Quote:By Pete Fiutak


How many bad years does a program have to endure to be considered a “Former” power, and how many good years does a doormat have to have to be considered a King of College football? I’m no Miami fan, but I’m so sick of hearing them called a “former powerhouse”. Yeah they’ve had a few bad years, but ’02 wasn’t that long ago, and they’re historically a dominant team with no reason to think they can’t right the ship soon enough. 5 years? Maybe if we get to 6… or 8… And look at USC – no one questions their elite status, but does no one remember how long they fell off the radar before Carroll came along?? I’m sick of the smaller and smaller what-have-you-done-for-me-lately window. Coaches get two years to win. Programs get 3 years to turn EVERYTHING around. It’s sickening. A few years of sliding or rising does not define a program. – GW

A: Open to your interpretation, my definition of a current powerhouse is a program that’s capable of winning a national title, or a BCS slot, right now, or at least able to be in the hunt with a little bit of tweaking. Miami, with a little bit more offense, could be a front runner for the national championship this year. Florida State would qualify as a powerhouse, even after a few down years. Washington, to me, would qualify as a former powerhouse. Nebraska and Alabama, again, to me, would qualify as a powerhouse, while Pitt and Syracuse would be former powers.



Why won't you admit that the Big East is a two-team crap-fest of a conference. Everyone went on and on and on and embraced the so-called inevitability of either Louisville or West Virginia playing in the title game, but at the end of the season both of those teams proved that 1) the Big Least is a 2 team conference and 2) that those two teams couldn't even win all of their games in their great big conference of garbage. So why the bias towards the Big Easy? Is it simply because they have a bunch of alums in broadcasting or is it some form of mind control? – TN

A: You echo the feelings of 75% of the college football world, but you’re wrong. Knowing I’m going to get tagged by more Mountaineer fans in desperate need affirmation, I’m still not 100% sold that West Virginia, this year, is the elite of the elite real deal, only because the defense just isn’t there. However, I still think this will end up being one of the top ten ranked teams in America by the end of the year, and will probably end up in the BCS, because of two all-timers in the backfield. Louisville and Rutgers will also be in the national title hunt, and South Florida has the type of defense that could upset Auburn early on, Pitt is better, Cincinnati is better, Syracuse is better, and Connecticut is better. Yeah, we’re not talking about the SEC here, and it’s still the sixth best BCS league, but it’s a LOT better and is hardly a “crap-fest.”

You’re such an ACC boy … the Big East is one of the best conferences around, and you know it. You’re so biased, why don’t you just admit that you hate West Virginia. ----ing ---hole. – FJ

A: Well, run it down and it’s not even close. As I mentioned before, the Big East top teams could certainly be in the ACC title chase, but the league isn’t nearly as deep. Take the projected best teams in each league, number two in each, and go right down the line. West Virginia, Louisville and Rutgers are all relatively even, and I really like the South Florida defense, so say those four Big Easters would probably split with Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Miami and Clemson. No. 5 Pitt vs. No. 5 Florida State, FSU. No. 6 Cincinnati vs. No. 6 Maryland, No. 7 Syracuse vs. No. 7 BC, and No. 8 Connecticut vs. No. 8 Wake Forest are all screamingly in the ACC’s favor. That’s not even counting Virginia and NC State, who could both beat the bottom three Big East teams. North Carolina and Duke could certainly compete with Syracuse and UConn. [b]

Maybe he just forgot about the 7-3 record that the BE put up against the Acc last year. I'm thinking that he also forgot about the drubbing that Pitt, one of our bottom 3 teams put on Virginia last season. I believe that UNC could certainly compete against Uconn and SU, but making the same claim for Duke is just dumb.

