2010 College Football Preview: Pittsburgh Is The Beast Of the Big East

2010 Big East College Football Preview

In 2010 the Big East looks to be one of the most competitive conferences in football. It is conceivable that any team can win the conference and the highly coveted BCS bowl bid, with the exception of Syracuse and Louisville.

Brobury Sports has posted the odds on each team to win the Big East conference. These odds are placed on each team and their chances to win the Big East. 

Here are my predictions for the Big East in 2010 and where the teams will finish the in the standings.

Pittsburgh Panthers: Odds to win the Big East are 3 to 1

Pittsburgh has the most talented player in the Big East in running back Dion Lewis. Lewis posted 1799 yards last year, good enough for third in the nation. This year he has the potential to put up big enough numbers to earn a few votes for the Heisman Trophy.

The defense returns Greg Romeus to lead one of the best pass rushing teams in the Big East. This team will be tested early against Utah and Miami but will be in the hunt for the conference championship late in the year. Ending the season with three out of four games on the road in the Big East potentially means the Panthers are up for another late-season collapse.

West Virginia Mountaineers: Odds to win the Big East are 3 to 1

The Mountaineers are almost bringing back the entire team from a year ago with nine starters coming back on both sides of the ball. Noel Devine returns in the backfield and will be a vital cog in this offense. Missing from the offense is QB Jarrett Brown. QB Geno Smith will likely start and could be a difference maker. West Virginia will be solid on both sides of the ball.

Road games against Pittsburgh and Connecticut may hurt their chances of winning the title.

Connecticut Huskies: Odds to win the Big East are 2.5 to 1

The Huskies are ready to shine in the Big East. Head coach Randy Edsall has turned this program around. Eight starters will return on both sides of the ball. Running back Jordan Todman can carry the load for the Huskies offense. Zach Frazier can lead this team in crunch time.

The defense brings all key positions back but still has to improve in the secondary where they were vulnerable last year. The schedule maker was very kind to the Huskies with home games against Pittsburgh, West Virginia, and Cincinnati. A big contest in Michigan could set the bar for a great season for the Huskies.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights : Odds to win the Big East are 5 to 1

Rutgers has no worries on defense. They bring back starters in key spots and look again to rank in the top of the Big East in defensive scoring and total defense as it did a year ago.

The real test will be how they do on offense. The Knights lost three starters on the offensive line but do return signal caller Tom Savage, who looked great as a freshman. Head coach Greg Shiano should bring this team to a bowl game for the sixth consecutive season and have a legitimate shot at winning the Big East.

South Florida Bulls: Odds to win the Big East are 5 to 1

B.J. Daniels returns for the Bulls and this multi-talented quarterback should put up great numbers again this year through the air and on the ground. The entire offensive line will be back to protect Daniels and allow this offense to put up plenty of points.

Skip Holtz is ready to bring this team to the next level. He will, however, have to fill some big voids on the defensive side of the ball. The Bulls have only four starters returning this season. The demanding schedule will be too harsh for the Bulls to overcome. They will not compete for the Big East Crown this year.

Cincinnati Bearcats: Odds to win the Big East are 5 to 1

The Bearcats are a completely different team from a year ago. Brian Kelly jumped ship to Notre Dame and the NFL drafted key position players such as Tony Pike and Marty Gilyard. Butch Jones takes over as new head coach and he will work wonders with a talented offense led by Zach Collaros.

The problem is they return five players on a defense that was one of the worst in the country. Improving a defense like that will take some time. The Bearcats will win a few key games behind a terrific offense, but will be hard pressed to be a title contender.

Louisville Cardinals: Odds to win the Big East are 9 to 1

Louisville needed to improve a defense that allowed 371.1 YPG and 26.3 PPG last season and they took a step in the right direction in hiring Charlie Strong. Strong worked wonders while coaching in Florida and will bring the same mentality to the Cardinals.

Mike Sanford was brought in as an offensive coordinator and he installed the spread offense. The Cardinals have the entire offensive line back and senior quarterback Adam Froman under center and he will fit perfectly into the new offensive scheme. Louisville is a few years from winning the Big East. Look for them to make significant strides in 2010.

Syracuse Orangemen: Odds to win the Big East are 15 to 1

Syracuse finished last in the Big East a year ago. There is no reason to think they won’t occupy the same spot in 2010. Doug Marrone showed some glimpses of improvement as head coach last year with a few wins over bowl teams. They are not ready to move up the standings just yet, though.

The defense has to keep them in games if they want to win because the offense was pathetic last year. The offense returns eight starters from the offense so don't expect too many changes. The good news for the Syracuse faithful is that they will always have basketball to look forward to.

The Big East should provide some entertaining football for this season and it will be interesting to see how the season unfolds.

Here are some of my other college football previews and predictions for the 2010 season.

2010 BCS Championship College Football Predictions

2010 ACC Preview and Predictions

2010 SEC Preview and Predictions

2010 College Football Big Ten Preview and Predictions

2010 College football Pac-10 Preview and Predictions

2010 College Football Big 12 Preview and Predictions

Handicapping the Heisman Race in 2010