Big East Preview

Projected Records & Standings

1. CINCINNATI          8-4  (5-2)
2. RUTGERS             9-3  (5-2)
3. WEST VIRGINIA       8-4  (5-2)
4. PITTSBURGH          7-5  (4-3)
5. CONNECTICUT         6-6  (4-3)
6. SOUTH FLORIDA       5-7  (2-5)
7. LOUISVILLE          5-7  (2-5)
8. SYRACUSE            3-9  (1-6)

Co-Champions: CINCINNATI, RUTGERS, WEST VIRGINIA

It’s only fitting that the worst of the BCS Conferences ends in a three-way tie. None of the trio of Cincinnati, Rutgers, or West Virginia are solid enough to win the conference outright, but each has the potential to.

Cincinnati is probably the safest bet, with senior Tony Pike returning at quarterback along with weapons like WR/PR Mardy Gilyard and RB Isaiah Pead. But there are huge question marks on defense, especially in the secondary.

Rutgers has the least experience among skill position players, but they have the easiest schedule and have potentially the best offensive and defensive lines in the conference.

West Virginia has arguably the most talent, including senior quarterback Jarrett Brown, who has patiently waited his turn to take over for Pat White. But the Mountaineers still seem to be in a transitional period after the coaching change a year ago. If Bill Stewart can regain the consistency the program had under Rich Rodriguez, West Virginia will be the team to beat in the Big East.

Question the Hype: CINCINNATI
Head coach Brian Kelly was the hot name all offseason. He was mentioned for most of the big openings on the coaching carousel and was recently been named one of the top five best head coaches by The Sporting News. But Cincinnati loses 10 starters off a defense that held the team together while the Bearcats offense suffered through injury after injury at the quarterback position. Isaiah Pead should be an upgrade in the running game, and Mardy Gilyard is a threat to score whenever he touches the ball, but Cincy will need to score more than the 25.9 points they averaged in 2008 in order to keep their spot atop the Big East.

Could Surprise: LOUISVILLE
I’ve been tooting the horn of Steve Kragthorpe for the past two years, urging Louisville fans to be patient – Kragthorpe had quite the house-cleaning project upon arriving in the wake of the Bobby Petrino mess. Well, it’s Year 3 now and so far, not-so-good. But I still have faith in Kragthorpe. He’s gotten rid of just about all the excess baggage and trimmed the roster down to guys who actually want to play football for him. With RB Victor Anderson and a decent receiving corps, I am keeping my eyes on Louisville as a team that could make a significant jump up the Big East standings if a couple breaks fall their way.

Bo Jackson Trophy Candidates:
Top 3:
RB-Noel Devine, West Virginia
WR-Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati
OT-Anthony Davis, Rutgers

Ten to Watch:
RB-Victor Anderson, Louisville
RB-Antwon Bailey, Syracuse
WR-Jonathan Baldwin, Pittsburgh
WR-Doug Beaumont, Louisville
QB-Jarrett Brown, West Virginia
RB-Delone Carter, Syracuse
QB-Matt Grothe, South Florida
QB-Tony Pike, Cincinnati
OT-Jason Pinkston, Pittsburgh
WR-Mike Williams, Syracuse

Arrington Trophy Candidates:
Top 3:
DE-George Selvie, South Florida
DT-Arthur Jones, Syracuse
DT-Mick Williams, Pittsburgh

Ten to Watch:
FS-Nate Allen, South Florida
NT-Scooter Berry, West Virginia
LB-Ryan D’Imperio, Rutgers
LB-Adam Gunn, Pittsburgh
LB-Scott Lutrus, Connecticut
CB-Devin McCourty, Rutgers
DE-Greg Romeus, Pittsburgh
LB-Reed Williams, West Virginia
LB-Kion Wilson, South Florida
LB-Lawrence Wilson, Connecticut

Gale Sayers Award Finalists

GALE SAYERS AWARD

The Gale Sayers Award, named after the all time great Kansas running back, is given to the most elusive back in the nation. In the spirit of its namesake, this is an award that takes highlight reels into account and will eventually become a who's who list of the most athletic college players to ever carry the ball.

Surprisingly there aren't a lot of candidates to choose from for this award in 2008, but the few finalists chosen by J.Pike are impressive.

J.Pike's Finalists

JAHVID BEST
(Sophomore RB, California)
Key Stats
Rushing: 1,394 yards, 8.0 avg, 13 td, long run of 86 yds;
Receiving: 27 receptions, 246 yards, 1 td;
Kick Returns: 378 yards, 29.1 average;
183.5 all-purpose yards per game;
Ran for 311 yards and 4 touchdowns in the season finale against Washington;
Highlight reel: [LINK]

NOEL DEVINE
(Sophomore RB, West Virginia)
Key Stats
Rushing: 1,228 yards, 6.4 avg, 3 td, long run of 92 yds;
Receiving: 34 receptions, 171 yards;
120.5 all-purpose yards per game;
Highlight reel: [LINK]



PERCY HARVIN
(Junior WR/RB, Florida)
Key Stats
Receiving: 35 receptions, 595 yards, 17.0 avg, 7 td, long of 70 yds;
Rushing: 538 yards, 8.8 avg, 9 td, long run of 80 yds;
103.0 all-purpose yards per game, 16 total touchdowns;
Harvin is the most important cog in the potent Florida offense - not Tim Tebow;
Highlight reel: [LINK]

KENDALL HUNTER
(Sophomore RB, Oklahoma State)
Key Stats
Rushing: 1,518 yards, 6.7 avg, 14 td, long of 68;
Receiving: 20 receptions, 186 yards, 1 td;
143.1 all-purpose yards per game, 15 total touchdowns;
Hunter is the most dynamic back in the Big XII - and he's only a sophomore!
Highlight play: [LINK]
Highlight play from 2007: [LINK]

KNOWSHON MORENO
(Sophomore RB, Georgia)
Key Stats
Rushing: 1,338 yards, 5.9 avg, 16 td, long run of 68 yds;
Receiving: 27 receptions, 329 yards, 1 td
141.4 all-purpose yards per game;
Moreno runs with a determination matched only by former Oklahoma running back Adrian Peterson;
Highlight reel: [LINK]
Highlight reel (2007 vs Florida) [LINK]

JACQUIZZ RODGERS
(Freshman RB, Oregon State)
Key Stats
Rushing: 1,253 yards, 4.8 avg, 11 td
Receiving: 29 receptions, 247 yards, 1 td
136.4 all-purpose yards per game;
The true freshman led Oregon State in the win over USC with 186 yards and 2 touchdowns;
Highlight reel: [LINK]

Tommie Frazier Award Finalists

Just because the regular season is finished doesn't mean there is no more football to talk for a while - it's awards season! Pikes Picks has decided that the real awards, namely the Heisman Trophy, no longer go to deserving candidates. So we came up with our own awards.

