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

Big East All-Conference

Give me Mike Teel and him leading his team to a bowl over the very athletic but very soft Pat White, and for Noel Devine, see you next year.


QB Mike Teel, Rutgers QB SR
RB Donald Brown, Connecticut RB JR
RB LeSean McCoy, Pittsburgh RB SO
WR Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati WR SR
WR Kenny Britt, Rutgers WR JR
WR Dominick Goodman, Cincinnati WR SR
OL Eric Wood, Louisville OL SR
OL Anthony Davis, Rutgers OL SO
OL Ryan Durand, Syracuse OL SR
OL Ryan Stanchek, West Virginia OL SR
OL Jeffrey Linkenbach, Cincinnati OL JR

DL Cody Brown, Connecticut DL SR
DL Connor Barwin, Cincinnati DE SR
DL Greg Romeus, Pittsburgh DL SO
DL George Selvie, South Fla. DL JR
LB Scott McKillop, Pittsburgh LB SR
LB Tyrone McKenzie, South Fla. LB SR
LB Ryan D'Imperio, Rutgers LB JR
DB Jasper Howard, Connecticut DB SO
DB Mike Mickens, Cincinnati DB SR
DB Dom DeCicco, Pittsburgh DB SO
DB Woodny Turenne, Louisville CB SR

K Pat McAfee, West Virginia K SR
P Kevin Huber, Cincinnati P SR
KR Dontavia Bogan, South Fla. WR SO
PR DeAngelo Smith, Cincinnati DB SR

Bowl Results

For the record, here's how the conferences fared in bowl games this season. Selections in red indicate the conference's signature win. Selections in blue indicate the conference's worst loss.

J.Pike's Bowl Picks Record: 17-17 (50%)
BCS Bowl Picks Record: 3-2 (60%)

1. PAC-10
Record: 5-0 (100%)
Results
Las Vegas Bowl: Arizona 31, BYU 21
Emerald Bowl: California 24, Miami 17
Holiday Bowl: Oregon 42, Oklahoma State 31
Sun Bowl: Oregon State 3, Pittsburgh 0
Rose Bowl: USC 38, Penn State 24

2. SEC
Record: 6-2 (75%)
Results
Music City Bowl: Vanderbilt 16, Boston College 14
Peach Bowl: LSU 38, Georgia Tech 3
Outback Bowl: Iowa 31, South Carolina 10
Citrus Bowl: Georgia 24, Michigan State 12
Cotton Bowl: Ole Miss 47, Texas Tech 34
Liberty Bowl: Kentucky 25, East Carolina 19
Sugar Bowl: Utah 31, Alabama 17
National Title Game: Florida 24, Oklahoma 14

3t. BIG EAST
Record: 4-2 (66.7%)
Results
St. Petersburg Bowl: South Florida 41, Memphis 14
Meineke Car Care Bowl: West Virginia 31, North Carolina 30
Pizza Bowl: Rutgers 29, N.C. State 23
Sun Bowl: Oregon State 3, Pittsburgh 0
Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech 20, Cincinnati 7
International Bowl: Connecticut 38, Buffalo 20

3t. CONFERENCE USA
Record: 4-2 (66.7%)
Results
St. Petersburg Bowl: South Florida 41, Memphis 14
New Orleans Bowl: Southern Miss 30, Troy 27 (OT)
Texas Bowl: Rice 38, Western Michigan 14
Armed Forces Bowl: Houston 34, Air Force 28
Liberty Bowl: Kentucky 25, East Carolina 19
GMAC Bowl: Tulsa 45, Ball State 13

5. MOUNTAIN WEST
Record: 3-2 (60%)
Results
New Mexico Bowl: Colorado State 40, Fresno State 35
Las Vegas Bowl: Arizona 31, BYU 21
Poinsettia Bowl: TCU 17, Boise State 16
Armed Forces Bowl: Houston 34, Air Force 28
Sugar Bowl: Utah 31, Alabama 17

