Big East: Week 9

South Florida 2-5 / 0-4 @ Syracuse 3-4 / 2-1: Syracuse is 1-6 vs South Florida but won the last time they played in Tampa, 13-9, in 2010. The home team has dropped three in a row, In 2009, USF won 34-20 and in 2011, South Florida won again, 37-17, both wins were in the Carrier Dome! Skip Holtz is having his most difficult season, as his Bulls were a preseason favorite to win in the Big East … and are currently dead last in the conference standings! The one thing they can still accomplish yet this year is to become bowl eligible. Syracuse is battle tested and @ 2-1 are very much alive in the conference race!

Cincinnati 5-1 / 1-0 Louisville 7-0 / 2-0: This was shaping up as a huge game in the Big East with two undefeated teams squaring off in week nine. But Cincy lost to Toledo, 29-23, last week and the game quickly disappeared from the national radar scope. That said, the Bearcats have won the last four games in the series by an average of 14 plus points. Before the Cardinals began this four game nosedive, they had beaten Cincy 9 times in ten tries! UL has led a charmed life in 2012, winning several close games and barley beating struggling teams, like South Florida (0-4 in Big East Play), 27-25 and Southern Mississippi (winless in 2012) by four points, 21-17!

Kent State 6-1 / 4-0 @ Rutgers 7-0 / 4-0: Based on last week’s result of ….  an undefeated team from the Big East (Cincinnati) taking on a one loss team from the MAC (Toledo) …well … this could be bad for Rutgers. Kent is 0-2 all time against the Scarlet Knights, including the last time they met, a 29-21, Rutgers home win @ High Point Solutions Stadium, in 2004. RU has beaten Arkansas, in Fayetteville, for its signature win and has played very good run defense giving up only 69 YPG … third best rush defense in the country! Bring on the MAC Attack… the guys from Jersey are ready!

Temple 3-3 / 2-1 @ Pittsburgh 3-4 / 0-3: Temple is very much alive in the Big East race heading into this week-end with a 2-1 conference slate. The Owls have beaten South Florida, 37-28, @ home & won @ U-Conn, 17-14 in OT. They were beaten by Rutgers @ home, 35-10, last week and will need some help to catch the Scarlet Knights! Keep in mind that Temple, like Rutgers, still has to play Cincinnati & Louisville  … wins in these games could open the back door for the Owls … as both LU and Cincy could find a way against Rutgers! Pitt is playing to become bowl eligible, with three conference losses, they have little to no shot at a Big East crown this season!

U-Conn 3-5 / 0-3: Has a Bye Week … Next up … @ South Florida