The Big East hopes to have a replacement chosen for retiring commissioner Mike Tranghese by the end of December at the latest and former Rutgers football player Tim Pernetti, currently the school's radio analyst for football, is among the candidates, according to five people familiar with the search.

The people requested anonymity because the search is ongoing.

Former Big 12 commissioner Steve Weiberg, Central Florida athletic director Keith Tribble and University of Texas associate athletic director Christine Plonsky are among the non-Big East officials being considered, the people said. Senior associate Big East commissioner John Marinatto and associate commissioners Tom Odjakjian and Nick Carparelli Jr. are the candidates from within the conference under considation to replace Tranghese, who will step down at the end of June.

Another solid effort against a conference foe on the road.

But another game without forcing a turnover.

Is this unit being hurt by an ineffective offense or is it not good enough to win a game on its own?

Better in the second half than in the first, but the question still needs to be asked: At 1-5, how long until you see what someone else can do at QB?

He will be back ... he won't be back.

Rutgers found out how much it missed Kordell Young, clearly the best player on the field - running, catching even throwing - against Cincinnati.

How much of a surprise was this?

Say what you want about Rutgers - and there's plenty to say. But you can't say the team quits.

After the worst first half of the Schiano era, the team fought hard in the second half, actually scored in the third quarter, and had a chance to win a conference game on the road.

What's your take on the heart of this team?

That's all you need to know.

Mike Teel hit WR Kenny Britt coming across the middle, but Britt -- who was getting pressure by CB Mike Mickens -- dropped the ball after appearing to make the catch.

It's all over now but the final clock tick.

Teel just found TE Kevin Brock for a 3-yard gain, but Brock tried to get cute instead of diving forward for the first down.

Rutgers just took a timeout. They will be going for it on 4th and 1.

For the third time in four weeks, Mike Teel will have to lead his team down the field in order to tie or win the game.

Against Navy, he threw the ball right into the hands of Midshipmen linebacker Ross Pospisil. Last week against West Virginia, Teel nearly threw the ball into the hands of a Mountaineer defensive tackle.

Teel will begin the drive at his own 12-yard line, down three with 2:06 left.

The Devils flew into Pittsburgh after their opening night victory over the Islanders and got their first look on Saturday at the construction site for the Pittsburgh Penguins' new arena.

With the area already cleared after knocking down several buildings, landscape terracing has created a flat base surface for the $225 million rink. On Saturday there were quite a few cranes and heavy machinery working on the site just south of Mellon Arena.

According to the Penguins, they hope to begin play in the 18,000-seat facility in 2010-11. The official ground breaking took place back on Aug. 14.

Rutgers has finally shown some life here in the third quarter for the first time this season. They've scored 10 points -- their first in a third quarter this year -- and trail Cincinnati by three. The Scarlet Knights are driving and will pick up when the fourth quarter starts.

Cincinnati has played sloppy football in the third quarter. Penalties and poor decisions by QB Chazz Anderson have stalled the Bearcats.

Should be an interesting final quarter as Rutgers tries to pick up its first win over a 1-A team this year.

If you had back-to-back 50-yard field goals in your scoring pool -- you just won big!

Rutgers kicker San San Te, just nailed his own 50-yard field goal to pull the Scarlet Knights to within three, 13-10. Te and Rutgers just answered Cincinnati's scoring drive on the last series, where Bearcats kicker Jake Rogers hit a 50-yarder of his own.

Well, that certainly is an answer, wouldn't you say? After Rutgers came out of the gate like a herd of bulls in the third quarter for a touchdown, the Bearcats answered right away.

Kicker Jake Rogers just nailed a 50-yard bomb to put Cincinnati up 13-7. That's a season-long for Rogers, who was stripped of his duties early in the season.

Did anybody else see that? Is it a mirage?!? No! Rutgers did just score a touchdown in the third quarter -- and they looked quite impressive doing so.

Kordell Young was the man on this series, running the ball five times for 34 yards and then capping it off, throwing the TD pass to FB Jack Corcoran. Young, who took a nasty hit on the TD throw, looked like his old self on that series. Teel also looked like a different player, completing two passes for 39 yards.

That TD was the first score in the third quarter this season for Rutgers. Before that, they had been outscored 52-0.

Here's what our Rutgers beat writers, Tom Luicci and Brendan Prunty have seen in the first half of Rutgers' game against Cincinnati:

1. We know this is the worst first half for Rutgers this year - when was the last time they looked this bad?
Tom: Probably 1869, the second game with Princeton. But that was a pretty good Tigers' defense.

Brendan: North Carolina. And think about this -- they scored in that half.

You know the numbers:

Rutgers is only down 10-0 ... but it has been outscored 52-0 in the third quarter this season.

What adjustments would you make to salvage the game?

Whew, thankfully that's done, well, at least for now.

The Bearcats are up 10-0, but it could be much more than that. Rutgers has looked absolutely horrific thus far. Ray Lucas, former Rutgers QB, just said on SNY a line that probably sums it up best:

"Mike Teel probably couldn't throw the ball in the ocean if he was standing on the beach."

That's the most accurate thing all day.

Ugly.

OK, we're coming at you during the game. But after this first-half performance, how can we not.

Cincinnati, using its third-string QB is moving down the field.