6. BIG XII
Record: 4-3 (57.1%)
Results
Alamo Bowl: Missouri 30, Northwestern 23 (OT)
Holiday Bowl: Oregon 42, Oklahoma State 31
Insight Bowl: Kansas 42, Minnesota 21
Gator Bowl: Nebraska 26, Clemson 21
Cotton Bowl: Ole Miss 47, Texas Tech 34
Fiesta Bowl: Texas 24, Ohio State 21
National Title Game: Florida 24, Oklahoma 14

7. ACC
Record: 4-6 (40%)
Results
Eagle Bank Bowl: Wake Forest 29, Navy 19
Meineke Car Care Bowl: West Virginia 31, North Carolina 30
Champs Sports Bowl: Florida State 42, Wisconsin 13
Emerald Bowl: California 24, Miami 17
Pizza Bowl: Rutgers 29, N.C. State 23
Humanitarian Bowl: Maryland 42, Nevada 35
Music City Bowl: Vanderbilt 16, Boston College 14
Peach Bowl: LSU 38, Georgia Tech 3
Gator Bowl: Nebraska 26, Clemson 21
Orange Bowl: Virginia Tech 20, Cincinnati 7

8. WAC
Record: 1-4 (20%)
Results
New Mexico Bowl: Colorado State 40, Fresno State 35
Poinsettia Bowl: TCU 17, Boise State 16
Hawaii Bowl: Notre Dame 49, Hawaii 21
Independence Bowl: Louisiana Tech 17, Northern Illinois 10
Humanitarian Bowl: Maryland 42, Nevada 35

9. BIG TEN
Record: 1-6 (14.3%)
Results
Champs Sports Bowl: Florida State 42, Wisconsin 13
Alamo Bowl: Missouri 30, Northwestern 23 (OT)
Insight Bowl: Kansas 42, Minnesota 21
Outback Bowl: Iowa 31, South Carolina 10
Citrus Bowl: Georgia 24, Michigan State 12
Rose Bowl: USC 38, Penn State 24
Fiesta Bowl: Texas 24, Ohio State 21

10. MAC
Record: 0-5 (0%)
Results
Motor City Bowl: Florida Atlantic 24, Central Michigan 21
Independence Bowl: Louisiana Tech 17, Northern Illinois 10
Texas Bowl: Rice 38, Western Michigan 14
International Bowl: Connecticut 38, Buffalo 20
GMAC Bowl: Tulsa 45, Ball State 13

Tony Pike is headed to the BCS

After clinching a BCS bowl last week with the win over Pittsburgh, Tony Pike and the Cincinnati Bearcats set out to win the Big East Championship outright with a win over Syracuse on Saturday.

Pike led the Bearcats to their 10th win of the season, tying a school record. Cincinnati looks downright unstoppable right now thanks to the steady play of its junior quarterback.

Next up for the Bearcats is a trip to the islands to face Hawaii. One more chance for Tony Pike to perform in front of the Heisman voters and get his name on the list early for next season.

The Tony Pike Stat Line
Passing: 28/44 (63.6%) for 272 yards, 2 td, 1 int
Rushing: 9 attempts for -2 yards

See sidebar for season stats

Tony Pike is Unstoppable

In the thick of races for both the Big East title and the Heisman, Tony Pike played the best game of his career in a huge victory over rival Pittsburgh on Saturday. Pike led the Bearcats to their first victory over Pitt in the school's history, and inched closer to clinching the Big East title.

Pike was nearly perfect throwing the ball (only 6 incomplete passes in 32 attempts), but most impressive were his rushing attempts. Despite playing with a broken left arm, Pike was called on to run a handful of quarterback draws. Pitt had no answer. Take it from Dave Wannstedt:

"We had no answer fot that quarterback. He was incredible."

That's right, Pike was "incredible." That's no surprise to us here at Pikes Picks though.

A win over Syracuse next week will guarantee Cincinnati a slot in the BCS, which means a Pike will finally get to play in a BCS game.

