SOX & Dawgs - Paw Prints

The polls are out and the UConn Huskies have fallen out of all three polls. They were the third team receiving votes in both the AP and USA Today polls. The BCS standings only have the top 25 teams so there’s no telling what UConn is ranked there.

Currently the Big East has five teams that are bowl eligible (West Virginia, UConn, USF, Cincinnati and Rutgers). Louisville can become bowl-eligible if they can beat Rutgers on Thursday night. West Virginia still has a game with Pittsburgh in the Backyard Brawl and is your 2007 Big East Champions no matter what happens in the game.

Big East Standings
TEAM CONF. W-L OVERALL W-L
West Virginia* 5-1 10-1
Connecticut* 5-2 9-3
Cincinnati* 4-3 9-3
South Florida* 4-3 9-3
Rutgers* 3-3 7-4
Louisville 2-4 5-6
Pittsburgh 2-4 4-7
Syracuse 1-6 2-10
*Bowl Eligible

Most of the media outlets in Connecticut are thinking that UConn will end up in the International Bowl in Toronto despite finishing second in the Big East. The Brut Sun Bowl has said it would take the highest ranked team in the Big East and that is South Florida in the BCS standings. Oddly enough Cincinnati is ranked higher than USF in both the AP and USA Today polls. With that happening, the Meineke Car Care Bowl could take USF or Cincinnati (depending on who the Sun Bowl takes) ahead of UConn. Strange thinking that seeing how UConn beat USF.

The Big East also has ties with the Gator Bowl but it is very unlikely that a Big East team will chosen. If they were chosen for the PapaJohns.com Bowl, they would face a team from Conference USA. The Texas Bowl would bring them a Big 12 opponent while the International Bowl would bring them a MAC opponent. The Brut Sun Bowl opponent would be a Pac-10 team and the Meineke Car Care Bowl opponent would be an ACC team.

If the Huskies weren’t chosen for the latter two bowls, I’d much rather see them go to the Texas Bowl where they would have a chance to go against a Big 12 school. It would be the same thing that happened to Rutgers last year when they had their Cinderella season.

ESPN’s highlights of the game and a look at the polls after the jump.

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BCS Standings AP Top 25 USA Today Poll
1. Missouri 11-1 1. Missouri (45) 11-1 1,604 1. West Virginia (37) 10-1 1,467
2. West Virginia 10-1 2. West Virginia (20) 10-1 1,574 2. Missouri (17) 11-1 1,454
3. Ohio State 11-1 3. Ohio State 11-1 1,469 3. Ohio State (6) 11-1 1,383
4. Georgia 10-2 4. Georgia 10-2 1,354 4. Georgia 10-2 1,232
5. Kansas 11-1 5. LSU 10-2 1,269 5. Kansas 11-1 1,161
6. Virginia Tech 10-2 6. Virginia Tech 10-2 1,266 5. Virginia Tech 10-2 1,161
7. LSU 10-2 7. Kansas 11-1 1,217 7. LSU 10-2 1,134
8. USC 9-2 8. USC 9-2 1,212 8. Oklahoma 10-2 1,126
9. Oklahoma 10-2 9. Oklahoma 10-2 1,191 9. USC 9-2 1,073
10. Florida 9-3 10. Florida 9-3 1,029 10. Hawaii 11-0 958
11. Boston College 10-2 11. Hawaii 11-0 991 11. Florida 9-3 898
12. Hawaii 11-0 12. Boston College 10-2 909 12. Boston College 10-2 861
13. Arizona State 9-2 13. Arizona State 9-2 826 13. Arizona State 9-2 756
14. Tennessee 9-3 14. Tennessee 9-3 746 14. Illinois 9-3 674
15. Illinois 9-3 15. Illinois 9-3 719 15. Tennessee 9-3 654
16. Clemson 9-3 16. Clemson 9-3 553 16. Wisconsin 9-3 493
17. Oregon 8-3 17. Texas 9-3 435 17. Clemson 9-3 469
18. Wisconsin 9-3 18. Oregon 8-3 419 18. Texas 9-3 417
19. BYU 9-2 19. Wisconsin 9-3 398 19. Brigham Young 9-2 327
20. Texas 9-3 20. Cincinnati 9-3 343 20. Oregon 8-3 316
21. South Florida 9-3 21. Brigham Young 9-2 329 21. Auburn 8-4 271
22. Virginia 9-3 22. Virginia 9-3 288 21. Virginia 9-3 271
23. Cincinnati 9-3 23. Auburn 8-4 226 23. Boise State 10-2 247
24. Auburn 8-4 24. Boise State 10-2 197 24. Cincinnati 9-3 146
25. Boise State 10-2 25. South Florida 9-3 190 25. Arkansas 8-4 145
  Others Receiving Votes Others Receiving Votes
  Arkansas 138, Texas Tech 119, Connecticut 41, Michigan 19, Air Force 19, Kentucky 13, UCF 11, Oregon State 5, TROY 3, Tulsa 1, Wake Forest 1, Penn State 1. Texas Tech 116, South Florida 100, Connecticut 54, Air Force 31, Penn State 19, UCF 18, Michigan 17, Wake Forest 7, Rutgers 6, Mississippi State 4, Oklahoma State 4, Michigan State 3, TROY 3, Tulsa 2, Houston 2, Fresno State 1.
  Dropped From Rankings Dropped From Rankings
  Connecticut 20. Connecticut 21, Texas Tech 24.