We did the Big East’s Five Greatest Games and Five Top Teams yesterday. The protests and moans over exclusion of certain games has come in, but none over the teams. Were the five that obvious? Maybe today’s two lists will prompt more debate…

Urban Meyer’s health scare a month ago was indeed a scare… Yes, Cincinnati’s defense has been lousy lately… Mardy Gilyard saved a teammate from a runaway horse… the Bearcats visited a hospital, handed out t-shirts and hopefully snagged a few fans. (Cincinnati Enquirer)

Guess who’s doing a lousy job selling Sugar Bowl tickets. Hint: it’s Tim Tebow’s team. (Gainesville Sun)

Will we recognize the Bearcats come Friday? Apparently there’s a uniform change. (ESPN.com)

Marcus Easley’s gone from a walk-on to a potential NFL draft pick. (The Day)

Yet another part of the country hears Jasper Howard’s story. (The State)

We hear this a ton this time of year don’t we? Now it’s UConn saying South Carolina has the best defense its seen… Alabama’s home for Lawrence Wilson… Great weather for UConn’s first practice in Alabama: raw and rainy. (Hartford Courant)

Charlie Strong doesn’t have the cell phone with the 502 area code with him this week. (Louisville Courier-Journal)

A Pitt blogger looks ahead to 2010. (Eye of a Panther)

The Bulls are starting to feel Canadian… This domed baseball stadium is different from (than?) the domed baseball stadium South Florida played in last year. (Tampa Tribune)

Woah, it’s easy to forget: this is BJ Daniels’ first bowl game. (St. Petersburg Times)

The top 5 performances of the decade in Syracuse football. (Syracuse Post-Standard)

I love how these kids don’t want the emotion to get to them, and reporters do everything to force up that nostalgia anyway. It’s Reed Williams’ turn today. (Times West Virginian)

West Virginia’s officially in enemy territory. (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

Bobby Bowden’s Florida Highway Patrolman has been around just as long as he has. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

The funniest sports moments of the decade… Job seekers should try D.C. Or San Jose… raising money off an attempted terror attack; classy… Florida man wanted a ride to a bar. Guess who he called?… If you’re up tomorrow, check out the moon…

If you read one column today, read this one… Mardy Gilyard makes a reporter’s job easy… Orange Bowl? What Orange Bowl? asks Tony Pike… the Bearcats are prepping for the best defense they’ve seen all year. (Cincinnati Enquirer)

Florida’s secondary is all for Cincinnati’s pass-happy air-it-out offense; perfect playing ground for INTS, no? (Tampa Tribune)

The Huskies are in Birmingham. (Greenwich Time)

Charlie Strong keeps racking up recruiting wins. (Card Chronicle)

An update on Rutgers’ roster of recruits. (Bleed Scarlet)

South Florida had its first practice north of the border. And its first castle visit… there was indeed a Bull who couldn’t get a passport: Jamar Taylor. (Tampa Tribune)

Going to Canada isn’t anything new for wideout Evan Landi. He’s a hockey player. (St. Petersburg Times)

Yes, Syracuse did have enough wins for a Top 5 of the decade. (Syracuse Post-Standard)

A West Virginia win over Pitt (who else?) still ranks as one of Bobby Bowden’s favorites. (Charleston Gazette)

Yes, FSU has more losses than WVU. It also has more more points, more first downs and more offense. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

West Virginia in town means money’s to be made. (News and Sentinel)

George Selvie’s going to the Senior Bowl. (Penascola News Journal)

South Carolina doesn’t care what UConn’s rushing defense does. It’s running the ball. (The State)

Wall Street lies. Here are its Top 10 of 2009… We’ve spent $40 billion to update homeland security and we still can’t match passenger names to watch lists… Tiger Woods’ shenanigans have cost shareholders of Nike, Gatorade, et al $12 billion… Oprah starting a trend? No… Another coach is in trouble…

Cincinnati took a shot on Alex Daniels and this week, Daniels shows why he was worth it. (Gainesville Sun)

The Bearcats were out on Bourbon Street. Mardy Gilyard says no one was boozing… Three knee surgeries and two head coaches later, Andre Revels will play his final game… Comparing coach-caused distraction.(Cincinnati Enquirer)

