Balance in the Big East is striking

By Darrell Laurant  |   Wednesday, June 18, 2008  |  Comments( 0 )

College Football
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This is going to be fun.

There will no doubt be stronger conferences than the Big East this football season (although not as many as you'd think), but it will be hard to beat the balance.

It's probably safe to say that Syracuse will not be a contender for the league title. The Orange was 2-10 last season, 4-8 the year before, 2-10 in 2005, and lost its top two receivers this spring to the NFL draft (Taj Smith) and academics (Mike Williams). Plus, three of the top four running backs are hurt and the offensive linemen gave up 58 sacks and kept their own backs in check (a 2-yard rushing average).

Still, given the fact that this is do or die for coach Greg Robinson (who seems to be well-liked by his players), don't rule out Syracuse taking a spoiler's role late in the season.

Everybody else has a shot. Although, in the case of Louisville, it's a longshot.

Despite the graduation of Brian Brohm, the departure to the NFL of Harry Douglas, Mario Urrutia and Gary Barnidge, the bailout of Anthony Allen and the dismissal of George Stripling, the Cardinals should still be potent on offense -- thanks in large part (no pun intended) to an offensive line anchored by two All-Big East wide bodies, Eric Wood and George Bussey.

The problem, as last year, is the defense. The question is: Is it a good or a bad thing that a lot of the 2007 starters on that side of the ball are gone?

There is some talent among the replacements, and a new defensive coordinator in Ron English (from Michigan), but early season games with Kentucky and Kansas State could be testy for a young stop unit.

Who might emerge on top from the rest of the league is a mystery. You can look at West Virginia, South Florida, Pitt, Cincinnati, Rutgers and Connecticut and find reasons why any of them could win the conference. You can also find reasons why they won't.

One oddity is that not a single team in the conference will be breaking in an untested quarterback. Cincinnati's Dustin Grutza was a backup to Ben Mauk last season, but he started in 2006. Pitt used three different quarterbacks in 2007, and all are back. Hunter Cantwell played behind Brian Brohm for three years, but he started in a couple of key contests and a bowl game when Brohm was hurt.

Elsewhere, Pat White (West Virginia), Mike Teel (Rutgers), Matt Grothe (South Florida) and Tyler Lorenzen (Connecticut) all seem well-equipped to lead their teams to the Big East pinnacle, and Syracuse junior Andrew Robinson has a year (and numerous bruises) under his belt.

Except for Louisville, no team was decimated by graduation. Rather, some of the losses were damaging but very specific. South Florida bid goodbye to the best pair of cornerbacks in the conference (and possibly the nation), Trae Williams and Mike Jenkins; West Virginia has holes (and a lack of depth) on defense, Pitt and Rutgers each need to replace an outstanding pair of tackles, Cincinnati lost all of its running backs and two key defensive line starters and Connecticut needs wide receivers.

The only disadvantage to this parity is that it's unlikely any team is going to emerge unscathed through the 2008 conference season. Indeed, the Big Six could knock each other around to such a degree that only the automatic qualifier gets a choice BCS bowl bid.

Just relax and enjoy it.





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