College Football 2011: 10 Bold Predictions for the Big East in 2011
The Big East is without a doubt the most maligned BCS conference in major college football. Despite the conference's lack of star power, it is always a tight race to the finish with many twists and turns in this conference that does not have a clear front runner.
I will make 10 predictions about what you should watch for in the Big East this coming fall.
Let me know your thoughts and opinions, regardless if they are positive or negative.
Cincinnati Will Bounce Back in 2011
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Cincinnati had a rough season in Head Coach Butch Jones’s first year, but fear not Cincinnati fans: Better times are ahead for the Bearcats.
Cincinnati brings back quarterback Zach Collaros, running back Isaiah Pead and wide receiver D.J. Woods to an offense that will try to regain their stride after a disappointing 2010 campaign. Wide receivers Armon Binns and Marcus Barnett must be replaced, but underclassmen such as Anthony McClung and Munchie Legaux appear poised to step into more featured roles.
Defensively, Cincinnati returns all 11 starters from a unit that endured growing pains last season and should collectively perform better this coming season with more experience under their belt.
Teddy Bridgewater Will Make an Impact for Louisville
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Head Coach Charlie Strong pulled off a major recruiting coup when he convinced dual threat quarterback and Rivals 250 prospect Teddy Bridgewater to sign with Louisville.
Bridgewater is a highly regarded prospect and passed on scholarship offers from Tennessee, Florida and LSU before signing with the Cardinals.
Teddy probably will not immediately take over the starting quarterback duties, but it is likely that Strong will mix in special packages for the talented youngster, which highlight Bridgewater’s athleticism and arm strength.
South Florida Will Continue to Thrive under Skip Holtz
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Skip Holtz did an admirable job in his first season in Tampa taking a program that was mired in turmoil to a bowl game and giving the program something it could build on.
Look for Holtz’s USF team to continue to thrive in 2011 as the Bulls bring back starting quarterback, B.J. Daniels, along with six starters on defense.
One of the keys for South Florida will be to maintain a discipline that served them well throughout their 2010 campaign.
A September 3rd opening weekend matchup @ Notre Dame will be a huge measuring stick for the Bulls.
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Running Back Ray Graham Will Have a Breakout Year for Pittsburgh
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Pittsburgh is starting to establish a trend of producing great ground churning running backs, first with Lesean McCoy and then with Dion Lewis.
Ray Graham is far from a household name, but in 2010 the sophomore from Elizabeth, New Jersey showed the potential to be a special running back for the Panthers.
Graham rushed for 922 yards and eight touchdowns as a sophomore in 2010 while sharing carries with Dion Lewis. Now as a junior, Ray appears poised to take over the full rushing workload. If last season is any indication then he could put up some monster numbers.
Rutgers Will Once Again Struggle in 2011
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Rutgers struggled last season only winning one Big East game and finishing with a 4-8 record.
The Scarlet Knights appear to have moved on from the once highly touted Tom Savage at quarterback and it now looks as though sophomore Chas Dodd will be the signal caller under center.
Rutgers played a lot of underclassmen towards the end of last season. This youth movement could pay dividends down the road. However, it does not appear that the Scarlet Knights' current crop of players will be able to shove their way into the upper echelon of the Big East standings.
The “Backyard Brawl” Will Serve as the Big East Championship Game
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West Virginia and Pittsburgh are two of the front-runners to win the Big East conference championship this season. I am going to be a bold prognosticator and predict that Pitt and West Virginia will battle in their rivalry game with the conference championship on the line.
Of course, Louisville, Connecticut and Syracuse fans will probably object to this prediction, but with the talent that the Mountaineers and Panthers have on their rosters if they play well they could both be sitting in a position to take home the title next season.
Only time will tell of course, but this would be an exciting way to cap off the Big East season.
Syracuse Will Once Again Lean on Their Ground Game
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Head coach, Doug Marrone, had success in his first season with Syracuse by running the football and controlling the time of possession.
Expect Marrone and the Orange to follow the same blueprint this season even though they will be without leading rusher, Delone Carter.
Carter was great for Syracuse last season, rushing for 1,233 yards, but Antown Bailey was impressive last season as well rushing for 554 yards. He should take over Delone’s role as the muscle behind the Orange offense.
Quarterback Ryan Nassib is also back, but I still expect Marrone and Syracuse to stick with the same smash mouth style of football that served them so well last season.
The Big East Will Not Have One Dominant Team This Season
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The early forecast for the Big East conference is a lot of good teams, but there does not appear to be one truly special team ready to emerge on the national stage.
West Virginia will have to replace Noel Devine on offense in addition to some key defensive personnel, while Pittsburgh loses Jon Baldwin, Dion Lewis and Greg Romeus.
Programs such as South Florida, Syracuse and Louisville appear to be on the upswing, but none of these teams appear ready to be a serious player on the national stage this season.
The Big East may have some programs in the final top 25 poll, but these teams all appear to have ceilings that allow them to climb only so far.
Zach Collaros Will Rebound from a Subpar Season in 2010
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Zach Collaros appeared poised for a breakout year last season after throwing for 1,434 passing yards and 10 touchdowns through the latter part of the 2009 campaign.
Unfortunately, Collaros was sacked 30 times and never was upright in the pocket long enough to make anything happen last season. As a result the junior quarterback struggled.
Cincinnati’s offensive line brings back important pieces and some new talent has been brought in which should help Collaros. In addition, Zach will welcome back young wide receivers Anthony McClung and Munchie Legaux to the fold next season.
For these reasons I expect Zach Collaros to bounce back and play better in his senior campaign.
West Virginia Will Win the Big East Title
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Yes, a replacement needs to be found for Noel Devine at running back, but besides that the Mountaineers have an impressive amount of talent returning.
West Virginia returns eight starters on offense including quarterback Geno Smith and wide receivers Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey.
The defense is less seasoned with only four starters back from 2010, but defensive end, Julian Miller, and cornerback, Keith Tandy, should help lead the way early on.
The Mountaineers also get the advantage of playing rival, Pittsburgh; defending Big East champ, Connecticut; and Louisville at home.
In a wide open conference such as the Big East it is always tough to pick, but at this time West Virginia is my selection to take home the hardware.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