The Tony Pike Stat Line
Passing: 26/32 (81.3%) for 309 yards, 3 td, 0 int
Rushing: 9 attempts for 33 yards

See sidebar for season stats

Tony Pike Update

Tony Pike led Cincinnati into Morgantown and beat Big East leader West Virginia in overtime Saturday night. The win propelled the Bearcats into a tie for first place in the conference and proved Pike has the moxie to lead his team through thick and thin. Despite allowing 13 points in the final 1:11 of regulation, Pike maintained his poise and found Kazeem Alli in the end zone for the game winning touchdown in overtime. Pike also ran for a touchdown late in the second quarter. His left arm is getting better every day, but so is Dustin Grutza's broken leg. Will Pike remain the starter when Grutza returns? Stay tuned.

The Tony Pike Stat Line
Passing: 16/30 (53.3%) for 178 yards, 1 td, 0 int
Rushing: 7 attempts for -9 yards, 1 td

See sidebar for season stats

Football for Breakfast

Mmm. Football for Breakfast. Here's some last minute picks before the games start this morning.

West Virginia 27, Connecticut 20
Somebody has to win the Big East, right? At the moment I think West Virginia is the strongest team in the weakest of all BCS conferences. UConn is without the services of their top two quarterbacks, and running back Donald Brown (aka Javon Ringer-East) can only do so much. Meanwhile the West Virginia backfield duo of Pat White and Noel Devine are just starting to hit their stride. UConn will put up a fight, but they won’t be able to contain Devine’s speed for 60 minutes.

Central Michigan 32, Indiana 23
Indiana got their upset win a week ago against an injury plagued Northwestern team missing their top quarterback and running back. This week they’ll return to earth when one of the top non-BCS teams you know nothing about comes to town.

Virginia 25, Miami 17
Virginia continues their winning ways by beating a talented, but young and inconsistent Miami team. Look out for the 'Canes in 2009.

Notre Dame 34, Pittsburgh 27
Who knows what Pittsburgh team is going to show up? The Big East Conference has some of the most inconsistent programs in the nation. Notre Dame will beat Pitt the same way Rutgers did: with the passing game. Jimmy “the Ostrich” Clausen throws a nice deep ball and Golden Tate and true freshman Michael Floyd are more than capable of cashing in on the big play opportunities sure to come their way.

Mississippi State 24, Kentucky 21
Rich Brooks made a smart move by designating Randall Cobb the starting quarterback. The wide receiver-turned-signal caller has excellent athleticism and looks natural throwing the football. The problem is Kentucky has been bitten hard by the injury bug. Not only are receiver Dicky Lyons and running back Derrick Locke out for the season, but three offensive linemen and up to five defensive starters may miss this game against the Croomdawgs as well. You aren’t going to win many games missing that many key players no matter who you are.

Boston College 27, Clemson 17
Clemson is done. There isn’t a single player on the roster capable of blocking anybody, so BC’s defense should have no problem shutting the inept Tigers down.

Iowa 20, Illinois 16
Iowa running back Shonn Green will chew up yards and clock against the underachieving Illini defense, which will keep Juice Williams and Arrelious Benn on the sidelines.

Louisville 34, Syracuse 15
I’m going to go ahead and start hyping up the Cardinals. The rest of the Big East is clearly incapable of shooting themselves in the foot, so why can’t Steve Kragthorpe’s gang crash the party a year early?

South Carolina 24, Tennessee 16
Could this be the last meeting between Phil Fulmer and Steve Spurrier? This head coaching rivalry has brought us some great moments – such as the famous “you can’t spell ‘Citrus’ without ‘UT’” blast. I’m picking Spurrier for old time’s sake.

Oregon State 33, Arizona State 27
The honeymoon is over for Dennis Erickson in Tempe. After a successful first season (that happened to coincide with an easy schedule), the Sun Devils are crashing and burning in year two.

