After yielding just 75 yards a game on the ground, the Eagles might be even stingier this year now that defensive tackle B.J. Raji and linebacker Brian Toal are back in the fold. The front seven is among the toughest in the country, meaning the secondary had better be prepared for plenty of attention. Teams will have to throw to win.
The matchup with Clemson on Nov. 1 is at Boston College and could very well determine the Atlantic Coast champ in the ACC.
Big East
The West Virginia Mountaineers have quickly become the Kings of the Big East, but they haven’t been exactly dominant the last few seasons. Even with all their talent, the Mountaineers have dropped at least two conference games in each of the last two championship seasons.
This season West Virginia will have to contend with South Florida, Pittsburgh, and last season’s co-champ Connecticut—but it could be my sleeper, the Cincinnati Bearcats, that surprises the entire conference.
While the NCAA denied quarterback Ben Mauk a sixth season of eligibility, senior Dustin Grutza has the experience to lead the team—and there are few coaches in the nation that can get more out of the quarterback position than Brian Kelly, who will move forward with his "Cat Attack" offense.
The Bearcats have not one, but two, big physical backs who can move the pile and soften defenses between the tackles. The Cincinnati receiving corps is loaded, led by the duo of Dominick Goodman and Marcus Barnett, while top reserve Charley Howard caught everything in sight in the offseason.
The Bearcats retain many of the key parts from last season’s stingy, ball-hawking defense that led the nation in takeaways, including three All-Big East performers. With defensive tackle Terrill Byrd back to clog the middle of the line and cornerback Mike Mickens cutting off half the field for opposing quarterbacks, Cincinnati could be one of the toughest defenses in the nation.
While everyone talks about West Virginia and South Florida, Cincinnati has quietly become a Big East title contender.
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