2009 CFN Big East Preview
Team Previews &
Predictions
Cincinnati
|
Connecticut
|
Louisville
|
Pitt
Rutgers
|
South Florida
|
Syracuse |
West Virginia
-
2009 CFN Big East Preview
- Big East Team-by-Team
Capsules
-
CFN All-Big East Team &
Top 30 Players
-
Big
East Unit
Rankings
- Big
East Schedules &
Predictions
-
2008 CFN Big East Preview
By
Richard Cirminiello
Parity is about to put the Big East in a headlock. It remains to be seen
whether that’s good news or bad news for the conference.
Now that
West Virginia is drifting back to the pack, the Big East is losing its
fringe national title contender and its best ambassador for widespread
respect. Insert a Mountain West Conference gripe here. Although that
lack of a sure-fire top 15 member will not be good for the league on a
macro level, all eight members believe they’re that much closer to
becoming this year’s Cincinnati, landing a BCS bowl berth and the fat
paycheck that comes with it.
Even with some regression and
attrition, West Virginia will enter the season as the slight favorite.
Naturally, White is impossible to replace, but Jarrett Brown was not
your typical backup, and he’ll get plenty of help from speedy RB Noel
Devine and one of the league’s toughest defenses.
In order to
repeat, the Bearcats will need to quickly navigate the loss of ten
defensive starters. Look for Brian Kelly to lean on his offense,
specifically the Tony Pike to Mardy Gilyard connection, to keep the
program from falling too far from its perch.
Is this the year
that Rutgers cashes in on its recent success and trades up from a
second-tier bowl game to the Orange Bowl? The schedule certainly breaks
in the Knights’ favor, bringing the Big East’s toughest contenders to
Piscataway. If they can find a way to rebuild the passing game, the
ceiling for the program is higher than it’s ever been.
If South
Florida is going to take its rags-to-riches story to a new level, this
would be the year to do it. Matt Grothe has just one season of
eligibility left behind center, and the defense is well-stocked with
speed and experience. If the Bulls flop, like a year ago, the bloom
could be completely off head coach Jim Leavitt’s rose.
Connecticut just keeps signing marginal players and coaching them into
wealthy pros. Even after four Huskies were chosen on the first day of
April’s NFL Draft, Randy Edsall will continue to lean on a blue-collar
formula that’s led to consecutive bowl games. The Huskies will again run
the ball and be stingy on D, but will also be implementing a more
up-tempo attack that tries to kick start one of the league’s worst
offenses.
Pittsburgh will be without RB LeSean McCoy and LB Scott
McKillop, its best offensive and defensive players, respectively. Now
what? The Panthers plan to be in the hunt behind a nasty defense and
opportunistic special teams unit. It won’t happen, however, unless the
offense can somehow locate a spark with one of the league’s worst
backfields.
Everyone is in contention, with the exception of
Louisville and Syracuse. The Cards are a shell of the team that went to
the Orange Bowl two years ago, needing to fix the defense and find a
capable quarterback before even thinking about bowl eligibility. After
mercifully pulling the plug on Greg Robinson, the Orange will begin
building from the ground up under Doug Marrone.
A BCS bid is up
for grabs, like never before in the Big East. The rest of the country
will scoff. Just don’t expect to hear much complaining out of the eight
league members looking to capitalize on this golden opportunity.
Team That'll
Surprise
South Florida – Yes, the Bulls have been a letdown since rising like a
bullet up the rankings in October of 2007. No, it has not been because
of a lack of talent. Despite going 11-9 since elevating to No. 2 in the
country and finishing a dismal sixth in the league last year, South
Florida still has as many playmakers as anyone in the Big East. As long
as the program’s best offensive and defensive players, Matt Grothe and
George Selvie, respectively, are back, this remains a very dangerous
program that’s capable of recapturing that magic from two years ago.
Team That'll Disappoint
West Virginia – Those living in the past are going to be disappointed by
this Mountaineer squad. Over the last two years, the program has lost
head coach Rich Rodriguez, star QB Pat White, and RB Steve Slaton, three
of the pillars that helped win 42 games over the last four years. There
were signs of erosion last year, as the team produced a disappointing
four losses and its lowest point total since 2001. Expect more problems
now that White is a Miami Dolphin and the offensive line is undergoing a
makeover.
Game of the
Year … West Virginia at South Florida, Oct. 30. Although no single
game is going to decide the conference championship in 2009, this
meeting in Tampa could be a significant barometer for the season’s
second half. Purely in terms of talent, the Mountaineers and Bulls are
two of the best teams in the league, showcasing loads of speed and
athleticism on both sidelines. No two schools are better equipped to
sell the Big East brand than West Virginia and South Florida, who’ve
played nail-biters in their last three meetings.
5 Big-Time Players Who Deserve a
Bigger Spotlight ...
1. WR Jonathan Baldwin, Soph. Pittsburgh
2. RB Victor Anderson, Soph. Louisville
3. CB Jerome Murphy, Sr. South Florida
4. LB Scott Lutrus, Jr. Connecticut
5. LB Ryan D’Imperio, Sr. Rutgers
Coach on the Hot Seat
Steve Kragthorpe, Louisville – What a mess. In two years, Kragthorpe has
taken a Big East champion and turned it into an also-ran in the league.
Not only has the coach gone 11-13, but the grumblings coming out of the
locker room have not been flattering. He cleaned house in the coaching
staff during the offseason in an effort to create a better vibe. If it
doesn’t have a positive impact, Kragthorpe could be the biggest name in
yet another purge this December.
5 Non-Conference Games the Big
East had better take very, very seriously
1. East Carolina at West Virginia, Sept. 12
2. Connecticut at Baylor, Sept. 19
3. Rutgers at Maryland, Sept. 26
4. Southern Miss at Louisville, Oct. 10
5. Pittsburgh at Buffalo, Sept. 12
Bold Prediction
… Cincinnati won’t slip as much as many are anticipating. Call it a
blind faith in head coach Brian Kelly, who seems incapable of putting a
bad product on the field. Okay, so the defense has been gutted like a
Thanksgiving bird. That’ll just mean Kelly will have to dig a little
deeper into his offensive bag of tricks. Remember, that was his primary
strength in stints with Grand Valley State and Central Michigan. Look
for the Bearcats to turn loose QB Tony Pike, who has next-level
potential and a dangerous receiving corps led by Mardy Gilyard. Somehow,
this staff will find a way to once again surpass expectations.
5 Best Pro Prospects
1. OT Anthony Davis, Jr. Rutgers
2. DT Arthur Jones, Sr. Syracuse
3. WR Mardy Gilyard, Sr. Cincinnati
4. DE George Selvie, Sr. South Florida
5. DE Greg Romeus, Jr. Pittsburgh
5 Biggest Shoes to Fill
1. QB Jarrett Brown for Pat White, West Virginia
2. RB Jordan Todman for Donald Brown, Connecticut
3. RB Dion Lewis for LeSean McCoy, Pittsburgh
4. WR Tim Brown for Kenny Britt, Rutgers
5. DE Derek Wolfe for Connor Barwin, Cincinnati