WEEK TEN - Thursday Night Game

South Florida @ Cincinnati
(Thursday, 6:30 pm, ESPN)
Talk about hobbling into a game. Both of these teams have suffered significant injuries this season. South Florida will be playing without leading rusher Mike Ford and linebacker Brouce Mompremier on Thursday night. Ford is an important cog in the offense because without him the Bulls struggle to get production from the ground game. Mompremier is a solid linebacker and vocal leader on defense. Safety Danny Verpaele, offensive lineman Zach Hermann, and kicker Justin Teachey also are likely to miss the game. Cincinnati is in no better shape as they have gone through several quarterbacks already this year. Dustin Grutza started the season strong but broke his leg in the first half against Oklahoma. Tony Pike took over as the starter and later broke his arm. He attempted to come back last week against UConn but lost feeling in the injured arm and had to be taken out. That leaves freshman Chazz Anderson to man the position, where he’ll face the awesome pass rush abilities of USF defensive end George Selvie. You know Selvie will be coming too because Cincinnati isn’t much of a threat to run the ball. Go ahead and pencil in at least one sack for the All American. Cincinnati won the game last year in Tampa, Florida, but I’ll give the edge to South Florida this year. Cincy isn’t forcing nearly as many turnovers as they did a year ago, therefore they don’t play enough defense to keep Matt Grothe out of the end zone.
J.Pike’s Pick: South Florida 26, Cincinnati 23

JP25 Update

See you later Big East. With league front runners Pittsburgh and South Florida losing this weekend, the league is now without a single team ranked in the JP top 25. West Virginia is on the rise again, but can you really give a team credit for beating Auburn any more? If the Big East doesn't voluntarily give up their slot in the BCS to the Mountain West champion at the end of this season, I'm going to campaign to have them kicked out of the equation altogether. Come on Big East! Get with the program!

Top 25 (last week, record)
1. Texas (1, 8-0)
2. Penn State (2, 9-0)
3. Alabama (3, 8-0)
4. Georgia (5, 7-1)
5. Oklahoma (4, 7-1)
6. USC (6, 6-1)
7. Florida (8, 6-1)
8. Oklahoma State (9, 7-1)
9. Ohio State (7, 7-2)
10. Utah (11, 8-0)
11. Missouri (12, 6-2)
12. Texas Tech (15, 8-0)
13. TCU (14, 8-1)
14. Boise State (16, 7-0)
15. LSU (10, 5-2)
16. Tulsa (17, 8-0)
17. Oregon (24, 6-2)
18. Michigan State (--, 7-2)
19. Florida State (--, 6-1)
20. Maryland (--, 6-2)
21. Kansas (13, 5-3)
22. BYU (22, 7-1)
23. Virginia Tech (21, 5-3)
24. North Carolina (--, 6-2)
25. Minnesota (--, 7-1)

Dropped Out: Georgia Tech (18), Boston College (19), Pittsburgh (20), Arizona (23), South Florida (25)
Just Missed The Cut: California, Virginia, Georgia Tech, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Arizona, Boston College, South Florida

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

BP25- #15 USF Bulls

Had a write up but it is gone, so instead of doing it again, I suggest you just sit back and enjoy yourself and forget it ever happened......That goes for you at home as well.

JP25 - #10 WEST VIRGINIA

It’s interesting that West Virginia fans are already judging new head coach Bill Stewart as a bad hire - a decision that wasn’t thought through - when actually it’s the fans that are not thinking the decision through. Stewart has been around this program for seven years now which will lend continuity to the coaching staff at a school that doesn’t get many shots at competing for a national title. Besides, wasn’t this the same head coach that led the Mountaneers to a huge beat-down over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl?

OFFENSE
Stewart made great decision by bringing Jeff Mullen over from Wake Forest to coordinate the offense. He’ll have a lot to work with too as quarterback Pat White returns along with the entire two-deep offensive line. White continues to impress me with his ability to lead and make smart decisions. Not only is he one of the best running quarterbacks in the nation (1,335 rushing yards, 14 tds), he also completed two-thirds of his passes and only threw 4 interceptions a year ago. White will make a serious run at the Bo Jackson Award. If anything happens to White, the Mountaineers will be able to call on Jarrett Brown to lead the offense. Brown is one of the best backup QBs in the nation, and he has a similar skill set to White so that they don’t have to limit the playbook when he’s in.

The return of the entire offensive line immediately puts West Virginia in the running for a Gold Wrench. This unit paved the way for 297.2 rushing yards (third nationally) and 6.2 yards per carry. Ryan Stanchek is the headliner with 34 career starts under his belt and All America status. Center Mike Dent is solid in an offense that asks a lot out of its center, and guard Greg Isdaner is a rising star.

