OSG College Football 2009 Predictions: Big East Conference

Pittsburgh: Last Year (9-4, 5-2 in the Big East). Losers in the Sun Bowl.

Offense: This is a senior laden experience crew that has high expectations for Coach Dave Wannstedt’s crew. Coming off of a 3-0 loss in the Sun Bowl last season, seniors Bill Stull and Pat Bostick are the guys to run the show at Quarterback. It’s rare for a team to have 2 seniors at QB, but the Panthers do. Receiver Jonathan Baldwin is expected to be a breakout star at Receiver as well.

Defense: The Defense loses Conference Player of the year Scott McKillop but, they will be led this season by Defensive End Greg Romeus and Cornerback Aaron Berry.

Strengths: They should be able to score in bunches, senior leadership is always a good thing and the Panthers are an experienced team.

Weaknesses: Some question marks on Defense, guys are going to have to step up. Some are still not convinced that Wannstedt is the guy to make them a consistent national power.

OSG’s Take:

Phil: The Panthers have been a decent team for the past couple of years but something seems to always hold them back. They haven’t come up big when necessary. Is that Coaching? You have to wonder a bit. They should be a good program and they have improved, but can they go further?

Wilkie: Pitt hired a new offensive coordinator (Frank Cignetti) to mix things up on offense. The key is QB Bill Stull to get the ball to the playmakers on the perimeter. If the Panthers can create some excitement on offense then I really like this Pitt team. The “Backyard Brawl” on Nov. 27th should be appointment viewing.

Jon: Look to November 27th for the game in Morgantown. That will determine the conference title.

West Virginia: Last Year (9-4, winner in the Meinke Car Care Bowl)

Offense: It all begins and ends with Noel Devine. The high flying running back was by far the best player on the team and he is back for another season. Jarrett Brown is prepared to step in for the departed Pat White and run the Mountaineer offense. Between the 2, expect these guys to score…a lot.

Defense: No real standouts here. The leader is probably Middle Linebacker Reed Williams, but much like Pitt, this is the unit that is going to have to improve for these guys to be a major factor in the conference.

Strengths: As always, offense. With Brown and Devine, scoring should not be an issue. They will score and sometimes very quickly.

Weaknesses: Defense and depth. With the quick strike offense, it is important the defense play well. Coach Bill Stewart just has to figure out if his guys are up to the task.

OSG’s Take:

Phil: Again, can they stop people? They should be decent, but just how decent? There are athletes here, but I just don’t know that they have enough to run the table. Upper part of the conference, but I don’t see a championship…this season.

Wilkie: If the offensive line performs up to expectations then the Mountaineers will return to the top of the Big East conference. West Virginia has the best athletes and speed in the league. With that said, we will know this year if Bill Stewart can keep the express rolling in Morgantown.

Jon: The schedule sets up nicely for the Mountaineers. They get East Carolina, Auburn and Colorado early. That should tell Coach Stewart just how ready they really are. Heading in to November, they should only have two losses- max- and the challenges of going to USF, Cincinnati, and Rutgers will determine who gets the title on the 27th.

Cincinnati: (Last Year: 10-3, Lost in the Orange Bowl)

Offense: Quarterback Tony Pike and Receiver Mardy Gilyard return to the Bearcats for another season. They should lead Cinci who is coming off of its first conference title last season. Coach Brian Kelly is known for having a prolific offense and these guys don’t…and won’t disappoint.

Defense: Coach Kelly, your mission is: Replace 10 starters from last year’s defense. Folks that is a tough one for anybody to make up for. Much like the other teams in the East, they’ve got work to do on Defense. We will see how much work they have done in just a few weeks.

Strengths: Like the other teams, it’s all about the “O”. They should not have much trouble scoring, but they may need it to outscore the other team. Look for both Gilyard and Pike to have big seasons this year.

Weakness: Look at the defensive section and that will explain it all.

