2008 conference preview: Big East
by Matt Brown
Gone are Rich Rodriguez, Steve Slaton and Owen Schmitt, but West Virginia remains the team to beat in the Big East. Little will change in the Mountaineers’ offense under new coach Bill Stewart, especially with the duo of quarterback Pat White and running back Noel Devine returning in the backfield.
The lightning-quick Devine must prove that he can handle a full load of carries without Slaton, as he only carried the ball more than seven times twice in 2007. But White actually led the team in rushing with 1,335 yards and 14 touchdowns, while also ranking ninth in the nation in passing efficiency.
Behind West Virginia appears to be a six-team battle for second place. South Florida, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Louisville and Rutgers all appear to have the talent to compete for the second spot, but it is unlikely that any of them can unseat West Virginia.
South Florida stumbled after climbing to No. 2 in the nation last year, and while players like quarterback Matt Grothe, running back Mike Ford and All-American defensive end George Selvie return, Mike Jenkins and Trae Williams must be replaced at cornerback and Ben Moffitt is gone at linebacker.
Pittsburgh has recruited very well in the past few years, but coach Dave Wannstedt has yet to put it together on the field. If either Bill Stull or Pat Bostick can emerge at quarterback to provide some balance with running back LeSean McCoy, this could be the Panthers’ breakout season.
Following a surprising 10-3 season, Cincinnati looked like a possible conference title contender until quarterback Ben Mauk was denied a sixth year of eligibility.
At Louisville, Brian Brohm is gone at quarterback, but Hunter Cantwell should be more than capable of leading the high-powered Cardinals’ offense. The hope is that new defensive coordinator Ron English will turn around the defense in a hurry.
And Rutgers and Connecticut should both find themselves in the mix again, as the Scarlet Knights will focus more on the passing game without Ray Rice and with receivers Tiquan Underwood and Kenny Britt, while the Huskies will ride running backs Donald Brown and Andre Dixon.
Outside of West Virginia, no Big East team appears to be a national title contender, but the depth in the conference is as good as ever.
Conference Power Rankings
1. West Virginia
2. South Florida
3. Pittsburgh
4. Cincinnati
5. Louisville
6. Rutgers
7. Connecticut
8. Syracuse
First Team All-Conference
QB: Pat White, Sr., West Virginia
RB: LeSean McCoy, So., Pittsburgh
RB: Noel Devine, So., West Virginia
WR: Tiquan Underwood, Sr., Rutgers
WR: Kenny Britt, Jr., Rutgers
TE: Connor Barwin, Sr., Cincinnati
C: Eric Wood, Sr., Louisville
OT: George Bussey, Sr., Louisville
OT: Ryan Stanchek, Sr., West Virginia
OG: Greg Isdaner, Jr., West Virginia
OG: Trevor Canfield, Sr., Cincinnati
DE: George Selvie, Jr., South Florida
DT: Terrill Byrd, Sr., Cincinnati
DT: Arthur Jones, Jr., Syracuse
DE: Jamaal Westerman, Sr., Rutgers
LB: Scott McKillop, Sr., Pittsburgh
LB: Tyrone McKenzie, Sr., South Florida
LB: Lawrence Wilson, So., Connecticut
S: Robert Vaughn, Jr., Connecticut
S: Courtney Greene, Sr., Rutgers
CB: Mike Mickens, Sr., Cincinnati
CB: DeAngelo Smith, Sr., Cincinnati
P: Kevin Huber, Sr., Cincinnati
K: Tony Ciaravino, Sr., Connecticut
KR: Max Suter, So., Syracuse
PR: Aaron Berry, Jr., Pittsburgh
Second Team All-Conference
QB: Hunter Cantwell, Sr., Louisville
RB: Andre Dixon, Jr., Connecticut
RB: Mike Ford, So., South Florida
WR: Dominick Goodman, Jr., Cincinnati
WR: Oderick Turner, Jr., Pittsburgh
TE: Steve Brouse, Sr., Connecticut
C: Mike Dent, Sr., West Virginia
OT: Marc Dile, Sr., South Florida
OT: Jeffery Linkenbach, Jr., Cincinnati
OG: Ryan Schmidt, Sr., South Florida
OG: C.J. Davis, Sr., Pittsburgh
DE: Julius Williams, Sr., Connecticut
DT: Pedro Tverdov, Sr., Rutgers
DT: Mick Williams, Jr., Pittsburgh
DE: Cody Brown, Sr., Connecticut
LB: Reed Williams, Sr., West Virginia
LB: Jake Flaherty, Sr., Syracuse
LB: Mortty Ivy, Sr., West Virginia
S: Nate Allen, Jr., South Florida
S: Quinton Andrews, Jr., West Virginia
CB: Rod Council, Sr., Louisville
CB: Darius Butler, Sr., Connecticut
P: Rob Long, So., Syracuse
K: Conor Lee, Sr., Pittsburgh
KR: Jerome Murphy, Jr., South Florida
PR: Marcus Edwards, Sr., South Florida
Conference honors
Offensive Player of the Year: Pat White, QB, West Virginia
Defensive Player of the Year: George Selvie, DE, South Florida
Freshman of the Year: Jonathan Baldwin, WR, Pittsburgh
Top 10 Senior NFL Draft Prospects
1. Mike Mickens, CB, Cincinnati
A three-time All-Big East pick, Mickens has steadily developed into one of the nation’s top cornerbacks. With a solid combination of size and speed and good ball skills, Mickens is potential first round pick.