He didn't forget. He ignored it.

cuseroc Wrote:

Quote:By Pete Fiutak


How many bad years does a program have to endure to be considered a “Former” power, and how many good years does a doormat have to have to be considered a King of College football? I’m no Miami fan, but I’m so sick of hearing them called a “former powerhouse”. Yeah they’ve had a few bad years, but ’02 wasn’t that long ago, and they’re historically a dominant team with no reason to think they can’t right the ship soon enough. 5 years? Maybe if we get to 6… or 8… And look at USC – no one questions their elite status, but does no one remember how long they fell off the radar before Carroll came along?? I’m sick of the smaller and smaller what-have-you-done-for-me-lately window. Coaches get two years to win. Programs get 3 years to turn EVERYTHING around. It’s sickening. A few years of sliding or rising does not define a program. – GW

A: Open to your interpretation, my definition of a current powerhouse is a program that’s capable of winning a national title, or a BCS slot, right now, or at least able to be in the hunt with a little bit of tweaking. Miami, with a little bit more offense, could be a front runner for the national championship this year. Florida State would qualify as a powerhouse, even after a few down years. Washington, to me, would qualify as a former powerhouse. Nebraska and Alabama, again, to me, would qualify as a powerhouse, while Pitt and Syracuse would be former powers.



Why won't you admit that the Big East is a two-team crap-fest of a conference. Everyone went on and on and on and embraced the so-called inevitability of either Louisville or West Virginia playing in the title game, but at the end of the season both of those teams proved that 1) the Big Least is a 2 team conference and 2) that those two teams couldn't even win all of their games in their great big conference of garbage. So why the bias towards the Big Easy? Is it simply because they have a bunch of alums in broadcasting or is it some form of mind control? – TN

A: You echo the feelings of 75% of the college football world, but you’re wrong. Knowing I’m going to get tagged by more Mountaineer fans in desperate need affirmation, I’m still not 100% sold that West Virginia, this year, is the elite of the elite real deal, only because the defense just isn’t there. However, I still think this will end up being one of the top ten ranked teams in America by the end of the year, and will probably end up in the BCS, because of two all-timers in the backfield. Louisville and Rutgers will also be in the national title hunt, and South Florida has the type of defense that could upset Auburn early on, Pitt is better, Cincinnati is better, Syracuse is better, and Connecticut is better. Yeah, we’re not talking about the SEC here, and it’s still the sixth best BCS league, but it’s a LOT better and is hardly a “crap-fest.”

You’re such an ACC boy … the Big East is one of the best conferences around, and you know it. You’re so biased, why don’t you just admit that you hate West Virginia. ----ing ---hole. – FJ

A: Well, run it down and it’s not even close. As I mentioned before, the Big East top teams could certainly be in the ACC title chase, but the league isn’t nearly as deep. Take the projected best teams in each league, number two in each, and go right down the line. West Virginia, Louisville and Rutgers are all relatively even, and I really like the South Florida defense, so say those four Big Easters would probably split with Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Miami and Clemson. No. 5 Pitt vs. No. 5 Florida State, FSU. No. 6 Cincinnati vs. No. 6 Maryland, No. 7 Syracuse vs. No. 7 BC, and No. 8 Connecticut vs. No. 8 Wake Forest are all screamingly in the ACC’s favor. That’s not even counting Virginia and NC State, who could both beat the bottom three Big East teams. North Carolina and Duke could certainly compete with Syracuse and UConn. [b]

Maybe he just forgot about the 7-3 record that the BE put up against the Acc last year. I'm thinking that he also forgot about the drubbing that Pitt, one of our bottom 3 teams put on Virginia last season. I believe that UNC could certainly compete against Uconn and SU, but making the same claim for Duke is just dumb.

agreed it's just name/conference bias at its finest. this conference can more than compete w/ the big 12, acc, etc. just have to keep winning to prove last year wasn't a fluke.

I see the ACC bias but they had nice things to say about the Big East well mostly nice things in the answer above. They at least recognize we don't deserve the Big Least tag anymore, with CFN that's a big start.

I'm glad that Pete set that TN/$ec fan straight