Syracuse vs. UConn: This Time It Counts
by Sean Keeley on Nov 17, 2010 9:50 AM EST
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This season has been a whole new world. Not only for Orange fans but for those of other programs. Take Cincinnati, USF and UConn. Since they joined the Big East in 2005, the only world they've ever lived in is a world in which Syracuse football is terrible. Cincy and USF already learned the harsh truth about the La Revolucion Anaranjada, now it's the Huskies turn. This time, however, it's not just the Orange that are different, but also the stakes of the game.
Make no mistake, this game is HUGE for all parties involved. For the Orange, a win means they will finish 5-2 in the Big East, no worse than 2nd overall. It also sets them up for a prime spot to win the Big East if a three-way tie-breaker emerges and/or Pitt loses out.
For the Huskies, a win puts them on the road to 5-2 where they own a head-to-head tiebreaker with the Panthers. If Pitt stumbles once and the Huskies win out, they will have come through on those preseason expectations to win the Big East title.
For the Big East, the conference will look to the winner of this game to win-out. The Big East needs overall wins. It needs teams with 8-9 wins when all it said and done.
So the game has high stakes for sure. But don't forget to throw in one more factor that makes this one of the most important Big East games in a long time for the Orange. The Vengeance Factor.
Doug Marrone would never say it out loud. In fact, he's downplaying the hell out of it and talking about what good fiends he and Randy Edsall are. The fact remains, Marrone was PISSED OFF after what he perceived as UConn running up the score against the Orange last year.
I don't know if that becomes anything in this game. Just keep an eye out for any late 80-yard touchdown bombs from the Orange if and when they've put the game away late.
Last week, the Orange solidified their role as road warriors. The Huskies have been doing the opposite. UConn is 0-4 on the road this season and a horrific 4-18 on the road in the Big East since joining. The good news for them is that the Orange have struggled at home against Big East teams this year, going 0-2. Something, as they do say, will have to give on Saturday.
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Marrone hates Edsall
Not only because Edsall ran up the score last year, but I think Marrone is such a true orange guy that he views someone like Edsall, someone who was at UCONN, beating up his own alma mater as a traitor in the highest since. Since Edsall clearly turned down syracuse’s overtures after P was fired, and during the hunt for a new HC, Marrone hates him even more.
God I hate UCONN.
Also, personal question, am I the only person who cannot stand when teams from my conference win? I don’t understand people who hope that Pitt or whomever wins out and goes to the Fiesta Bowl and kills another conference team. THEY ARE PITT!!!!! I want to see Pitt lose by 100 every time they play!
I don’t give a damn if it hurts the Big East’s credibility. PITT MAN. UGH. EW.
When Pitt beat WVU in 07 and prevented WVU from having a shot at the Nat’l Championship I was like “YEAH. SCREW WVU.” I would have been pissed if they went to the national championship and won. EW. WVU. Gross.
Rant over.
This year
I dont think it makes a difference who represents the Big East.
So it might as well be Cuse
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by Sean Keeley on Nov 17, 2010 10:41 AM EST up reply actions
I kind of think it matters a little
If Pitt sneaks in — they were ranked in the preseason (I really didn’t expect them to lose to anyone other than Utah), and even if they get to a BCS game it can only be a disappointment. WVU getting to the BCS at 9-3 and then losing a closer-than-expected game would be about what ’eers fans expected (though not what they hoped for). But for us, merely getting to a BCS game would be exceeding expectations by such a huge margin that no epic-level beatdown in the Fiesta Bowl could make the season anything other than the best year since McNabb was wearing Orange.
I'm so done with Pitt, but
They’re good for only one thing – dissappointing everyone who follows them and embarrasing themselves/the conference. Okay, that was two things. Would still prefer them in the BCS bowl over UConn or USF, but in rank order, here’s who I’d want representing the BE in the BCS:
1. Syracuse – Why not us? Too many positives to outweigh the mere possibility of being blown out on national TV.
2. WVU – Probably could represent the BE well. Plus, at the end of the season, we still own the Schwartzwalder trophy, not them.
