College Football 2008 Conference Preview: Big East

We finally begin our College Football Conference Preview, starting with the Big East.


Predicted Order of Finish
1. West Virginia
The Mountaineers return an electrifying and fast offense. They may have lost starting RB Steve Slaton but they return one of the most explosive players in the nation in Noel Devine. Heisman Candidate Pat White is back for one last time. They lose their top WR but they return some capable ones in Alric Arnett, Wes Lyons, and Tito Gonzales. The offensive line should be solid as 4 starters return there and plenty of depth as well. The defense is the big question mark for this team and they need them to step up if they want to return to a BCS Bowl. Only 4 starters return overall. Only one starter is back on the line and they need to find some guys to step up, that could be a problem. The LB unit looks to be the strongest on the defensive side as 2 starters return there. There's plenty of problems in the secondary as Charles Pugh was kicked off the team and the rest have limited experience.

2. South Florida
The Bulls started off strong last season but drastically struggled near the end. You would have to think it was because of lack of experience and depth; but the Bulls return plenty of talent and players. QB Matt Grothe is back along with 2 very good RBs in sophomore Mike Ford and senior Ben Williams. Plenty of WRs return but none are specifically outstanding, but they do have some depth there. Taurus Jackson should emerge as Grothe's go-to receiver. 4 lineman return which should help bolster the already solid running game. The defense was pretty inconsistent last year but they have more experience and depth than ever. George Selvie leads a fast defensive line as he was a first-team All-American. They only have 1 starter back at LB but they're fast and deep there. They will need to find 2 CBs to step up as they lost arguably the best DB tandem in Mike Jenkins and Trae Williams.

3. Pittsburgh
Pitt returns 15 starters from a team that blossomed late in the 2007 season. There's a lot of potential and they could give West Virginia a run for their money. Billy Stull will be the QB under center. He is a very capable QB but was injured last season. Their RB tandem is one of the best in the Big East, which includes LeSean McCoy and Conredge Collins. McCoy rushed for 1,328 yards last season. The WR unit has Derek Kinder back after missing all of last season. He should be one of the top WRs out there. The offensive line loses 3 starters so it's tough to tell how they will pan out there. The defensive line ranked 5th nationally last season which returns nearly everybody, plus plenty of depth. All 3 LBs return and if they can play like they did vs. WVA last season, they should be stellar. The secondary ranked 5th in the nation in pass defense. With continued pressure from the defensive front look for the secondary to be very efficient again.

4. Cincinnati
Cincy surprised me last season after making a bowl game. They need to break-in another QB which could be a problem. They must improve the running game as they have minimal depth there. They do return a few linemen but they need to find some depth because of the lack of experience. The top 3 pass catchers return which should only help the new QB. Look for the defense to make some plays again and help put up some points. 2nd team All-American DT Terrill Byrd returns along with DT Adam Hoppel. The LB unit return 2 starters but they must find some depth. Look for the secondary to be one of the best in the country as All-Big East selections Mike Mickens and DeAngelo Smith are back at CB.

5. Rutgers
QB Mike Teel returns as he looks to become Rutgers' career passing leader. They do lose one of the most productive RBs in Ray Rice but they do have a few capable backs to step up. With 4 good pass catchers back look for the Knights to have one of the most prolific pass offenses in the nation. They only have a handle full of experienced OL back but they have plenty of size and the last 2 recruiting classes have accumulated some depth. The defensive front is very experienced and deep. The LB unit needs some guys to step up but they do have Ryan D'Imperio. The secondary will be strong with Courtney Greene, Jason and Devin McCourty.

6. UConn
QB Tyler Lorenzen is back and should be one of the best in the conference. Donald Brown and Andre Dixon are 2 emerging RBs. WR is an area for concern as they lose their top wideout and 2 returners are injured. The offensive line is deep as they have all 5 starters back, but 2 of them will be back-ups this year. The defensive front returns 3 starters, and the LB unit and secondary return 2 apiece. The defense looks to be a little improved but also a little untested in some areas.