TOMMIE FRAZIER AWARD

The Tommie Frazier Award, named after the great Nebraska quarterback, is given to the quarterback we deem to be the most exciting to watch. This could include any number of factors, but knowing Brent and myself it will come down to a quarterback that is as likely to make the highlight reels with an 80 yard run as he is with an 80 yard pass.

The following six quarterbacks were nominated as finalists for the Frazier Award by J.Pike.

J.Pike's Finalists

ROBERT GRIFFIN
(Freshman QB, Baylor)
Key Stats
Passing: 2,091 yards, 15 td, 3 int;
Rushing: 843 yards, 4.9 avg, 13 td;
242.4 total offensive yards per game, 28 total touchdowns;
Set NCAA freshman record for most consecutive passes without an interception


COLT McCOY
(Junior QB, Texas)
Key Stats
Passing: 3,445 yards, 32 td, 7 int, 77.6 completion percentage;
Rushing: 576 yards, 4.5 avg, 10 td;
335.1 total offensive yards per game, 42 total touchdowns;
Led Texas to an 11-1 record


TYROD TAYLOR
(Sophomore QB, Virginia Tech)
Key Stats
Passing: 896 yards, 2 td;
Rushing: 691 yards, 5.2 avg, 6 td;
144.3 total offensive yards per game, 8 total touchdowns;
The Hokies were 7-2 in games Taylor started;
Taylor is arguably the most elusive quarterback in the nation


PAT WHITE
(Senior QB, West Virginia)
Key Stats
Passing: 1,510 yards, 18 td, 6 int;
Rushing: 919 yards, 5.4 avg, 8 td;
220.8 total offensive yards per game, 26 total touchdowns;
Graduates as the NCAA's all time leader in rushing yards from the quarterback position


JUICE WILLIAMS
(Junior QB, Illinois)
Key Stats
Passing: 3,173 yards, 22 td;
Rushing: 719 yards, 4.1 avg, 5 td;
324.3 total offensive yards per game, 27 total touchdowns;
Williams has a cannon for an arm, one of the strongest in the nation


RUSSELL WILSON
(RS-Freshman QB, N.C. State)
Key Stats
Passing: 1,769 yards, 16 td, 1 int;
Rushing: 342 yards, 3.2 avg, 4 td;
211.1 total offensive yards per game, 20 total touchdowns;
Wilson threw at least two touchdowns in 7 of the 10 games he started;
He only threw one interception all season and was easily the most polished freshman quarterback in the country

WEEK FOURTEEN - Top 25 Preview (Part I)

#6 Penn State (11-1) is IDLE
NEXT: BCS Bowl game (completed regular season)

#8 Utah (12-0) is IDLE
NEXT: BCS Bowl game (completed regular season)


#17 Georgia Tech (8-3) at #9 Georgia (9-2)
(Saturday, 11 am, CBS)
The Peach State rivalry wasn't expected to be this up in the air. Georgia was the preseason #1 team in the land and Georgia Tech was supposed to suffer the growing pains that go along with breaking in a new head coach. Now it looks like Georgia Tech is the team on the rise and Georgia is the program treading water. Georgia has a couple elements that give them the edge here though. One is obviously running back Knowshon Moreno. Moreno is the antidote to Georgia Tech's excellent defensive line, and I think he'll eventually get the better of that matchup. The second is the speed and experience the Bulldogs possess on the defensive side of the ball. Whereas Miami struggled to stay disciplined against Paul Johnson's triple option attack, Rennie Curran and company will be in the right place at the right time to slow down Josh Nesbitt and Jonathan Dwyer.
J.Pike's Pick: Georgia 28, Georgia Tech 24

#10 Ohio State (10-2) is IDLE
NEXT: Bowl game (completed regular season)

#12 TCU (10-2) is IDLE
NEXT: Bowl game (completed regular season)

Kansas (6-5) vs #13 Missouri (9-2)
@Kansas City, MO
(Saturday, 11:30 am, FSN)
There isn't nearly as much pizzazz in this matchup as there was a year ago when a tickets to both the Big XII and National Title games were on the line for both teams. To put it quite simply, Kansas isn't as good as they were a year ago. Without players like Aqib Talib and Brandon McAnderson, the Jayhaks are without any legitimate weapons. Missouri has proven themselves to be overrated as well, but with Chase Daniel and Jeremy Maclin there is still enough firepower on hand to score points in a hurry.
J.Pike's Pick: Missouri 38, Kansas 27

Fresno State (7-4) at #14 Boise State (11-0)
(Friday, 5 pm, ESPN 2)
Boise's perfect season is on the line against Fresno State. The defense fell apart down the stretch against Nevada last week - nearly blowing second half leads of 31-10 and 41-24. Now that a BCS Bowl berth looks unlikely for the Broncos (Utah will likely take their spot), how much do they have to play for? Fortunately for Boise, Fresno State quarterback Tom Brandstater has been playing poorly all season and doesn't appear to be capable of leading an upset charge.
J.Pike's Pick: Boise State 30, Fresno State 27

#23 Oregon (8-3) at #15 Oregon State (8-3)
(Saturday, 6 pm, Versus)
If you can believe it, the Pac-10 title is on the line north of the California border Saturday night. The Oregon State Beavers hold the tie breaker advantage over USC thanks to their head-to-head win early in the season. So if Mike Riley's troops can win this game, the Beavers - not the Trojans - will be getting the automatic BCS bid. Mighty Mite freshman Jacquizz Rodgers is questionable for the game, but I don't care. Oregon State is fired up and still has plenty of speed to spare in James Rodgers and Sammie Stroughter.
J.Pike's Pick: Oregon State 35, Oregon 28

Syracuse (3-8) at #16 Cincinnati (9-2)
(Saturday, 11 am, ESPN360.com)
Tony Pike and the Bearcats can clinch the Big East title and a BCS bowl berth with a win over Syracuse Saturday. Pike has Heisman eyes watching, so expect him to take full advantage of an outmanned Syracuse team and put up another 300-yards passing.
J.Pike's Pick: Cincinnati 27, Syracuse 13

Maryland (7-4) at #18 Boston College (8-3)
(Saturday, 2:30 pm, ABC/ESPN 2)
Welcome to the ACC where chaos reins supreme. Boston College enters this contest ranked and favored - which means you can count on Maryland for the win. Quarterback Chris Crane is out for the season with a broken collarbone, which means Dominique Davis will get the starting nod. Davis led the game winning drive against Wake Forest a week ago and brings a lot more athleticism to the position. But he doesn't have the same grasp of the offense that Crane developed over the course of the season, so the playbook will be limited. Maryland quarterback Chris Turner generally plays his best against ranked opponents, so look for the Terps to make up for their poor showing against Florida State last weekend with a win on the road over the Eagles.
J. Pike's Pick: Maryland 20, Boston College 14