OSG’s Take:

Phil: They won’t repeat, but they will be a decent team. They will compete for the title, but you just can’t replace 10 starters on one side of the ball in one season and expect miracles. Bowl game for sure though.

Wilkie: The good news is that Brian Kelly is still the head coach and plans to stay awhile. The bad news is the defense, 10 starters gone. No sense beating on a dead horse (or Bearcat). The offense will have to outscore opponents and they should. No repeat in Cincy but a bowl game.

Jon: Their out-of-conference schedule has Fresno, at Oregon State, and Illinois. Brian Kelly isn’t messing around. But because of everyone graduating on defense, it’ll be a year where Pike and Gilyard have to match and surpass the points given up every week. They won’t set another school record, but it’ll be another bowl game.

South Florida: (Last Year: 8-5, Winner Magic Jack St. Petersburg Bowl)

Offense: It all starts with Matt Grothe. Grothe seems to have been around forever and there is a reason for that. He played early and often and very well and he is the undisputed leader of the Bulls offense. He will need some help and there are several guys who will need to step up and take a significant role if the Bulls want to make in impact this year.

Defense: Much like on offense, it all starts with one guy: George Selvie. Selvie, a perennial All-American returns for one last season and will try and carry the defense on a team and in a conference lacking in defensive standouts.

Strengths: Leadership. Coaching. Star Players. All the things needed to be a successful team and now they can say that they have a track record to boot.

Weaknesses: Depth. Lack of experience or at least standout players. They have 2 very good players and a lot of other guys. At least a few of them are going to have to step up in order for the Bulls to be successful.

OSG’s Take:

Phil: While Grothe and Selvie are very good players and Jim Leavitt is a very good coach, I don’t think they currently have the horses to make a significant impact this year. They will be very similar to last year’s team. Middle of the pack, but a bowl game.

Wilkie: Ditto to Phil’s point. Middle of the pack and a bowl game.

Jon: South Florida made their run in the polls by upsetting some folks, but they faded down the stretch in 2008. I’m thinking there’s a repeat performance there. I think it’s another pre-Christmas bowl game for one of the true magician-coaches out there.

Rutgers: (Last Year 8-5, Winner PapaJohns.com Bowl)

Offense: 2 Words…rebuilding year. It will be hard to duplicate last years team that won its last 7 games in large part due to the roster turnover. The Scarlet Knights are very young at Quarterback and Wide Receiver and someone will need to separate from the pack. The “O” line however is in good shape; All-Conference Tackle Anthony Davis spearheads what should be this unit’s strength.

Defense: Well, there really isn’t much discussion, pretty much anywhere about this unit. That probably is not a good thing. If there are no standouts, don’t expect this to be the team’s strength.

Strengths: O-Line. Youth. Coaching. There really isn’t much else to say. Greg Schiano is a good enough coach that they will be competitive, but they don’t have the horses to run…even with the big guys in this conference.

Weaknesses: They are very young and very inexperienced. They will struggle early but hopefully will improve as the season goes.

OSG’s Take:

Phil: Expectations should be low for these guys. Hope is not gone, they should get better as the year goes, but don’t expect much in 2009.

Wilkie: I’m afraid it’s going to be a long year in Jersey. I don’t share the same optimism that my colleagues have. 6 wins will be the max for Rutgers, good enough for a bowl.

Jon: In the street fight that is the Big East, Schiano has shown he can take nothing and turn it into something. The out-of-conference games will boost the win total ((Howard, FIU, Texas Southern, Army)), but will it do their bottom line any good…? Another bowl… Another winning season… But they’ll get lost in the logjam…

Connecticut: (8-5 Last Season, Winners of the International Bowl)

Offense: They lost a lot when Donald Brown graduated to the NFL. Zach Frazier will be expected to take over the offense despite struggling mightily the last half of last season. Plus, the Line has to find someone to replace the massive William Beatty who also graduated to the NFL.

Defense: Darius Butler and Cody Brown have gone…who is going to step up. This unit was hit pretty hard too. They will be young and looking for leaders to emerge. Perhaps Defensive End Lindsey Witten?

