2006 College Football Preview: The Big East

1. West Virginia- The Mountaineers are far too talented not to win the Big East and the combination of quarterback Pat White and running back Steve Slaton maybe the most talented backfield in the 2006 college football season. The one big test for West Virginia is against Louisville, which will decide not only the Big East title but also will be a key piece to the BCS championship puzzle. The Mountaineers defense will be good enough to shut down the Cardinals and will bring the Big East title back to West Virginia.

2. Louisville- Brian Brohm is a standout quarterback and the offensive cupboard is full of talent to help him bring another winning season to Louisville. Michael Bush is a battering ram at running back, with back up George Stripling providing a quick shot of speed from the backfield. The one thing that will stop the Cardinals from winning the Big East against West Virginia is that their defense is not nearly as prolific as their offense. With West Virginia facing off against Louisville in the beginning of November, they will need their front seven to get better in order to stop a high-powered running attack and short passing game. More important, Pat White could have a big day against an inconsistent Cardinals secondary.

3. South Florida- The Bulls will change from a running team in 2005 to a deep throwing team in 2006, with Carlton Hill slinging it to a young but talented corps of receivers behind an adequate offensive line. The defense will be by far the better unit in South Florida and one of the best in conference, with a great trio of linebackers and a solid secondary that will make big plays against its Big East opponents. The Bulls are a year away from realistically challenging West Virginia and Louisville for the Big East championship.

4. Rutgers- The Scarlet Knights went to their first bowl game in twenty years in 2005, getting to six wins with a balanced offense and great pass rush on defense. Greg Schiano has gotten his team to over achieve during his tenure and in 2006, Rutgers should continue to improve as a football program. Fullback Brian Leonard will pound out Big East defenses for consistent yardage and should flirt with the 1,200 yard mark by season's end. The Scarlet Knights need to decide on a quarterback and figure out which young players to fill in the defensive line, but they stand out from the bottom of the Big East and should threaten South Florida for third in the Big East conference.

5. University of Connecticut- Running back Terry Caulley is the difference between the Huskies getting to the middle of the talented Big East and sinking further toward the bottom. Without a strong offensive line or talented quarterback, Caulley is the big producer on offense. The Huskies defense is not overwhelming, but good enough to keep them in most games and give them the chance to move into the upper half of the Big East.

6. Pittsburgh- Coach Dave Wannstedt had a decent first year as the Panthers' head coach but expect the team to take a dip in 2006, not because of Pittsburgh's lack of talent but because squads like Rutgers and South Florida are improving dramatically. While H.B. Blades and Mike Phillips will lead the Pittsburgh defense, the offense will struggle and the rest of the defense needs to step up their production. Wannstedt needs to get his team to achieve up to its potential or he will be on the hot seat in Pittsburgh.

7. Cincinnati- The Bearcats have a young but experienced defense that suffered a bit last year in order to have more success this year. The true problem for Cincinnati is that they don't have enough play makers on offense to keep the defense off of the field. Quarterback Dustin Grutza is solid, but he doesn't have a very good offensive line and his backfield mates are inexperienced. The Bearcats will put together about the same season as last year, staying out of the Big East cellar because of more incompetent Syracuse team.

8. Syracuse- Greg Robinson's second year at Syracuse is not going to be much better than his first, without a lot of experience or raw talent on the offensive side of the ball. The defensive squad was great considering the lack of firepower from the offensive squad, with linebacker Kelvin Smith and corner back Tanard Jackson returning to lead the Orangemen defense once again. The big question is whether new coordinator Brian White can bring the same success to Syracuse as he did with the Wisconsin Badgers offense. Robinson will need to choose a quarterback and have a consistent lineup week in and week out for Syracuse to develop a rhythm on offense.

Best NFL Prospect- Linebacker H.B. Blades, Pittsburgh- Blades has an NFL pedigree (son of former NFL player Bennie Blades) and is a menace against opposing rushers. Under former NFL head coach and defensive coordinator Dave Wannstedt, Blades will get the right knowledge to compliment his physical skills to make the leap to the NFL. The only question is whether his team's performance will influence his draft position but looking at players like Vernon Davis and Mario Williams in 2006, this will not be a huge factor.

Most Improved Team- South Florida- South Florida is an athletic team that caught some teams by surprise last year on their way to an 8-4 record. While no one is taking South Florida for granted in the Big East in 2006, the Bulls are going to continue to improve against Big East opponents because they have the pure football skills and athletic ability to run teams up and down the field.