Big East: Week 8

South Florida 2-4 & 0-2 @ Louisville 6-0 & 1-0: The home team has had it way in the series, winning 7 of the last 9 games. Three of the last five games have been decided by 10 or more points, while the last two games played in Louisville have been close (in 2008, 24-20, a Louisville win & in 2010, USF won in OT, 24-21). If South Florida is to salvage its season … it must begin on Saturday vs the Cardinals! 

Rutgers 6-0 & 2-0 @ Temple 3-2 & 2-0: The Owls are coming off a big OT win vs U-Conn, 19-16 and now play host to one of the three undefeated Big East squads, Rutgers! Temple is 5-8 vs the Scarlet Knights in conference play, with the last meeting between these teams in 2004! The last time Rutgers was @ Temple, the Knights prevailed, 30-14. It should be noted that the Rutgers win in 2003, snapped a 25 game losing streak for the Scarlet Knights! 

Pitt 2-4 & 0-3 @ Buffalo 1-5 & 0-3: Pitt steps out of the Big East this week and takes on the Buffalo Bulls, a MAC team, @ Buffalo’s UB Stadium. The Panthers have won all three games vs the Bulls by an average of 19 PPG. The teams played last year with Pitt pulling away in the second half for a 35-16 win! The last time Pitt traveled to New York to face this MAC Team was in 2009, the Panthers doubled up the Bulls, 54-27!

Cincinnati 5-0 & 1-0 @ Toledo 6-1 & 4-0 : Another Big East vs MAC battle … that said, Cincy is taking on a much more dangerous opponent! The Rockets have beaten the Bearcats the last two times that they have played, their most recent meeting was in 2001 in the Motor City Bowl! This should be an interesting contest waged between two very confident teams! Cincy & Toledo have won 11 of the 12 games they have played in 2012, with the only loss the they have experienced is/was a Toledo defeat @ Arizona, 24-17!    

Connecticut 3-4 & 0-2 @ Syracuse 2-4 & 1-1: Per Usual, the visitor has struggled in these games, 2-6 in the last 8 games! … That said, UC has won the last two games @ the Carrier Dome, in 2008, 39-14 and 2010, 23-6! Futher, U-Conn has won 5 straight in this series, 2007, 30-7; 2009, 56-31; & 2011, 28-21! This year the Orange have played a challenging schedule, 2 Big Ten Teams & 1 PAC 12 (USC) and are currently 1-1 in Big East play (beat Pitt @ home and lost a close road game to undefeated Rutgers 23-15)! Meanwhile, U-Conn is coming off a tough lost in OT, 19-16, to Temple @ home!