This season, the Big East conference has epitomized parity. As the rankings stand now, there is a scenario, although extremely unlikely, that could produce a six-way tie for the Big East title.

The poster child for the trend within the conference is Connecticut. The Big East preseason poll put Connecticut second to last in the conference. Currently, the Huskies’ sit perched atop the conference with a 4-0 conference record and an 8-1 mark overall. Although UConn head coach Randy Edsall said he isn’t shocked at his team’s place in the standings, he didn’t exactly see it coming either.

Edsall cited the team’s ability to remain healthy, become a close-knit group and get accustomed to its new facilities that opened in summer 2006 as some of the causes for the undefeated conference record.

One of the exercises to create team unity involved having all the players fill out questionnaires and sharing the information with their teammates. Information ranged from answers about their hometown’s background, where they are from, families and hometown atmospheres. After reading the sheets of paper, even the coach learned little known facts about his players.

‘The players don’t know each other as well as they think they do,’ Edsall said. ‘Especially your younger guys and your older guys. Now all our guys have a little more appreciation for where guys came from. It made us become a closer family, so to speak.’

Edsall also had the opportunity to pick the brain of one of the NFL’s elite coaching staffs in the New England Patriots. Edsall feels the most important piece of information he has taken from these meetings is focusing on the task at hand, which he has emphasized to his team.

‘I think the big thing is just really focusing on one game at a time,’ Edsall said. ‘When the previous game is over, move on. Don’t let last week affect you this week. I think that’s one of the big things. Last week doesn’t matter this week. Being up there in the winter and summer, one of the things that I came away with is (the Patriots’) focus and attention to put all your focus and preparation in for that game. When it’s over, you put it behind you, move on and don’t worry about it.’

With only three weeks remaining, one more conference win and a West Virginia loss guarantees the Huskies at least a tie for the Big East title for the first time in program history. At this point in time, UConn is in control of its own destiny, but the Huskies will be tested on the road. Three of the Huskies’ four Big East wins have come in the friendly confines of Rentschler Field in Hartford, Conn.

In the Big East, success can leave as quickly as it comes. Just ask South Florida.

The Bulls’ (6-3, 1-3) rise to No. 2 in the nation earlier this year had USF fans thinking national championship. Yet three weeks and three losses later – including a 22-15 defeat to UConn Oct. 27 – South Florida is unranked and sharing the conference cellar with Syracuse.

Elsewhere, Cincinnati (7-2, 2-2) got off to its best start of in more than 50 years but quickly dropped two conference games, which has it sitting in a three-way tie for third place in the conference.

Despite UConn’s unblemished conference record, the team is still three long games – including a trip to Cincinnati this weekend – away from winning the conference. Currently, all eight Big East teams have not been mathematically eliminated from the title hunt.

‘If you look at some of the teams that are in the top 10, top 15 or ranked right now in the country, a lot of them weren’t preseason ranked at all,’ West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez said. ‘It’s been kind of a crazy year in college football in that regard.’

Game of the Week

Louisville at No.6 West VirginiaThursday, 7:30 P.M., ESPN

West Virginia (7-1, 2-1) and Louisville (5-4, 2-2), picked to finish 1-2 in the Big East preseason poll, aren’t sitting in their projected positions. Last year’s meeting featured two undefeated top 10 teams, but this year’s match up could have just as much importance. Although there may be less hype, both teams are still in the thick of the hunt for the conference title.

The Louisville defense appears to be gelling at the right time. In the first six games of the season, Louisville averaged giving up just over 30 points per game. In the past three games, the Cardinals have drastically reduced that number by 10 points.

Unfortunately for the Cardinals, West Virginia’s offense is as potent as it was a year ago when it put up 34 points. The Mountaineers currently have the No. 3 rushing offense in the nation. However, conference opponents have had success in containing running back Steve Slaton. In his first two Big East games this season he did not score a touchdown.

Around the Conference

Freshman running back LeSean McCoy’s 140 yards on 31 carries against Syracuse put him into the Pittsburgh record books. McCoy became only the third Pitt freshman to surpass the 1,000 yard rushing mark. McCoy joins elite company: Heisman Trophy winner Tony Dorsett and Curvin Richards. In 1973, Dorsett racked up 1,686 yards and in 1988 Richards ran for 1,228. McCoy has hit the 100-yard mark six times this season … Despite his team losing to Cincinnati and giving up a record eight turnovers, USF CB Mike Jenkins contributed a record-setting effort on special teams. Jenkins ran back a kickoff for 100 yards, which was the longest in school history. After five total returns, Jenkins had the second most return yards in school history with 192 yards. This was only the second time in his career at USF that Jenkins returned a kickoff.

Published on November 6, 2007 at 12:00 pm