The Big East underwent a major reconstruction, player-wise, this summer. Several notables were lost either to graduation or the National Football League; as a result, the league could be as wide-open as ever in 2009. College football betting will be intense as the conference plays out, with the big question being: Can anybody challenge Pitt and West Virginia atop the standings?
Will Finish….
No. 1 – Pittsburgh Panthers No. 2 – West Virginia Mountaineers No. 3 – Rutgers Scarlet Knights No. 4 – Cincinnati Bearcats No. 5 – UConn Huskies No. 6 – USF Bulls No. 7 – Louisville Cardinals No. 8 – Syracuse Orange
Best Player…
George Selvie, DE, South Florida… Selvie is already pegged to be a top-15 pick in the 2010 NFL Draft – the first two-time first-team All American in USF history, he holds the Big East record for tackles for a loss in a season (13.5 in 2007) and is easily the best defensive player in the conference. He’ll be one of the few bright spots on a Bulls team that figures to be near the bottom of the Big East standings for much of the year. Biggest Storyline…
Greg Paulus, starting QB? It’s strange that, in a league where Pitt and West Virginia are expected to make the most news, the first-year quarterback from a bad Syracuse team is making all the headlines. Of course, the Orange’s newest signal-caller isn’t any ordinary guy – he’s former Duke Blue Devils starting PG Greg Paulus. Paulus, a high school football star who played point guard for the Blue Devils for four years, transferred to Syracuse as a graduate student this spring. After spring practices, Paulus beat out sophomore Ryan Nassib and senior Cam Dantley, who was last year’s starter. It’s going to be an interesting season at the ‘Cuse, because even if the team continues to lose (10-37 under former coach Craig Robinson) there’ll still be a big media spotlight on Paulus and the program.
Best Game…
Saturday, November 27: Pitt at West Virginia. Two programs that lost big pieces of the puzzle this offseason – the Panthers saw RB LeSean McCoy get drafted by the Eagles while the Mountaineers saw stud QB Pat White go to the Dolphins – will be battling it out for conference supremacy. Last year, Pitt defeated West Virginia with by a slim 19-15 margin, and you can expect the same kind of tight affair this time around. Sports betting enthusiasts will want to pay close attention to this one, as a lot of bowl implications could be on the line.
Best of the Rest…
Cincinnati QB Tony Pike might be the best signal-caller in the conference, having thrown for over 2,000 yards and 18 TDs a year ago…West Virginia’s Noel Devine will get a yeoman’s share of the work for the Mountaineers with White in the NFL…If Rutgers coach Greg Schiano can make his team forget that star QB Mike Teel is gone, they could jump into the conference title talk…Steve Kragthorpe needs a miracle season to save his job at Louisville, and even that might not keep him from unemployment …
