I'm back to blogging, and how fitting is it that this entry and the previous one over two weeks ago are both related to the Milwaukee Brewers? After a month of having an extended bench and some extra bodies in the bullpen, teams will have to return to the conventional 25 man roster. How will the Phillies go from the comfy roster size back down? Pat Gillick says that everyone who was active today will be eligible with the exception of Tadahito Iguchi, so with that in mind, let's take a look at the stone cold locks.
Catcher (2)
Chris Coste
Carlos Ruiz
You obviously need two catchers, and these were the guys the Phillies rode all season. Chris Coste stepped up and had a bunch of starts when Ruiz was having his struggles, but it seems like Ruiz has taken the starting job back. Ruiz is pretty much a lock for starts made by Hamels and Moyer, Coste usually handles Myers, and I guess they'll ride the hot hand with Blanton. Lou Marson could be an interesting choice if Manuel wants to have Coste available to pinch hit, but that's a luxury.
Infielders (5)
Ryan Howard
Chase Utley
Jimmy Rollins
Pedro Feliz
Greg Dobbs
These are the five guys who either play every day or get a lot of significant action. Manuel seems to have a good handle on switching Dobbs and Feliz in and out of the lineup, and the other three players obviously start every game. No one else is needed for a bat off the bench, but it's likely that Bruntlett gets added to run and play defense.
Outfielders (3)
Pat Burrell
Shane Victorino
Jayson Werth
I really don't think I can commit to more than that right now. Those three are the every day players, and the backup picture is too muddled. Stairs and Jenkins, the Canadian in particular, add a good left handed option off the bench, Golson is really fast, and Taguchi is there. They obviously need some backups, and we'll choose them when we see how many roster spots we have left in a bit.
Starters (4)
Joe Blanton
Cole Hamels
Jamie Moyer
Brett Myers
Are these guys good enough to win a championship? We know Hamels is an ace, hopefully. Brett Myers has showed a lot in the second half. He's had a couple clunkers in a row, but he should be well rested and ready to go. Jamie Moyer has made a lot of big starts, and hopefully he can continue his solid season for a few more starts. I still think the shoulder injury might be bothering Blanton a bit, but he's a solid guy at the back of a playoff rotation.
Relievers (5)
Chad Durbin
Scott Eyre
Brad Lidge
Ryan Madson
J.C. Romero
We'll want to carry maybe two more relievers, but these are the guys the Phillies will lean on to pitch the tight innings late. Eyre has done a great job since coming over for Chicago, and he's given Manuel great flexibility as a second reliever in the bullpen. The 8th inning was hairy for a little bit, but a combo of J.C., Durbin and Mad Dog should be able to get it done when it counts. Lidge has obviously had some tense moments, but I'm confident when he comes into the game.
That's a total of 19 guys that I think every Phillies fan can agree should be on the postseason roster. Where should the other six spots go? Let's get a couple more pitchers in the bullpen. Clay Condrey has worked hard this season, and he probably deserves a spot in case one of our starters gets in deep trouble. That means it comes down to Rudy Seanez or J.A. Happ for the last spot. I'd like to keep the young guy, but I could see us going for the experience angle with a guy that can probably warm up faster. Frankly, if either guy has to pitch, it's not good.