7. Louisville
The Cards have dropped to nearly the cellar after high expectations last season. Hunter Cantwell takes over for Brian Brohm. Cantwell is a veteran and his big arm could help a struggling offense. Their looking for someone to step up at RB. They have some speed back at WR but not much experience or superior talent. Two solid linemen return but they do not have much after that; The stable is pretty thin there. They do have 3 experienced d-linemen back but they struggled to stop the run last season as they gave up 4.4 ypc. The LB unit will be one of the worst units in the nation. They do not return anybody of significance there. This unit struggled drastically last year. Play makers are bare in the secondary.

8. Syracuse
The offense couldn't get anything going last season and the defense was one of the worst. They've been working on the running game all off-season as they try to improve there. But don't expect the Cuse to any better after a dreadful 2007 season.

College Football 2007 Preview: Big East

The Big East went through some growing pains losing some key teams to the ACC but has transitioned well and is now one of the top conferences once again.

Predicted Order of Finish

1. West Virginia
The Mountaineers return a solid offense with 8 starters that includes one of the top and most elusive QB's in the nation in Pat White. Also, RB Steve Slaton, who rushed for 1,744 yards and 16 touchdowns, one of the top WRs in the conference in Darius Reynaud, and 3 solid offensive linemen return. The offense will be one of the best in the country. The defense returns some key experience as well with 7 starters back. The secondary should be solid with plenty of experience there. If the LB and D-line can find some play makers to help fill in for some of the losses look for WVA to compete for a spot in that BCS National Title Game.

2. Louisville
L'Ville returns 21 starters and will be lead by the Heisman caliber arm of Brian Brohm, who passed for 3,049 yards and 16 touchdowns. They also return a top WR corps in Harry Douglas and Mario Urruita. The RB who filled in for Michael Bush, Kolby Smith, is back as well. They also have three starting linemen back but must replace the right side. The defense should be pretty good but wont have as much hype as the offense. The defensive line needs to find some more depth after losing Amobi Okye. They also need some more players to step up at LB and in the secondary after losing some key losses there as well.

3. Rutgers
The Scarlet Knights surprised everyone in the College Football world last season. This year they have some holes to fill but do return some solid players. QB Mike Teel is back and should be one of the best in conference and one of the best RBs returns in Ray Rice, who rushed for a school-record 1,794 yards. They need to find some WRs to step up but do return some good talent there. The defense should be good again with two key D-Linemen and reserves returning along with a solid LB in Brandon Renkart and three athletic DBs.

4. South Florida
The Bulls are a legitimate Big East Title contender. With 16 starters back and some great talent don't be surprised if they stun one of the Big 3. QB Mike Grothe is back along with 3 solid WRs in Amarri Jackson, Taurus Johnson, and Marcus Edwards. They didn't have a true TB last year, but freshman Mike Ford could turn some heads. The defense should be fine 8 starters returning.

5. Pittsburgh
Pitt loses some valuable players in QB Tyler Palko and LB H.B. Blades and they need to find some replacements quickly. The QB situation is still up in the air between Jr. Bill Stuhl and redshirt freshman Kevan Smith. The RB position should be solid with 3 very capable runners back but they need to find some depth at WR. The O-Line will be experienced with 4 starters back so that should help. But the defense needs to pick it up, where they have plenty of holes at LB and in the secondary.

6. Cincinnati
Cincy's offense returns plenty of experience but they still need to find a QB. The RB position is filled with experience and depth. They have plenty of work to do at WR with not much returning. The defense needs to be fixed up a bit with holes all over. The secondary will be the most experienced of all the defensive units.

7. Connecticut
They return 14 starters along with QB Tyler Lorenzen who has proved himself. RB Donald Brown is back too but UConn needs to find some WRs for Lorenzen to throw to. The defense won't be too bad with a pretty solid front along with some speedy DBs to go with it.