However, West Virginia loses a trio of skill players that contributed heavily to their offensive success the last couple years. Steve Slaton was a speedster, but he was terrible running in traffic and was honestly a product of the system. I believe 5-foot-8 sophomore Noel Devine, with his ridiculous athleticism and superior running skills, will be an immediate upgrade at running back.

Fullback Owen Schmitt and wide receiver Darius Reynaud will be more difficult to replace. Schmitt was a battering ram and a big reason White and Slaton were able to pile up big rushing yards. Reynaud was an underrated playmaker in Morgantown – I believe he was even more important to the offense than Slaton was. Reynaud scored 13 touchdowns a year ago, came up with a ton of clutch receptions, and had fantastic skills in the open field to turn short passes into long gains. Replacing Reynaud in the passing game is the single biggest concern facing the offense.

DEFENSE
Defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel has some work to do. West Virginia managed to look good statistically on defense last season (finished in the top 10 nationally in rush defense and scoring defense) despite the fact that they were pretty average most of the time. Now only four starters return and 9 of the top 13 tacklers from a year ago are gone.

The linebackers in the 3-3-5 stack defense look solid, with Reed Williams and Mortty Ivy back in the fold, but the defensive line and secondary suffered massive losses. Up front, Johnny Dingle and Kellen Dykes are gone, leaving Scooter Berry as the only experienced D-lineman. Junior college transfer Tevita Finau was a big signing and he is expected to take over one of the three spots, but those are the only two players that can be considered a sure thing at this point.

In the secondary, Quinton Andrews and Charles Pugh are back at Rover, but the other four positions are all up for grabs. The cornerbacks in particular are in a state of flux. Overall there are too many question marks on defense for the Mountaineers to make a realistic run at going undefeated and playing for a national title.

KEEP AN EYE ON
Who – if anyone – is going to step up and fill the shoes of playmaker Darius Reynaud in the passing game?

RISING STAR
Noel Devine. Devine’s highlight reel is already legendary. Now that he’s a full time starter that reel will expand considerably.

Big East - RB Rankings

1. LeSean McCoy, Pittsburgh
If you don't know who LeSean McCoy is yet, you will soon. The sophomore running back is one of the best in the land with an excellent combination of speed, agility, and vision. There isn't anything he can't do.

2. Noel Devine, West Virginia
Noel Devine grabbed all the headlines with his high school highlight reel, but he proved those were no flukes by providing highlight reel runs as a freshman at West Virginia last season. His rare speed and agility seems to be unmatched on the college level right now, and he'll be an upgrade over the departed Steve Slaton - who was possibly the most overrated college player of the last decade.

3. Donald Brown/Andre Dixon, UConn
These two split time and are both solid backs.

KEEP AN EYE ON
* Kordell Young/Mason Robinson, Rutgers - Just because Ray Rice is gone doesn't mean Rutgers isn't going to run the football any more. Both of these backs will have the opportunity to fill his shoes this season.
* Curtis Brinkley/Delone Carter, Syracuse - These two highly touted backs have missed most of their careers so far because of constant injuries. If one or both can stay healthy, they'll have the opportunity to save coach Greg Robinson's job by providing the offense with at least the threat of a weapon.

BP25- #25 Pittsburgh Panthers

Well here is my first post in my list of my Top 25. Jason has already started this blog with a bang and I will just follow in his vapor trail so here goes.

