2009 Big East Preview

After leading the ‘Eers offensive for (what seems like) the past decade or so, Pat White is finally off to the NFL, and, quite frankly, West Virginia doesn’t have anyone to replace him. Senior Jarrett Brown is likely to win the job, but you can expect him to do a whole lot of handing off—to tailback Noel Devine, that is. The ‘Eers offensive success is going to depend on Devine’s ability (or lack thereof) to run behind an inexperienced offensive front. Things look better on defense. West Virginia returns everybody from one of the nation’s most underrated defenses in 2008. The ‘Eers won’t light up the scoreboard this season. But they won’t give up many points, either.

Prediction: 10-2

Even without Lesean McCoy, the Panthers look like West Virginia’s toughest competition in 2009. McCoy, like West Virginia’s White, is basically irreplaceable, and the Pitt offense—never an explosive unit during the Dave Wannstedt era, anyway—may be even more sluggish this season (that is, unless quarterback Bill Stull get the ball into the hands of wideout Jonathan Baldwin ten times a game or so). But also like West Virginia, the Panthers will be carried by the defense. The Pitt defensive front is the deepest in the Big East and also one of the best in the country. Wannstedt has always wanted to build his program around defense and, at least in that regard, he seems to have succeeded. This Panther defense will be nasty.

Prediction: 10-2

The best news for the Bearcats is that Brian Kelly is still their coach. Kelly became a hot commodity last winter after leading his team to the Big East title and its first BCS bowl appearance. But he didn’t leave for greener pastures, choosing to stay in Cincy and build a program that could remain near the top of the Big East for years to come. But probably not this year. The strength of the 2008 Bearcats—that opportunistic and energetic defense—is gone, with ten starters lost to graduation, and it’s not clear if Kelly has built up enough depth to replace so much talent all at once.

Prediction: 9-3

Matt Grothe might be the Big East’s best player. He’s certainly the league’s best quarterback. A run-pass threat with a bit of riverboat gambler in him, Grothe can be either spectacular—or spectacularly frustrating. He can make a big play, yes. He’s also prone to big mistakes. If South Florida is going to contend, Grothe is going to have to cut down on the mental lapses and fulfill his great potential. This was a kid, after all, who was getting Heisman publicity not too long ago. Another story to watch in South Florida? The health of onetime defensive standout George Selvie. After a breakout year in 2007, the defensive end struggled with injuries in 2008. If he’s healthy, watch out. There aren’t many better.

Prediction: 8-4

So this is what we now know about Greg Schiano: He’s good recruiter. He’s a great salesman. And he’s totally old-school. Rutgers has successfully sold itself as a trendy program despite the fact that Schiano’s philosophies are about 1950s as they come. He likes to run the football, protect the football, and play tough, smart defense. Low risk. High reward. It’s a good formula, and one that should be paying dividends in the Big East. So I have to wonder: Why isn’t it? Rutgers should have been better than 7-5 in 2008. A lot better. So why I should think they will actually live up to their potential in 2009?

Prediction: 7-5

Connecticut is the Boston College of the Big East. It’s unclear exactly how this program does it, but somehow and someway, the Huskies are good—or, at least, above average—pretty much every season. Coach Randy Edsall has a great eye for talent and is slowly carving out some recruiting territory for himself in the Northeast. Make no mistake, this team is more talented than you think it is. The big challenge for Edsall this season is obvious: Finding a replacement for departed tailback Donald Brown, a team’s workhorse in 2008. One candidate for that job is sophomore Jordan Todman. He’s not a Brown-like power runner, but he can make tacklers miss, and could bring some much-needed spark to a low-wattage UConn offense.

Prediction: 7-5

It doesn’t seem all that long ago that Louisville was being talked about as one of the Big East’s budding new powerhouses. So much for that. Last year the ‘Cards limped to a 5-7 finish and things aren’t likely to improve much this season. The biggest problem—and the issue that has most plagued the program of late—is the defense, where the ‘Cards simply look too small and too slow to compete with the elite. Time is running out on coach Steve Kragthorpe.

Prediction: 5-7

Well, at least Greg Paulus gives Orange fans something to look forward to. The former Duke point guard has enrolled at Syracuse and will attempt to win the starting quarterback job as a fifth-year senior. The thing is, Syracuse is so bad right now, Paulus might actually win the job. And the kid hasn’t played quarterback in a half-decade. New coach Doug Marrone has a massive rebuilding job on his hands in upstate New York. So don’t expect any results from for at least another year. Maybe two. In the meantime, Orange fans, hey, you’ve always got basketball and lacrosse.

Prediction: 2-10