Wednesday, 06 August 2008

  • 2008-09 COLLEGE FOOTBALL SPECIAL COVERAGE – BIG EAST CONFERENCE PREVIEW

    With defending co-champions West Virginia and Connecticut, Cincinnati, Rutgers and South Florida all in the mix to win the Big East, who will represent the league in the BCS? After tough 2007 seasons, are Louisville and Pittsburgh ready to re-assert themselves in a strong conference? Can Syracuse stay in single digits in the loss column this year? The 2008 Big East football preview is here.

    Cincinnati Bearcats (last season – 10-3, won PapaJohns.com Bowl)
    Schedule (Predicted Outcome)
    Aug. 28 – Eastern Kentucky (W)
    Sept. 6 – at Oklahoma (L)
    Sept. 20 – Miami (Ohio) (L)
    Sept. 27 – at Akron (W)
    Oct. 3 – at Marshall (W)
    Oct. 11 – Rutgers (L)
    Oct. 25 – at Connecticut (L)
    Oct. 30 – South Florida (W)
    Nov. 8 – at West Virginia (L)
    Nov. 14 – at Louisville (W)
    Nov. 22 – Pittsburgh (L)
    Nov. 29 – Syracuse (W)
    Dec. 6 – at Hawai’i (W)

    Fall practice begins with the question of who will take the snaps under center for the Bearcats in 2008 still unanswered. The NCAA has ruled that Ben Mauk, who won the starting job last year, has exhausted his eligibility after applying for a sixth year because of a medical hardship, having redshirted a season and missed another year after breaking his arm. Mauk is currently in an appeals process, but time is running out; should he not be reinstated, former starter Dustin Grutza and Notre Dame transfer Demetrius Jones lead the field to replace Mauk. Seven offensive and six defensive starters are back, though the three leading running backs, Butler Benton, Bradley Glatthaar and Greg Moore, are all gone. Cincinnati is a trendy pick to make a lot of noise in the Big East, but the unsettled situations at quarterback (assuming for now Mauk’s appeal does not go through) and in the backfield will keep the Bearcats from winning the conference, though another solid season should be in store for coach Brian Kelly’s charges.

    Connecticut Huskies (last season – 9-4, lost Meineke Bowl)
    Schedule (Predicted Outcome)
    Aug. 28 – Hofstra (W)
    Sept. 6 – at Temple (W)
    Sept. 13 – Virginia (W)
    Sept. 19 – Baylor (W)
    Sept. 26 – at Louisville (W)
    Oct. 4 – at North Carolina (W)
    Oct. 18 – at Rutgers (L)
    Oct. 25 – Cincinnati (W)
    Nov. 1 – West Virginia (W)
    Nov. 15 – at Syracuse (W)
    Nov. 22 – at South Florida (L)
    Dec. 6 – Pittsburgh (W)

    Seventeen starters, nine on offense and eight defensively, return to a squad that shared the conference title in only its fourth season in the Big East and reached the AP rankings for the first time in program history. Senior quarterback Tyler Lorenzen returns to lead an offense that statistically improved dramatically last year, with a strong quarterback rating and a sparkling 13-to-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio. The sturdy running game is led by Andre Dixon and Donald Brown, who each rushed for just over 820 yards last season. Both lines are experienced and tough, and freshman All-American Scott Lutrus moves to middle linebacker after registering 107 tackles last year. With tremendous experience and leadership returning on both sides of the ball and a fairly easy non-conference slate, look for another big season for coach Randy Edsall and company.

    Louisville Cardinals (last season – 6-6)
    Schedule (Predicted Outcome)
    Aug. 31 – Kentucky (W)
    Sept. 6 – Tennessee Tech (W)
    Sept. 17 – Kansas State (W)
    Sept. 26 – Connecticut (L)
    Oct. 10 – at Memphis (W)
    Oct. 18 – Middle Tennessee (W)
    Oct. 25 – South Florida (L)
    Nov. 1 – at Syracuse (W)
    Nov. 8 – at Pittsburgh (L)
    Nov. 14 – Cincinnati (L)
    Nov. 22 – West Virginia (L)
    Dec. 4 – at Rutgers (L)