Offense: If this team could just get decent play at the QB position it would be a potential BCS team this year but the controls again this year go to the mediocre Pat Bostick and Bill Stull with some competition from Juco Greg Cross. But luckly for the QB position all they need to be is average per this team is loaded at the skill positions, and it all starts with LeSean McCoy, he had over 1300+ and 14 TD's and could be this year's McFadden with the Panthers using some of the Wildcat Package.(per the horrible QB situation). They also return two fantastic wideouts in Derek Kinder(not the next Fitzgearld by the way) and Oderrick Taylor. Also with three returning OL starters( the loss of Jeff Otah hurts) they should continue to lead the way for McCoy

NFL Bound- McCoy

Difference Makers: WR Derek Kinder, WR Oderick Turner, TE Nate Bynum

Watch 4: OT Jason Pinkston

Defense:
In a conference with Pat White, Matt Grothe, Mike Teel, Hunter Cantwell and Tyler Lorenzen(no, not pudgie) lining up every Saturday you need to have a playmaker on the D and that is where Scott McKillop comes in. He led the team last year with 151!!! doubling the second leading tackler on the team Shane Murray with 60. He is a 3rd team AA and will continue to be a machine all over the field. The secondary with Aaron Berry and Eric Thatcher looks to be solid but the potential achilles heal will be the DL they lose the big man Joe Clermond and Chris Mckillop and only return two potential players in Greg Romeus(Prime) and Rashaad Duncan, but they will need help to get Pitt over the top.

NFL Bound: McKillop

Diff Makers: DE Greg Romeus, CB Aaron Berry, FS Eric Thatcher

Watch 4: DE Tony Tucker could step up this year and provide the DL help needed.

Big East's Top QBs

1. Pat White, West Virginia

If it's possible, Pat White might be underrated. He gets a lot of props for his running ability (1,335 yds, 14 td, 6.8 yards per carry), but what often gets overlooked is how well he involves others in the offense. He did such a great job getting Steve Slaton the ball in open space that many actually believed Slaton was a top flight running back. He also has good enough accuracy in the passing game (66.7%) to make the passing game a viable weapon. Pat White is one of the best college quarterbacks in America.

2. Mike Teel, Rutgers

Mike Teel was often the "question mark" heading into games in 2007. According to the announcers Ray Rice was the strength of the offense on the ground, but Teel was questioned repeatedly. Well, Rutgers won 8 games and produced not one but two 1,000-yard receivers. Mike Teel is no question mark, and with uncertainty at tailback he is now the strength of the offense. His underrated arm and poise will keep the offense going in 2008.

3. Matt Grothe, USF

He's six-foot nuthin' and a hundred-and nuthin'. Yet Matt Grothe just keeps taking hits and winning games. As the only weapon in the Bulls' offense, he is always the focal point of opposing game plans. Yet somehow he still managed to produce 2,670 passing yards, 872 rushing yards, and 24 total touchdowns on his way to leading the team to 9 wins, and at one point a #2 ranking in the polls. He's back for only his junior season, and as long as he's on the field you can count on getting everything he's got.

Others To Watch:

Demetrius Jones, Cincinnati

With the departure of Ben Mauk, the quarterback job is up for grabs. That opens the door open for Notre Dame transfer Demetrius Jones. Jones started game one for the Irish last season and was yanked when Charlie Weis realized he couldn't bear to look at Jimmy Clausen's spiked hair on the sidelines anymore. Jones has fantastic athleticism, and the size and strength to excel in this offense if given the chance.

Bill Stull, Pittsburgh

Stull looked great in game one as the Panther starter in 2007, but unfortunately he was injured in the game and had to sit out the remainder of the season. Despite the improvement of true freshman Pat Bostick over the course of the season, Stull won the job in the spring and will be the opening day starter once again in 2008. He has an experienced group around him that includes top receiver Derek Kinder who was injured all of '07.

JP25 - Outsiders

Before I get too far into this, here are the three teams that just missed making my preseason top 25:

#26 BYU

Bronco Mendenhall has brought toughness to this program with consistently solid play on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Max Hall and running back Harvey Unga pace the offense behind the lead blocking of tackle Dallas Reynolds. The underrated defense - Mendenhall's specialty - loses a lot of key players, especially in the secondary. They'll continue to perform though thanks to solid recruiting and a front seven led by returnees Jan Jorgensen (DE) and David Nixon (MLB).

