With a few days remaining until the college football season kicks off it’s time for us to bat around all kinds of ideas to keep ourselves busy. My idea is to look at each Big East team today and give you a short list of reasons as to why they can win the Big East title and a few ideas as to why they can’t.
Let’s start with the Bearcats of Cincinnati, the team I know the most about, and the team who kicks off Big East play with Rutgers in just six days.
Cincinnati
Why they can: UC returns starting quarterback Tony Pike and wideout/returner Mardy Gilyard. Plus, two time defending Big East coach of the year Brian Kelly is still roaming the sidelines in the Queen City.
Why they can’t: The Bearcats are replacing ten starters on defense, and will employ a new defensive scheme.
The Bearcats were picked to finish third in the conference by the coaches. Most feel that replacing ten starters on defense will hurt the ‘Cats but those same people forget that Brian Kelly started his coaching career as a defensive coordinator in Division 2 where he won two national titles at Grand Valley State. If he can successfully defend the Big East title, it won’t surprise me.
Connecticut
Why they can: They’ll be an underdog in most Big East games, and that will provide some incentive for the 2007 Big East co-champions.
Why they can’t: Donald Brown is in the NFL now
The only team to defeat the 2008 Cincinnati Bearcats were voted sixth by the coaches a few weeks back and Randy Edsall was not happy about it. “We haven't gotten any respect since we've been in the league,” Edsall said. “I mean, really. And that's fine.” Whether they can prove that they deserved a higher ranking is still up in the air. They open Big East play with a trip to Pittsburgh in October.
Louisville
Why they can: They play seven games against Big East foes
Why they can’t: See above, and they have a bad offense, a bad defense, and they’re just bad all around.
Steve Kragthorpe is on the hot seat down in Louisville and a lot of folks expect that seat to melt under a bad Cardinal team. After the 2006 Orange Bowl victory the Cardinals have fallen off the face of the planet. This season should be no different. Kragthorpe is even worried about facing Indiana State this weekend—a team that has won one game in their past 53 tries. “I’ll kind of lay there in bed thinking, ‘Did we cover this enough? Did we cover that enough?’”
Pitt
Why they can: Picked to win it all by the coaches in lateJuly. TJ Porter is going to be good at wide receiver.
Why they can’t: Dave Wannstedt is the head coach, Bill Stull is the quarterback.
As much as WPTS radio personality, and former guest blogger Jake Meyer would like to admit it that Pitt is in the running I have a feeling that Pittsburgh will be held back by Stull’s limited arm and Wannstedt’s coaching. With that said, Wannstedt did allow offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh to go to the NFL, a move that can only help. Look for Frank Cignetti Jr. to try to revamp the Pitt offense. The final game of the year, a home matchup with the UC Bearcats could be another de-facto Big East title game.
Rutgers
Why they can: The Scarlet Knight offensive line is stout, and their stadium expansion will be in full effect against the top four finishers in the Big East last season—UC, Pitt, West Virginia and USF
Why they can’t: Schiano is 0-3 against Cincinnati in his past three tries, including a devastating loss in 2006 when Rutgers was ranked #7 nationally.
Head coach Greg Schiano is keeping his quarterback plans for the opener against Cincinnati under wraps. He names three players—senior Dominick Natale, senior Jabu Lovelace and true freshman Tom Savage—as his starting quarterback, all separated on the depth chart by the big word “OR”. Is this the year Rutgers finally beats the Bearcats and take an early lead in the Big East standings? We’ll know in six more days.
Syracuse
Why they can: Greg Paulus is playing quarterback
Why they can’t: Greg Paulus is playing quarterback
New head coach Doug Marrone has his work cut out for him in his first season back at his alma mater. With former Duke basketball player Greg Paulus making headlines as the starting quarterback, Marrone now must find 21 other guys to play for his team. He’s had quite a few people bail on the new program, and it will most likely take him a few years to get back to winning, but at least he knows he’s got a quarterback for this season.
USF
Why they can: Matt Grothe is back for year four at quarterback, and defensive end George Selvie will cause havoc
Why they can’t: They always seem to tank around mid-October, and I think they’ll lose to UC because Brian Kelly will out scheme his former defensive coordinator Joe Tresey
USF is a popular pick to win the Big East this season because they return Grothe and Selvie, but everyone seems to forget that it’s the same old song and dance year in and year out in Tampa. The Bulls start off hot, beat a few ranked opponents and then fall apart in mid-October. This season their mid-October matchup is a Thursday night duel on ESPN with the 2008 champs, the UC Bearcats.
West Virginia University
Why they can: Jarrett Brown has experience at quarterback and Noel Devine is back at running back
Why they can’t: Bill Stewart can’t manage games
West Virginia has a chance this year to prove that the Big East can play with the biggest boys in college football when they travel to Auburn and play host to Colorado. Last year West Virginia lost to Colorado in overtime when Bill Stewart mismanaged the game late and didn’t allow his senior quarterback Pat White—now with the Miami Dolphins—to lead his team to victory. White’s replacement Jarrett Brown looks to put the Mountaineers back in the national title hunt.
Hopefully you learned a little bit about each team in the Big East by reading my short thoughts on why they can and why they can’t win the conference. Tomorrow I’ll step away from the Big East and look into football the way it used to be played; the flexbone triple option attack that Navy will employ against Ohio State on Saturday in what I consider to be the most awaited game of the weekend. Until then, enjoy your Tuesday.
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