    Nine starters return to a Cardinals squad whose 2007 season has to be considered among the most disappointing in the nation, with senior all-world quarterback Brian Brohm and receivers Harry Douglas and Mario Urrutia, all of whom left for the NFL, leading the country’s sixth-best unit in total offense; the defense, however, finished 93rd in the nation in scoring defense, notably yielding 38 points in a stunning home loss to league bottom-feeder Syracuse en route to a 6-6 finish a year after winning the Big East and the Orange Bowl. Senior Hunter Cantwell will take over under center after spending three years as Brohm’s backup. The receiving corps was absolutely decimated by graduations, early defections to pro riches and offseason dismissals and injuries, and Cantwell, who has shown talent, has little experience in game action. Former Michigan defensive coordinator Ron English should shore up the unit, given time; he has little to work with this season. With a home-heavy schedule, coach Steve Kragthorpe, who is a proven and talented coach facing an impatient fan base, should be able to squeeze an average season out of a very average team; the question is, will that be enough to keep his job?

    Pittsburgh Panthers (last season – 5-7)
    Schedule (Predicted Outcome)
    Aug. 30 – Bowling Green (L)
    Sept. 6 – Buffalo (W)
    Sept. 20 – Iowa (W)
    Sept. 27 – at Syracuse (W)
    Oct. 2 – at South Florida (L)
    Oct. 18 – at Navy (W)
    Oct. 25 – Rutgers (W)
    Nov. 1 – at Notre Dame (L)
    Nov. 8 – Louisville (W)
    Nov. 22 – at Cincinnati (W)
    Nov. 28 – West Virginia (L)
    Dec. 6 – at Connecticut (L)

    Eight offensive and six defensive starters return from last year’s club, which was expected to compete for the Big East crown but was injury-riddled again finished under .500. Running back LeSean McCoy will be the story on offense after rushing for over 1,300 yards, the most by a freshman in conference history, and 14 touchdowns, the most for a Pittsburgh freshman ever. Quarterbacks Bill Stull and Pat Bostick lead a four-man competition for the job under center. The defense under new coordinator and former SMU head man Phil Bennett will again be strong after finishing fifth in the nation last year in yards per game allowed. Many prognosticators are suggesting that the talented Panthers are finally ready to make another run at the BCS after representing the conference in the 2005 Fiesta Bowl, falling to a Cinderella Utah BCS-busting club. However, Pitt under coach Dave Wannstedt has always been inconsistent and underachieving. With this in mind, a 7-5 season is about where Pitt should fall this season, with a lower-end bowl bid likely, but a far cry from competing for the conference title.

    Rutgers Scarlet Knights (last season – 8-5, won International Bowl)
    Schedule (Predicted Outcome)
    Sept. 1 – Fresno State (L)
    Sept. 11 – North Carolina (W)
    Sept. 20 – at Navy (W)
    Sept. 27 – Morgan State (W)
    Oct. 4 – at West Virginia (L)
    Oct. 11 – at Cincinnati (W)
    Oct. 18 – Connecticut (W)
    Oct. 25 – at Pittsburgh (L)
    Nov. 8 – Syracuse (W)
    Nov. 15 – at South Florida (L)
    Nov. 22 – Army (W)
    Dec. 4 – Louisville (W)

    Coach Greg Schiano has taken the Rutgers program a long way in a short time, with three straight bowl trips in seven years after only one in 130-plus years of history before his arrival. Ray Rice, who finished his career at Rutgers as the career rushing leader, is gone, but seven offensive and eight defensive starters are back. Senior quarterback Mike Teel and a strong receiving corps lead one of the best passing units in the conference. Wideouts Tiquan Underwood and Kenny Britt became the first teammates in Big East history to finish with over 1,000 yards receiving in the same season in 2007. The schedule is unfortunate, as the Scarlet Knights face three of the other four serious conference contenders away from New Brunswick, N.J. Rutgers has the tools to compete for the league title, and will continue to build credibility as a contender with a fourth straight postseason appearance. Look for about a third- to fifth-place finish in the conference.

