UC Bearcats links and notes -- Brian Kelly to UT?

If you ask ten Bearcat fans what their biggest fear is, right now, it's a combination of two things. The short-term is losing to the Pitt Panthers on Saturday and our elimination from the BCS. The long-term is losing Brian Kelly to the vacant Tennessee Volunteers. Let's face facts, the University of Cincinnati is a stepping stone (see Mark Dantonio) towards greater football institutions, the SEC, the Big-12, the Big-10, the Pac-10, the ACC are all conferences that hold the top paying college head coaching positions in college football. Despite scoring a five-year contract with $1.8 million in raises back in January, the chances of him leaving for some of the bigger programs in the nation, I would project is high. Tennessee? Who knows. Daugherty says no, though others point out the UT job is prestigious (not just using this season as the job's reflection), and if the money is right and the job is offered... well. Kelly had no reaction.

Brian Bennett thinks that picking Tony Pike as the Big-East's second best quarterback will be "controversial". Then you look at Matt Grothe's sudden departure from being, arguably, the conference's best until he threw eight interceptions in the past three games, single-handedly taking South Florida out of early top-25 rankings. So Pike got #2.

Bearcats dismissed freshman wide receiver Nick Truesdell "for violating one of its rules."

It's generally believed that Saturday's UC/Pitt game will determine the Big East Champion, thus a BCS Bowl. And it very well could be. However, Scott Springer cautions that they still have to beat Syracuse. Previews here and here.