2011 Big East Football Preview

by: Marc Lawrence

As referenced in last year’s pre-season preview, this always-powerful basketball conference has come a long way toward establishing a football pedigree since it rejected Penn State’s application for admittance in 1985.

Under its current alignment, which has been in place for six seasons, the BIG EAST is a combined 186-79 SU in non-conference games (.721). That stands as the best six-year non-league record in the history of the conference and second among FBS conferences, only behind the SEC. FYI: inside the aforementioned straight up record is a sterling 21-6 ATS mark in these games when playing off back-to-back losses.

Two new coaches with sterling Division 1 records join the conference for 2011, namely Todd Graham (Pittsburgh) and Paul Pasqualoni (Connecticut).  Graham led Tulsa to a 36-17 mark in his four years with the Hurricane while Pasqualoni, who went 62-33 in BIG EAST games at Syracuse from 1991-2004, has more BIG EAST wins than any coach in the conference.

In addition, the top six quarterbacks in terms of passing yards per game last year are back in 2011, including Zach Collaros (Cincinnati), Geno Smith (WVU), Tino Sunseri (Pitt), Ryan Nassib (Syracuse), Chas Dodd (Rutgers) and B. J. Daniels (USF).

Furthermore, the BIG EAST is the only Division 1 conference that has seen each of its members in at least one bowl game in the past two seasons.  The BIG EAST is also the only league in which each team has at least one bowl win in the last four years.

The conference also has the second-best postseason record (40-25, .615) of any Bowl Subdivision conference since the inception of the BCS in 1998.

Furthermore, six of the eight current BIG EAST teams have won at least a share of the BIG EAST title in the last six years, with only Rutgers and South Florida on the outside looking in.

And, yes, despite Joe Paterno’s eventual ties with the Big 10 Conference, the BIG EAST is more than holding its own these days, thank you.

Note: Team writeups excerpted from the 2011 PLAYBOOK Football Preview magazine.  Numbers following team name represent the amount of returning starters on offense and defense, with an asterisk (*) designating a returning quarterback.  Designated ‘Play On’ and ‘Play Against’ Best Bets follow each team’s preview.

CINCINNATI    - *5 / 11        
TEAM THEME: BUTCHERED    
After waffling around .500 for much of the decade, the Bearcats fortunes finally took off behind Brian Kelly. Unfortunately, Irish eyes were smiling on Kelly and in came his permanent understudy, Butch Jones. High expectations were met with a multitude of injuries and ruinous results, making the ‘Cats a fully qualified ‘MISSION TEAM’ in 2011. All-Big East first-team performer QB Zach Collaros is back, as is RB Isiah Pead, the first Bearcat to rush for 1,000 yards since 2004. An eager coaching staff also returns to the Queen City intact, looking to make amends for a disappointing 2010.      
 
Stat You Will Like: 63 players last year were either freshmen or sophomores, including eight sophomore starters on defense.

PLAY ON: at USF (10/22)


CONNECTICUT – 6 / 9            
TEAM THEME: EXPERIENCE THE DIFFERENCE
In a year of no less than 21 head coaching changes in the FBS this season, the Huskies turned an Edsall in for a Pasqualoni. A head coach with Syracuse for 14 seasons, Pasqualoni is very familiar with the Big East landscape. He also brings an ultra experienced coaching staff with him, one that has 196 years of collegiate experience and 42 years of NFL knowledge. The former defensive coordinator with the Cowboys and Dolphins will also be happy to learn that the Huskies return a well-fortified defense (9 starters), plus DL Marcus Campbell who played 23 games before missing the last two seasons with academic and injury issues.    

Stat You Will Like: Pasqualoni was 107-59-1 SU and 91-70-3 ATS as a head coach with Syracuse, winning four Big East titles.

PLAY On: vs. Syracuse (11/5)


LOUISVILLE – 4 / 7    
TEAM THEME: STRONG START  
Due to heavy graduation losses, it appears all of the good work accomplished by the Cardinals in Charlie Strong’s first year at Louisville may be tough to repeat in 2011. Louie’s top two running backs and cornerbacks, along with four starting offensive lineman won’t be delivering in Papa John’s Stadium this fall. On the positive side, RB Victor Anderson who gained over 1,000 yards in 2007 but has been hampered by injuries the past two seasons, appears fully healthy as the Cards look to lead the Big East in rushing for a second straight campaign. A reasonable non-conference slate could get the Redbirds flying early before a five-game tester closes out the season.

Stat You Will Like: The Cardinals improved its offense and defense by 35 and 60 YPG respectively under Strong last season.