#19 California (7-4) is IDLE
NEXT: vs. Washington (0-11)

#21 Michigan State (9-3) is IDLE
NEXT: Bowl game (completed regular season)

#22 West Virginia (7-3) at Pittsburgh (7-3)
(Friday, 11 am, ABC)
West Virginia's national title dreams were squashed by a Pitt in an upset last year. This year there won't be nearly as many national viewers because neither team is really all that good. Mountaineer speed, in the form of Pat White and Noel Devine, will get their revenge though.
J.Pike's Pick: West Virginia 27, Pittsburgh 24

Mississippi State (4-7) at #24 Ole Miss (7-4)
(Friday, 11:30 am, Raycom)
The Egg Bowl is an underrated rivalry. It's not always the best football, but for some reason I still watch it. Houston Nutt has Ole Miss on the rise in the SEC, and they have a lot more offensive firepower than Mississippi State will be able to muster.
J.Pike's Pick: Ole Miss 24, Mississippi State 13

#25 Ball State (12-0) is IDLE
NEXT: MAC Championship Game vs. Buffalo (7-4)

WEEK TEN - Preview

West Virginia (-3½) over Connecticut
Connecticut is actually a pretty tough team to beat on their home field. But without their top two quarterbacks the Huskies are vulnerable. West Virginia finally seems to be putting things together, so I expect them to stay hot and win by a touchdown or more.

Michigan (+1½) over Purdue
Purdue stinks. Curtis Painter is injured and might not play, but that doesn’t matter. Michigan has the defense to keep Purdue off the scoreboard and quarterback Steven Threet has improved enough to manufacture enough points to win outright.

Georgia (+5½) over Florida
I’m a little surprised the spread is this much in favor of Florida. Mark Richt wins the coaching battle here, and Knowshon Moreno will carry his team to victory over the speedy Gators. Texas (-6) over Texas Tech Like taking candy from a baby. Texas has won by an average of 18 points in the last five meetings. Texas Tech is the same old Texas Tech, but this might be Mack Brown’s best team yet.

Western Kentucky (-16½) over North Texas High School’s Varsity Football Team
How hilarious is it that a team with exactly zero wins over Division 1-A opponents is favored by 16½ over NTHS? The Hilltoppers are only averaging 10.5 points per game against D1-A competition for goodness sake! Take Western Kentucky anyway - they’ll win by 17.

Other games I like, but don’t feel good enough about to give them “Lock” status:
Central Michigan (+2½) over Indiana
Kansas State (+11½) over Kansas
Arkansas State (+23½) over Alabama
Missouri (-20) over Baylor
Iowa State (+31) over Oklahoma State
Washington (+43) over USC
New Mexico (+7½) over Utah

WEEK NINE - Midweek Games

Auburn @ West Virginia
(Thursday, 6:30 pm, ESPN)
Before the season started this was one of the more intriguing games on the schedule. It looked like it would be a top 10 matchup with national title implications, but now that it’s here all this game has to offer is a couple of the most underachieving teams in the land trying to stay afloat. Auburn has suffered a particularly interesting meltdown that included Tommy Tuberville firing his offensive coordinator a couple weeks ago. West Virginia started 1-2, but quietly fought back to respectability by winning three in a row. If Auburn’s defense shows up the way it was playing earlier this season, the Tigers will have a big advantage over West Virginia’s predictable offense and a hobbled Pat White. But if Auburn gives the same effort they gave in a loss to Arkansas you can consider their season over. I’ll give Team Tuberville the benefit of the doubt one last time.
J.Pike’s Pick: Auburn 25, West Virginia 16

New Mexico @ Air Force
(Thursday, 7 pm, CBS College Sports)
New Mexico has seemingly been rejuvenated since the loss of their quarterback Donovan Porterie for the season. In fact, the 70-7 thumping they laid on San Diego State last week sent a message to the rest of the Mountain West not to count the Lobos out. But the Falcons consistently make opponents pay for mistakes, and that will be the difference in this game.
J.Pike’s Pick: Air Force 27, New Mexico 24

#14 Boise State @ San Jose State
(Friday, 8 pm, ESPN 2)
If Boise State is going to lose a game this season, this might be the one. San Jose State quarterback Kyle Reed is dynamic enough to take on a Boise State defense that has only allowed more than 7 points in a game once this season. Reed’s combination of accuracy in the passing game and elusiveness in the pocket will provide the biggest test to Boise’s solid secondary so far this year. They’ll have to cover longer than they’re used to and you never know when Reed will tuck it and run. Reed’s counterpart, Kellen Moore has sparked the Broncos this season whenever they needed it. He passed the first big road test of his career with flying colors when he led Boise State to a big win over Oregon in Autzen earlier this year, so I doubt the 20,000 packing Spartan Stadium will affect him much at all. Moore will lead his team to a hard fought victory as Boise State continues their hunt for another BCS Bowl.
J.Pike’s Pick: Boise State 23, San Jose State 17

WEEK SEVEN - Locks

Syracuse (+23½) over West Virginia
Syracuse is bad, but West Virginia hasn’t shown the ability to beat anybody by more than three touchdowns this year. With Pat White suffering through nagging injuries, I don’t expect that pattern to change.

Utah (-23) over Wyoming
Utah is playing good football right now and Wyoming simply is not. The Cowboys aren’t even averaging double digits in points this season (by far the worst in the nation), so a shutout by the strong Utah defense is more than possible – it’s probable. Utah quarterback Brian Johnson can easily manufacture at least 30 against this group.

Colorado State (+15½) over TCU
This is the kind of game that seems to trip up TCU just about every year. The Horned Frogs are favored on the road against a team with a new coach that is improving every week. Not only do I think Colorado State covers this large spread, I think they have an excellent shot at winning outright.

Louisiana-Lafayette (-21) over North Texas High
If I actually put money on these bets, I would have gotten rich betting against North Texas High School this season. Louisiana-Lafayette has the nation’s top rushing offense and Tyrell Fenroy nearly topped the 300-yard mark a week ago against Louisiana-Monroe! Look for the Ragin’ Cajuns to to approach 500 yards rushing and completely control the clock in this game.

Tulsa (-25) over SMU
This seems to be the week where I capitalize on the big spreads. Tulsa is tops in the nation averaging 56.4 points per game. June Jones is struggling to get his passing attack going as the Mustangs sit on a 1-5 record averaging only 22 points per game. Tulsa wins big.

