Big East: 5 Questions for the Conference in 2011

When we last saw the Big East on the football field, the Pittsburgh Panthers were pulling out a victory against Kentucky in the BBVA Compass Bowl, giving head coach Dave Wannstedt one final win on his way out the door in Western Pennsylvania.

Out went Wannstedt, in came Mike Haywood.

Then Haywood was out and Tulsa's Todd Graham was in.

For the Big East, it was just another off-season. Connecticut, after reaching the BCS for the first time in program history, lost head coach Randy Edsall to Maryland. The Huskies, despite the public outcry by a booster who demanded donation money to be returned as a result, opted to go with former Syracuse head coach Paul Pasqualoni to lead their program. In the end, the booster and school let bygones be bygones and all is supposedly well in Storrs once again.

As if that were not enough, the Big East also continues to search for a 10th football member and has already left Villanova at the alter. Could Central Florida or Houston be a viable candidate or will the Big East come back to Villanova before all is said and done?

Just another off-season in the Big East? Possibly.

For now we look past the two questions most people have about the Big East ("Who will be the 10th Big East football member?" and "Does this conference deserve a BCS invite?") and focus solely on the upcoming season. Here are five questions to think about for this season in the Big East.

1. Will Syracuse and Louisville continue to improve?

Last August before the season started I noted that Syracuse was looking to restore their winning tradition and Louisville's Charlie Strong had work to do with the Cardinals. Both programs were picked by the media to finish in last place, a feeling that certainly did not sit well with Strong, who noted that he had never been picked last in anything.

Syracuse finished in fourth and Louisville finished in a tie for fifth place in the conference with Cincinnati and Rutgers sitting in the cellar of the Big East. Will 2011 see both programs continue their winning ways or will there be some regression this season?

Syracuse still needs to improve their offense, which ranked 91st in passing, 76th in rushing, and 93rd in scoring in 2010. The offensive line will be a question mark with the departure of a pair of seniors, and if Ryan Nassib is under pressure and the running game is ineffective, Syracuse will have some growing pains in 2011.

In addition to having to replace running back Bilal Powell, Louisville must also solve a riddle behind center. Will Strong go with Adam Froman or the younger Teddy Bridgewater, who was recruited as a dual-threat quarterback.

2. Can Cincinnati bounce back?

Last year the Bearcats took a big step back under new head coach Butch Jones after winning two consecutive Big East conference championships and reaching a pair of BCS bowl games under Brian Kelly—who left for Notre Dame. Jones may have been a bit over his head in his rookie season.

It was a rough start for Jones with losses at Fresno State (28-14) and North Carolina State (30-19) before losing a close game against Oklahoma (31-29). After defeating rival Louisville (35-27) to open Big East play, things went south quickly for the Bearcats. Five losses in the final six games of the season kept the Bearcats out of a postseason game for the first time since 2005—Cincinnati's first season in the Big East.

Cincinnati's defense was taken advantage of in 2010 but the Bearcats return the entire starting defense in 2011. Will they improve as a more veteran unit in 2011 and learn from their mistakes in 2010? If so, Cincinnati could quickly turn things around in the conference and make a run for another conference championship. The offense figures to be in stable condition with the return of quarterback Zach Collaros, running back Isaiah Pead and wide receiver D.J. Woods.

The offense averaged 27.1 points per game in 2010. If the defense can trim a little bit off of their average of 28.0 points allowed per game, it should be easy to see Cincinnati winning a few more games in 2011.

3. How will Bill Stewart handle the coaching transition at West Virginia?
There were rumors that West Virginia was prepared to part ways with Bill Stewart this offseason, but instead the school brought in Oklahoma State offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Dana Holgorsen, and the writing was put on the wall for Stewart. This will be Stewart's final season as head coach one way or another, and Holgorsen will succeed him next season.

With Stewart in a lame duck coaching situation how will it affect his coaching in 2011? Stewart, though he responds well in public, certainly had no intention of leaving West Virginia so there must be some bitter feelings stewing inside. Don't look for those negative sentiments to cause Stewart to lose a grip on his game plan and decision-making. Stewart is too classy to let this situation affect the action on the field.

4. Is B.J. Daniels (South Florida) the unheralded star of the Big East?

B.J. Daniels struggled to grab a hold of Skip Holtz's new offensive system, but by the end of the season he was playing better. In 2011 the play of Daniels will be the key to South Florida's chances of winning a Big East title.

Daniels threw less touchdowns (11) and more interceptions (13) than he did in 2009 (14 TD, 9 INT), and his passing yardage took a dip, but his pass completion percentage increased from 53.7% in 2009 to 58.4% in 2010. Daniels had a breakthrough performance in the Meineke Car Care Bowl against Clemson, leaving Bulls fans one more reason to look forward to 2011.

It certainly won't be easy for Daniels, but with road games at Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Connecticut and Syracuse, the South Florida quarterback will have plenty of opportunities to put his team on his shoulders. If South Florida wins, it will be because of Daniels.

5. Does Greg Schiano have any surprises brewing in Piscataway?

Not so long ago, Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano was one of the hottest coaching names in college football. A string of five consecutive winning seasons—the longest since a nine-year string from 1972 through 1980—came to an end last year with Rutgers winning just four games. Schiano and the Scarlet Knights lost six straight games to end the season, losing the final three by a combined score of 144-65.

The offensive and defensive lines both need major retooling and the quarterback situation is wide open following the departure of Tom Savage. This season looks to be much more of a rebuilding year, but in the Big East no team should be ruled out of the mix at this point in time. Could Schiano and Rutgers shock the rest of the conference and make a run?

Rutgers will get Pittsburgh, West Virginia, South Florida and Cincinnati at home. If Rutgers can defend their home turf better than last year (1-4 in 2010), Schiano may once again be a hot-name coach.

Kevin McGuire is the national college football writer for Examiner.com. Follow his college football discussion on Twitter    @CFBExaminer.