That means we have four more spots for the offense. We really like Eric Bruntlett, so he's got one locked down. Matt Stairs adds some power, so he has to be on. Geoff Jenkins has finally made the playoffs, and it's a tough call, but I guess he can slip onto the roster. With 24 guys left, what else do the Phillies need? Another pitcher? Probably not, 11 is enough. We could use an extra pinch hitting bat from the right side. Lou Marson would be nice for this, either directly or indirectly. He could hit, or he could be a safety net if we want Coste hitting. I'll give the nod to Greg Golson. We might not trust an inexperienced player, but his speed is game changing, and he's better at being So Taguchi than So Taguchi is.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Playoff Push Series 2: Brewers at Phillies
Mets 82-63
Phillies 3.5 GB
Brewers 83-63
Phillies 4 GB
9/11-9/14 v. Milwaukee Brewers
9/11 Ben Sheets v. Jamie Moyer
Sheets 2008, career v. Phillies: 13-7 2.82 ERA, 2-3 4.50 ERA
Has trouble with:
Pat Burrell 7/14, 2 HR, 3 RBI, .500/.563/1.071
Matt Stairs 6/17, 3 HR, 5 RBI, .353/.333/.882
Carlos Ruiz 1/2, .500/.500/.500
Moyer 2008, career v. Brewers: 13-7 3.64 ERA, 8-5 3.57 ERA
Has trouble with:
Bill Hall 5/6, .833/.833/1.167
Rickie Weeks 2/4, .500/.714/.750
Mike Lamb 6/16, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .375/.474/.563
Previously, it was believed that the Wild Card would be unattainable, but the Brewers seem to be fading. They had to grind out a win against Cincinnati to avoid a sweep, and this is a great time for the Phillies to make up ground on them. Moyer hasn't started on three days rest this season, and the rest of his splits indicate he does better with more rest.
9/12 Manny Parra v. Cole Hamels
Parra 2008, career v. Phillies: 10-7 4.03 ERA, 0-1 18.00 ERA
Has trouble with:
No one, yet.
Hamels 2008, career v. Brewers: 12-9 3.12 ERA, 1.1 4.76 ERA
Has trouble with:
Ryan Braun 3/7, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .429/.429/1.000
J.J. Hardy 3/8, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .375/.444/.875
Mike Cameron 1/5, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .200/.429/.800
Manny Parra has a sky high ERA in his brief career against the Phillies, yet it's not because of anyone on today's roster. In the 11th inning of an August meeting last season, Wes Helms doubled home Howard and Rowand to give the Phillies a lead. For most guys, it'll be the first time facing him, and he's a pretty decent pitcher. This game should be low scoring.
9/13 Dave Bush v. Joe Blanton
Bush 2008, career v. Phillies: 9-10 4.23 ERA, 0-0 6.18 ERA
Has trouble with:
Pat Burrell 4/10, 3 HR, 5 RBI, .400/.455/1.300
Greg Dobbs 5/10, 2 HR, 5 RBI, .500/.500/1.200
Chase Utley 3/7, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .429/.636/.857
Blanton 2008, career v. Brewers: 2-0 4.61 ERA, N/A
Has trouble with:
Ray Durham 5/11, 2 RBI, .455/.455/.818
Mike Cameron 1/2, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .500/.667/2.000
This is the time for Joe Blanton to prove it was a good move to acquire him. A lot of people are souring on the trade if they weren't from the beginning, and Blanton has turned in some lackluster efforts recently. A lot of the Phillies have had success against Bush, so as long as they continue to hit him, it'll just be up to Blanton to not give up the lead.
9/14 Jeff Suppan v. TBA
Suppan 2008, career v. Phillies: 10-8 4.63 ERA, 3-5 5.59 ERA
Has trouble with:
Chris Coste 2/4, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .500/.600/1.250
Jayson Werth 3/5, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .600/.600/1.200
Pat Burrell 8/20, 2 HR, 7 RBI, .400/.538/.800
TBA 2008, career v. Brewers: N/A, N/A
Has trouble with:
Likely no one
They really can't give Kendrick another start, can they? How far has this guy fallen? He's still young and has a shot to be a back-end starter, but he has just collapsed over the second half this season. He's lost his command and become completely ineffective. J.A. Happ hasn't been much better, but since neither Carpenter nor Carrasco are on the active roster, they don't have much of a choice.