Other games I like, but don’t feel good enough about to give them “Lock” status:
Texas (+7) over Oklahoma
Illinois (-12½) over Minnesota
Arizona State (+28) over USC
Buffalo (-1) over Western Michigan
Miami (-16½) over Central Florida
Arizona (-6½) over Stanford
Iowa State (+4½) over Baylor
San Jose State (-14) over Utah State
Missouri (-14) over Oklahoma State
UTEP (-4) over Tulane

WEEK FIVE - Preview

UPSET WATCH

Maryland @ #16 Clemson
Why it could happen: Clemson isn’t exactly setting the world on fire. For all their talent, they haven’t managed to put together a complete game yet this year. Maryland on the other hand seems to be hitting their stride since Chris Turner took over at quarterback.
Why it won’t happen: Clemson’s defense won’t allow Turner to make the same plays he made against Cal. James Davis and the running game put up 249 rushing yards against the Terps last year, and I expect them to approach that again this weekend. But it won’t be easy.
J.Pike’s Pick: Clemson 26, Maryland 18

Marshall @ West Virginia
Why it could happen: Marshall was up on West Virginia at halftime in last season’s matchup, and Mark Snyder finally has the Herd back on the winning track in 2008.
Why it won’t happen: West Virginia has struggled to find an identity early on, but they at least got back to the running game last week against Colorado. Pat White and Noel Devine have too much speed for the Marshall defense and they’ll find their way to the end zone more times than the Herd offense will.
J.Pike’s Pick: West Virginia 32, Marshall 27

UPSET WARNING

Northwestern @ Iowa
Why it will happen: Northwestern is better than anybody is giving them credit for so far. They play solid defense and have two playmakers on offense (QB C.J. Bacher & RB Tyrell Sutton) that Iowa can’t match. Northwestern can flat out manufacture more points than Iowa. Bacher will have a big day.
J.Pike’s Pick: Northwestern 27, Iowa 17

Colorado vs Florida State
(@ Jacksonville, FL)
Why it will happen: Florida State is one of the worst offensive teams in the nation right now. The play they have gotten from their quarterbacks the past 7+ years has been atrocious, and it has led to the deterioration of the offense to the point it’s at now. The Noles still like to talk trash and attempt to intimidate their opponents before the game (see photo evidence from last week's loss to Wake Forest), but that doesn’t work as well when you’re a .500 team. In fact it just makes you look like a bunch of morons. Colorado running back Rod Stewart will send Florida State away on a Downtown Train with a 2-2 record.
J.Pike’s Pick: Colorado 21, Florida State 13

Northwestern (+8) over Iowa
There’s no way Iowa is 8 points better than Northwestern because I think Northwestern is better than Iowa straight up.

Ole Miss (+23) over Florida
Florida isn’t clicking offensively yet this year and Urban Meyer is too busy complaining about the new clock rules to fix it. Last year it was his running backs’ fault the Gators couldn’t run the ball. You might want to take a look in the mirror sometime, Urb? Houston Nutt will have Ole Miss ready to play and they’ll make it a game into the fourth quarter.

Cincinnati (-10) over Akron
Now that Tony Pike has proven himself at quarterback, I expect Cincinnati to continue putting up 40 point games against inferior opponents such as Akron. Cincy wins big as Pike continues his late bid for the Heisman Trophy.

Rice (-18½) over North Texas High
Rice quarterback Chase Clement is actually pretty good. Facing one of the best high school teams in the state of Texas might be imposing for Hurst L.D. Bell, but Clement will have no problems. Rice will roll to a four touchdown win. At least North Texas High can get back to concentrating on winning their district and making State after this beat down.

Other games I like, but don’t feel good enough about to give them “Lock” status:
Duke (-7) over Virginia
Arkansas (+27½) over Texas
Colorado (+6) over Florida State
Purdue (+2½) over Notre Dame
Marshall (+15½) over West Virginia
Navy (+16) over Wake Forest
Oregon (-19½) over Washington State

WEEK FIVE - Preview

Now it’s time for our weekly look at a handful of games that are flying under the national radar. Of the four games listed below, two are MAC matchups that should have a big impact on who makes it to the conference championship game. The other two matchups are in-state rivalry games, each featuring a team on the cusp of the top 25. All four games warrant at least a glance at the ticker because you’ll see the majority of these teams in bowl games at the end of the season.

Western Michigan @ Temple
When Western Michigan’s offense takes the field against Temple’s defense it will be team strength versus team strength. Western quarterback Tim Hiller has above average skills in the passing game, but he has shown that he can be rattled. So that’s exactly what John Haley and the Temple defense will try to do. The Owls’ defense has been decent so far this season, giving up less than 200 passing yards per game. Hiller has been on top of his game lately though, and he’ll get the job done in a tougher than anticipated game in Philadelphia.
J.Pike’s Pick: Western Michigan 28, Temple 20

Marshall @ West Virginia
This in-state rivalry ended up as a blowout a year ago, but Marshall actually led 13-6 at halftime. Mark Snyder finally has the Marshall program back on track after three straight sub-.500 seasons. The Herd sits at 3-1 (the lone loss was a competitive game against #9 Wisconsin) thanks to the play of their experienced defense. Marshall is limiting opponents to 118 rushing yards per game so far. Offensively the passing game is clicking due to the play of wide receiver Darius Passmore (26 receptions for 473 yards, 4 tds). Passmore has given freshman Mark Cann a reliable, playmaking target, which is always nice for a young quarterback. West Virginia on the other hand is 1-2 and struggling with their offensive identity. It seemed like new offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen wanted to make Pat White a pocket passer the first couple weeks, but got back to the running game against Colorado that won them 33 games in the past three seasons. The offense is still way to predictable, but there’s still enough speed between White and Noel Devine to score enough points to win this game.
J.Pike’s Pick: West Virginia 32, Marshall 27

Buffalo @ Central Michigan
It’s time. Turner Gill has slowly built this Buffalo program into one of the elite in the MAC. Central Michigan has been the measuring stick the last couple years thanks to quarterback Dan LeFevour’s Tebow-esque stats, but now is when Buffalo makes their move. Drew Willy has been playing lights out this year and he’ll guide the Bulls on another last minute touchdown drive to seal the biggest win in school history.
J.Pike’s Pick: Buffalo 28, Central Michigan 27

Nevada @ UNLV
UNLV’s upset of Arizona State two weeks ago is just one of the many examples of the quality and depth of the Mountain West conference this year. Led by sophomore quarterback Omar Conner, the Rebels are 3-1 and on the top 25 radar for the first time in a long time. I don’t know if Mike Sanford is chewing on any towels on the sidelines, but he should be. On the other sideline, Chris Ault leads Nevada with his innovative “Pistol” offense. The Pistol is now popping into playbooks at places like Florida and Ohio State, but Ault is the creator. Nevada has already played two top 15 teams this year, so don’t let their poor record fool you. The Wolfpack has beaten UNLV each of the last three years, but it looks like UNLV has finally turned the corner.
J.Pike’s Pick: UNLV 27, Nevada 24

Thursday Night Game Preview

West Virginia

at
Colorado

(Thursday, 7:30 pm, ESPN)

West Virginia seems to be suffering from an identity crisis so far in the Bill Stewart era. Not only are the Mountaineers averaging a very un-West Virginia-like 164 yards rushing per game, they have been outgained by East Carolina and Villanova(!) in their two games this season. The defense hasn't been very good and for some reason they seem to be trying to turn Pat White into a pocket passer.

