The calendar now reads July and that means August is on its way. Of course most of you probably already have this date circled on your calendar but Thursday, August 28th is when College Football’s regular season kicks off in 2008 and that means it certainly is not too early to take a quick look at what we might expect from some of the teams around the country. We’ll continue what we started last week as we now move on from the Atlantic Coast Conference and this week we take a look at the Big East Conference:

Cincinnati – As you can tell by the placement of Cincinnati, this listing is not in the order of expected finish rather this listing is alphabetical. While the Bearcats are a respectable program, they are unlikely to enjoy the same success they did in last year’s ten win season. They lost a lot of talent from last season’s club as they just have twelve returning starters. Also, they were very fortunate in the turnover department last season. Some of that is by design as Cincy plays an aggressive, ball-hawking style of defense. However, the “bounce of the ball” often went the Bearcats way last season. Additionally, Cincinnati was very fortunate in the injury department last season and that’s always tough to repeat! The Bearcats are likely to experience a drop-off this season.

Connecticut – Like Cincy, this is another team that should be expected to drop downward in the standings this season. The Huskies were surprising co-champions of the Big East last season. However, like the Bearcats, they were very fortunate in the turnover department last season and some favorable scheduling went their way. This season, the Huskies have four conference road games and the Mountaineers are part of their home docket. A drop-off should definitely be expected here.

Louisville – This Cardinals team could “trick” some folks. Louisville had a sub-par season last year but let’s not forget that the Cardinals program was one of the top programs in the country in two of the last four years. Also, the Cards are helped by having 4 of their 7 Big East games at home this season. The Cardinals are quite strong in the trenches as I rate their defensive line and offensive line as both being in the upper half of the conference. With QB and RB also being an area of strength for Louisville this team will be a tough match for many teams to try to outscore.

Pittsburgh – Keep an eye on the Panthers. They lost some tough, tight games last season. Also, they have one of the strongest overall defenses in the Big East. They returned 15 starters from last season’s team and they lost very few lettermen. Once the QB situation “settles in” for the Panthers they could be very tough on teams because they are very strong at running back and with their receivers. Solidity at the QB position could get this team over the hump. Keep an eye on that!

Rutgers – The Scarlet Knights lose Ray Rice at RB but facing some weak opposition in the non-conference schedule should help Rutgers ease the growing pains. This team is well coached, should play solid defense, and although Rice is gone they still return 15 starters! Having four Big East road games could hurt the Knights but, overall, they could still be “heard from” in the Big East this season. Don’t underestimate them.

South Florida – This team could definitely challenge West Virginia for supremacy in the Big East. They are very well coached. Their defensive units rank right up there with Pittsburgh’s. In fact the Bulls are arguably the superior overall defense. Offensively the Bulls will challenge opponents with a rock solid receiving corps that benefits again this season from having QB Matt Grothe at the controls. Pick your spots for best value because the Bulls will certainly be offering some of that this season. This is a solid team.

Syracuse – The Orange continue to struggle. They do have 14 returning starters and this is arguably Coach Robinson’s best group yet but the problem is that they just can’t compete in this conference. There is too much of a gap between Syracuse and the other teams. They’ve been outgained by about 160 yards per game in Big East play over the last three years and with so many weaknesses (QB play, offensive line, and the entire defense) this team is just hard to find value with. More often than not they will likely need to be faded or just left alone. They are a hard team to invest in.

West Virginia – The Mountaineers should certainly still be considered the top team in the Big East but they are dropping back closer to their challengers. They only return twelve starters from last season’s team. They also have a new head coach in Bill Stewart and that could create some growing pains (particularly on offense). This means we could find some value in going against West Virginia because of their past reputation. The do have some question marks at wide receiver, in their defensive line, and in their secondary. In other words, considering the personnel issues and a new coach, the Mountaineers are highly unlikely to be as dominant in Big East play as they had been. This means line value for us in fading them in the right spots. Keep in mind this is still a talented and strong team but we’re simply talking about pointspread value here!

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