Strengths: Coach Randy Edsall and his staff. This will be their best challenge yet; trying to get this bunch of young pups to succeed.

Weaknesses: Youth and inexperience pretty much everywhere. Frazier has some experience, but didn’t do much with it. Can he improve?

OSG’s Take:

Phil: Are we noticing a trend here with most of these teams? Most a rebuilding and most are really young; these guys are no exception to that. UConn fans like most Big East fans are going to need a lot of patience this year.

Wilkie: The Huskies have some doozy’s on their schedule, hosting North Carolina, travelling to South Bend to play Notre Dame (on NBC) and league road games at Pitt and at West Virginia doesn’t bode well for a team so inexperienced. Randy Edsall is the type of coach that can squeeze 6 wins out of a team like the 2009 UConn bunch. That alone is a big accomplishment.

Jon: Donald Brown’s loss is beyond-huge… and those of us here at OSG HQ have tremendous respect for what Randy Edsall has done in Storrs. But the losses on the field will add up to more losses on the field. They may be odd-man out for bowling in the East.

Louisville: (5-7 in 2008, no bowl game)

Offense: This was supposed to be Coach Steve Kragthorpe’s bread and butter; it was more butter than bread. Running Back Victor Anderson returns, so all is not lost, but there were indications last year that nobody either liked or understood the offense.

Defense: They didn’t exactly make their coaches look like geniuses either, giving up 39.5 points per game over the last 6. Something is going to have to give; it is just a question of what.

Strengths: Anderson for sure, nobody else knows for sure, this team pulled a Jekyll and Hyde routine, and they will have to play a few games for anyone to get a good read.

Weaknesses: Defense first and foremost; you aren’t going to survive in any major D-1 conference giving up points like that.

OSG’s Take:

Phil: Though Kragthorpe appeared to be the perfect fit for these guys, there were some cracks in the armor last season. There is some talent here and not a really good excuse for them to not at least be competitive in the conference.

Wilkie: Steve Kragthrope cleaned house of his offensive coaching staff and now he is the OC. His seat will be warm this year and Coach Krag knows it but he has an A.D. that will give Coach Krag some slack right now. 2009 will be a watershed year at Louisville but challenging for the Big East title just won’t be in the “Cards”. At least reaching a bowl might be.

Jon: Isn’t there a Brohm Coach Krag can find somewhere…??? Going to Utah and playing Southern Miss early may send the team into an early hole. The schedule softens late, but I don’t think it’ll be in time. Someone know what the patience level on Coach Krag is these days…??? It may be less after 2009.

Syracuse: (3-9 in 2008, no bowl game)

Offense: Improvement from the Gregg Williams regime, but there is still a long, long way to go. Give Coach Marrone some time and the Orange should be back.

Defense: 2 Words. Arthur Jones. Jones is one of the Beasts’ of the Big East and the undisputed leader of Syracuse’s defense. If he is fully recovered from his injury last year…look out.

Strengths: Continuity. Jones.

Weaknesses: Depth and the recovery from the previous regime.

OSG’s Take:

Phil: It is going to take awhile, but these guys are on the right track. They showed improvement last year and that should continue. They will be trouble later in the season.

Wilkie: A former Duke point guard (Greg Paulus) is in the mix for your starting QB position, head coach Doug Marrone has never run a college program, the offense, defense and special teams are works in progress and your fan base appears to be apathetic. Other than that Syracuse is fine. Good luck.

Jon: With Greg Paulus running the point, he should be good for 12 and 8 every game out. But the Orange will be lucky to repeat at 3 and 9.

Best of the Big East:

Winners: Phil - Pitt.
Wilkie- West Virginia
Jon- WBGV


Offensive MVP:
Phil: Noel Devine – West Virginia
Wilkie: Noel Devine
Jon: Noel Devine

Defensive MVP:
Phil: Arthur Jones - Syracuse
Wilkie: George Selvie – South Florida
Jon- George Selvie