New York Mets 9/11-9/15
Off
v. Atlanta (Hampton @ Santana)
v. Atlanta (Reyes @ Martinez)
v. Atlanta (Campillo @ Perez)
@ Washington (Pelfrey @ TBA)
Phillies 3.5 GB
Brewers 83-63
Phillies 4 GB
9/11-9/14 v. Milwaukee Brewers
9/11 Ben Sheets v. Jamie Moyer
Sheets 2008, career v. Phillies: 13-7 2.82 ERA, 2-3 4.50 ERA
Has trouble with:
Pat Burrell 7/14, 2 HR, 3 RBI, .500/.563/1.071
Matt Stairs 6/17, 3 HR, 5 RBI, .353/.333/.882
Carlos Ruiz 1/2, .500/.500/.500
Moyer 2008, career v. Brewers: 13-7 3.64 ERA, 8-5 3.57 ERA
Has trouble with:
Bill Hall 5/6, .833/.833/1.167
Rickie Weeks 2/4, .500/.714/.750
Mike Lamb 6/16, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .375/.474/.563
Previously, it was believed that the Wild Card would be unattainable, but the Brewers seem to be fading. They had to grind out a win against Cincinnati to avoid a sweep, and this is a great time for the Phillies to make up ground on them. Moyer hasn't started on three days rest this season, and the rest of his splits indicate he does better with more rest.
9/12 Manny Parra v. Cole Hamels
Parra 2008, career v. Phillies: 10-7 4.03 ERA, 0-1 18.00 ERA
Has trouble with:
No one, yet.
Hamels 2008, career v. Brewers: 12-9 3.12 ERA, 1.1 4.76 ERA
Has trouble with:
Ryan Braun 3/7, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .429/.429/1.000
J.J. Hardy 3/8, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .375/.444/.875
Mike Cameron 1/5, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .200/.429/.800
Manny Parra has a sky high ERA in his brief career against the Phillies, yet it's not because of anyone on today's roster. In the 11th inning of an August meeting last season, Wes Helms doubled home Howard and Rowand to give the Phillies a lead. For most guys, it'll be the first time facing him, and he's a pretty decent pitcher. This game should be low scoring.
9/13 Dave Bush v. Joe Blanton
Bush 2008, career v. Phillies: 9-10 4.23 ERA, 0-0 6.18 ERA
Has trouble with:
Pat Burrell 4/10, 3 HR, 5 RBI, .400/.455/1.300
Greg Dobbs 5/10, 2 HR, 5 RBI, .500/.500/1.200
Chase Utley 3/7, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .429/.636/.857
Blanton 2008, career v. Brewers: 2-0 4.61 ERA, N/A
Has trouble with:
Ray Durham 5/11, 2 RBI, .455/.455/.818
Mike Cameron 1/2, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .500/.667/2.000
This is the time for Joe Blanton to prove it was a good move to acquire him. A lot of people are souring on the trade if they weren't from the beginning, and Blanton has turned in some lackluster efforts recently. A lot of the Phillies have had success against Bush, so as long as they continue to hit him, it'll just be up to Blanton to not give up the lead.
9/14 Jeff Suppan v. TBA
Suppan 2008, career v. Phillies: 10-8 4.63 ERA, 3-5 5.59 ERA
Has trouble with:
Chris Coste 2/4, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .500/.600/1.250
Jayson Werth 3/5, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .600/.600/1.200
Pat Burrell 8/20, 2 HR, 7 RBI, .400/.538/.800
TBA 2008, career v. Brewers: N/A, N/A
Has trouble with:
Likely no one
They really can't give Kendrick another start, can they? How far has this guy fallen? He's still young and has a shot to be a back-end starter, but he has just collapsed over the second half this season. He's lost his command and become completely ineffective. J.A. Happ hasn't been much better, but since neither Carpenter nor Carrasco are on the active roster, they don't have much of a choice.
