College Football Predictions: Big East

They've got to be feeling some heat in the Big East.

A conference known far more for its hoops more than its half-backs, the Big East has struggled to keep pace with the "big boy" conferences of college football. Other than West Virginia, the league has presented no real national contenders this decade.

And now the little guys want a piece of them, too.

Much of the college football offseason was spent by non-BCS programs, namely those in the Mountain West Conference, arguing that they deserved an automatic bid to a BCS game. And one of their favorite examples of the unfair system was pointing out the average performace recently of leagues like the Big East.

Big East backers have typically argued that teams from non-BCS leagues would struggle to compete consistently with their conference schedules. But that argument is getting less applicable with every Utah and Boise State big-time victory.

To make matters worse, the first Coaches' Poll of the 2009 season places three MWC teams in the top 25. The Big East? Zero.

Suddenly the league becomes an even easier target for opponents of the BCS system.

A big year is needed from the Big East to prove that it belongs along with the best in college football. Or else it's going to be an even longer off-season in 2010.


Big East:

Player of the Year: Noel Devine (RB - WV)
Offensive POY: Tony Pike (QB - Cin)
Defensive POY: George Selvie (DE - SF)

1. South Florida - Two seasons, two top-10 rankings, two disappointing finishes. The Bulls showed flashes of brilliance both in 2007 and 2008, but faded down the stretch to finish with less-than brilliant records. Nothing was more disappointing than a 2-5 record in the Big East last season, turning a 5-0 start into an 8-5 finish. So why pick them to win the league in 2009? Because no team has a better QB (Matt Grothe) or defensive player (George Selvie) in the conference. Because three of the Bulls' losses in '08 were by six points or less. And because, this season, West Virginia has to come to Tampa. This will finally be the Bulls' (complete) year.

Overall: 10-2, Conference: 7-1

2. West Virginia - There were a lot of people across the country who doubted the decision to keep interim head coach Bill Stewart on after the departure of Rich Rodriguez to Michigan. But there's not much to doubt at this point. The Mountineers did lose two of their first three in 2008, but turned it around to finish 9-4. Now Stewart brings in what could be one of the best recruiting classes in WVU history. The future is bright in Morgantown - but so is the present thanks to star RB Noel Devine, who ranked third in the Big East with 1,289 rushing yards in 2008. QB Pat White will be missed, but Sr. Jarrett Brown has waited a long time for this opportunity. He won't take it lightly.

9-3 (6-2)

3. Pittsburgh - Is this the year? Those four words have become the mantra in Pittsburgh ever since the arrival of coach Dave Wannstedt. He has had the talent, but the results on the field have been mixed. But 2008 was a big step forward, as the Panthers won nine games and finished second in the Big East. Now Wannstedt must replace departed RB LeSean McCoy and LB Scott McKillop - both gone to the NFL. But there is still plenty of talent for the Panthers to work with, including DL Greg Romeus and budding star WR Jonathan Baldwin. Pitt has to get better play from QB Bill Stull, who threw for nine TD's and 10 INT's in 2008.

9-3 (6-2)

4. Rutgers - The Scarlet Knights are a good little football program these days. Greg Schiano has guided the program to 7, 11, 8 and 8 wins the past four seasons. Now Schiano gets 14 starters back from a 2008 campaign in which the Knights won their final seven games. But the biggest loss for the team is QB Mike Teel, who finished as the school's all-time passing leader. Luckily, the team has a talented young RB to lean on in Kordell Young, who rushed for five TD's in eight games last season. The defense, which ranked second overall in the Big East last season, will have to carry the Knights early as the QB situation gets settled.

8-4 (4-4)

5. Cincinnati - Not a bad second year for Brian Kelly, huh? Try 11-3, Big East champs and a BCS bowl bid on for size. Year three will not be as easy, however, as the Bearcats return just eight starters from their breakthrough season. But Kelly does get Sr. QB Tony Pike back, and he may just be good enough to keep the Bearcats competitive in '09. Pike threw for 2,407 yards and 19 TD's in '08 despite battling nagging injuries throughout the season. Look for huge numbers in '09 from Pike.

6-6 (4-4)

6. Connecticut - Donald Brown will be missed more in Storrs this season than basketball's Hasheem Thabeet. The RB led all Division-I rushers in 2008 with 2,083 yards. Now coach Randy Edsall will have to do without Brown, as well as three other NFL draftees. And the QB situation is a bit unsettled, with both Zach Frazer and Cody Endres competing for the job. The Huskies' passing game ranked second-to-last in the league last season. And now there's no Donald Brown to lean on.

5-7 (3-5)

7. Louisville - Look up "2009 Coaches on the Hot Seat" in the college football dictionary and you will find the name "Steve Kragthorpe" right at the top of the list. Kragthorpe is just 11-13 in his first two seasons after taking over for Bobby Petrino. And that just will not cut it in a town where 10+ wins was becoming the norm just a few years ago. The team does return seven starters on defense this season, but the unit allowed nearly 30 points per game last season. And this shedule is tough: at Kentucky, at Utah, at Cincinnati, at West Virginia and at South Florida just to name a few. I'd get the resume updated, coach.

4-8 (1-7)

8. Syracuse - Doug Marrone has the unenviable task of taking a team that has won a total of ten wins - ten wins! - the past four seasons and quickly making them relevant again. Um... I wouldn't hold my breath. But Marrone does get the return of WR Mike Williams, who may be one of the league's best NFL prospets. Williams missed all of 2008 due to an academic suspension.

3-9 (1-7)