From: v262xxve@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Timothy C Pitts)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.college
Subject: Big East Bowl Preview
Date: 19 Dec 92 17:53:00 GMT
Organization: University at Buffalo
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41

Big East Bowl Preview for Jan. 1, 1993

Final Standings 

Team             Rank       Overall    Conference
                             W-L-T        W-L-T
x-Miami            1        11-0-0        4-0-0
Syracuse           9         9-2-0        6-1-0
Boston College    16         8-2-1        2-1-1
Rutgers          (t40)       7-4-0        4-2-0
West Virginia                5-4-2        2-3-1
Pittsburgh                   3-9-0        1-3-0
Virginia Tech                2-8-1        1-4-0
Temple                      1-11-0        0-6-0

x-Conference champion

Officially, the team that is ranked highest in the USAToday/CNN poll at the
end of the regular season is the conference champion.  Next year, the 
conference will have in place a full round-robin schedule and will select 
its champion in the traditional way.


Last week's games:

Hawaii 36, PITTSBURGH 23

 Last week overall:     0-1  
        vs. non-BE:     0-1
    Season to date:    45-39-4
        vs. non-BE:    25-19-2
My picks last week:     1-0
           to date:    54-11-3


MIAMI (11-0,4-0)
This week:  Alabama (12-0) in Sugar Bowl.  It will be the battle of the
defences, the strength of both teams.  The winner should claim an undisputed
national championship.  In recent years, the number 2 team has won most of
these matches, and Miami has been a part of three out of the past six such 
battles (#2 Miami beat #1 Oklahoma on Sept. 27, 1986, #1 Miami lost to #2 
Penn State Jan. 2, 1987, and #2 Miami beat #1 Oklahoma on Jan. 1, 1988).  
As the underdog, Alabama has a slight edge, but it won't be enough to put
the Tide over the top.  The Alabama offense hasn't seen as good a defense
(except perhaps in practice), but the Miami offense has played a couple of
similar defenses.
Prediction:  Miami 17, Alabama 10
Last meeting:  Miami won 33-25 in the Jan. 1990 Sugar Bowl.
Series:  Alabama leads 13-3.

SYRACUSE (9-2,6-1)
This week:  Colorado (9-1-1) in Fiesta Bowl.  Colorado has been winning with
smoke and mirrors.  Nebraska brought in a fan to let us all see what's going
on under the smoke and it wasn't pretty.  Quality play by Syracuse against
Miami almost made for an upset, but certainly proved that Syracuse is one
of the elite teams of the year.  Syracuse has struggled somewhat outside the
dome, but its play in the last half of the season was up to preseason 
expectations.  Marvin Graves should have no trouble moving the ball on a
team that has proved susceptible to decent offenses.
Prediction:  Syracuse 36, Colorado 21.
Last meeting:  ??
Series:  ??

PITTSBURGH (3-9,1-3)
Last week:  Lost to Hawaii (10-2), 36-23.  Ex-coach Hackett didn't even join
the team in one of the Panthers best efforts of the season.  Pitt hung in
the game until the Rainbows put them away late.  Alex Van Pelt shone with
319 yards, good enough to put him in 3rd place for the NCAA all-time passing
and total offense categories.
This week:  Season over (thank God).  Next season should improve with hero
Johnny Majors returning to resurrect a program decimated under Hackett.

BOSTON COLLEGE (8-2-1,2-1-1)
This week:  Tennessee (8-3) in the Hall of Fame Bowl.  BC struggled in its 
final three games, but the two losses came to Syracuse and Notre Dame, both
in the Top Ten and major bowls.  Tennessee, after pulling out a squeaker 
between the hedges and thrashing the Gators in Knoxville, has looked quite
mortal in the past six games, including upset losses to Arkansas and South
Carolina.  These two teams meet in what could be called the Disappointment
Bowl.  BC has all the advantages:  a program on the rise, its first bowl
bid since '86, a balanced offense that can move the ball quite effectively,
and a coach that actually was head coach during the season.  These should
work together to give the victory to Coughlin and the Eagles.
Prediction:  BC 21, Tennessee 17.
Last meeting:  BC 20, Tennessee 18 in 1987.
Series:  Tennessee leads 6-2.

___

Timothy C. Pitts             
Canada US Trade Center
Department of Geography
University at Buffalo        
V262XXVE@ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu
Newsgroups: rec.sport.football.college