Jones choosing between Marshall, Cincy?

It may be time to turn to Plan B for the Marshall Thundering Herd.

Following a number of reports that Marshall was ready to hire Central Michigan coach and former West Virginia assistant Butch Jones to replace Mark Snyder, it now appears Jones has been stringing the Herd along.

Now there are reports that Cincinnati wants to replace Brian Kelly with Jones, beating out East Carolina's Skip Holtz for the job.

This can't sit well with an overzealous and totally irrational fan base in Huntington. There was also a group in Huntington who wanted Florida State offensive line coach Rick Trickett, but he has said he's staying put.

Former Marshall coach Bob Pruett has also been rumored to be interested in returning, but that one has gained little to no traction.

So are we up to Plan D now?

Stay classy Cincinnati

Dear Bearcats fans,

Let me see if I have this right.

It was a great three-plus years for my family and me in Cincinnati. We won back-to-back Big East Championships, and I'm proud of all the players who helped the Bearcats go 34-6 during my tenure. This past season was unbelievable.

Until today. I know some of you are upset that I bolted from Cincinnati for my dream job at Notre Dame. But egging my house? Seriously?

Sorry you are unhappy, but it's Notre Friggin' Dame. Do you not get it? Hey, maybe we'll schedule you guys in a couple years when you return to mediocrity.

Regards,

Brian Kelly
Head Football Coach
Notre Dame

And he's even Irish...

The least surprising coaching hire finally became official today as Brian Kelly was named the new coach at Notre Dame.

Kelly leaves undefeated Cincinnati in a bit of a lurch, as he won't coach the Bearcats in the Sugar Bowl against Florida. This left several UC players a bit peeved as Kelly had twice inferred to his team he wasn't leaving.

God forbid I defend Kelly who I find a bit arrogant, but coaches are annually put in these terrible spots.

As for how Kelly will fare at Notre Dame - I think there's little doubt he'll be an immediate upgrade over Charlie Weis, just going off his successful track record. The keys to Kelly's tenure though will be recruiting and upgrading the Irish defense. Kelly's specialty though, is drawing up and calling plays, just like Charlie.

Are these SEC officials?

I waited almost 24 hours before commenting on the officiating in the WVU-Cincinnati game. Funny thing, my opinion hasn't changed. Maybe the Bearcats still win, but when the replay officical overturned this fumble recovery by the Mountaineers and called it a TD for Cincy the momentum shifted back to UC.

Maybe the ball does cross the goal line, but there is not enough evidence to overturn the call. In fact, I'd argue that Isaiah Pead is losing control of the ball as he tries to extend it over the goal line. Therefore the WVU fumble recovery should have held.

This doesn't erase the fact WVU still plays horrible special teams and there were some questionable calls in the fourth quarter. But take away the seven points and WVU may have taken control of this game and won.

This is one college football fan who is tired of officials deciding the outcome of games. Enough already.

AEAAE Top 25 (Week 6)

Florida and Texas play well this week, so both are now ahead of idle Alabama in the weekly An 'Eye and an 'Eer Top 25 poll. Similar to the national polls, Boise State was jumped by TCU, but the Broncos remain ahead of Oregon.

Team (LW) Record

1. Florida (1) 8-0
2. Texas (3) 8-0
3. Alabama (2) 8-0
4. Iowa (4) 9-0
5. Cincinnati (6) 8-0
6. TCU (8) 8-0
7. Boise State (7) 8-0
8. Oregon (12) 7-1
9. LSU (9) 7-1
10. Georgia Tech (10) 8-1
11. Pittsburgh (14) 7-1
12. Penn State (11) 8-1
13. Houston (18) 7-1
14. USC (5) 6-2
15. Ohio State (17) 7-2
16. Utah (15) 7-1
17. Miami (19) 6-2
18. Arizona (24) 6-2
19. Notre Dame (25) 6-2
20. Oklahoma State (13) 6-2
21. Oklahoma (NR) 5-3
22. California (NR) 6-2
23. Wisconsin (NR) 6-2
24. South Florida (NR) 6-2
25. Clemson (NR) 5-3

Others receiving votes: West Virginia, Virginia Tech, South Carolina, Auburn, Central Michigan, Texas Tech, Boston College.

