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'Canes at cusp of restoring glory

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Miami's Ken Dorsey threw 25 TDs and only five INTs in his first full season as a starter.  Eliot J. Schechter/Allsport   1    Miami   2    Virginia Tech   3    Pittsburgh   4    Syracuse   5    Boston College   6    West Virginia   7    Temple   8    Rutgers  6 Six times in the first 10 years of Big East football, a league team has gone into its bowl game playing for a claim to the national championship. "In all honesty, I do not care what happens. That might sound crazy, but I just want this team to be as good as it can be. When this season's over, whatever happens, I'll be OK." -- Temple head coach Bobby Wallace on his school getting the boot from the Big East. By Mitch Vingle, Special to CNNSI.com Call them the winds of change within the Big East. Temple is moving out. Butch Davis and West Virginia Don Nehlen are gone from Miami and West Virginia, respectively. And ex-Rutgers head coach Terry Shea has left the building. Yet there is one constant within the Big East: those strong Hurricanes in South Florida. Yes, Miami lost Davis. Yes, the 'Canes must replace Santana Moss and Dan Morgan. But new head coach Larry Coker can thank his lucky stars -- every day in practice. For starters, he has quarterback Ken Dorsey, far and away the league's best, back in the pocket. All Dorsey did last season was lead the 'Canes to the No. 2 spot in the polls and land a first-team All-Big East award -- ahead of Michael Vick. The QB has plenty of help on offense. His guard dogs are stellar tackles Joaquin Gonzalez and Bryant McKinnie. He again has more high quality running backs -- Clinton Portis, Najeh Davenport and Willis McGahee -- than some leagues. And if all else fails, Dorsey can flip the ball to tight end Jeremy Shockey, who drips of NFL potential. Virginia Tech will have trouble challenging Miami simply because Vick left for the pros. Hokies tailback Lee Suggs is a mighty weapon and there are nine starters back on defense, but the team needs more at the helm than someone who just hands the ball off to Suggs. On paper, the Pittsburgh Panthers appear ready to leap past Tech. Head coach Walt Harris is loaded with talent, especially at wide receiver, where volatile Antonio Bryant, last season's Biletnikoff Award winner, stands tall. But there are too many questions coming off last season's ugly performance in the Insight.com Bowl. Syracuse has a brutal non-conference schedule -- Tennessee, East Carolina, Auburn -- but the Orangemen play host to both Boston College and West Virginia. Also, Paul Pasqualoni will have his team playing like major leaguers in the final year of their contracts. Because if Coach P doesn't win, he'll be in the final year of his. Yes, Portis is in line to start at tailback for the Hurricanes. But McGahee, a powerful redshirt freshman, exploded past Jarrett Payton in the spring and assumed the No. 2 position. Standing 6-1 and weighing 225 pounds, McGahee is a rugged straight-ahead runner with breakaway speed. McGahee's huge spring (he topped 100 yards in both full-scale scrimmages) will leave Coker no choice but to play his former high school All-American. Add fullback Davenport, and the 'Canes are loaded in the backfield. And this despite last year's leading rusher, James Jackson, graduating. HOT: Miami football The 'Canes are back. Howard Schnellenberger should be pleased NOT: Temple football The Owls may field a competitive team, but the league has had enough. HOT: Virginia Tech tailback Lee Suggs Suggs, not Vick, was the Hokie who had 27 touchdowns last season. NOT: Syracuse coach Paul Pasqualoni Coach P needs at least a Gator Bowl to quiet the fans.   Butch Davis decided to jump back into the NFL -- but why now? Davis left a national championship contender in the lap of former assistant Larry Coker. In order to coach the Browns? He also had interest from Alabama, but restoring another college powerhouse's standing apparently lacks the appeal of a resurrected NFL middleweight. The 'Canes may win more games in September than Cleveland does all season. West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez Has infused enthusiasm and a spread offense into the drifting West Virginia program. Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano Has convinced some of New Jersey's best recruits to stay home for once. Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer Has capitalized Vick's success through recruiting.   The game of the year is unquestionably Dec. 1. That's the date of the Big East's final regular-season matchup between Miami and Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va. What may be as interesting is the league's second tier. Pittsburgh, Syracuse, Boston College and West Virginia are of similar strength. So check out the WVU-BC game, the season opener for both teams, on Sept. 1. Syracuse and Pittsburgh hook up Oct. 13.   Miami's offseason may leave the Hurricanes eight men short this fall. The career of fine linebacker Sheven Marshall and reserve offensive lineman Clint Hurtt are over because of injuries. Meanwhile, a couple of redshirt freshmen -- Willie Dixon and Marquis Johnson -- are academically ineligible. Incoming freshmen were also said to be struggling with admission requirements. ... Pittsburgh's Bryant has had his share of trouble, from suspensions to a recent probe over fraudulently procured airline tickets. ... Don't be surprised if redshirt freshman Rasheed Marshall eventually takes over the QB spot at WVU for veteran Brad Lewis. "Rasheed's the guy, I think, who has a bright, bright future," said new Mountaineer coach Rodriguez.

Mitch Vingle covers the Big East for the Charleston (W. Va.) Gazette. His "This Week in the Big East" column will appear weekly during the season.

 

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