College Preview- Big East

The Big East does nothing but intrigue me. Talk about a conference that was supposed to go nowhere after losing Miami and V Tech but has come from nowhere to become a stronger conference than anyone expected! I think every single team spent at least a week in the #2 ranking a year ago! W. Virginia was a game away from the BCS Championship then went on to SPANK Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl! UConn was undefeated deep into the season! S. Florida was ranked #2 at one point! Cincinnati and Rutgers also spent time in the rankings last year. Louisville was in the Orange Bowl 2 years ago. Not bad for a conference that was widely considered the weakest of the BCS conferences! Now for the picks...

• West Virginia- Even without Rich Rodriguez and Steve Slaton, they are still the class of this conference as long as they have Pat White at qb. Should be a top 10 team again this year.
• Pittsburgh- Wannstedt has been recruiting heavy. They showed last year that they could play with anybody by upsetting W. Virginia. This is the year they are supposed to get over the hump and become a stronger program.
• South Florida- Never underestimate these guys! They will beat you! They just find ways to get it done. At Auburn? No problem! At W. Virginia? Small change! I'm a believer!
• Rutgers- Schiano has turned this team into a consistent competitor. They'll miss Ray Rice but should still be very competitive. Strong passing game.
• Connecticut- UConn came out of nowhere last year. They return a lot of starters from last year but won't catch anyone off guard this year. Should still have a solid season though.
• Louisville- Rough year last year. The team was in mutiny mode and the defense was terrible. Easier schedule should help them improve a little this year.
• Cincinnati- Another one that came out of nowhere last year. Tougher schedule that includes at Oklahoma, plus they lost a lot from last year. Should be a drop off for them.
• Syracuse- This program has become the doormat of the Big East with no end to it in sight. Greg Robinson should be out of a job after this one.