Cincinnati Bearcats

Cincinnati (3-1) has been impressive this season despite having quarterback problems. Their only lose was to number one-ranked Oklahoma. The Bearcats lost Tony Pike to a broken arm. Before leaving with the injury, Pike completed 23 of 34 passes for 320 yards and 2 touchdowns in their 17-15 victory to in-state rival Akron. The offense will now have to depend on freshman Zack Collaros. The Bearcats will have to play a dangerous non-conference game at Marshall before taking on Rutgers.

Connecticut Huskies

Uconn is 5-0 for the second straight season. The Huskies were down 21-9 before rattling 21 unanswered points in their 26-21 victory at Louisville. Lawrence Wilson picked off a pass and ran back for a touchdown with 2:45 left to play in the game. Starting quarterback Tyler Lorenzen was injured during the game. Frazier came in and engineered two scoring drives. Donald Brown, the leading rusher in the country, was once again a workhorse carrying the ball 22 times for 140 yards. With road trips to North Carolina and Rutgers coming up, this was a much-needed victory for the Huskies. There is some concern on the defensive side of the ball after giving over 500 total yards to the Cardinals.

South Florida Bulls

South Florida (5-0) is coming off a 41-10 victory over North Carolina State. The Bulls out gained the Wolf pack 520 yards to 265. The Bulls quarterback Matt Grothe completed 20-29 passes for 259 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for a team high 68 yards. The Bulls defense allowed just 26 yards rushing and picked off three passes. The Bulls have Pittsburgh on deck with a bye the next week. South Florida looks to be the best team in a down year for the conference.

Louisville Cardinals

The Cardinals are a bit down after letting their game against Connecticut get away from them. The Cardinals were able to move the ball all day long churning out over 500 yards. Quarterback Hunter Cantrell Played on a hurt ankle towards the end of the game and was unable to get them going offensively. Hunter did complete 17-29 passes for 247 yards and a touchdown. Not convinced Hunter is the quarterback for this team but he will have to due this season. The Cardinals have a bye week to regroup and then have two winnable games against Memphis and Middle Tennessee State.

Pittsburgh Panthers 

The Panthers beat Syracuse by finally putting together a good running game. The players are there with LeRod Stephens-Howling and LeSean McCoy. Stephen-Howling scored two touchdowns and Le Sean McCoy ran 21 times for 108 yards. The Panthers were actually down 21-13 before scoring 21 unanswered points to pull out the 34-24 victory. The Panthers are 3-1 on the season but they have several weaknesses. The Panthers might be in over their heads when they visit the Tampa to take on South Florida.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Rutgers had a huge first half over Morgan State leading 38-0 by halftime. They called off the dogs the rest of the way and ended the game with the same score. Rutgers got a much-needed win after a slow start that has them with a record of 1-3. Quarterback Mike Teel has had a tough season so far. He completed 11of 18 passes for just 188 yards and an interception. Things might get worse with West Virginia on deck and a trip to Cincinnati after that. Rutgers chances or returning to a bowl game is fading quickly.

Syracuse Orange

The Orange (1-3) is still looking for their first win of the season against a conference opponent. Quarterback Cameron Dantley got off to fast start for the Orange giving them a 24-13 lead in the second half. Dantley completed eight of 12 passes for 131 yards and 2 touchdowns. The defense let Pittsburgh hold the ball for over 38 minutes and eventually gave up the lead. The Orange will have a week off before having to hit road and take two of the two best teams in the conference in South Florida and West Virginia. Syracuse is the worst team in the conference and may end up without a win.  

West Virginia Mountaineers

The Mountaineers played a complete game beating in-state rival Marshall 27-3. Noel Divine led the way rushing 14 times for 125 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Pat White was sharp completing 17-21 passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns. White did leave the game with an injury. Early reports are that White is ready to go and will play this week. The defense was in top form holding Marshall without a touchdown. Two wins are likely with Rutgers and Syracuse on deck before having a week off.