? With a lot of game left, that's my guess.
November 11th, 2010 at 10:10 PM ^
We made our own God Damn MOMENTUM !
November 11th, 2010 at 10:30 PM ^
BIG EAST FOOTBAW!
November 11th, 2010 at 10:30 PM ^
Put it away uconn!
November 11th, 2010 at 10:30 PM ^
WAR Uconn. Huskies got momentum.