I think this season should demonstrate the return of Eastern Football with Pitt returning to their glory days, Louisville the former Eastern Independent reunited with more traditional opponents begins its assault on the top of college football. Rutgers finally gets over the hump and surpasses Penn State as the old man racks up another losing season in unhappy valley. Syracuse shows glimpses of the past I mean future under Robinson. Connecticut becomes the de facto power in New England D-1A football and assimilates into Eastern Football. Cincinnati rebuilds but is playing far more traditional opponents especially in Syracuse and Rutgers. South Florida steps up into a BCS conference and lets everyone know why the Florida Big 3 will become the Big 4. West Virginia rebuilds but still is fairly dominant and reiterates the theme of the return of Eastern Football. My guess for the Lambert winner this year is Pitt as it should have been last year. The eligible teams for the Lambert Trophy include:
RUTGERS, Penn State, Army, Navy, PITT, WEST VIRGINIA, SYRACUSE, CONNECTICUT, Boston College, SOUTH FLORIDA, Temple, CINCINNATI, Buffalo
IIRC, the rules state that a school must be located in NY, NJ, PA, or a New England state. If a team plays half of its games against teams eligible for the award they are also eligible. Notable exceptions are West Virginia and Navy who have been eligible for decades granted they've always played half their games against eligible teams anyway.
South Florida will be eligible as it plays RU, PSU, WVU, Pitt, SU, and Connecticut this year which comprise 6 of 11 games. Cinncinnati will also be eligible as it plays RU, PSU, WVU, Pitt, SU, and Connecticut. The two teams also play each other which likely counts.

So we are a step childern in Louisville?

Brista...nothing would please me more then to see the return of eastern football...but...before the BE is going to be recognized as the successor to Eastern football Penn St needs to be apart of the league....having a north east league without PSU is kinda like the American League playing without the New York Yankees.....



Jackson

Whaaaaaat? Eastern independent? That makes me squirm a little bit and feel a bit uneasy. Traditional rival? Huh? Our rivals all exist on the Ohio river and south. I sure hope for the Big East's sake eastern football gets stronger, but it'll never rise to the level down south. I know that's not the point you were trying to make.

Army56Mike Wrote:Whaaaaaat?   Eastern independent?  That makes me squirm a little bit and feel a bit uneasy.  Traditional rival?   Huh?  Our rivals all exist on the Ohio river and south.  I sure hope for the Big East's sake eastern football gets stronger, but it'll never rise to the level down south.  I know that's not the point you were trying to make.

I'm a bit confused as well. But then I checked the CFDW and discovered that Louisville has played more games against Tulsa (26), than the 5 returning Big East members (23). And here I always though UL was a Southern independent back in the day.

MichiganTiger Wrote:

Army56Mike Wrote:Whaaaaaat?    Eastern independent?  That makes me squirm a little bit and feel a bit uneasy.  Traditional rival?    Huh?  Our rivals all exist on the Ohio river and south.  I sure hope for the Big East's sake eastern football gets stronger, but it'll never rise to the level down south.  I know that's not the point you were trying to make.

I'm a bit confused as well. But then I checked the CFDW and discovered that Louisville has played more games against Tulsa (26), than the 5 returning Big East members (23). And here I always though UL was a Southern independent back in the day.

Ohio has played Cincinnati 50 times. Second most of any school playing UC.

Cincinnati has played Rutgers, WVU, Pitt, Syracuse, and UConn 32 times combined.

Ohio has played Rutgers, WVU, Pitt, Syracuse, and UConn 27 times combined.

Wilkie01 Wrote:So we are a step childern in Louisville?

We always knew that Wilkie!...lol

Sounds like I worded things poorly. As for Cincinnati, they are home they were considered an Eastern Independent filling their schedule with Temple, Rutgers, PSU, Syracuse, WVU, Pitt and the like over the years prior to CUSA. They may have played Ohio and Miami U more times than us certainly but with their old rival Louisville and familiar opponents in Rutgers, SU, and the gang they truly have come home. As for Louisville you folks were certainly a Southern Indpendent but you played your fair share of Eastern Independents in cross-sectional matchups so you've come to a new home that fits pretty darn well. Some reasons for that are obvious, others not so obvious. I definitely see a 4 way rivalry brewing on the conference's western flank, I also see a 3 way rivalry brewing on the northeastern side. I see Cincy gaining strong rivalries with Rutgers and Syracuse too. Don't forget for Rutgers fans after this season we've played Cincinnati just as many times as we played Miami (FL).

Thanks for clarifying Brista. I'm sure there are great days ahead for this conference.