3. Pitt – By default one of the “Big 3” (SU, WVU, Pitt) needs to represent the Big East this year. That’s it.
4. USF – Makes me sick to even think about Holtz going to a BCS bowl. They already got their a**es whipped by UF, we don’t need to see them get beat down again.
5. UL – Still mathematically possible. If this happens BE COY = Charlie Strong. Barf.
6. UConn – F*ck Edsall F*ck UConn and F*ck Calhoun (with UConn it’s always a 3-way)
GO ORANGE
by bloodyyank44 on Nov 17, 2010 11:06 AM EST up reply actions
I root for every Big East team to win its out-of-conference games
Except when it involves Rutgers and UConn. Those are our main rivals and I want them at 1997 Temple level in perpetuity.
Within the Big East, I root for the result that helps Syracuse the most. Now, I want Pitt to lose because it opens the door for us to make the BCS game.
However, if that is not going to happen, then I want a 9-3 WVU to go… not Pitt. NOTHING GOOD comes up the Big East sending a 6 or 7 win team to the BCS. If the BCS revises itself, it will not benefit the Big East at all. If anything, it will make things more ridiculous. The Big East has no margin for error at all. We need a 9 win team in the BCS game. End of story, IMO.
Unfortunately, modern football judges conferences by the eliteness factor. The Big East was fine when Cincy was 12-0. The Big East would be fine if USF was 12-0. But when the #1 team is not ranked… we invite an analysis of the fairness of allowing us to go to a BCS bowl.
Besides, if all you care about is a Big East team losing—the good news is that this happens every game we play.
Im with you
I may passingly say things like, “well this time it might be better for Pitt to take the national stage BCS beating” but seriously, if you aint Da Cuse, fuck y’all and the horse ya rode in on!
Playbook
I think HCDM cracks open the playbook this week and shows us things we haven’t seen in awhile/at all this season. Option? Hell yes. Play-action-long-bomb-passes to Van Chew down the middle of the field? Certainly. Stallion? You betcha. Double-reverse-flea-flicker-HB-pass-’twon to a wide open Otto (actually Aaron Weaver in disguise) in the end zone? Why the F not?!?!?!
Okay, so I exaggerated the last one a bit. None the less I’m very excited to see what comes out this week.
GO ORANGE
I'd love to see a jumbo fmn [Dlinemen et al] playing TE/ eligible WR on a goal-line possession
Slam the ball down UConn’s throats.
I want serious comeuppance
And Im sure that Marrone, for all the talk of them being “friends” still wants to stick it right up Edsalls ass this time around. That handshake at the end of the game last year was really tense, and I swear it looked like Marrone mouthed “F U” to him while shaking hands.
This is some serious shit
I wonder what The Octonion thinks about the state of the Big East??????
"Size matters. At least in basketball." - James Arthur Boeheim
by Bernie Fine is the Man on Nov 17, 2010 11:03 AM EST reply actions
This really makes no sense
But the opening line of this post made me do this:
I’m not the best photoshopper out there, and I also clearly have too much time on my hands, but I’d like to think this picture best exemplifies the “whole new world” SU has entered.
by shandeezy7 on Nov 17, 2010 11:15 AM EST reply actions 2 recs
As for Jordan Todman
“Sweep the leg Johny!” I usualy wouldn’t call for a season ending hit/cheapshot, but in this case he needs to go down.
Couple thoughts
1) No thank you on injuring an opposing player, I’d rather see us shut him down in gameplay. He’s a gifted kid, and it’s always best to defeat or lose to someone when they’re at their best.
2) I don’t expect any trickery. Trick plays are a sneaky way of saying, “I want a shortcut to winning this game.” The Doug Marrone way is not one of taking shortcuts. It’s one of grinding hard work, discipline in all situations, and perseverance to an end goal. If it means having to run straight up the gut for 3.5 yards per carry for 40-50 plays a game, then so be it. If it means stacking the box and making no attempt to hide an all out blitz, depending on pure will to defeat the guy across from you, then so be it.