#27 Michigan State

Here's a prediction: Michigan State WILL be in next year's preseason top 25. Mark Dantonio is a fantastic coach and has this program on the rise. The loss of playmaker Jonal Saint-Dic on defense will be tempered by the addition of Cincinnati transfer Trevor Anderson. Also consider that Dantonio is a defensive specialist and many backups gained experience in 2007 due to a liberal substitution pattern. Offensively, you can bet on Javon Ringer getting in the end zone more than 6 times again. He's the bell cow on offense and Dantonio learned from Jim Tressell about how far a good, time-burning running game can take you. Ringer is one of the best backs in the land.

#28 Pittsburgh

To round out this trifecta of teams to watch outside the top 25, I'll inject yet another team paced by a fantastic running back and a defensive minded head coach. Dave Wannstedt enters his fourth year needing a winning season, and this looks like the team to do it. Sophomore LeSean McCoy dazzled as a freshman in 2007 with his vision and agility. He'll carry the load again, but there will be much better balance offensively in '08. Whoever wins the quarterback derby (Junior Bill Stull is the front-runner) will benefit from the return of wideout Derek Kinder, who led the team in receiving in 2006, but missed all of '07 with an injury. Defensively the Panthers have to replace departed sack-man Joe Clermond (10.5 sacks in '07), but that will be made all the easier due to the return of tackling maching Scott McKillop (151 tackles in '07) in the middle of the linebacking corps. They do lose defensive coordinator Paul Rhodes, who took the same job at Auburn, but replace him with the more than capable Phil Bennet. Don't forget that before he was the head coach at SMU he was Bill Snyder's defensive coordinator at Kansas State.

J.Pike's preseason top 25 (JP25)

Today is Saturday. Six weeks from now that phrase will carry twice the meaning, and I won't still be in bed at 9:30 - I'll already have my gameday jersey on with a notebook and pencil in hand ready to kick off this season.

In the mean time, I'll try to lend some excitement to this Saturday by unveiling the #25 team in my preseason top 25. Each day I'll reveal another team in the countdown until we eventually reach my projected national champion (I hope he doesn't pick Georgia like everybody else).

Without further ado, let the countdown begin:

#25 SOUTH FLORIDA

Jim Leavitt and South Florida (or USF if they insist) went on quite a roller coaster ride in 2007. From their #2 ranking in the polls in mid-October to their beat-down at the hands of Dennis Dixon-less Oregon in the Sun Bowl must have felt like the first big hill on the Texas Giant.

OFFENSE
The Bulls return everybody on offense (10 starters and most key backups), but the only name that matters is Matt Grothe. The plucky junior quarterback carries the load in the spread offense, and paced the team in both passing (2,670 yds, 14 td) and rushing (872 yds, 10 td) in '07. He'll be forced to do more of the same in '08 because once again the Bulls feature very few gamebreakers elsewhere. Sophomore running back Mike Ford brings the hype of being an Alabama signee out of high school, but the 6'2" 225 pounder hasn't showed the flash - yet.

The offense puts up big numbers (almost 35 points per game), bug I'm not sure they are as productive as they seem in the stat book because Grothe often goes above and beyond the call of duty to elevate the offense despite his physical limitations. This can lead to stalled drives against more talented defenses, which is what we saw down the stretch.

DEFENSE
Any talk of the USF defense starts up front with freaky defensive end George Selvie. The junior paced the Big East in '07 with 14.5 sacks and 31.5 tackles for loss and generally terrorized opposing offensive tackles with his speed and athleticism. It doesn't end there though. Despite the loss of Ben Moffitt, the linebacking corps still appears it will be a strength - as it has been ever since Leavitt started this program ten years ago. Leading tackler Tyrone McKenzie is back, as is Brouce Mompremier. Chances are juco transfer Kion Wilson won't let anybody down in the middle.

One big question mark though is in the secondary where the Bulls lose standout cornerbacks Trae Williams and Mike Jenkins. The NFL draft picks combined for 9 interceptions and 23 passed deflected in 2007 and won't be easy to replace. Another loss that will affect the defense (despite the fact it didn't make any headlines) is that of defensive line coach Dan McCarney. The former Iowa State coach did a great job in 2007 developing George Selvie and was rewarded by taking over the same position at Florida.

RISING STAR
LB Brouce Mompremier. He's a rising star that will step out from Moffitt's shadow.