The guys over at The UConn Blog (my, what a creative name for a, wait for it, UConn blog) are running a power poll for the Big East this season and The Smoking Musket is gamely participating. I resisted voting Temple as the 6th best team in the Big East, as it was just that kind of week around the conference. Only WVU's win against Maryland kept it from being a complete white-wash (Syracuse's triumph over Maine notwithstanding).
After the jump is TSM's official ballot. Please try to contain laughter once we get past #5.
- West Virginia: People keep talking about how it's the top two in the Big East. In my mind, it's the top one. Until Pitt shows me something of note, then it's the Mountaineers high atop the (pitiful) Big East mountain.
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Pitt: Big test this Thursday at home against Miami. Win and it's back into the top two, lose and it's already a wasted season in Pittsburgh. You know, maybe in hindsight, the national media's trust in something called "Tino Sunseri" as the leader of a top football team may have been misplaced. Miami should and will win this game.
- USF: Sure, they're probably not any good, but at least they're more dangerous than...
- Rutgers: Yuck. Bad on offense, mediocre on defense. The New Jersey thing isn't helping, either. This conference really isn't any good. I really hate admitting something like that, but it's just not. Of course, a strong team at the top can take some media spotlight away from the suck, but WVU must beat LSU to aid that.
- Syracuse: Yes, Syracuse. They actually look like a real football team. Traveled to Seattle and played Washington tough for much longer than expected. Might I say the Doug Marrone era may have a happy ending?
- Cincinnati: Not even sure why I am bothering to rank teams at this point. Cincinnati got their ass handed to them by NC State, which is never a good thing. Luckily, they get a nice breather this weekend against...oh, they play Oklahoma? Nevermind.
- Louisville: Longing for the days of Steve Kragthorpe? Nah. The Cardinals get out of the basement partly for their very respectable performance against Oregon State, but also because...
- UConn: Just disastrous. I can't imagine Kirk Hersbtreit had a loss to Temple in his mind when he was picking the Huskies to win the Big East. At the end of the day, you need a QB, and UConn doesn't have one.