Picks of the Week: No. 9

The 'Eer's run above .500 came to a quick halt after going 1-4 last week, and that didn't include any ACC games. Let's give it another shot this week and see if I can pull out a few wins.

Wisconsin (-7.0) over Purdue
The Badgers are looking to become bowl eligible, which is much more than many thought this team could do at the beginning of the season. Wisconsin has dropped two straight against Ohio State and Iowa after opening 5-0, but it should get back on track with the home game against the Boilermakers. Purdue had its big win this season over Ohio State. It won't happen again.
Pick: Wisconsin 34, Purdue 13

Cincinnati (-15.0) over Syracuse
Give Syracuse credit for being much more competitive under new coach Doug Marrone. But the Orange don't have the talent to compete against the Big East's premiere team. Even without Tony Pike, the Bearcats will be just fine with Zach Collaros at QB. Also Mardy Gilyard continues to be one of the most explosive and dependable receivers in the game.
Pick: Cincinnati 38, Syracuse 10

Michigan (-7.0) over Illinois
The Wolverines are banged up and their defensive has been struggling under coordinator Greg Robinson. But Michigan needs this win to also become bowl eligible and move up into the middle of the pack in the Big Ten. It shouldn't be a problem since the Fighting Illini are a mess under Ron Zook.
Pick: Michigan 27, Illinois 12

Boise State (-35.0) over San Jose State
This goes against everything I believe in when picking a game. To think Boise enters the game down 35-0 is tough for me to stomach, but the Broncos are trying to impress voters and computers so they'll score at will against the 1-5 Spartans. San Jose had an extra week to prepare, but it won't help against Kellen Moore and a Boise offense that is averaging more than 40 points a game.
Pick: Boise State 56, San Jose State 14

Upset of the Week
Iowa State (+7.0) over Texas A&M
The Aggies ended a three-game skid with a shocking 52-30 win over Texas Tech, but don't expect A&M to win two straight. Iowa State is playing outstanding under first-year coach Paul Rhoads, including a 9-7 win at Nebraska last week. Behind QB Austen Arnaud, the Cyclones will find a way to win again on the road.
Pick: Iowa State 29, Texas A&M 21

Last Week: 1-4
Season Record: 20-20

AEAAE Top 25 (Week 5)

For the third consecutive week the top three stayed the same, but Iowa jumped to No. 4 from No. 6 after winning at Michigan State on the last play of the game. Appears our Big Ten members voted en mass this week to push the Hawkeyes up the rankings. The Big East voters let down Cincinnati as the Bearcats dropped two spots to No. 6.

Team (LW) Record

1. Florida (1) 7-0
2. Alabama (2) 8-0
3. Texas (3) 7-0
4. Iowa (6) 8-0
5. USC (5) 6-1
6. Cincinnati (4) 7-0
7. Boise State (7) 6-0
8. TCU (9) 7-0
9. LSU (10) 6-1
10. Georgia Tech (11) 7-1
11. Penn State (12) 7-1
12. Oregon (13) 6-1
13. Oklahoma State (14) 6-1
14. Pittsburgh (16) 7-1
15. Utah (23) 6-1
16. West Virginia (20) 6-1
17. Ohio State (19) 6-2
18. Houston (17) 6-1
19. Miami (8) 5-2
20. Virginia Tech (18) 5-2
21. South Carolina (24) 6-2
22. Central Michigan (NR) 7-1
23. Ole Miss (NR) 5-2
24. Arizona (NR) 5-2
25. Notre Dame (NR) 5-2

Others receiving votes: Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas Tech, Clemson, Brigham Young

Nice schtick

As a marketer, I'm all for a good schtick when it works. This is a pretty good one by Cincinnati radio station WLW. When the Bearcats and Ohio State finally meet on the field, UC may not stand a chance. But while Cincy is playing like the best team in the state the Bearcats might as well capitalize on it while they can. I'm also starting to believe Cincinnati could beat Ohio State this year.

Wonder how the 'Eye feels about this one? He's been kind of quiet since Saturday.