Colorado quarterback Cody Hawkins enters the game on a hot streak, completing over 70% of his passes so far in this young season. He's a gamer who has a bolstered rushing attack behind him thanks to the addition of highly touted true freshman Darrell Scott. Scott hasn't had that breakout game yet, but the West Virginia defense and a thursday night ESPN audience might be just the right time.

The bottom line is this: if West Virginia returns to the same offensive game plan that won them 33 games over the last three years, Pat White and Noel Devine will lead a speedy ground attack that will stay one step ahead of the Buffaloes on the scoreboard. If not, Colorado will have every opportunity to win it in front of what is sure to be a rowdy, drunken home crowd. I'll err on the side of what I've seen so far this season (offensive game plans by the WVU staff that don't take advantage of the talent on hand) and go with the home team.

J.Pike's Pick: Colorado 31, West Virginia 27

Gameday Commentary - Afternoon Games

*The call at the end of the BYU/Washington game was a disgrace. In case you missed it, Washington QB Jake Locker made a nice run to get into the end zone with 2 seconds left in the game to potentially tie the game. In the excitement he tossed the ball up in the air over his back and the official threw a flag for excessive celebration. Then the ensuing 35-yard PAT attempt was blocked. I'm sorry, but you don't ever throw a flag on what Locker did - ESPECIALLY in that situation. Washington was robbed - sort of. Should have executed the kick a little better.

*The Cincinnati/Oklahoma game went almost exactly as I expected. Oklahoma jumped on those pretenders early and Cincinnati committed several unnecessary penalties. Oklahoma is up 45-20 early in the 4th quarter and already have well over 500 yards of offense. The kick coverage has been troublesome though as Cincinnati has made several long runs on kick returns, including one that went for a touchdown. They'll need to work on that for sure.

*Stephen McGee has joined JaPorky Lane on the bench - finally. It only took a terrible performance against Arkansas State and a slow start against New Mexico. Jerrod Johnson is in now and he led two touchdown drives prior to halftime. The Aggie defense needs work though. Coach Fran left the cupboard bare on that side of the ball.

*East Carolina is for real, and West Virginia is not. ECU has owned the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and for some reason the Mountaineers think they are a passing team now. What? Why would you take away a huge advantage by not letting Pat White run? Why even play the game? But I don't want to take anything away from the Pirates. They are playing with a passion that is great to see. Wins over Virginia Tech and West Virginia are great wins for the program already this year.

*My upset pick of the week almost came through. Ole Miss QB Jevan Snead scrambled back and forth to find Cordera Eason in the end zone with a minute to go in the game to give Ole Miss a 28-27 lead. But Wake came back with a quick drive down the field to set up the game winning 41-yard FG by Sam Swank. Oh well, maybe next week...

*The Notre Dame offense looks every bit as awful as they were last season. The offensive line is terrible and Jimmy Clausen is the biggest tool of all time. They finally took the lead 14-13 on a touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter, but four turnovers and several breakdowns up front have led to yet another inefficient outing for the Charlie Weis offense. This is a bad team yet again.

*And did anybody else notice how much trouble Colorado had with Eastern Washington? They were down 21-7 at halftime and needed an interception return for touchdown with 2 minutes left in the game to win it.

WEEK TWO - Top 25 Preview (Part II: Top 10)

Ohio at #1-t Ohio State
(Saturday, 11 am, ESPN)
Vanilla is the name of the game here. The Ohio State defense will shut down Frank Solich’s offense so there’s no need to give USC any worthwhile film for next week’s showdown. Don’t expect to see anything fancy, especially when it comes to Terrelle Pryor. Beanie Wells will sit this one out to rest his injured toe.
J.Pike’s Pick: Ohio State 27, Ohio 3

Central Michigan at #1-t Georgia
(Saturday, 2:30 pm, ESPN360.com)
Central Michigan quarterback Dan LeFevour is basically Tim Tebow-lite. He should give the Georgia defense a nice warmup test for that Cocktail Party looming on the horizon. CMU prides themselves on their offense, but they haven’t faced a defense as speedy and athletic as they’ll face this weekend in Athens. Matt Stafford and Knowshon Moreno should have no problems with an outmatched Chippewa defense.
J.Pike’s Pick: Georgia 35, Central Michigan 17

#3 USC is off

Cincinnati at #4 Oklahoma
(Saturday, 2:30 pm, ABC)
Some are calling for this to be a close game, but I don’t see it. Few teams start out a season as strong as Oklahoma, and I’m not sure Cincinnati head coach Brian Kelly will ever be ready for a non-conference matchup like this one. OU will dominate in the trenches and Cincinnati will commit stupid penalty after stupid penalty as the frustration grows. Look for the Sooners to put this one away early. Cincinnati will score some garbage points late to make the score look more respectable though - it’s what Ben Mauk would have wanted. That and about eight more years of eligibility.
J.Pike’s Pick: Oklahoma 48, Cincinnati 26

Miami at #5 Florida
(Saturday, 7 pm, ESPN)
This is the game of the week. Miami’s strong recruiting class appears to be paying dividends already, especially on defense. The youngsters are injecting some much needed energy back into the program. Florida on the other hand fancies itself a serious national title contender due to a rather ridiculous stockpile of speed. The Gator defense is improving and I think they’ll be the difference in this game as the offense continues to struggle to find a running game outside of Tim Tebow. Prediction: Tebow will discover the cure for cancer during this game. He’s THAT good.
J.Pike’s Pick: Florida 32, Miami 20

#6 Texas at UTEP
(Saturday, 9:15 pm, ESPN 2)
A UTEP defense that gave up 42 points to Buffalo a week ago is no match for Texas. The UT offensive line will manhandle UTEP in the trenches allowing Colt McCoy to execute the offense flawlessly until the blowout is significant enough to pull the starters. That will probably happen sometime in the third quarter. New defensive coordinator Will Muschamp will take the opportunity to nail home his schemes to the young Texas defense, preparing them for their first big test against Oklahoma in a few weeks.
J.Pike’s Pick: Texas 45, UTEP 17

Southeast Missouri State at #7 Missouri
(Saturday, 6 pm, FSN PPV)
No explanation necessary for this one. Missouri has a powerhouse offense led by Chase Daniel and Jeremy Maclin, two legit Bo Jackson Award candidates. Southeast Missouri State is a 1-AA team that won three games last year. Game over.
J.Pike’s Pick: Missouri 66, Southeast Missouri State 20