All about the kids? Puh-lease. (Rivals.com)

UConn’s supposed to have a tough, stout, pressuring D. Supposed to. (Republican-American)

Rutgers corner Al-Majid Hutchins has transferred. (goseawolves.cstv.com)

Rutgers’ hoops team was within four of UNC with two minutes to go. (News and Observer)

The Bulls are making the most of a trip to Toronto. (Tampa Tribune)

Yesterday was Syracuse’s top stories. Today is the decade’s lowest points. (Syracuse Post-Standard)

Bobby Bowden once said to Bill Stewart, “Hey Billy, good job today.” It was 39 years ago and Stewart was a freshman. (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

Jarrett Brown’s put in his time. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Boogie Allen needs tickets. (Jacksonville Times Union)

Hope it was a Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, Joyous Kwanzaa, Wonderful Winter Solstice – and whatever else I’m forgetting - for all… The top 25 movie moments of the decade – with video… Want an iPhone? Live in New York City? Sorry, you’re SOL… The annual “reddening” of Maureen Dowd’s column…

New Cincinnati coach Butch Jones is heading to New Orleans… last year’s Orange Bowl trip means the Bearcats are a whole lot less wide-eyed this year. (Cincinnati Enquirer)

Jeff Quinn’s Sunday press conference in New Orleans. (Rivals.com)

The Top Ten stories in UConn country. (Hartford Courant)

Louisville fans can calm back down; Charlie Strong’s still your coach. (Rivals.com)

Pitt’s got all the pieces for a bright future. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Make that really bright. (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

John Feinstein responds to the comments that set Rutgers fans atwitter. (Bleed Scarlet)

The 10 Worst Moments in Rutgers’ decade. I would’ve added last year’s senior-laden, talent-heavy team’s 1-5 start. (Protect R Turf)

Jim Leavitt’s officially in game mode. (Tampa Tribune)

USF’s bowl trips pre-George Selvie: Zero. With George Selvie? Five. (St. Petersburg Times)

The Top Five Stories of Syracuse’s decade. (Syracuse Post-Standard)

Bill Stewart doesn’t think West Virginia’s facing a 6-6 team. (Times West Virginian)

West Virginia and the Gator Bowl are just the right farewell site for Bobby Bowden. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

West Virginia and Florida State both know about missed opportunities. (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

A very cranky Senate finally passed health care legislation this morning, but that really means little. There’s still a long way to go before any of it becomes law… Menu-writers are manipulating you… Heck yeah, he’s Father of the Year… Grabbing good wine for Christmas…

Jeff Quinn’s juggling four official jobs right now. (Cincinnati Enquirer)

South Carolina’s not afraid of UConn’s return men. (The State)

Louisville’s d-line just got stronger. (Louisville Courier-Journal)

The ACC-Big East matchup in Charlotte will keep on keeping. (News and Observer)

Dave Wannstedt doesn’t have the easiest of sells right now. Just look at Oregon State… Race around Loews Motor Speedway at 170 mph and Wannstedt says, “I used to think pressure was making a decision to go for it on fourth and one.”… Meineke organizers owe Max Gruder’s family a thank you note. They’re up to 60 tickets. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

The Backyard Brawl, circa 2007, was a sports moment of the decade… Butch Davis, Wannstedt andPitt line coach Tony Wise spent 15 years stomping the same sideline, next to each other…  (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

Transcribing and debunking an awfully fact-missing radio exchange between Tony Kornheiser and John Feinstein on Rutgers. (Bleed Scarlet)

Jason Pierre-Paul may go pro. Or not. He has a decision to make. (Tampa Tribune)

Who needs Mark Cuban? It’s a laptop in every locker for USF students… The Bulls might be done recruiting. (St. Petersburg Times)

Greg Robinson’s Syracuse offensive coordinator is interviewing for to be Brian Kelly’s o-line coach at Notre Dame. (Pioneer Press)

Maybe it’s time for the Big East to do the poaching and grow to 12… Two of Hoftstra’s orphans are going to Syracuse. (Syracuse Post-Standard)

West Virginia’s short two defensive starters for the Gator Bowl. Lineman Scooter Berry and safety Nate Sowers couldn’t make their grades. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

The best and worst moments of West Virginia and Pitt’s collective decade. (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

Jarrett Brown’s playing in the East-West Shrine Game. (MSNsportsNET.com)

Tony Pike wasn’t one. Mardy Gilyard wasn’t either. Neither were any of their fellow starters.

