2011 Big East Positive Impact Factor: Week Three

Now that all the Big East teams have played two games and all but Rutgers have played three games, we switch the format to the season Positive Impact Factor (what's this?) rather than how players and teams did each week. The performance of Big East quarterbacks took a step back this past week, but the top two quarterbacks and defenses in the Big East are still putting up PIF numbers that are as good as anyone in the country.

Collaros has been in the form he showed in 2009 when he put up the best PIF in the country. Very much unlike last season, he hasn't turned the ball over this year. Geno Smith had been leading the Big East in PIF until last game against Maryland. His first two turnovers of 2011 dropped him down to sixth. B.J. Daniels has been consistent so far this season and that is helping him play up to his potential. Ryan Nassib and Tino Sunseri has been this season's surprises in the Big East. Nassib was near the bottom in career PIF coming into this season while Sunseri was first in the league. Nassib has kept his turnovers down while Sunseri has struggled in a new offense. Chas Dodd is playing better than his career average, but is still not accurate enough to take his PIF up to the top half of the conference. Johnny McEntee is having a rough go of it as a starter in the Big East without having played a conference game yet.

Now for the defenses:

The Cincinnati Bearcats have been feast (Austin Peay, Akron) or famine (Tennessee) this year on defense against opposing QBs. Most of the TDs they surrendered were against Tennessee but they have taken the ball away from opposing QBS nine times in three games. Rutgers has only played two games but has (remarkably after last year) only allowed 1 TD to an opposing QB this season. The Huskies were strong against opponents' signal callers last year and moved into third spot in the Big East after holding Iowa State's Steele Jantz to a 8 PIF last week. South Florida is undefeated this season and has a strong defense to thank for it along with B.J. Daniels outstanding play so far. Louisville has been average against opposing QBs this year but have only dropped one game. West Virginia is a little misleading. Just like last year, they aren't causing many negative plays but they are preventing touchdowns by the other team's quarterback. They got their first turnovers against Maryland and we expect to see more of that as the season wears on. Syracuse wasn't doing terrible on defense until they played Matt Barkley who put up a 79.1 PIF and five touchdowns on the Orange last week. Pittsburgh has only allowed quarterbacks to produce five touchdowns on them in three games but has only caused two turnovers.