Troy at #8 LSU
Postponed due to Hurricane Gustav

Southern Miss at #9 Auburn
(Saturday, 11:30am, Raycom/ESPN360.com)
The Auburn offense isn’t fully up and running yet under new coordinator Tony Franklin. Southern Miss on the other hand was firing on all cylinders offensively last week against Louisiana Lafayette. The Auburn defense is quite a step up in competition though. The Ragin’ Cajuns were able to run the ball effectively against Southern Miss, so I expect Auburn to win this game with defense and a strong performance by Ben Tate. But it will be a struggle from start to finish.
J.Pike’s Pick: Auburn 26, Southern Miss 16

#10 West Virginia at East Carolina
(Saturday, 3:30pm, ESPN)
East Carolina isn’t underrated anymore. The Pirate defense and special teams introduced themselves to the rest of the nation last week when they upset Virginia Tech. They also possess a young quarterback in Patrick Pinkney who can make plays with his arm and his feet, and he’ll give the porous West Virginia defense some headaches. But Pat White is still suiting up for the Mountaineers, so they’ll ride him to yet another victory.
J.Pike’s Pick: West Virginia 27, East Carolina 20

WEEK TWO - Preview

Southern Miss @ #9 Auburn
(Saturday, 11:30am, ESPN360.com)
Why it could happen: Auburn didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard last weekend against Louisiana-Monroe. In fact the defense and special teams scored almost as many points as the offense did. Auburn is still trying to figure out their quarterback situation, but Southern Miss has a potent offense that amassed 633 yards and 51 points last week.
Why it won’t happen: The Auburn defense is significantly than the Ragin’ Cajuns defense. USM will score, but it will be much tougher going against Tuberville’s unit. Ben Tate should also have plenty of room to run the ball against the Golden Eagle defense.
J.Pike’s Pick: Auburn 26, Southern Miss 16

#25 BYU @ Washington
(Saturday, 2pm, FSN)
Why it could happen: Husky Stadium isn’t an easy place to play. BYU has high expectations this season and are favored in this game. Even though Washington doesn’t look very good this year, this looks like a classic “trap” game.
Why it won’t happen: Jake Locker doesn’t have a good enough arm to keep Washington from being one dimensional on offense. BYU is good enough defensively to slow down Washington, and good enough offensively to score points in a difficult environment.
J.Pike’s Pick: BYU 33, Washington 20

#10 West Virginia @ East Carolina
(Saturday, 3:30pm, ESPN)
Why it could happen: East Carolina did it to Virginia Tech last week. Patrick Pinkney played a very good game against a Hokie defense that is far superior to what West Virginia is going to field. East Carolina has a solid defense too, and West Virginia didn’t show off the same potent running game they had last year, running for “only” 149 yards last week.
Why it won’t happen: Pat White will find a way to win. Even though they didn’t run the ball as well last week, White threw a career high 5 touchdown passes.
J.Pike’s Pick: West Virginia 27, East Carolina 20

Buffalo @ Pittsburgh
(Saturday, 5pm, ESPN360.com)
Why it could happen: Pitt was upset by Bowling Green last week, and Buffalo might be an even tougher opponent. Turner Gill’s Bulls routed UTEP last week to the tune of 42-17.
Why it won’t happen: Pitt has to circle the wagons and get a win for coach Dave Wannstedt here … don’t they?
J.Pike’s Pick: Pittsburgh 24, Buffalo 22

Ole Miss @ Wake Forest
(Saturday, 2:30pm, ABC)
Why it will happen: Houston Nutt has the Rebels on the upswing while Wake and the ACC appear to be declining. Wake looked good against Baylor, but this isn’t Baylor. Look for the Ole Miss defense to contain the Demon Deacon running game and force Riley Skinner to beat them. Dexter McCluster will rack up some big plays for the Rebel offense and ice this game late.
J.Pike’s Pick: Ole Miss 27, Wake Forest 24


Alright, so I lied. After picking only four games against the spread last week (and going 2-2), I see even more games I want to pick against the spread this week. We'll see how this goes.

Southern Miss (+17½) over Auburn
(Saturday, 11:30am, ESPN360.com)
Auburn’s offense isn’t quite up to speed yet and won’t break the 30 point mark. The defense is really good but new head coach Larry Fedora has the Southern Miss offense humming already, and they’ll score enough to keep it close.

Ole Miss (+8) over Wake Forest
(Saturday, 2:30pm, ABC)
Congratulations Demon Deacons - you smacked around Baylor. Houston Nutt comes to town with a vastly improved Ole Miss squad that plays enough defense to possibly pull off the upset.

California (-13½) over Washington State
(Saturday, 5:30pm, FCS-Pacific)
Washington State simply doesn’t have enough players to compete this season. Cal on the other hand seems to have new life on offense thanks to the move from Nate Longspare to Kevin Riley at quarterback. Cal wins big.

Tulsa (-21½) over North Texas
(Saturday, 6pm)
Tulsa has one of the best offenses in the nation. Head coach Todd Graham has scored points everywhere he’s been, and North Texas coach Todd Dodge is in over his head here. Tulsa might go for 60 points in this one.

Western Michigan (-6) over Northern Illinois
(Saturday, 6pm)
Western Michigan tested their mettle in Lincoln last week and came out looking like they might be able to do some damage in the MAC. Northern Illinois on the other hand blew it against a Minnesota team that is one of the worst in the nation. Western wins handily at home.

Other games I like, but don’t feel good enough about to give them “Lock” status:
Oklahoma (-21½) over Cincinnati
Air Force (+3) over Wyoming
Buffalo (+13) over Pittsburgh
South Florida (-14) over Central Florida
Iowa State (-7) over Kent State
Miami (+21½) over Florida
Arizona State (-14) over Stanford

WEEK ONE - Top 25 Preview

A whopping ten teams in the J&BP top 25 are hosting 1-AA opponents this week. It's a good thing the NCAA added a 12th game to the schedule so that teams can assure themselves of bowl eligibility by fattening their record on one extra cupcake. At least there's a few interesting games on the schedule to keep the excitement going. After all, it's opening weekend! Here's an overview of the top 25 schedule and my picks. Also BP Picks have been added also so let the comparison's begin!