AEAAE Top 25 (Week 4)

Week 4 rankings at An 'Eye and an 'Eer are about as stable as they have been all season. The top five are the same for the second straight week. Here are this week's rankings:

Team (LW) Record

1. Florida (1) 6-0
2. Alabama (2) 7-0
3. Texas (3) 6-0
4. Cincinnati (4) 6-0
5. USC (5) 5-1
6. Iowa (6) 7-0
7. Boise State (8) 5-0
8. Miami (10) 5-1
9. TCU (11) 6-0
10. LSU (12) 5-1
11. Georgia Tech (17) 6-1
12. Penn State (16) 6-1
13. Oregon (15) 5-1
14. Oklahoma State (19) 5-1
15. BYU (22) 6-1
16. Pittsburgh (25) 6-1
17. Houston (27) 5-1
18. Virginia Tech (7) 5-2
19. Ohio State (9) 5-2
20. West Virginia (23) 5-1
21. Kansas (14) 5-1
22. South Florida (13) 5-1
23. Utah (26) 5-1
24. South Carolina (20) 5-2
25. Texas Tech (NR) 5-2

Others receiving votes: Central Michigan, Arizona, Ole Miss, Notre Dame, Idaho, Michigan, Boston College, Arkansas.

AEAAE Top 25 (Week 3)

The pollsters at An 'Eye and an 'Eer are still shuffling teams around based on weekly performance. It seems the top-ranked Gators are the only team who has any security in our rankings.

So here are the AEAAE rankings:

Team (LW) Record
1. Florida (1) 5-0
2. Alabama (3) 6-0
3. Texas (2) 5-0
4. Cincinnati (5) 5-0
5. USC (10) 4-1
6. Iowa (8) 6-0
7. Virginia Tech (14) 5-1
8. Boise State (7) 5-0
9. Ohio State (13) 5-1
10. Miami (16) 4-1
11. TCU (6) 5-0
12. LSU (4) 5-1
13. South Florida (15) 5-0
14. Kansas (9) 5-0
15. Oregon (18) 5-1
16. Penn State (17) 5-1
17. Georgia Tech (19) 5-1
18. Nebraska (22) 4-1
19. Oklahoma State (20) 4-1
20. South Carolina (24) 5-1
21. Notre Dame (NR) 4-1
22. Brigham Young (NR) 5-1
23. West Virginia (23) 4-1
24. Oklahoma (NR) 3-2
25. Pittsburgh (NR) 5-1

Others receiving votes: Utah, Houston, Auburn, Wisconsin, Arkansas

AEAAE Top 25 (Week 2)

Do you need any more proof that preseason polls and the subsequent rankings are totally bogus? Florida State was ready to challenge for the ACC title and maybe a BCS shot. Let's not forget Ole Miss, and how are things going in Norman, Okla., with the Sooners?

Then there is the other side ... you know the teams that no one gave any chance who are doing well. Remember all the talk about no Big East teams in the Top 25? Now we have two (Cincinnati and South Florida) and you could argue there are two others who may be there at some point.

Enough of that. Here is the second AEAAE Top 25 poll for 2009.

Team (LW) Record
1. Florida (1) 4-0
2. Texas (2) 4-0
3. Alabama (3) 5-0
4. LSU (5) 5-0
5. Cincinnati (4) 5-0
6. TCU (7) 4-0
7. Boise State (6) 5-0
8. Iowa (9) 5-0
9. Kansas (16) 4-0
10. USC (8) 4-1
11. Missouri (15) 4-0
12. Auburn (18) 5-0
13. Ohio State (10) 4-1
14. Virginia Tech (12) 4-1
15. South Florida (17) 5-0
16. Miami (23) 3-1
17. Penn State (21) 4-1
18. Oregon (20) 4-1
19. Georgia Tech (NR) 4-1
20. Oklahoma State (19) 3-1
21. Wisconsin (24) 5-0
22. Nebraska (25) 3-1
23. West Virginia (NR) 3-1
24. South Carolina (NR) 4-1
25. Mississippi (NR) 3-1

Others receiving votes: Notre Dame, BYU, Stanford, Central Michigan

Picks of the Week: No. 5

The 'Eer knew there was a reason he avoided picking ACC games last year. Now he's staving off this schizophrenic conference until it becomes more stable. Let's see what we can find around the rest of the nation for this week's picks. Dude, I need a good week.