New York Mets 9/11-9/15
Off
v. Atlanta (Hampton @ Santana)
v. Atlanta (Reyes @ Martinez)
v. Atlanta (Campillo @ Perez)
@ Washington (Pelfrey @ TBA)
Monday, September 8, 2008
Playoff Push Series 1: Marlins at Phillies
I thought of an improved and efficient way to do game previews. Let's see how it turns out.
9/8-9/10 v. Florida Marlins
9/8 Anibal Sanchez v. Joe Blanton
Sanchez 2008, career v. Phillies: 2-3 5.54 ERA, 0-2 8.79 ERA
Has trouble with:
Ryan Howard 3/5, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .600/.778/1.400
Chase Utley 3/9, 1 RBI, .333/.333/.778
Carlos Ruiz 2/3, 1 RBI, .667/.667/1.000
Blanton 2008, career v. Marlins: 1-0 4.34 ERA, N/A
Has trouble with:
Jorge Cantu 2/7, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .286/.375/.857
Alfredo Amezega 1/2, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .500/.500/2.000
The key for the Phillies to kick off this series is Joe Blanton recovering after a poor performance last time out. He needs to go longer than 4 innings, and it would be great if he could pitch into the 7th. We got him to throw a lot of innings, but in the last few starts, he's walked a lot of guys and racked up high pitch counts early. The Marlins have a dangerous lineup, and Blanton needs to throw strikes and stay in control.
9/9 Chris Volstad v. TBA
Volstad 2008, career v. Phillies: 4-3 3.32 ERA, 1-0 0.00 ERA
Has trouble with:
Chase Utley 1/2, .500/.667/.500
Cole Hamels 1/2, .500/.500/.500
TBA 2008, career v. Marlins: N/A, N/A
Has trouble with:
Likely no one
The Phillies can use J.A. Happ and Kyle Kendrick to fill the two TBA spots this week, with the other one being on Thursday. Looking at the career splits, despite being small sample sizes and unreliable, it might be best to start Happ on Tuesday and Kendrick on Thursday. Kendrick has gotten hit hard by Florida this year, and although Happ's two innings against them were awful, maybe he can rebound. Kendrick pitched well against Milwaukee last season, so maybe they should see if he can do it again.
9/10 Ricky Nolaso v. Brett Myers
Nolasco 2008, career v. Phillies: 13-7 3.56 ERA, 3-3 4.41 ERA
Has problems with:
Ryan Howard 2/10, 2 HR, 5 RBI, .200/.500/.800
Jimmy Rollins 5/15, 2 HR, 3 RBI, .333/.375/.867
Pat Burrell 4/12, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .333/.429/.750
Myers 2008, career v. Marlins: 9-10 4.19 ERA, 6-8 5.05 ERA
Has problems with:
Josh Willingham 5/10, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .500/.583/1.000
Mike Jacobs 8/24, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .333/.429/.750
Luis Gonzalez 6/15, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .400/.500/.600
Florida has historically hit Myers, but they haven't run into the buzzsaw version since he returned from the minor leagues. He's almost due to have a bad outing, and a lot of people are still waiting for the other shoe to drop. Ricky Nolasco has enjoyed a breakout 2008 campaign, including an earlier gem against the Phillies.
New York Mets 9/8-9/10
Off
v. Washington (Lannan @ Ol. perez)
v. Washington (Od. Perez @ Pelfrey)
Milwaukee Brewers 9/8-9/10
v. Cincinnati (Volquez @ Bush)
v. Cincinnati (Ramirez @ Suppan)
v. Cincinnati (Arroyo @ Sabathia)
9/8-9/10 v. Florida Marlins
9/8 Anibal Sanchez v. Joe Blanton
Sanchez 2008, career v. Phillies: 2-3 5.54 ERA, 0-2 8.79 ERA
Has trouble with:
Ryan Howard 3/5, 1 HR, 1 RBI, .600/.778/1.400
Chase Utley 3/9, 1 RBI, .333/.333/.778
Carlos Ruiz 2/3, 1 RBI, .667/.667/1.000
Blanton 2008, career v. Marlins: 1-0 4.34 ERA, N/A
Has trouble with:
Jorge Cantu 2/7, 1 HR, 3 RBI, .286/.375/.857
Alfredo Amezega 1/2, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .500/.500/2.000
The key for the Phillies to kick off this series is Joe Blanton recovering after a poor performance last time out. He needs to go longer than 4 innings, and it would be great if he could pitch into the 7th. We got him to throw a lot of innings, but in the last few starts, he's walked a lot of guys and racked up high pitch counts early. The Marlins have a dangerous lineup, and Blanton needs to throw strikes and stay in control.