Youngstown State at #1 Ohio State
Saturday, 11 am, Big Ten Network
A tune-up for the loaded Buckeyes. Terrelle Pryor will see his first collegiate action.
J.Pike's Pick: Ohio State, 31-6
Terrelle Pryor show will be in Technocolor in the second half of this one, Tune in for the Trojan killer!
BP Pick: Ohio St

Georgia Southern at #2 Georgia
Saturday, 11:30 am, ESPN360.com
The Suspension Bowl! These two teams combined will have 13 players sitting out due to suspension.
J.Pike's Pick: Georgia, 41-13
This will be really ugly..........
BP Pick: Georgia

Chattanooga at #3 Oklahoma
Saturday, 6 pm, FSN PPV
This one will get ugly early thanks to OU's dominance in the trenches.
J.Pike's Pick: Oklahoma, 59-22
Pardon me Roy, Is that the Chattanooga.....no its Demarco Murray.
BP Pick: Oklahoma

#4 USC at Virginia
Saturday, 2:30 pm, ABC/ESPN2
USC takes a rare cross-country road trip for their season opener. How will their inexperienced offense respond? Luckily for the Trojans, Virginia's defense was gutted due to exhausted eligibility, and quarterback Jameel Sewell will sit out the season due to academics.
J.Pike's Pick: USC, 33-10
Jameel would have kept Virginia within 20 but now this is a official blowout.
BP Pick: USC

Hawaii at #5 Florida
Saturday, 11:30 am, Raycom/ESPN360.com
Hawaii will travel over 4,700 miles to play this game - at 5:30 am Island time! Even with some of Florida's key players (WR Harvin, LB Spikes) out nursing injuries, this should still be a cakewalk against the June Jones/Colt Brennan-less Warriors.
J.Pike's Pick: Florida, 55-27
Hawaii - Colt Brennan - June Jones = 5th in the WAC. Florida's speed is ridiculous.
BP Pick: Florida

#25 Alabama vs #6 Clemson (@ Atlanta, GA)

Saturday, 7 pm, ABC
This is a difficult challenge for a Clemson team with national title aspirations. Nick Saban would like nothing more than to spoil those dreams right out of the gate. We'll get our first glimpse of freshman wide receiver Julio Jones, but the Tigers are loaded on both sides of the ball and will handle Bama.

J.Pike's Pick: Clemson, 23-17
This will be the gem of the weekend and I believe Clemson will not disappoint. This is possible the best team Tommy Bowden has had since he has been there if he doesn't win the ACC and go to a BCS bowl it will be a failure. I know it is week 1, but this one sets the tone. It will be close but I agree CJ and James will do work.
BP Pick: Clemson

Florida Atlantic at #7 Texas
Saturday, 6 pm, FSN PPV
Schnelly called out the Horns' toughness; Mack has been testy with the doubting local media; Vince Young's jersey will be retired before the game. There's plenty of motivation for the Longhorns in this game. I'm curious how Will Muschamp's defense will fare against the surprisingly potent Owl attack.
J.Pike's Pick: Texas, 30-13
Check out the spread picks coming up but straight up give me the Longhorns. This would be epic if FAtl could pull it off, but Mack is saying the right things and this Team is flying under the radar, no off the field incidents this year. I gotta say it, this team could be a player in the BCS.
BP Pick: Texas

#18 Illinois vs #8 Missouri (@ St. Louis, MO)
Saturday, 7:30 pm, ESPN
Game of the week. It should be another entertaining shootout like last season. Don't change the channel after Mizzou jumps out to a big early lead - Zook will make adjustments and this one will go right down to the wire.
J.Pike's Pick: Missouri, 31-27
I love Juice Williams but Vontae Davis is not enough to stop Missouri, who every time I look at them look better!
BP Pick: Missouri

Louisiana-Monroe at #9 Auburn
Saturday, 6 pm, ESPN360.com
An SEC team playing a Sun Belt team - that's a shock...
J.Pike's Pick: Auburn, 31-10
This isn't Alabama, welcome to a real SEC team Mr. Lancaster.
BP Pick: Auburn

Villanova at #9 West Virginia
Saturday, 2:30 pm, ESPN360.com
Not a bad Big East basketball matchup. Not a good football matchup.
J.Pike's Pick: West Virginia, 52-24
This would be a great college basketball game, but its not so watch Pat White and Noel play for a half.
Pick: W Virginia

Appalachian State at #11 LSU
Saturday, 4 pm, ESPN
How about this for a playoff game: LSU, the defending national champs, square off against defending D1-AA champs Appalachian State. Can the Mountaineers pull off another landmark upset? LSU has some question marks, but they are more stable than Michigan was last season. I don't think lightning will strike twice.
J.Pike's Pick: LSU, 38-24
I have heard some shock jocks saying they will beat LSU, sorry but the Jungle is a worse place to be the Big House. LSU will take Cinderella out and not call her back.]
BP Pick: LSU

#12 Tennessee at UCLA
Monday, 7 pm, ESPN
This is an intriguing game. The Vols travel all the way out to California to take on UCLA in Rick Neuheisel's debut. Kevin Craft will be QB'ing for the Bruins, while Tennessee will be breaking in Rick Clawson's new fangled offense. Tennessee looks like a much better team on paper, but you never know what Skippy might have up his sleeve.
J.Pike's Pick: Tennessee, 30-16
For Some reason I think Jonathan Crompton will have a big year this year and it starts with the overrated coaching of Rick Neuheisel. Tennessee will roll.
BP Pick: Tennessee

Akron at #13 Wisconsin
Saturday, 11 am, Big Ten Network
Allan Evridge makes his first start for Wisconsin against a MAC team with not a lot returning.
J.Pike's Pick: Wisconsin, 27-11
Akron may not score in this one, go back to the Rubber Bowl.
BP Pick: Wisconsin

Northern Arizona at #14 Arizona State
Saturday, 9 pm, FCS-Central
Dennis Erickson begins his second year in Tempe with a warm up against the 1-AA Lumberjacks.
J.Pike's Pick: Arizona State, 48-20
Yawn........Rudy, will be done at the half.
BP Picks: Arizona St.

Eastern Washington at #15 Texas Tech
Saturday, 6 pm
The only question in this one is whether the Red Raiders will reach triple digits. Mike Leach will give it his best shot.
J.Pike's Pick: Texas Tech, 84-21
This will be ugly and will reach Triple digits.
BP Pick: Texas Tech

Coastal Carolina at #16 Penn State
Saturday, 11 am, Big Ten Network
Darryl Clark gets the keys to the offense and Stephfon Green finally unleashes his "warp speed" on an opponent. Everybody who suits up for the Nittany Lions will play.
J.Pike's Pick: Penn State, 47-6
Coastal Carolina will be shut out. Joe Pa gotta a pretty good team this year, and no more Morelli.
BP Pick: Penn St.