    South Florida Bulls (last season – 9-4, lost Sun Bowl)
    Schedule (Predicted Outcome)
    Aug. 30 – Tennessee-Martin (W)
    Sept. 6 – at UCF (W)
    Sept. 12 – Kansas (W)
    Sept. 20 – at Florida International (W)
    Sept. 27 – at NC State (W)
    Oct. 2 – Pittsburgh (W)
    Oct. 18 – Syracuse (W)
    Oct. 25 – at Louisville (W)
    Oct. 30 – at Cincinnati (L)
    Nov. 15 – Rutgers (W)
    Nov. 22 – Connecticut (W)
    Dec. 6 – at West Virginia (W)

    Ten offensive and six defensive starters return to a club that reached the dreaded No. 2 ranking in the nation last year at one point and becoming a national darling. The red zone attack last year was not strong, due in large part to a sub-standard running game, with quarterback Matt Grothe usually the best running option and the overall team rushing leader. However, sophomore runner Mike Ford has improved greatly and gotten in better shape over the offseason and looks ready to shoulder more of the load. This, coupled with the fact that four O-line starters are back, will only help Grothe and the passing game. Tyrone McKenzie is the nation’s leading returning tackler after racking up 250 stops the past two seasons and should fill the middle linebacker spot vacated by the departed Ben Moffitt. Though they must avoid a late-season slide like they endured last year, the Bulls look like a team that can win the conference title and compete for national glory.

    Syracuse Orange (last season – 2-10)
    Schedule (Predicted Outcome)
    Aug. 30 – at Northwestern (L)
    Sept. 6 – Akron (L)
    Sept. 13 – Penn State (L)
    Sept. 20 – Northeastern (W)
    Sept. 27 – Pittsburgh (L)
    Oct. 11 – at West Virginia (L)
    Oct. 18 – at South Florida (L)
    Nov. 1 – Louisville (L)
    Nov. 8 – at Rutgers (L)
    Nov. 15 – Connecticut (L)
    Nov. 22 – at Notre Dame (L)
    Nov. 29 – at Cincinnati (L)

    Coach Greg Robinson enters his fourth year at the helm of the Orange with nothing short of a disaster on his hands, sporting a 7-28 overall mark with two 10-loss seasons in three years. Remarkably, Syracuse was outscored 418-197 in 2007, with eight losses by at least three touchdowns. Seven offensive and six defensive starters will be back, including junior quarterback Andrew Robinson, who threw for 13 touchdowns against seven interceptions, not bad given how often he was running for his life last year. Mike Williams tied a team record with 60 catches last year. The rushing game must get better after recording 753 yards as a team last year, good for last in the country. Unfortunately for Syracuse, it just does not look good this season. Fortunately (perhaps), it does look like Robinson will be on the way out the door at some point in the near future, barring a miracle.

    West Virginia Mountaineers (last season – 11-2, won Fiesta Bowl)
    Schedule (Predicted Outcome)
    Aug. 30 – Villanova (W)
    Sept. 6 – at East Carolina (W)
    Sept. 18 – at Colorado (W)
    Sept. 27 – Marshall (W)
    Oct. 4 – Rutgers (W)
    Oct. 11 – Syracuse (W)
    Oct. 23 – Auburn (L)
    Nov. 1 – at Connecticut (L)
    Nov. 8 – Cincinnati (W)
    Nov. 22 – at Louisville (W)
    Nov. 28 – at Pittsburgh (W)
    Dec. 6 – South Florida (L)

    Eight offensive and four defensive starters return for longtime assistant Bill Stewart, who got the head coaching job after winning the Fiesta Bowl over Oklahoma as the interim. Steve Slaton, who largely underachieved last season after beginning the year amidst Heisman talk, is gone, but quarterback Pat White, who upstaged Slaton most of the year in the running game, is back. Speedster Noel Devine also returns and figures to be the feature back. The offensive line remains strong, which will help the transition in the running attack. Only one starter return on both the defensive line and in the secondary, though leading tackler Reed Williams headlines a sturdy linebacking corps. The offseason has seen plenty of turmoil with the messy divorce from former head coach Rich Rodriguez, who left for Michigan after a stunning loss to rival Pitt in the regular season finale cost the Mountaineers a shot at the national title. The offense under White will be among the best running games in the nation again, but the defense just lost too much to compete for the national championship again, though a conference title is not out of reach.

    Next week – 2008 Pac-10 football preview

    Some information from The New York Times and ESPN.com was used in this report.

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