We saw a lot of different things last year because he was trying to get as much talent as he could involved as often as he could, which is hard when there is an evident dearth of talent and depth to go around. This year, he’s reeled it back and basically fielded 11 workhorses at a time. If you asked him, he’d probably pick work ethic over talent 10 times out of 10.
That all said, there have been moments in each game this year where our offense has set up the play-action over the middle — through runs up the middle, runs off tackle, and boot/flare passes to the flat — to bring the D closer to the line and stretch them across sideline to sideline, opening up slant and post routes. I would argue this type of offense is pretty straight forward, and depends more on outworking your opponents — forcing them to respond to your setup and then beat you one on one — than catching them by surprise.
by TheRenegadePumpkin on Nov 17, 2010 2:35 PM EST reply actions
I agree on the trickery
But one here or there wouldn’t be bad. What I’m getting at is, according to what Nolan Weidner, a guy who has watched the team practice a sh**ton this season, say’s there’s a lot more in the playbook we haven’t seen yet, which is probably to keep guys healthy throughout the season, not show too much to the other teams and keep it conservative. Since we’re getting down to the wire now and the bowl game is locked up, why not crack open the playbook a little more and give our future bowl opponent something else to thing about? Seems like the right time to do it if you ask me.
Could save it for BC next week, or not use any of it at all, but it seems like such a waste unless the offense is having serious problems executing, which is always possible.
GO ORANGE
by bloodyyank44 on Nov 17, 2010 3:04 PM EST up reply actions
Trying to take out the other teams best player
is not something you openly say youre trying to do, but its always on the table. You dont want to injure the guy, but you want to make it not worth it to run up the middle. Put him on his heals and make him timid. His thought should be “f this game. Syracuse is whooping my ass. Its not worth it.” Ask they NY Giants. They have knocked out 5 or 6 QBs this season. It only helps them win games.
As for trick plays, it keeps the other team honest. It makes them respect the QB lined up wide in the wildcat, spy the guy on the fake reverse and the threat of a flea flicker makes the DBs stay on their WRs rather than cheat in to help stop a running play.
**FREE FreeBradshaw***
With regard to Marrone & Co downplaying the importance on this game
I swear I heard the players on the Syracuse sideline shouting “UCONN!” a few times right as the game was ending. I can only assume that this means the following:
- the players have been looking forward all year to beating the living dogcrap out of UConn this week, regardless of what HCDM is saying
OR
- the players were saying “Thank God I didn’t go to UConn” because they suck so bad they made Chas Dodd look like Joe Montana
OR
- the players were actually saying “Thank you UConn!” for beating Pitt so Syracuse actually has a chance at winning the conference now.
Thoughts?
GO ORANGE
Option 4
Someone threw up and everybody on the team said “Look, it’s UConn!”
Without Gerry McNamara we wouldn't have won 10 f-- games, not 10
by PoetryInMoten on Nov 17, 2010 5:56 PM EST up reply actions
Freuian Slip, Sean?
Doug Marrone would never say it out loud. In fact, he’s downplaying the hell out of it and talking about what good fiends he and Randy Edsall are.
It's the most bullshit thing I've seen in thirty years.
Emphasis on "fiends"
Meant to bold it, doh.
It's the most bullshit thing I've seen in thirty years.
by Girardi Party on Nov 17, 2010 6:45 PM EST up reply actions
I agree on the Edsall hatred..
The only a-hole cockier than him is schiano, who’s in a league of his own. If we can manage to beat the snot out of conn’ on saturday, the season can end as far as I’m concerned, I’ll be happy. Holding Todman to 23 yards would be an extra bonus.
I agree
screw the nouveau riche. They are entirely to upstartish and need to learn their real place in this league as perpetual scrappy underdogs who occasionally sniff winning seasons. Rutgers seems to be headed back that way. Let’s restore the balance some more on Saturday.
"Stop the run to earn the right to rush the passer"- great philosophy from new SU DLine coach Jimmy Brumbaugh.
by bigbluethruandthru on Nov 17, 2010 10:31 PM EST reply actions
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