9/9 Chris Volstad v. TBA
Volstad 2008, career v. Phillies: 4-3 3.32 ERA, 1-0 0.00 ERA
Has trouble with:
Chase Utley 1/2, .500/.667/.500
Cole Hamels 1/2, .500/.500/.500
TBA 2008, career v. Marlins: N/A, N/A
Has trouble with:
Likely no one
The Phillies can use J.A. Happ and Kyle Kendrick to fill the two TBA spots this week, with the other one being on Thursday. Looking at the career splits, despite being small sample sizes and unreliable, it might be best to start Happ on Tuesday and Kendrick on Thursday. Kendrick has gotten hit hard by Florida this year, and although Happ's two innings against them were awful, maybe he can rebound. Kendrick pitched well against Milwaukee last season, so maybe they should see if he can do it again.
9/10 Ricky Nolaso v. Brett Myers
Nolasco 2008, career v. Phillies: 13-7 3.56 ERA, 3-3 4.41 ERA
Has problems with:
Ryan Howard 2/10, 2 HR, 5 RBI, .200/.500/.800
Jimmy Rollins 5/15, 2 HR, 3 RBI, .333/.375/.867
Pat Burrell 4/12, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .333/.429/.750
Myers 2008, career v. Marlins: 9-10 4.19 ERA, 6-8 5.05 ERA
Has problems with:
Josh Willingham 5/10, 1 HR, 4 RBI, .500/.583/1.000
Mike Jacobs 8/24, 2 HR, 6 RBI, .333/.429/.750
Luis Gonzalez 6/15, 1 HR, 5 RBI, .400/.500/.600
Florida has historically hit Myers, but they haven't run into the buzzsaw version since he returned from the minor leagues. He's almost due to have a bad outing, and a lot of people are still waiting for the other shoe to drop. Ricky Nolasco has enjoyed a breakout 2008 campaign, including an earlier gem against the Phillies.
New York Mets 9/8-9/10
Off
v. Washington (Lannan @ Ol. perez)
v. Washington (Od. Perez @ Pelfrey)
Milwaukee Brewers 9/8-9/10
v. Cincinnati (Volquez @ Bush)
v. Cincinnati (Ramirez @ Suppan)
v. Cincinnati (Arroyo @ Sabathia)
Big East Rankings Week 3
Once again, it seemed to be a down week for the conference. WVU got upended by an ECU team that looks like they want to crash the BCS early on. USF, UConn and Pitt won, but I think each game was a tad closer than they hoped. Cincinnati played Oklahoma as close as you could expect for a while, but they lost their starting QB. Onto the rankings.
(Previous Ranking) Current Ranking Team Last Week, This Week
(2) 1. South Florida W 31-24 (OT) @ Central Florida, v. #13 Kansas: I said that the Knights would look better than they did in the 2007 edition of this rivalry, but I wasn't expecting a game that close. The UCF defense made some key plays, and an inexperienced offense took advantage of their opportunities. The Bulls can't have a repeat performance on Friday night, or they're going to leave Raymond James with a loss.
(1) 2. West Virginia L 24-3 @ East Carolina, Bye: Maybe they should drop further after coughing up a non-conference game, but I think the Pirates have shown they're a pretty good team. The offense did not look good in this one, and now they'll have a week to think about what went wrong. I still think the Mountaineers are favorites to win the conference, but for at least a week, they won't be in the #1 spot.