2. Hunter Cantwell, QB, Louisville
While he has taken a backseat to Brian Brohm so far in his career, Cantwell will finally get a chance to prove himself as a starter this year. He has just four career starts, but he has tremendous size has shown flashes of stardom when given the chance to play.
3. Courtney Greene, SS, Rutgers
Greene is a consistent performer who has started every game in his career at Rutgers. While he lacks elite speed, Greene is good in run support and is a consistent tackler. He led the Scarlet Knights in tackling as a freshman and a junior.
4. Scott McKillop, ILB, Pittsburgh
The brother of former Pitt defensive end Chris McKillop, Scott McKillop finished third in the nation with 151 tackles last year. He doesn’t have great athleticism, but he is a big linebacker with good instincts and excellent tackling ability.
5. Pat White, QB, West Virginia
Although he ranked ninth in the nation in passing efficiency last year, White will most likely switch to wide receiver or play a “slash” role in the NFL. With 3,506 career rushing yards, White has proven to by a dynamic and explosive runner.
6. Tyrone McKenzie, OLB, South Florida
After starting his career at Michigan State and transferring to Iowa State, McKenzie moved to USF and led the Bulls in tackles last season. With his size, he will probably be a weak-side linebacker in the NFL, but he may move to the middle this season as Ben Moffitt’s replacement.
7. Ryan Stanchek, OT, West Virginia
While not a massive left tackle, Stanchek has proven to be a very strong run blocker who has started 34 consecutive games and helped pave the way for the nation’s third-best rushing offense in 2007.
8. Eric Wood, C, Louisville
A consistent and durable center, Wood has been a mainstay on the Louisville starting line since his redshirt freshman season. He has solid size and is apt as both a pass and run blocker.
9. Tiquan Underwood, WR, Rutgers
Underwood had six 100-yard receiving games in 2007, including the first four of the season and 248 yards against Buffalo. While he lacks physicality, Underwood has good speed and can make plays in the open field.
10. Curtis Brinkley, RB, Syracuse
Brinkley posted decent numbers in a running back rotation last year before breaking his leg against Buffalo. While he lacks size and may never be a star running back, he has the ability to be a productive return man if he recovers from the leg injury.
Top 5 Junior NFL Draft Prospects
1. George Selvie, DE, South Florida
Selvie had a breakout season in 2007, leading the nation in tackles for loss and finishing second in sacks. At 245 pounds, he could be a good fit to transition to outside linebacker in a 3-4 in the NFL.
2. LeSean McCoy, RB, Pittsburgh (Sophomore)
Because he attended prep school for a year after high school, McCoy will be eligible for the draft. While not a big back and not a burner, McCoy has a good blend of inside and outside running ability and can pick up the tough yards.
3. Nate Allen, FS, South Florida
After recording just two tackles as a freshman, Allen emerged with 86 tackles and four interceptions last year. While he lacks great speed, Allen is a big safety who hits hard and is a sound tackler.
4. Kenny Britt, WR, Rutgers
At 6-foot-4, Britt is a tall target who can stretch the field and make big plays. He quietly led the Big East in receiving with 1,232 yards last year, and he averaged nearly 20 yards per catch.
5. Arthur Jones, DT, Syracuse
While he needs to put a little more bulk on his 289-pound frame, Jones is a disruptive force up the middle with good athletic ability. He finished second in the Big East with 17.5 tackles for loss last year.
Non-conference Games of the Year:
1. Auburn at West Virginia, Oct. 23
2. Kansas at South Florida, Sept. 13
3. Cincinnati at Oklahoma, Sept. 6
4. West Virginia at Colorado, Sept. 18
5. Kansas State at Louisville, Sept. 13
Conference Games of the Year:
1. South Florida at West Virginia, Dec. 6
2. West Virginia at Pittsburgh, Nov. 28
3. Cincinnati at West Virginia, Nov. 8
4. South Florida at Cincinnati, Oct. 30
5. Pittsburgh at South Florida, Oct. 2
Unit Rankings
Backfield
1. West Virginia
2. South Florida
3. Louisville
Receivers
1. Rutgers
2. Cincinnati
3. South Florida
Offensive Line
1. West Virginia
2. Louisville
3. Cincinnati
Overall Offense
1. West Virginia
2. South Florida
3. Louisville
Defensive Line
1. Cincinnati
2. Rutgers
3. South Florida
Linebackers
1. Pittsburgh
2. West Virginia
3. South Florida
Defensive Back
1. Cincinnati
2. Rutgers
3. Pittsburgh
Overall Defense
1. Pittsburgh
2. Cincinnati
3. Rutgers
Special Teams
1. Pittsburgh
2. Syracuse
3. South Florida