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Big East Preview
WVU, Louisville head and shoulders above all others
Big East How They'll Finish TEAM CONFERENCE W-L OVERALL W-L West Virginia 6-1 11-1 Louisville 6-1 11-1 Rutgers 4-3 7-5 South Florida 4-3 7-5 Pittsburgh 3-4 6-6 UCONN 3-4 6-6 Cincinnati 1-6 3-9 Syracuse 1-6 2-10 Conference Champion: West Virginia earns the BCS bid by virtue of its win over Louisville on Nov. 2 Big East Can't Miss Games Miami at Louisville SEPTEMBER 16 
The last Florida power that entered Papa John's Cardinal Stadium -- No. 4 Florida State, in 2002 -- was stunned by then unranked Louisville. In what could be a matchup of top 15 teams, Louisville's Brian Brohm will try to pick apart the Hurricanes' swift secondary, led by All-America safety Brandon Meriweather, and kick-start the Cardinals' drive toward a BCS bid. 
Rutgers at South FloridaSEPTEMBER 29 
The Scarlet Knights were sailing along at 6-2 in '05 before they ran into the Bulls, who jumped to a 21-0 first-quarter lead and forced six turnovers en route to a 45-31 victory. If the Knights want to show they're a challenger to West Virginia and Louisville, they have to leave Tampa with a win. But Rutgers had better beware: Last season USF was 4-1 at home, including a 45-14 win over Louisville. 
West Virginia at LouisvilleNOVEMBER 2 
The Big East doesn't have a conference championship game, but this clash of the league's nouveau titans might as well be it. Last year, playing on the same afternoon as USC-Notre Dame and Penn State-Michigan, the Mountaineers and the Cardinals staged a classic of their own. West Virginia won 46-44 in triple overtime, but only after rallying from a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit. Big East Players To Watch Terry CaulleyRB - UCONN 
The 5'7" 185-pounder rushed for 1,247 yards as a freshman in 2002 but hasn't been the same since suffering a right knee injury the following September. He'll look to regain his magic after averaging 59.9 yards a game last season. H.B. BladesMLB - Pittsburgh The son of former NFL defensive back Bennie Blades is a two-time first-team all-conference pick and a tackling machine for the Panthers. A 6-foot, 240-pound senior, Blades should get strong consideration for the Butkus Award. Brian LeonardFB - Rutgers The 6'2", 235-pound senior teams with Ray Rice to form a feared backfield duo: Sir Sturdy and Sir Speedy ran for 1,860 yards in '05. "If you get used to taking on Leonard," says one coach, "the next thing you know, Rice will have blown by you." Stephen NicholasLB - South Florida Slotted as a mid-round pick, the 6'3", 225-pound Nicholas passed on the '06 NFL draft to return to USF and raise his stock. As a junior he had a team-leading 15 1/2 tackles for loss on a defense that ranked 17th in the country. Dowayne DavisSS - Syracuse Last season new coach Greg Robinson had the foresight to move Davis, then a sophomore, from cornerback to strong safety; the 6-foot 200-pounder blossomed, finishing with 78 tackles and making two interceptions. Big East Extra Points
Of the six true freshmen CINCINNATI was forced to start in '05, cornerback Mike Mickens and linebacker Corey Smith are expected to emerge as two of the league's stars on D.... Sophomore Mike Teel (right) may be the most highly touted quarterback recruit to start for RUTGERS, but as a backup in '05 he threw an interception on an alarming 10% of his attempts (10 of 101). "We're trying to coach out some of his competitiveness," says coach Greg Schiano.... PITT has simplified its play-calling in Year 2 of the Dave Wannstedt regime, paring its playbook on both sides of the ball; defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads says he may use only four base zones, four zone pressures and four blitzes, down from the six schemes the Panthers used in each category in '05.... SOUTH FLORIDA entered the spring with highly regarded sophomore Carlton Hill as its top quarterback and planned to implement parts of the Missouri and Texas offenses to capitalize on his mobility. Instead, Hill was moved to wideout after having academic problems. Then, after he was charged with marijuana possession in June, Hill was planning to transfer to Pearl River (Miss.) Community College. Incumbent Pat Julmiste, a senior who has made 23 career starts, is the Bulls' likely fall No. 1.... New SYRACUSE offensive coordinator Brian White, who spent 11 years under Barry Alvarez at Wisconsin, is charged with resuscitating the Orange's woeful attack. White's success in Madison was built around a power running game, but he'll have to adapt to the 'Cuse's West Coast offense. -- Luke Winn
AP
Issue date: August 21, 2006
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