Five things I learned this weekend 

Cincinnati could be in trouble
The Big 12's gain -- TCU likely joining the conference – comes at the expense of the Big East. Last fall, TCU agreed to join the Big East for the 2012 season, but this week the Big 12 came calling and TCU is expected to officially accept tonight. That isn’t good news for the Big East and more specifically Cincinnati. The Bearcats joined the Big East to enter a conference with an automatic bid into the BCS, but the likelihood that the Big East retains that right after 2014 is in doubt. The Big East is talking about adding up to six football schools, but there is also talk of some other Big East teams joining the Big 12 and Cincinnati would not be among the Big 12’s top choices. The Bearcats have been able to sell their status as a BCS program and that has helped with recruiting, especially when it comes to the second-tier in-state players Ohio State doesn’t offer. A move back to a non-AQ conference would put a serious damper on the Bearcats’ ability to recruit.

Shell could be most important player in Western Pa.
With a healthy Rushel Shell, Aliqioppa (Pa.) Hopewell was 4-0 and had the look of a team that would be hard to beat in the state’s AAA playoff bracket. Hopewell even beat the then-No. 1 team in the area with Shell’s fourth-down heroics. Last week, though, Shell suffered a slight concussion and Hopewell lost that game. On Friday, Shell sat out and once again Hopewell was handed a loss. Shell will be back next week, and he will make his college announcement during that game, which ESPNU will air. It will likely be the game Hopewell gets back on the winning track, too.

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