8. Syracuse
The Cuse has one of the toughest schedules in the country and they don't have much experience back. They return 10 starters but QB Andrew Robinson returns. They lost there top rusher and some key WRs too. But WR Tah Smith was granted a 6th year of eligibility still giving them some hope there. The D-Line will need to carry the defense with not much talent or experience behind them.

Offensive Player of the Year:
Brian Brohm, QB- Louisville

Defensive Player of the Year:
Eric Foster, DT- Rutgers

Freshman of the Year:
Mike Ford, RB- South Florida

Coach of the Year:
Rich Rodriguez- West Virginia

Games to Watch:
West Virginia at South Florida- Sept. 29

West Virginia at Rutgers- Oct. 27

Louisville at West Virginia- Nov. 8

Louisville at South Florida- Nov. 17

Rutgers at Louisville- Nov. 29

College Hoops Top 10 Power Poll

1. Florida (20-2)- The Gators are on fire and are riding a 13 game winning streak. Florida is no doubt the top dog right now and have a very balanced scoring attack. After 2 losses earlier in the year, Florida is on a roll averaging 82.3 ppg and shooting 54.0% from the field. With quite a few impressive wins at home, the Gators still haven't played a substantial amount of games on the road. With big games coming up vs Vanderbilt, (who is surprising a good amount of people) and rival Tennessee, the Gators can ready themselves for two tough road games with Georgia and Kentucky.
Next game to keep an eye on: vs Tennessee 2/03.

2. North Carolina (19-2)- UNC has been very impressive lately and have turned it up a notch on the defensive side quite a bit. The freshmen are starting to develop and can just about run this UNC offense to perfection. With outstanding wins over Arizona, Georgia Tech, and Clemson, this team is rolling on it's momentum since the tough V-Tech loss.
Next game to keep an eye on: @ Duke 2/07

3. Wisconsin (21-2)- The Badgers are no doubt one of the best teams in the country. With the exception of Florida, Wisconsin is the biggest threat to make a final four run. The Badgers 17 game winning streak was snapped by Indiana last night. I decided not to move them back because Indiana is one of the toughest places to win in the country. The Badgers are on pace for a one seed and it will very tough to stop them; especially with the duo of Alando Tucker (who is arguably the best player in the country) and PG Kammron Taylor leading the way.
Next game to keep an eye on: vs Iowa 2/10.

4. UCLA (18-2)- Even with the recent loss to Stanford, I still like this UCLA team at number 4. The Bruins play exceptional defense and are one of the more complete teams out there. UCLA needs to continue to win at home because with how talented the Pac-10 is, going on the road is never easy.
Next game to keep an eye on: vs Oregon 2/01.

5. Kansas (19-3)- KU is starting to play more consistently. This is a must if they want to make any kind of noise in the NCAA Tournament. The Jayhawks are talented and can put up points at will. They continue to be very balanced on both sides of the ball averaging 77.7 ppg and have yet to give up more than 80 points this season.
Next game to keep an eye on: vs Texas A&M 2/03.

6. Ohio St. (19-3)- The freshmen are not playing like freshmen anymore and Greg Oden has been dominating down low. But a few close calls keeps this team away from the pack at 6th.
Next game to keep and eye on: @ Michigan St. 2/03.

7. Pittsburgh (20-3)- As much as I hate having this team ranked here, I am not impressed with this Panther team at all. With the experience back this team should be top 4 right now. But unimpressive wins have held them back all year.
Next game to keep an eye on: @ W. VA 2/07.

8. Duke (18-3)- The Blue Devils are not as soft as they once were. They should be ready for the high-flying Tar-Heels next week.
Next game to keep an eye on: @ Virginia 2/01.

9. Texas A&M (18-3)- The battle tested Aggies should give KU a run for their money this Saturday in their biggest game of the year.
Next game to keep an eye on: @ Kansas 2/03.

10. Memphis (18-3)- I really like this team right now even with a few struggling wins. But this Tigers team will be ready to make a run by March.
Next game to keep an eye on: @ UAB 2/08.