Rutgers is going nowhere. It's not all Mike Teel's fault, but should there be a change just for change's sack at this point?

Give us your thoughts while looking at the first-half offense:

1st Series
3 plays, -1 yard, 1:40
2nd Series
5 plays, 17 yards, 1 first down, 2:42
3rd Series
3 plays, 4 yards, 0 first downs, 1:39
4th Series
3 plays, 9 yards, 0 first downs, 1:06
5th Series
3 lays, -6 yards, 0 first downs, 1:23
6th Series
3 plays, -3 yards, 0 first downs, 2:23
7th Series
7 plays, 13 yards, 1 first down, 2:14

Teel 1st Half Stats:
6-15, 61 yds,, 4.1 avg.

One guy that will need ice after this game will be Teddy Dellaganna, the team's punter.

He might have punted more times today, than all of the season combined. (Kidding ... sort of.) Rutgers again just went three-and-out today. That's the fourth straight series if you're counting at home.

Oh and the player that just sacked Teel to kill the drive, DE Connor Barwin? He was a tight end last year.

A tight end.

Three plays, 32 yards in 44 seconds. QB Chazz Anderson just ran it up the gut from eight yards out for the touchdown to increase the Bearcats lead.

Rutgers again was burned by a long return by Cincinnati for the second time today. DeAngelo Smith returned it first for 23 yards in the first quarter, then for 32 yards. Both times set up scoring drives.

Rutgers meanwhile is operating at a 1.8 yard per average clip today on offense and during its last series they ran three plays for minus-6 yards in 1:23. Yikes.

There are a number of different stats so far that show why Rutgers can't get anything going on offense. I'll go with this one -- 0-5 on third downs.

After being pinned on its own 10-yard line to begin its latest series, Rutgers backed itself up on a penalty. That would lead to a third and 16, during which Teel badly overthrew Tim Brown along the sidelines.

Cue Teddy Dellaganna -- again.

Not a great start by either team, but at least Cincinnati has some points on their side of the book.

Rutgers? Not so much.

The offense has looked stagnant, stalled and lacking imagination. Only 28 yards in the first quarter. Not exactly the start Schiano & Co. were looking for. The good news? What else, the defense looks good again. How long they can keep their teammates on the other side of the ball in the game, will be telling.

Cincinnati just put together an impressive drive -- the first of the game by either team -- getting all the way to the Rutgers 2-yard line.

But Rutgers defense held strong, stuffing the run twice and forcing QB Chazz Anderson to throw the ball out of bounds, missing a wide open Marty Gilyard. The Bearcats settled for a 19-yard field goal to make it 3-0.

Green Bay PackersBackup linebacker Tracy White was cut by the Green Bay Packers Tuesday and is expected to sign with the Eagles.

SAN FRANCISCO -- League sources have told The Times that the Eagles are close to signing linebacker Tracy White, who was released Tuesday by the Green Bay Packers.

White, 27, would be assigned to special teams, where Tank Daniels could be on the way out after picking up two 15-yard penalties on the same play in the third quarter last week against the Washington Redskins to help set up a 4-yard touchdown by Clinton Portis.

White, at 6-foot and 238 pounds, has started only two of the 66 games he has played since beginning his NFL career with the Seattle Seahawks in 2003 and has 62 tackles, one sack and a fumbled returned for a touchdown.

The Eagles (2-3) take on the 49ers (2-3) tomorrow at Candlestick Park

Some new looks on offense for the Scarlet Knights with Kordell Young back starting at RB and true freshman Art Forst making his first start at right guard.

However, the results were similar to what they've been so far this year. Mike Teel tried to go deep to WR Kenny Britt on the first play, but overshot him by about three yards. Young ran for a small gain before Teel was sacked to end the series.

New look, same Rutgers ... so far.

Not exactly the most auspicious start for the Bearcats as they burned a timeout before the first ball was hiked. Then, after a modest gain, it was a pass to the sidelines followed by a two yard run.

A little rocky start in QB Chazz Anderson's first Big East start.

Running back Kordell Young will play today and has shed the knee brace on his surgically repaired left knee.

Young, the heir apparent to Ray Rice, has not played since the season opener against Fresno State due to pain and soreness in that left knee. SNY reports that Greg Schiano hopes that he can get approximately 15 carries today.

CDR. . . .or OMG

First, some housekeeping:

Noah K. Murray/The Star-LedgerKenny Britt says the Scarlet Knights are comfortable with a hurry-up offense.

There have likely been numerous instances this season where Rutgers fans -- out of pure frustration over the lack of offense -- have screamed "Hurry up!" to their television, in the faint hopes that they may be heard.

Strangely enough, the next time they yell that -- perhaps Saturday afternoon when the Knights visit Cincinnati -- they might be offering the solution to the problem.

During last weekend's loss to West Virginia, Rutgers may have found what will cure its offensive ills -- the hurry-up offense.

We asked Rich Chere and Colin Stephenson to break down the Devils' 2-1 win over the Islanders in Friday night's opener.

1. The Elias line and the Parise line: Which one looked better - or do the Devils just have two top lines?

Chere: Zach Parise had several good scoring chances and showed why this could be the season he scores 40 goals. However, as a line, the Patrik Elias-Brian Rolston-Brian Gionta unit had a slightly better night. Gionta's pass to Elias on the winning goal belongs on the highlight reel.