(3) 3. Connecticut W 12-9 (OT) @ Temple, v. Virginia: I said that the Owls would present a challenge, and they did. The weather neutralized the game, and UConn probably played a bit better than the score would indicate. Donald Brown ran through the Temple defense, and the Huskies defense themselves played great. Maybe their 2-0 record should be worth more than WVU's 1-1, but I'd still like to see them prove themselves a little more.
(4) 4. Cincinnati L 52-26 @ Oklahoma, Bye: The Bearcats played about as well as you could expect them to against a superior opponent but losing Grutza hurts in a big way. They have a week off to look at their options and figure out what they were going to do, but losing one of your best players will definitely knock you down a peg until he comes back.
(6) 5. Pittsburgh W 27-16 v. Buffalo, Bye: For the first three quarters, this game was probably a bit too close for comfort. The Panthers wanted to come out firing and prove last week's loss was a fluke, but I don't think anyone's mind is at ease about this team. Buffalo is not a good team, but they managed to hang with Pitt until a late second half run put the game away. Maybe it's a good thing Joe Paterno never agrees to schedule these guys.
(5) 6. Rutgers: Bye, v. North Carolina: The Scarlet Knights get knocked down one spot just because they didn't play. UNC is on the rise, but Rutgers should still be able to come away with a win and get back on the right track. The conference is wide open, so despite the week one loss, they still have a shot.
(7) 7. Louisville W 51-10 v. Tennessee Tech, Bye: It's great that they could score so many points on Tennessee Tech, but they have to prove themselves against 1A competition. However, they are off this week, so they will likely remain 7th in the rankings, unless the next team pulls off a pretty big upset.
(8) 8. Syracuse L 42-28 v. Akron, v. #17 Penn State: The Nittany Lions have cruised to two easy wins against teams of varying difficulty, and their offense looks like a strong force to be reckoned with. The Orange lost at home against a MAC team, which has really been a thorn in the side of the Big East so far. They are really going to struggle this season, and I don't know what it'll take to turn the program around.
(Previous Ranking) Current Ranking Team Last Week, This Week
(2) 1. South Florida W 31-24 (OT) @ Central Florida, v. #13 Kansas: I said that the Knights would look better than they did in the 2007 edition of this rivalry, but I wasn't expecting a game that close. The UCF defense made some key plays, and an inexperienced offense took advantage of their opportunities. The Bulls can't have a repeat performance on Friday night, or they're going to leave Raymond James with a loss.
(1) 2. West Virginia L 24-3 @ East Carolina, Bye: Maybe they should drop further after coughing up a non-conference game, but I think the Pirates have shown they're a pretty good team. The offense did not look good in this one, and now they'll have a week to think about what went wrong. I still think the Mountaineers are favorites to win the conference, but for at least a week, they won't be in the #1 spot.
(3) 3. Connecticut W 12-9 (OT) @ Temple, v. Virginia: I said that the Owls would present a challenge, and they did. The weather neutralized the game, and UConn probably played a bit better than the score would indicate. Donald Brown ran through the Temple defense, and the Huskies defense themselves played great. Maybe their 2-0 record should be worth more than WVU's 1-1, but I'd still like to see them prove themselves a little more.
(4) 4. Cincinnati L 52-26 @ Oklahoma, Bye: The Bearcats played about as well as you could expect them to against a superior opponent but losing Grutza hurts in a big way. They have a week off to look at their options and figure out what they were going to do, but losing one of your best players will definitely knock you down a peg until he comes back.
(6) 5. Pittsburgh W 27-16 v. Buffalo, Bye: For the first three quarters, this game was probably a bit too close for comfort. The Panthers wanted to come out firing and prove last week's loss was a fluke, but I don't think anyone's mind is at ease about this team. Buffalo is not a good team, but they managed to hang with Pitt until a late second half run put the game away. Maybe it's a good thing Joe Paterno never agrees to schedule these guys.