Nope, not a single Bearcat starter was a Top 100 recruit out of high school. Lest we forgot, Cincinnati’s undefeated, ranked third in the country and the two-time defending Big East champ. And the Bearcats are doing it all without a single starter who, over the last five years, was considered one of the country’s elite talents.

Still, turns out, that’s not so unique. Boise State, TCU and Oregon are all playing BCS games without a Top 100 recruit too. The Wall Street Journal analyzed the 1,496 bowl game starters and found that less than nine percent were Top 100 kids out of high school. (In a big, fat surprise, USC has the most Top 100 starters: 13.)

The obvious conclusion is that recruiting rankings and stars and all that jazz can be a bunch of hooey. Recruiting’s an art, not a science and that’s why Rutgers coach Greg Schiano has long said it’s all about “beauty in the eye of the beholder.” (When I first heard that, seven years ago, I thought it was a convenient way to rationalize his no-name, low-star classes. It took exactly one class and one training camp to see the folly in that.) But there’s a second part to what Schiano likes to say about personnel and that’s that it’s not only about getting kids in; it’s about development too.

It looks like the Journal’s number-crunching is saying the same. Who’s doing the most with the least, who’s getting the most out of his program’s talent and who’s making good players great? Who do you think are the best developers of talent among the league’s coaches?

So much for that promise to return bonuses… the length of your fingers, stocky legs, a lousy sense of smell – they’re all hints to your future health… Paula Abdul was one thing; now Simon Cowell says he’s leaving Idol… Yeah, he should have him drug tested, especially since he’s resisting…

The Bearcats are back to business. (Cincinnati Enquirer)

If only their old coach would leave them alone. Now Brian Kelly’s saying he would’ve stayed and coached if Cincy was in the title game. (ESPN.com)

Steve Spurrier’s about to see UConn and he wishes… there was a playoff. (Hartford Courant)

Spread offense mastermind Mike Sanford is Louisville’s new offensive coordinator. (Louisville Courier-Journal)

Six years and a broken neck later, Adam Gunn’s ready to finally move on… Pitt offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti is about to face a bunch of kids he recruited. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Dan Mason’s sophomore season begins Saturday at the Meineke Bowl. (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

Anthony Davis is foregoing his senior year at Rutgers for the NFL. (Star-Ledger, Home News Tribune)

He’s a good kid too. (SNY.tv)

Jim Leavitt’s pumped about those JUCO signees… Meanwhile, USF’s hoops team has already exceeded last year’s win total. (Tampa Tribune)

Bill Stewart says his Mountaineers are the Gator Bowl underdog. (Times West Virginian)

Noel Devine and Jock Sanders are West Virginia’s co-offensive MVPs. (Charleston Gazette)

Unemployment’s running out… Jurassic Park made up a rear-fanged dinosaur. Turns out, one actually existed… First my mayor was corrupt. Now the college in my town is beset by scandal. Something must be in the water here… Probably way more than you ever needed to know about retouching celebrity photos and photographer pride…

The smart Bearcats get it: stand by Tony Pike and Mardy Gilyard and you’ll get on TV. (Rivals.com)

Cincinnati won’t see Florida’s best return man. (Cincinnati Enquirer)

Trying to make sense of Cincinnati’s current coaching triangle. (ESPN.com)

The entire UConn team won football’s annual courage award. (The Day)

Cody Endres is back at practice. (Connecticut Post)

Steve Spurrier thought those holding calls at Notre Dame, on UConn, were a little fishy. (Hartford Courant)

Brian Brohm could get the start in Buffalo. (Louisville Courier-Journal)

Dave Wannstedt likes a playoff. And bowls…Forget the gimmicks. Pitt and UNC still play pro-style offenses. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Max Gruder’s going home. (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