PLAY AGAINST: at Connecticut (11/19)


PITTSBURGH - *6 / 8            
TEAM THEME: ATTACK CATS
This is not your typical Pitt football team. “We’re a no-huddle football team. We are going to operate extremely fast on offense. We’re going to be high tempo, high octane and explosive… our goal is to be the most explosive team in the country,” warns new head coach Todd Graham. His high energy approach will also apply on the other side of the ball as well where he says, “On defense we want to attack and make game changing plays, we want to apply pressure.” The Panthers should be able to iron out the rust early (Buffalo, Maine) before eight bowl squads and a pair of Mission Teams (Rutgers, Cincy) put Graham’s attack-mode to the test.

Stat You Will Like: Graham is 8-3 SU and 9-2 ATS with rest.

PLAY ON: at West Virginia (11/25) - *KEY as dog


RUTGERS - *10 / 5            
TEAM THEME: CAN’T FUGGEDABOUDIT
Like a handful of other teams on this year’s slate, the Knights become a full-fledged MISSION TEAM in 2011 thanks to last year’s 4-8 debacle. After languishing below the Mendoza line in his first four years ‘on the banks’, HC Greg Schiano built this program into a winner with five consecutive winning seasons (and bowls) before sleeping with the fishes last year. With 10 starters back on offense, including a deep O-line (10 players logged significant minutes last year), it would be a crime if the Soprano’s favorite academic institution didn’t once again make a name for themselves in the Big East. It won’t be easy though as 10 bowlers dot a dangerous schedule.     

Stat You Will Like: Rutgers was 39-0 in games in which it outrushed an opponent until Cincinnati and Syracuse pulled the rug out on them last year.

PLAY ON: vs. Cincinnati (11/19)


SYRACUSE - *7 / 5            
TEAM THEME: WHAT GOES UP
In two short years, Doug Marrone has brought the legendary Syracuse program back to respectability… and then some. Patching-up a devoured defense was ‘priority one’ on Marrone’s wish list and he managed to do that with aplomb when last year’s unit showed a 114-yard and 14-point improvement over the squad he inherited in 2008. As a result, the Orange put the brakes on a five-year losing skid while managing to squeeze out a bowl win. To show the degree of improvement, consider the ‘Cuse was 1-17 SU and ATS as a conference road dog of less than 17 points up until last season, when they went 3-0 SU and ATS in that same role. However, we’re not ready to spend ALL of our Saturdays Orange picking just yet.
 
Stat You Will Like:
Marrone is 5-0 ATS off back-to-back losses, but 0-5 ATS at home off a win.
 
PLAY AGAINST: as a favorite vs. Cincinnati (11/26)


USF - *4 / 6
TEAM THEME: SKIP AWAY
A third-straight 8-5 season makes it five years in a row that the Bulls have recorded eight or more wins. Even more impressive is the fact that first-year HC Skip Holtz accomplished the feat despite an offense that lost 56 YPG from the 2009 team. After losing eight players to the NFL draft (most in the Big East) – and with only four starters returning on offense for USF – Holtz will rely heavily on QB B.J. Daniels, an all conference performer. Still, given Skip’s sterling 27-10-1 ATS career mark as a dog, including 16-6 away, it looks like we’ll be riding the Bulls more often than not once again this season. Daddy Lou would be proud…

Stat You Will Like:
The Bulls are 9-0 straight up in overtime games.

PLAY ON: as a dog vs. Connecticut  (10/15) - *KEY


WEST VIRGINIA - *8 / 4
Team Theme: DUCK HUNTING SEASON  
In an uncomfortable position, Mountaineer head coach Bill Stewart was scheduled to share the whistle this season with coach-in-waiting Dana Holgorsen before Stewart had enough of his lame duck status and resigned June 10th. Ironically, Stewart leaves behind a glossy 28-12 record in his short three-year tenure.  Last year marked the sixth straight season West Virginia has won at least nine games (only Boise State, Ohio State and Virginia Tech can lay claim to the same). QB Geno Smith, No. 1 in Big East passing efficiency (144.7) last season, set a school record with 2,980 total yards of offense. With four starters back on the O-line, the Mountaineers could maintain their nine-year streak of never finishing lower than 2nd place in the Big East Conference. And with it, the pressure is now squarely on Holgorsen.  

Stat You Will Like: WVU was the only team in the nation that did not allow 24 or more points in a game last season.

PLAY ON: vs. Connecticut (10/8)

Be sure to check back here next Monday, June 20th for Marc’s 2011 BIG 10 CONFERENCE Football Preview!

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