(5) 6. Rutgers: Bye, v. North Carolina: The Scarlet Knights get knocked down one spot just because they didn't play. UNC is on the rise, but Rutgers should still be able to come away with a win and get back on the right track. The conference is wide open, so despite the week one loss, they still have a shot.
(7) 7. Louisville W 51-10 v. Tennessee Tech, Bye: It's great that they could score so many points on Tennessee Tech, but they have to prove themselves against 1A competition. However, they are off this week, so they will likely remain 7th in the rankings, unless the next team pulls off a pretty big upset.
(8) 8. Syracuse L 42-28 v. Akron, v. #17 Penn State: The Nittany Lions have cruised to two easy wins against teams of varying difficulty, and their offense looks like a strong force to be reckoned with. The Orange lost at home against a MAC team, which has really been a thorn in the side of the Big East so far. They are really going to struggle this season, and I don't know what it'll take to turn the program around.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Ch ch ch changes
I don't know how much will actually be different, but I am back, and hopefully for good. I hope I can set aside enough time to update this pretty regularly again. I'll probably cover a bit too much USF football, which is pretty far away from Philadelphia, but they're my team now. I'm going to slap up a pic on the left side, and you can make all the humorous photoshops you want.
This is definitely getting the cheap entry tag. Good to be back.
This is definitely getting the cheap entry tag. Good to be back.
Big East Rankings Week 2
I am back. However, I am choosing to do something that has absolutely nothing to do with Philadelphia sports. This is a Big East power ranking that will be updated every week. However, due to the conference's poor performance in week one, I will refrain from calling the rankings powerful. For this week, the previous ranking will be the Big East preseason poll.
(Previous Ranking) Current Ranking Team Last Week, This Week
(1) 1. West Virginia W 48-21 v. Villanova, @ East Carolina: Villanova scored quite a few points on the Mountaineers, but they're occasionally a solid D1AA program. Regardless, it was a good warm-up for WVU who has a tough test this week. ECU will not be a pushover, and these guys can't afford to drop an early season game just like almost everyone else did.
(2) 2. South Florida W 56-7 v. Tennessee-Martin, @ Central Florida: In a week where a lot of good teams were tested or beaten by weaker opponents, USF looked just about as good as you can against their warmup. The turnovers were a bit concerning, but Gregory and Daniels won't be playing actual minutes when the going gets tough. UCF will have a better showing than 2007 in the last year of this rivalry, but the Bulls should come out of it 2-0.
(6) 3. Connecticut W 35-3 v. Hofstra, @ Temple: The conference was so pathetic in week one that UConn gets a sizable boost. They're returning quite a few starters from a good team last season, so maybe they shouldn't have been ranked as low as 6th to start the year. They cannot look past Temple though; I've been telling anyone that'll listen about this team, and they could get some respect with an upset win over the Huskies this weekend.
(5) 4. Cincinnati W 40-7 v. Eastern Kentucky, @ #4 Oklahoma: Their victory against EKU was admirable, but they face a somewhat different beast this week. I'll be impressed with the Bearcats if they can just stay close against the Sooners, and I can't knock them too far down even if they suffer a bad loss.
(4) 5. Rutgers L 24-7 v. Fresno State, Bye: Here's where things get hairy. Of the four remaining teams, all week one losers, their loss was probably a bit more acceptable than the others. Fresno State is a very good team, and they could emerge out of the WAC with a solid bowl bid. However, even without Ray Rice, the Scarlet Knights came into this season with pretty high expectations, and this slow start does not help.