Anthony Davis is all-but-certainly going pro and Greg Schiano needs a running back who can get more just the yards that are blocked. (SNY.tv) 

Schiano will have the usual array of off-season questions to tackle. (Star-Ledger)

What uncertainty? This offseason at least Schiano knows who his quarterback will be. (Scarlet Scuttlebutt)

Those ugly accusations didn’t scare off Claude Davis or Curtis Weatherspoon. The two JUCO stars signed with USF. (St. Petersburg Times)

West Virginia may honor Chris Henry at the Gator Bowl. (Charleston Daily Mail)

Noel Devine thinks he’s staying in college. (Charleston Gazette)

There is a secret to West Virginia’s success. (News and Sentinel)

The 19 best movies of 2009; I’ve only seen two so far… No one writes healdines like the New York Post… debate’s closed on health care… Please reunite this father and son…

Cincinnati wouldn’t give Jeff Quinn a head job? Fine, Buffalo will. (GoBearcats.com)

Tim Tebow’s expecting a fired-up Cincinnati team. (Gainesville Sun)

UConn superlatives. (Hartford Courant)

Sure Tony Pike torched it, but Pitt’s secondary is okay. Really. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Get used to this: We’re going to be reading about Dion Lewis for a long time. (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)

A full recap of Rutgers’ fourth straight bowl win. (Star-Ledger, Scarlet Scuttlebutt)

The alleged victim said Jim Leavitt never hit him. The alleged victim’s father says his son was never hit, kids in the locker room said there was no hitting and now local coaches are jumping up to defend Leavitt. Because other schools are already trying to use the as-yet-unsubstantiated allegations against South Florida. (St. Petersburg Times)

Greg Paulus is eyeing the NFL. (Syracuse Post-Standard)

West Virginia will miss Doc Holliday. (Times West Virginian)

Not that Bill Stewart is pulling his hair out over it. (Charleston Gazette)

What’s wrong with people? Someone stole a sign at Auschwitz… If you have SAT-aged kids, get them into a small, less-crowded test center… Al Franken tells Joe Lieberman to stop talking, John McCain gets riled up… The WTC Visitor Center just got one of its best tributes…

A handy little bowl guide. (San Francisco Chronicle)

Without Brian Kelly on the sidelines, the Cincinnati in the Sugar Bowl could be a very different Cincinnati.  (Bleacher Report)

Cincinnati AD Mike Thomas said Butch Jones was an obvious choice. (Cincinnati Enquirer)

The Bearcats finally got back on a practice field. (ESPN.com)

Home teams in bowl games have nothing to do with geography. (Hartford Courant)

Now UConn’s thinking IT could be in the Big Ten. (Hartford Courant)

Four UConn seniors are going to all-star games. (UConnHuskies.com)

It’s hoops but it’s interesting: former Louisville hype Derek Caracter may finally be ready to meet expectations, at UTEP. (CBSSports.com)

Sure, he’s had three complete knee reconstructions. Just don’t tell Zaire Kitchen they’re central to his story. (SNY.tv)

Shaun O’Hara is a pre-Schiano Rutgers success story… Joe Martinek’s going to run, whether Tim Brown plays or not… (Star Ledger)

UCF’s just as talented as any Big East team. (Home News Tribune)

They’re pumped to see Mohamed Sanu in St. Pete. (St. Petersburg Times)

UCF should have 20,000 at Saturday’s St. Petersburg Bowl. Rutgers is still selling tickets. (Orlando Sentinel)

Rutgers’ left tackle Anthony Davis is not talking NFL. (Orlando Sentinel)

A safety in the locker room where Jim Leavitt is alleged to have hit walk-on Joel Miller tweets: this is crazy this thing is being overblown. (St. Petersburg Times)

South Florida’s back at practice. (Tampa Tribune)

A memory of Chris Henry in Syracuse. (Syracuse Post-Standard)

Bill Stewart’s down one for the Gator Bowl: Doc Holliday’s going to Marshall. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Remembering Mountaineer Chris Henry. (Cincinnati Enquirer, Times West Virginian, PlayerPress, Detroit Free Press)

Jarrett Brown had a favorite Florida State t-shirt. (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)