Ohio State (-18.0) over Indiana
The Hooisers should have won at Michigan last week. That was more an aberration and Ohio State will remind everyone of that this week. The Buckeyes have pitched consecutive shutouts. I'm not predicting three in a row, but Terrelle Pryor and the OSU offense will score plenty to keep the Buckeyes on top in the Big Ten.
Pick: Ohio State 34, Indiana 10

Cincinnati (-29.0) over Miami, Ohio
This pick scares me a bit because of the 29 points. But the Redhawks won't be able to stop the Tony Pike-Mardy Gilyard tandem in Oxford. So far this year Miami has been outscored on average 41-11 and the Bearcats are the best team it has faced all season (sorry Boise State fans).
Pick: Cincinnati 55, Miami 7

Penn State (-7.0) over Illinois
Did you watch the Illini last week? Inept is a kind evaluation. Penn State didn't look much better in its home loss to Iowa, but JoPa will ... wait a minute ... Tom Bradley will have the Nittany Lions back on track in Champaign.
Pick: Penn State 30, Illinois 17

Washington State (+33.5) over Oregon
The Ducks are on a roll, but following last week's dominating performance against Cal it's time for Oregon to struggle a bit. Wazzu won't pull out the upset, but they'll keep it closer than expected. Why? Oregon QB Jeremiah Masoli will turn the ball over enough to thwart at least two Ducks' scoring drives.
Pick: Oregon 38, Washington State 9

Upset of the Week
LSU (+3.0) over Georgia
This one just seems odd. The Tigers are ranked fourth in the nation and are undefeated. Georgia is ranked, but have given up a ton of points and didn't look too impressive in its loss at Oklahoma State. SEC types will tell you how difficult it is to win on the road in the conference ... blah, blah, blah. Mark Richt is about as good at coaching big games as Bob Stoops. LSU may need a little luck like last week, but they'll pull the upset (if you can call it that).
Pick: LSU 33, Georgia 32

Last Week: 2-3
Season Record: 10-10

AEAAE Top 25

Welcome to the first An 'Eye and an 'Eer Top 25 poll. Since we despise the validity of preseason polls we waited until after the fourth week to gather rankings from our correspondents around the nation. We could still use reliable voters from Big 12 and Pac-10 country, but the knowledge and diversity of our voters makes this Top 25 better than that lame Harris Poll.

Team Record
1. Florida (4-0)
2. Texas (4-0)
3. Alabama (4-0)
4. Cincinnati (4-0)
5. LSU (4-0)
6. Boise State (4-0)
7. TCU (3-0)
8. USC (3-1)
9. Iowa (4-0)
10. Ohio State (3-1)
11. Oklahoma (2-1)
12. Virginia Tech (3-1)
13. Michigan (4-0)
14. Houston (3-0)
15. Missouri (4-0)
16. Kansas (4-0)
17. South Florida (4-0)
18. Auburn (4-0)
19. Oklahoma State (3-1)
20. Oregon (3-1)
21. Penn State (3-1)
22. Georgia (3-1)
23. Miami (2-1)
24. Wisconsin (4-0)
25. Nebraska (3-1)

Others receiving votes: Mississippi, BYU, California, Notre Dame

Rutgers to win Big East ... huh?

Every year the 'Eye claims Virginia Tech is the most overrated team in the preseason rankings. Most of the time he's right.

So when he spends his entire summer driving his friends nuts by espousing too often on a media darling who he feels is not as good as the hype ... people should listen. This summer it was Rutgers. He questioned and picked apart "the experts" who kept telling us Rutgers would win the Big East. The Scarlet Knights proved him right as Cincinnati looked every bit the defending champ and favorite to win it again this year.

Besides, any WVU fan will tell you there is no way Rutgers will win the Big East.

The Bearcats were dominant and have become the team to beat in the Big East (which should have been the case all preseason). Why? That's simple Tony Pike. The senior signal caller hit on 27-of-34 passes for 362 yards and three touchdowns in just three quarters.

Greg Schiano has done an amazing job with RU, but outside of a program-making victory over an undefeated Louisville in 2006, his teams have been mediocre. The only positive in Monday's loss was the debut of freshman QB Tom Savage. He added some stability to the Knights offense and he'll probably be the starter for a long time now.

Podcast: Episode 16

It's time to take a closer look at the best and worst match ups of the BCS Bowls and non-BCS Bowls. Phil and Tom also discuss the latest on the coaching carousel, as well as who will and who should win the Heisman Trophy. Also, what's up with those Zubaz-inspired pants that the Cincinnati Bearcats wore last week? The boys from An 'Eye and an 'Eer won't go without football this weekend either as both are looking forward to watching FCS Division playoffs.