(3) 6. Pittsburgh L 27-17 v. Bowling Green, v. Buffalo: Pitt's loss was one of the week one shockers, and it wasn't a good start for a team that people thought could make some noise this year. They were probably overrated to start the year, and they could still recover, but it has to be a bit alarming that their offense was totally shut down in the second half. They'll get another MAC challenger, but I don't think Buffalo is as good as Bowling Green.
(7) 7. Louisville L 27-2 v. Kentucky, v. Tennessee Tech: It was generally accepted that this would be a down year for the Cardinals, but their rivalry game was interesting. Their offense laid a huge egg, but their defense kept them in the game, which is the opposite of their recent history. It wasn't an inspiring game for fans or those who thought they could sneak up on some teams, but they should be able to boost their egos against Tennessee Tech.
(8) 8. Syracuse L 30-10 @ Northwestern, v. Akron: Orange football has been a nightmare for quite a few years now, and they've fallen a long way since the glory days of Donovan McNabb. They just aren't a very good team, and they're going to struggle to win games this season. I don't know if a new coach is going to turn them back into a contender.
(Previous Ranking) Current Ranking Team Last Week, This Week
(1) 1. West Virginia W 48-21 v. Villanova, @ East Carolina: Villanova scored quite a few points on the Mountaineers, but they're occasionally a solid D1AA program. Regardless, it was a good warm-up for WVU who has a tough test this week. ECU will not be a pushover, and these guys can't afford to drop an early season game just like almost everyone else did.
(2) 2. South Florida W 56-7 v. Tennessee-Martin, @ Central Florida: In a week where a lot of good teams were tested or beaten by weaker opponents, USF looked just about as good as you can against their warmup. The turnovers were a bit concerning, but Gregory and Daniels won't be playing actual minutes when the going gets tough. UCF will have a better showing than 2007 in the last year of this rivalry, but the Bulls should come out of it 2-0.
(6) 3. Connecticut W 35-3 v. Hofstra, @ Temple: The conference was so pathetic in week one that UConn gets a sizable boost. They're returning quite a few starters from a good team last season, so maybe they shouldn't have been ranked as low as 6th to start the year. They cannot look past Temple though; I've been telling anyone that'll listen about this team, and they could get some respect with an upset win over the Huskies this weekend.
(5) 4. Cincinnati W 40-7 v. Eastern Kentucky, @ #4 Oklahoma: Their victory against EKU was admirable, but they face a somewhat different beast this week. I'll be impressed with the Bearcats if they can just stay close against the Sooners, and I can't knock them too far down even if they suffer a bad loss.
(4) 5. Rutgers L 24-7 v. Fresno State, Bye: Here's where things get hairy. Of the four remaining teams, all week one losers, their loss was probably a bit more acceptable than the others. Fresno State is a very good team, and they could emerge out of the WAC with a solid bowl bid. However, even without Ray Rice, the Scarlet Knights came into this season with pretty high expectations, and this slow start does not help.
(3) 6. Pittsburgh L 27-17 v. Bowling Green, v. Buffalo: Pitt's loss was one of the week one shockers, and it wasn't a good start for a team that people thought could make some noise this year. They were probably overrated to start the year, and they could still recover, but it has to be a bit alarming that their offense was totally shut down in the second half. They'll get another MAC challenger, but I don't think Buffalo is as good as Bowling Green.
(7) 7. Louisville L 27-2 v. Kentucky, v. Tennessee Tech: It was generally accepted that this would be a down year for the Cardinals, but their rivalry game was interesting. Their offense laid a huge egg, but their defense kept them in the game, which is the opposite of their recent history. It wasn't an inspiring game for fans or those who thought they could sneak up on some teams, but they should be able to boost their egos against Tennessee Tech.
(8) 8. Syracuse L 30-10 @ Northwestern, v. Akron: Orange football has been a nightmare for quite a few years now, and they've fallen a long way since the glory days of Donovan McNabb. They just aren't a very good team, and they're going to struggle to win games this season. I don't know if a new coach is going to turn them back into a contender.
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