I Have Scarlet Fever

Who would have guessed it? Who would have thought that one week after Louisville won the most important game in that school's history, Rutgers would turn around and beat Louisville for the most important win in Rutgers' history? Anyone? Anyone think Rutgers would be 9-0, have a Heisman candidate and be part of a national championship discussion? Anyone?

This is the same Rutgers that lost to WVU by a score of 80-7 just a few short years ago. In Rich Rodriguez's first season. When WVU went 3-8. And WVU was bad. And they beat Rutgers 80-7. Most people said that the loss to WVU that year set the program back at least a couple years. So, if that were true, where would Rutgers be now? Doesn't matter...Rutgers just beat the #3 team in the nation and is sitting in the driver's seat for a Big East Championship and a BCS Bowl. Only one little problem: WVU.

Ah, yes. Once again, despite the loss to UL, the Big East title will come down to a showdown in MoTown. Barring any upsets between now and then, December 2nd will determine who gets the BCS bowl and who ends up finishing third in the conference. If Rutgers finishes the season undefeated, they obviously will get the nod. If WVU beats Rutgers and finishes 11-1, they will end with a higher ranking than Louisville and get the BCS berth. A lot of work to do between now and then but the Mountaineers remain in the hunt and that's all we can ask for right now.

Back to Rutgers for a minute...where did that defense come from? Brohm obviously can't pass under any pressure. I thought Rutgers constant pursuit of the ball would be their downfall (over pursuing) but Louisville played right into their hands. I think WVU can present enough misdirection to keep the Rutgers defense off-balance. As for the Mountaineers poor defense, the Scarlet Knights rely heavily on the run which seems to be the one thing WVU can stop. Teel isn't a great passer so we should match up well.

Hopefully WVU and Rutgers can get to December 2nd without losing because the Big East can definitely use one more "Game of the Week." The publicity for the conference over the last two weeks has been nothing short of remarkable. And the games have lived up to the hype. And we still have a lot of football left...