Washington at #17 Oregon
Saturday, 9 pm, FSN
Justin Roper will start at quarterback for the injured Nate Costa. How will the Ducks offense respond? It might not matter if Jake Locker has to throw against the fantastic Oregon secondary. Locker doesn't exactly pose much of a threat in the passing game.
J.Pike's Pick: Oregon, 27-13
I hate, conference games to open the season, but as much as I would like to take Jake, he doesn't have enough around him to pull the upset.
BP Pick: Oregon

Florida International at #19 Kansas
Saturday, 6 pm
Blowout. The Kansas defense shines again.
J.Pike's Pick: Kansas, 44-10
Jabba will push the issue and it may reach 70.
BP Pick: Kansas

Tennessee-Martin at #20 South Florida
Saturday, 6:30 pm, ESPN360.com
Who is Martin? Is he any good?
J.Pike's Pick: South Florida, 38-17
Yawn....
BP Pick: USF

#21 Utah at Michigan
Saturday, 2:30 pm, ABC/ESPN2
This might be the most interesting game of the opening weekend. Utah has dreams of a BCS bowl and Rich Rodriguez introduces the spread offense to the folks in Ann Arbor.
J.Pike's Pick: Utah, 24-13
Well Utah is the en vogue pick this year and I really like this team. Michigan I believe will be this year's Notre Dame so it starts with game one. What up Brian Johnson you win this one you can put it on coast until the final game of the year against BYU.
BP Pick: Utah

Western Michigan at #22 Nebraska
Saturday, 6 pm, FSN PPV
I'll be making the roadie up for the first home game of the Bo Pelini. I expect to see some ups and downs, particularly with the Nebraska defense going up against an experienced quarterback in Tim Hiller. Nebraska's high octane offense (Shawn Watson is finally calling the plays!) will be too much for Western.
J.Pike's Pick: Nebraska, 37-17
This will be closer then most people think, Bo knows Defense so the Blackshirt will be at least in the building, but not in the lockerroom yet. W Michigan is a good team and is used to playing with the Big Boys. But the Husk will pull it out. Watch for my spread prediction.
BP Pick: Nebraska

Northern Iowa at #23 BYU
Saturday, 5 pm, MTN.
This will be tougher than it looks. Northern Iowa finished 12-1 last season and will give the Fighting Mormons all they can handle.
J.Pike's Pick: BYU, 26-17
Max Power throws for 400...
BP Pick: BYU

#24 Boston College vs Kent State (@ Cleveland, OH)
Saturday, 6:30 pm, ESPN U
There are many reasons to tune in to this game. BC breaks in a new quarterback and will get to show off their stout defense. But more importantly, make sure you check out Kent's mighty mite running back Eugene Jarvis. The 5-foot-5 dynamo is one of the best backs you've never heard of.
J.Pike's Pick: Boston College, 33-13
This game is in Cleveland Rocks and BC is starting everyone new in the offensive backfield, Kent returns pinball Jarvis who is impossible to see behind the line of scrimmage. As much as I want to take Kent, I can't pull the trigger based on coaching of Jeff Jagodzinski, so no upset alert but watch my spread picks.
BP Pick: BC

NOTE: All times listed are CST

BP25- #9 W Virginia Mountaineers

Well I am going to be short and sweet and remind everyone that this is a preseason ranking. They will not stay here long.

OFF-Pat White and Noel Devine lead the team and return a very solid 5 starters on the OL. So the offense will stay lethal. Although watch out for White and Devine durability (Jarrett Brown is a capable backup) and overall depth of this team.

DEF-This is a very average defense. As much as people are criticizing Rich Rodriguez move to the Big House, he saw this one coming. This will be the achilles heel of the team and will be inconsistent all year.

Schedule- The non conference look easy to naked eye but a trip to my suprise team E. Carolina and a trip to Boulder could be tough and that is a preqel to Auburn rolling into town. Conference road games include UConn, Louisville and Pittsburgh, all a 50/50 shot. They wrap the season up with USF whom they have lost to the last two seasons.

The reason I have them ranked at #9 is because its preseason and that offense on paper is fantastic. But I am tying a anchor to this team and predicting they will not be ranked after thier trip to Rutgers in the first week of October.

Rich where are you and your $2M settlement?

Big East Preview

Favorite: West Virginia

Despite a coaching change, the Mountaineers are the most well-equipped team to make a run at the Big East title. Pat White and the offense will again be one of the most difficult to defend in the nation. The defense has some holes to fill, but since when has defense mattered in Morgantown? The Big East title will be decided in the last two weeks of West Virginia’s season when they travel to Pitt and host USF. Pitt upset the Mountaineers last season and knocked them out of a potential spot in the national title game. I believe West Virginia will only need to split those two games to earn their third BCS bowl berth in four years.

Sleeper: Pittsburgh
If Pitt is able to build on their season capping upset over West Virginia at the end of 2007, they might have a realistic shot at the Big East title. All the pieces seem to be in place, highlighted by the fantastic running of LeSean McCoy on offense and tackling machine Scott McKillop on defense. If Dave Wannstedt can coach the Panthers up, only an early road trip to South Florida will stand in the way of the Backyard Brawl with West Virginia deciding the Big East champion.

On the Rise: Louisville
Poor Steve Kragthorpe. If he had known the mess Bobby Petrino left this program in, he might have reconsidered leaving Tulsa prior to last season. In addition to the rash of off-the-field issues that led to dismissals of several former Petrino players, many of the players that stuck around quit on the Kragthorpe last year, presumably because he introduced an element of discipline to the program that was clearly lacking. Former Michigan defensive coordinator Ron English was brought in to fix the defense and it appears Kragthorpe might be in for one more difficult season at Louisville - but the clouds will part soon. Once he gets a core of his own players in place, you’ll see marked improvement in effort and cohesion and Louisville will once again be in the thick of the Big East race.

Declining: Cincinnati
Brian Kelly is no Mark Dantonio. Kelly inherited a good team and won, but his inattention to detail (Kelly openly admits to not caring about finishing last in the Big East in penalties) will catch up with him this season when they won’t be able to sneak up on teams anymore. Cincinnati will still be a bowl team with a potent offense, but they won’t win 10 games again.

PROJECTED STANDINGS & RECORDS

1. West Virginia	10-2 (6-1 conference)
2. South Florida	9-3 (5-2)
3. Pittsburgh	8-4 (4-3)
4. Rugters	8-4 (4-3)
5. Connecticut	7-5 (3-4)
6. Cincinnati	8-5 (3-4)
7. Louisville	6-6 (3-4)
8. Syracuse	2-10 (0-7)

PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

Offense: Pat White (QB, West Virginia)
Defense: George Selvie (DE, South Florida)
Special Teams: Pat McAfee (K/P, West Virginia)

NATIONAL AWARDS CANDIDATES
Noel Devine (RB, WVU) – Sayers
Matt Grothe (QB, USF) - Frazier
LeSean McCoy (RB, Pitt) – Bo Jackson, Sayers, J.Pike’s Fave
Mike Mickens (CB – Cincy) – Deion
George Selvie (DE, USF) - Arrington
Pat White (QB, WVU) – Bo Jackson, Frazier
Gold Wrenches:
West Virginia offensive line
Rutgers defensive line