2007 Big East Conference Preview by Marc Lawrence The Big East Conference proved its worth in spades last season when they went a perfect 5-0 in bowl games. To top it off, the overall win percentage (.644) of all teams in the Big East was higher than any Division 1-A conference in 2006. Who needs the likes of Boston College, Miami Florida and Virginia Tech? No, the Big East needs no stinkin’ badges. Here is one handicapper’s take on the Big East for 2007. Returning quarterbacks and starters are listed alongside each team’s name. Be sure to check out the rest of my 2007 Conference Previews updated throughout the summer. Enjoy... Cincinnati: QB, 7 Off, 8 Def The Bearcats were forced to make a move when former head coach Mark D’Antonio was hired away by Michigan State in late November last season. In the end they made a major move when they acquired Brian Kelly from Central Michigan. He’s gone 61-24 as a head coach the past six seasons, while leading the Chippewas to a MAC title and Motor City Bowl win last year. The bottom line is the man can coach and Cincinnati will be the benefactor. He’ll welcome back 53 lettermen, (15 returning starters and all 4 DL), including the top 8 RB’s and 11 of the top 13 WR’s. Kelly’s spread offense figures to keep the Bearcats on a roll in 2007. Play on Cincinnati as an underdog vs. West Virginia. Connecticut: QB, 8 Off, 6 Def Obedience school paid moderate dividends for the Huskies last year when they led the Big East in fewest penalties. Unfortunately they tackled the sixth-toughest schedule in the nation in 2006, while finishing at the bottom of the barrel in the conference. For the second straight year injuries played a major role in Connecticut’s unraveling. It was so bad that not one offensive player started all 12 games last season as they were forced to start 38 different players in all (21 on offense). In 2005 they were hit hard by graduation losses and then proceeded to lose 18 players from the two-deep roster to injuries. Through it all they’re still 11-5 in November. Play on Connecticut vs. Cincinnati. Louisville: QB, 8 Off, 6 Def What if Rutgers hadn’t scored the final 21 points in their 28-25 upset win over the Cardinals? And what if star RB Michael Bush hadn’t broken his leg in the first game of the season last year? In truth, if either of the two scenarios hadn’t happened we could possibly be talking about the defending national champion Louisville Cardinals who, in spite of Bush’s loss, were just three points from a perfect season last year. Instead it’s the here and now, and now on the scene is new head coach Steve Kragthorpe, former miracle-worker at Tulsa. And much to Heisman-hopeful QB Brian Brohm’s liking he brings OC Charlie Stubbs and his high-powered playbook. This deck of cards looks stacked. Pass. Pittsburgh: 8 Off, 6 Def Sometimes, one stat can define your career. That idea was manifested last year when the Panthers hit the scales dead even at season’s end at 6-6. A look inside the numbers tells the tale: 5-1 against opponents better than .600; 1-5 versus .600 or weaker opposition. Which leaves us wondering, why can’t Dave Wannstedt, who is 11-12 since being drop kicked out of Miami, beat good teams? He’ll tackle a schedule similar to last year, opening the 2007 season against five straight losers before meeting six winning opponents in their final seven games. Here’s hoping seven home games, and zero back-to-back travelers, makes this season a bit more palatable. After all, you are what you eat. Play against Pittsburgh vs. Cincinnati. Rutgers: QB, 7 Off, 6 Def After winning Big East and National Coach of the Year honors last season, Tony Soprano, err Greg Schiano, had his pact extended through 2016 at the rate of $1.5M per year. That’s quite a haul for New Jersey State’s boss man. On the heels of last year’s record 11-win season, Schiano figures to have a bulls-eye placed squarely on his back in 2007, but at least he’ll have most of his key hit men, err components, in place. Three starters from arguably the nation’s strongest offensive line are back, in addition to super sharp QB Mike Teel, star RB Ray Rice, and on defense the best safety tandem in the nation. Rutgers to get whacked in 2007? Fuggedaboudit! Play on Rutgers vs. Buffalo. South Florida: QB, 8 Off, 8 Def With apologies to Thomas Wolfe, Jim Leavitt is the epitome of a coach who can never leave home again. That’s what the Bulls assured when they locked Leavitt into a $7M deal through 2011. “I can see myself coaching at USF until I retire,” iterates Leavitt. Since 2001, he fast-tracked a nonexistent team into Division 1-A prominence in just five years while capturing the heart and soul of Bulls’ fans in the process. On the heels of last year’s nine-win bowl-victory season, South Florida welcomes back 16 returning starters, including all five offensive linemen and QB Matt Grothe, the Big East Rookie of the Year. Heck, Leavitt may never need his American Express card again. Play on South Florida as an underdog vs. Rutgers. Syracuse: 6 Off, 4 Def If progress is measured by the inch, Syracuse is worming it’s way nowhere fast under Greg Robinson’s slow-to-develop playbook. When Paul Pasqualoni was given the boot after 14 tumultuous seasons, the Orangemen reached into the NFL and hired the former defensive coordinator, who switched to a West Coast offense. If that sounds like a conundrum, it has been just that. The fact of the matter is the players are not grasping the switch and the natives are growing restless. Robinson’s teams have become an offensive marshmallow while his defense gets toasted with regularity. The bottom line is he’s been out-statted in 19 of 23 games, winning just one conference game! We wonder if Pasqualoni’s 107-59-1 record was all that bad. Play on Syracuse vs. Rutgers. West Virginia: QB, 7 Off, 9 Def It could only happen in West “By God” Virginia. After capturing the 2007 NIT Basketball Championship, the Mountaineers had tee-shirts printed for the players proclaiming the feat. They read: WEST VIRGINA – NIT CHAMPS. Look long and hard at the spelling. Apparently the printer didn’t. You don’t need to look long, or hard, at the achievements by the football team since Rich Rodriguez arrived. Off their first back-to-back ten-win seasons in school history, with a 38-12 mark the past four years (also the best in school history), WVU has arrived. And don’t refer to the AA dynamic-duo of RB Steve Slaton and QB Pat White, or their teammates, as Mountaineers or Hillbillies anymore. We must call them by their new politically correct name: Appalachian Americans. Play on West Virginia vs. South Florida. Remember to get Marc Lawrence’s Guaranteed College Football Winners this year right here at Vegas Experts, where you only pay after you win! And don’t forget to check out the rest of Marc’s 2007 Conference Previews, with free College Football Picks on nearly every team!