ACC Report

Special Report

Retired Coach Rick
ACC Correspondent

The ACC Championship Game was a flop in all areas.

Excitement, fans and interest was just like D.B. Cooper, "missing." No excuses it was a lousy game.

The ACC has 10 teams in bowl games. As of now it looks like the profile game for the ACC will be the Orange Bowl—pitting Virginia Tech (9-4) against Big East champ Cincinnati (11-2). The bottom end will be the EagleBank Bowl—Wake Forest (7-5) vs. Navy (8-4). I am picking the ACC to go 5-5 in their appearances.

The regular season was exciting. It was very hard finding teams that were consistent all year. I am sticking to my predictions for next year. Florida State, North Carolina, Georgia Tech and Miami will be the best in the conference. North Carolina State will play the spoiler.

Bearcats talking trash

Cincinnati, fresh off its first Big East Championship, has decided to call out Ohio State. OK. Maybe it's just receiver Mardy Gilyard, but it seems the Bearcats would like to face the Buckeyes in a BCS bowl game and find out who is the state champ. Be careful what you wish for Cincy.

Thank you to our friends at Palestra.net.

Episode 14

With Phil on cruise control following the big Ohio State victory and the sit-and-wait approach to finding out where the Buckeyes will be playing in January, the boys at An 'Eye and an 'Eer discuss Notre Dame vs. USC and the coaching carousel that includes Cincinnati's Brian Kelly. Phil and Tom also look at what a potential playoff could look like and conduct a special "Massive Underdog Rivalry" edition of quick hitters. All of this and much more on our weekly podcast.

Picks of the Week

Even after going 4-1 and picking the Rutgers upset at South Florida, 'Eer is still looking to get back to .500 on the season. Let's hope he makes some sound picks (and gets a little luck). Here we go again:

Ohio State (-20.5) over Michigan
Don't tell me that in all rivalries you throw out the records because anything can happen. I've seen it happen, but there is no way the Wolverines can go into Columbus and beat the Buckeyes. Jim Tressel owns Michigan to the tune of 6-1. Rich-Rod doesn't respect this game and UM is lacking in talent.
Pick: Ohio State 48, Michigan 8

Akron (-2.5) over Ohio
Staying in the state of Ohio, the Dennis Kennedy-led Zips come into Peden Stadium and take down the underachieving Bobcats. Akron would be bowl eligible with a win at 6-5 and remain in second in the East Division of the Mid-American Conference. OU is trying to avoid its ninth loss.
Pick: Akron 37, Ohio 14

Rice (-9) over Marshall
Turning my attention just up the Ohio River is where we find Marshall. OK, actually they'll be in Texas playing Rice. The Thundering Herd must win its last two games to get bowl eligible and possibly save Mark Snyder's job in Huntington. Not going to happen. At 5-1 in the West Division, Rice is playing for a Conference USA championship.
Pick: Rice 31, Marshall 20

Boise State (-5.5) over Nevada
The Wolf Pack are tough at home, but Boise is 10-0 and will make a BCS bowl if they can win out. Chris Petersen will not let the Broncos lose focus as they travel to Reno. No. 9 Boise State is led by a balanced offense that includes running back Ian Johnson (539 rushing yards and nine TDs) and quarterback Kellen Moore (2,637 yards and 20 TDs).
Pick: Boise State 28, Nevada 20

Upset of the Week
Pittsburgh (+5) over Cincinnati
Maybe this is more my heart than head. What? Yeah, a Mountaineer rooting for Pitt. Well, that's what it takes for WVU to have a shot at the Big East title. But I actually believe the Panthers are better than the Bearcats and LeSean McCoy is going to run crazy. Even Wannstache has figured it out that it's just good job security to keep feeding McCoy.
Pick: Pittsburgh 27, Cincinnati 24

Last Week: 4-1
Season: 21-24

Cincy-Louisville explanation

I missed the beginning of the Louisville-Cincinnati game Friday night, so I was in the dark about the controversy/argument involving Brian Kelly and Steve Kragthorpe. There's a decent explanation at the Lot D blog.

If you watched the end it appeared that Kelly dissed Kragthorpe following the Bearcats 28-20 victory. But ESPN's Brian Bennett says that's not true.