[sportsfan2006]

By Jeff Zell
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer

Does Rutgers really have a shot?

That is the all-important question.

Rutgers finished Part I to creating a BCS mess with its 28-25 thrilling defeat over then-No. 3 Louisville last Thursday. To create an all-out controversy, Greg Schiano only needs to beat Cincinnati this week, Syracuse next and West Virginia in Morgantown on Dec. 2, and then the computers would have to sort out whether the Scarlet Knights are deserving of a shot to play in the BCS title game.

"This is the way college football is supposed to be," Schiano told the media following the Louisville game. "The [New York/New Jersey] metropolitan area maybe hasn't had this before, but I have a feeling they're really going to take to it."

The win shot No. 15 Rutgers all the way up to No. 7 in the AP poll, and, more important, from No. 13 to No. 6 in the BCS. USC, Florida and Notre Dame are the one-loss teams ahead of Rutgers at the moment. The Trojans are a healthy eight-hundredths of a point ahead of the Scarlet Knights with a schedule twice as tough (in most voters' minds) as Rutgers'. If both schools win out, it appears impossible to see Rutgers play for the BCS title.

Schiano will tell his guys to keep on playing one week at a time, and to win out so the computers and voters can figure it out at the end.

Schiano and his defensive staff did a masterful job against Louisville. After seeing a defensive scheme that failed in the first half, allowing 25 points, the defense came out after halftime and shut a potent Cardinals offense down. On Lousiville¢s opening drive of the game, the Cards ran 9 plays in Rutgers territory. In the second half combined, the Cardinals ran only three offensive plays in the Knights' territory.

Rutgers needs to continue to dominate opponents if it wants to change voters¢ minds. This week, it need not slip up vs. an underrated Cincinnati team. The Bearcats are 5-1 at home this season, and Saturday night is senior night. Rutgers is a 6.5-point favorite at WagerWeb.com.

Huskies Roll Dice: Playing at home during overtime, you wouldn¢t expect this move. But UConn coach Randy Edsall didn¢t want it to go any further. Edsall elected to go for two instead of the traditional PAT in overtime, and sophomore QB D.J. Hernandez scrambled in to give Connecticut at 46-45 victory over Pittsburgh. Hernandez hit paydirt four times threw the air to four different receivers to aid in the 14-point comeback. The sophomore sensation earned Big East Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors.

Grothe¢ing Up: As a freshman, Matt Grothe continues to break records. On Saturday, he threw for a school-record 364 yards and posted a conference game-high in 2006 with 409 total yards in South Florida¢s 27-10 win over Syracuse. The fantastic freshman earned Big East Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors for his performance. Grothe better not play like a freshman this week as he takes on Louisville, which is eager to bounce back.

A Look Ahead: West Virginia looks to stay alive for the automatic BCS Big East bid with a win on the road at Pitt (WagerWeb.com line: WVU -11). ... South Florida, a mediocre 2-2 on the road, heads to Louisville (UL -16.5). ... Syracuse second-year coach Greg Robinson is still searching for his first conference win and is favored to get it this week against Connecticut (+1.5). ... And Rutgers looks to stay unbeaten, traveling to Cincinnati (+6.5).

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