2011 Big East Football: Will West Virginia, Pittsburgh Win the League This Fall?

Will Geno Smith lead the Mountaineers back to the top of the Big East in 2011?
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After a rough 2010, the league will need to have a major bounce back season before the inclusion of TCU, growing the membership to nine in 2012.

In this offseason, there have been many changes throughout the programs from loss of major players to the coaching carousel running at full steam since the season ended a couple weeks ago.

In Morgantown, the addition of Dana Holgorsen to the coaching staff as coach in waiting under Bill Stewart will bring the Mountaineer offense back to what it used to be in the Rich Rodriguez days after multiple years of poor production.

While just north of West Virginia, the Pittsburgh Panthers will hope to the hiring of Todd Graham leads to better results after the Dave Wannstedt era in addition to the hiring and subsequent firing of Mike Haywood after an arrest for domestic violence in Indiana in December.

After a successful run in Raleigh at East Carolina, Skip Holtz took over USF with great results in his first year at the reins in Tampa but the play making ability of B.J. Daniels can't hurt much when the quarterback returns this season for his junior season.

After a loss to Oklahoma in Fiesta Bowl, former Connecticut coach Randy Edsall left Hartford for the then vacant head coaching job in Maryland, where he will take over the ACC program that forced out successful coach Ralph Friedgen after a 10-year tenure as head coach.

For the up-and-coming teams of the league, Syracuse and Louisville have made steps away from their rough years as new coaches Doug Marrone and Charlie Strong have their respective programs back on the track to prominence in the Big East after good campaigns in 2010.

In a negative turn, Rutgers and Cincinnati have went away from their success in the late 2000s of nine or more win seasons to dropping to the back of the pack in the Big East after difficulties in recruiting and injuries in addition to coaching changes in the Queen City.

With that being said, let's get to the predictions for the upcoming season of Big East football later this year.

 

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No. 8: Rutgers Scarlet Knights

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2010 Season Results: 4-8 (1-6 Conference)

Key Losses: OL Howard Barbieri, DE Alex Silvestro, DE Jonathan Freeny, LB Antonio Lowery, S Joe Lefeged

Coaching Staff: Greg Schiano, 10th year (59-56 overall)

Biggest Games of 2011: at North Carolina, vs. Army at Yankee Stadium

2011 Recruiting Class Rank: 46th in the nation (21 commits)

No. 7: Connecticut Huskies

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2010 Season Results: 8-5 (5-2 Conference)

Key Losses: QB Zach Frazer, RB Jordan Todman, OL Zach Hurd, OL Mathieu Olivier, LB Lawrence Wilson, LB Greg Lloyd, LB Scott Lutrus, S Kijuna Dabney

Coaching Staff: Paul Pasqualoni, first year

Biggest Games of 2011: vs. Iowa State, at West Virginia

2011 Recruiting Class Rank: 36th in the nation (24 commits)

No. 6: Louisville Cardinals

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2010 Season Results: 7-6 (3-4 Conference)

Key Losses: RB Bilal Powell, DE Malcolm Tatum, LB Antwon Canady, LB Brandon Heath, CB Johnny Patrick, QB Adam Froman

Coaching Staff: Charlie Strong, second year (6-6 overall)

Biggest Games of 2011: at North Carolina, at West Virginia

2011 Recruiting Class Rank: 27th in the nation (23 commits)

No. 5: Cincinnati Bearcats

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2010 Season Results: 4-8 (2-5 Conference)

Key Losses: WR Armon Binns, WR Marcus Barnett, RB John Goebel, LB Dorian Davis

Coaching Staff: Butch Jones, second year (4-8 overall)

Biggest Game of 2011: at Tennessee, at Pittsburgh

2011 Recruiting Class Rank: 36th in the nation (24 commits)

No. 4: Pittsburgh Panthers

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2010 Season Results: 8-5 (5-2 Conference)

Key Losses: WR Jonathan Baldwin, DE Greg Romeus, DE Jabaal Sheard, DE Brandon Lindsey, S Dom DeCicco

Coaching Staff: Todd Graham, first year

Biggest Games of 2011: at Iowa, vs. Notre Dame, at West Virginia

2011 Recruiting Class Rank: 84th in the nation (seven commits)

No. 3: Syracuse Orange

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2010 Season Results: 8-5 (4-3 Conference)

Key Losses: RB Delone Carter, S Mike Holmes, CB Da’Mon Merkerson, LB Derrell Smith

Coaching Staff: Doug Marrone, second year (7-4 overall)

Biggest Games of 2011: at Southern California, at West Virginia

2011 Recruiting Class Rank: 45th in the nation (25 commits)

No. 2: South Florida Bulls

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2010 Season Results: 8-5 (3-4 Conference)

Key Losses: OL Jake Sims, WR Dontavia Bogan, LB Jacquian Williams

Coaching Staff: Skip Holtz, second year (8-5 overall)

Biggest Games of 2011: at Notre Dame, vs. Miami (FL)

2011 Recruiting Class Rank: 52nd in the nation (19 commits)

No. 1: West Virginia Mountaineers

2010 Season Results: 9-4 (5-2 Conference)

Key Losses: RB Noel Devine, WR Jock Sanders, DT Chris Neild, LB JT Thomas, S Robert Sands

Coaching Staff: Bill Stewart, fourth year (28-11 overall)

Biggest Games of 2011: vs. LSU, vs. Pittsburgh

2011 Recruiting Class Rank: 51st in the nation (21 commits)