“Beginning of Big East Statement”

College football bowl games really start to heat up a little today.  It is a great day to be a College Football fan with a tripleheader of bowl games.  Two of the games are matchups between big time programs while the other game should still be an entertaining game to watch between Marshall and Ohio.  Do not sleep on the speed of those pesky Bobcats.

In my eyes, the Meineke Car Care Bowl game is a statement game for the Big East.  Pittsburgh is a team that was within a minute of winning a Big East Championship.  If it wasn’t for a miraculous comeback by that high-powered UC Bearcat offensive attack, Pittsburgh would be playing in a BCS Bowl Game.  So what does Pittsburgh get in return for losing a last second thriller to the 3rd ranked Bearcats?  A birth in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.

Now there is nothing wrong with this bowl game.  But let’s be real.  Pittsburgh was a team that had a great season and is worthy of a more prestigious game.  Many see the Big East as a great basketball conference and the weakest of the BCS conferences in football.  This was not the case this season.  The Big East for most of the season had 4 of its 8 teams ranked in the top 25 in the country.  This was no thanks to the preseason polls which ranked no Big East teams in the top 25.  They also are led at the top by a Bearcat team that is 12 and 0 and came one second short of appearing in the National Title Game.

Pittsburgh is a team that is led by arguably one of the top running backs in the nation in Dion Lewis.  The great thing about Lewis.  He is just a freshman!  Many are comparing him to a former Pittsburgh great by the name of Tony Dorsett already.  This is pretty good company.  Also do not sleep on the great defensive line of the Pittsburgh Panthers.  It is a shame that Pittsburgh was not matched up against a team from one of the so-called BCS power conferences like the SEC or Big 12.  But beggers can’t be choosers and today Pittsburgh will show that Big East football is not so bad.

Look for Pittsburgh to win convincingly against a tough North Carolina team as the Big East will once again look to have another strong bowl season.  This is the beginning of the statement the Big East will need to make to gain some respect. 

The key game though is the date between the Bearcats and Gators on New Years in the Superdome.  This should be a very entertaining matchup between two teams that can put up some points.  If the Bearcats can take this game, maybe people will start to think of the Big East as not just a strong basketball conference, but a strong basketball and football conference.  A little respect might get the Big East teams into some more prestigious bowl games in future years.

What are your thoughts on Big East football this season?  Does the statement start today with Pittsburgh?

Stay tuned for the next edition of Sportskraze.

-Kraze

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“All I Want for Christmas..”

I feel let down.  I feel betrayed.  The prime time game of the day which I had really been looking forward to was mediocre at best.  The Lakers decided to take a holiday and are now 4 and 7 the last 11 years on Christmas.  I watched a good piece of the Knicks/Heat game and the Celtics/Magic games prior to the big time matchup at the Staples Center.  Neither of these games were too entertaining.  But I sat down and was very excited to tune in and watch the Kobe vs Lebron show.

The two best players in the League, with two of the top teams in the League doing battle under the bright lights in LA.  I mean what could really be a better matchup for the NBA or the fans?  You really could not ask for much more in the main game of the day on Christmas.  Even all the stars were court side for this one.

 Unfortunately, Ron Artest was guarding Lebron, while Anthony Parker was guarding Kobe.  So neither of the stars were really even matched up.  Not to mention the game was somewhat of a landslide.  The Cavs took command midway through the first quarter and minus a small hiccup at the end of the first half, were in control of this one.

This was not the Lake show that fans have been accustomed to watching all year.  The bench was nonexistent in their efforts and Kobe was basically a one man team.  The twin towers of Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum did not come to play today and it showed.  Kobe cannot will the Lakers to victories against talented teams like the Cavaliers without help from his frontcourt.  I mean Kobe cannot really do much more than he did today.  Though he put up too many shots,  he still had 35 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists.  Also take note that he was 12 of 12 from the free throw line.

Lebron, had more of a quite performance than usual.  But he still had 26 points, 4 rebounds, and 9 assists.  The man who really came up big for the Cavs was  Mo Williams.  He consistently hit big time shots that kept Cleveland ahead comfortably when the Lakers were making runs. Mo was 3 of 3 from long-range and 9 of 10 from the charity stripe.

So yes it was nice to see both stars on the same floor.  But we really did not get a chance to see them go mono y mono, or see what they were capable of in a close game against each other.  Kobe and Lebron were together more today on commercials than they were in isolation situations on the court.  This was just a shame for all the fans that really wanted to see the two stars matched up.

I hope the next time these two teams face off, the Lakers will come ready to play and show why they have the best record in the NBA.  I mean when both of these teams are clicking on all cylinders, they are two of the best in the League.  I am just very disappointed that I did not get to see Kobe and Lebron go at it in a down to the wire battle.

Big win for the Cavaliers today.  They really showed that they are capable of going on the road and beating the League’s best in prime time. 

Though Kobe scored more points today, Lebron’s team got the job done.  So Lebron moves to 7 and 5 all time against Mr. Bryant.  Should be very interesting when these teams face off in Cleveland later this season.

Though I do not celebrate Christmas, I did not get what I wanted on this day..

Stay tuned for the next edition of Sportskraze.

-Kraze