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• The Demar Dorsey situation will show what type of program Louisville wants to be under Charlie Strong, Rick Bozich writes in The Courier-Journal.

• The Cincinnati Enquirer's Bill Koch has a hard time believing that Athlon picked the Bearcats to finish fifth in the Big East after winning back-to-back league titles.

• West Virginia linebacker Branko Busick is a tough guy, Mike Casazza writes in the Charleston Daily Mail.

• Rutgers got a commitment from a defensive end, Keith Sargeant reports in the Home News Tribune.

• Former Syracuse star Arthur Jones signed a three-year deal with the Ravens.

• Ex-Colorado running back Darrell Scott said on his Facebook page that he's transferring to South Florida, Greg Auman notes with a grain of salt in the St. Petersburg Times.

The NFL's fortnight of drafting -- what, it was only three days? Really? -- came to an end this weekend. I already touched on the first-round results on Friday. Here's a look at where Big East players went the rest of the draft, with some quick comments on each pick:

Second round

No. 37: Nate Allen, S, South Florida, to Philadelphia: No surprise here, as Allen was mentioned as a possible first-rounder at various points.

Third round

No. 65: Jerome Murphy, CB, South Florida to St. Louis: Here is proof that college production isn't always the most important thing to NFL scouts. Murphy struggled against some of the Big East's better receivers, but he has great physical tools and hopefully will find his niche in the pros.

Fourth round

No. 99: Mardy Gilyard, WR, Cincinnati, to St. Louis: If you watched any Bearcats games the past two years, you know that the Rams got an absolute steal. Think Sam Bradford will like having Gilyard around?

No. 101: Mike Williams, WR, Syracuse, to Tampa Bay: He was a first-round talent who was lucky to get picked this high given his off-the-field issues.

No. 107: Marcus Easley, WR, UConn, to Buffalo: Easley had great workouts, and though some thought he would go higher than this, it's still a great story for a guy who was a walk-on this time a year ago.

Fifth round

No. 157: Arthur Jones, DT, Syracuse, to Baltimore: Jones was talked about as a possible first-rounder earlier in his career. This is a great value pick for a player who will always give maximum effort.

Sixth round

No. 177: Carlton Mitchell, WR, South Florida, to Cleveland: Mitchell looked impressive in his workouts, but falling to the sixth round makes you question if he made the right choice in skipping his senior year.

No. 182: Nate Byham, TE, Pittsburgh, to San Francisco: The best blocking tight end in the Big East during his career.

No. 204: Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnati, to Carolina: Pike has to be disappointed that he fell this low and that he was drafted by the same team that took Jimmy Clausen a couple rounds earlier.

Seventh round

No. 226: George Selvie, DE, South Florida, to St. Louis: How much would you have bet against the notion that Selvie would be a seventh-round pick at this time last year? Selvie's production dropped after his breakout sophomore year, and now he'll have to prove himself again.

No. 227: Dorin Dickerson, TE, Pittsburgh, to Houston: Surprised to see Dickerson go this low after his great Combine performance. He's a tweener who needs the right team to showcase his skills.

No. 231: Selvish Capers, OT, West Virginia, to Washington: Capers has a lot of talent and potential.

No. 237: Ryan D'Imperio, LB/FB, Rutgers, to Minnesota: The Scarlet Knights' linebacker was drafted as a fullback although he never played it in college.

No. 238: Ricardo Mathews, DT, Cincinnati, to Indianapolis: Mathews didn't get as much attention on the Bearcats' defense as some other players but had a nice senior season.

No. 249: Robert McClain, CB, UConn, to Carolina: McClain had four interceptions last year and also served as the team's punt returner.

Here's a handy-dandy list of NFL Draft picks per Big East school:

South Florida: 5

Rutgers: 3

Cincinnati: 3

Connecticut: 2

Pitt: 2

Syracuse: 2

West Virginia: 1

Louisville: 0

And, finally, some notable players who weren't drafted (I'll have more later on those who signed free-agent contracts): Andre Dixon and Lindsey Witten from UConn; Aaron Webster and Alex Daniels from Cincinnati; Scott Long from Louisville; and Jarrett Brown from West Virginia.

As promised, it's time to get to your reactions to my postseason Big East Top 30 players list. There were a few main objections echoed by many people. These questions reflect the majority of the e-mails I received regarding the list. Remember that reasonable minds can disagree, to steal a line from another ESPN guy, and that a list like this is always going to be subjective and open to debate.

Greg from Cincinnati writes: Brian, I normally really enjoy your material. However, I have to ask if I missed Pitt winning the Big East this year. How does the No. 2 team end up with five of the top 10, while the champions from Cincinnati get two?

Bob from New Brunswick, N.J., writes: Your top 30 has seven Pitt players, but only three Cincinnati players. Even among those who just missed, you mention five Panthers and only two Bearcats. Yet Cincy was better over the course of the season. Is this perhaps a reflection on a difference in coaching, or is there another explanation?

Brian Bennett: Yes, this was the most frequently e-mailed comment/complaint. Where were all the Cincinnati players? Look, there's no denying that the Bearcats had the best team, as evidenced by their 12-0 record. But this is a top 30 list of individual players. Cincinnati was extremely well-coached and executed its system to near perfection offensively, and if this were, say, a Top 50 list, its players would be all over the list.

I just didn't think that Cincinnati necessarily had the best individual talent. I've explained that Zach Collaros just didn't play enough games for me to put him on the postseason list. Five Bearcats players made the All-Big East first team; the only two I didn't include were Aaron Webster and Chris Jurek. Webster was an extremely close call, but with the way the defense played down the stretch, he missed the cut for me. Jurek was a terrific college player, but I'm not sure how much future potential he has.

Perhaps I'll look stupid in a few years when a boatload of players from the '09 Bearcats are starring in the NFL. But to me it seemed like Brian Kelly had a few superstars and a whole bunch of really, really good players who did everything right.

Of course, there's one guy from that team whom many people thought I misfired on ...

Jesuit Educated from North Bend, Ohio, writes: To exclude Armon Binns from your 2009 Big East Top 30 players by suggesting Cincinnati's offense inflates receivers' statistics is bemusing at best and stupid at worst. By your logic, albeit flawed, Dion Lewis's statistics are inflated given he had 68 percent of Pitt's rushing attempts. Mr. Binns's receptions accounted for less than 20 percent of Cincinnati's total receptions of 311. He also scored every 5.5 times he touched the ball compared to Mr. Lewis's 19-to-1 ratio.While I am not at all suggesting Mr. Binns should be the Big East's top player, I am suggesting your credibility as as a football reporter/pundit/talent judge is suspicious when Mr. Binns is excluded from your Top 30 while the two wide receivers from Rutgers and the wide receiver from Connecticut are included.

Brian Bennett: Well, first of all I don't really buy your comparative stats since by nature a receiver touches the ball far fewer times than a running back. Did Binns have the numbers to make this list? Yeah. He had 888 receiving yards and, most impressively, 11 touchdown grabs. So why did he just miss?

Three things went into my reasoning. First, it's clear that Binns was the No. 2 receiver on that team behind Mardy Gilyard and got a lot of open looks because of that. Secondly, though he had a great season, he wasn't dominant. He had only three games in which he had more than 100 yards receiving. And finally, though you may disagree, Cincinnati's offense does inflate statistics -- the Bearcats passed the ball 57 percent of the time in 2009, which was a far higher percentage than any other team in the Big East.

For an example of how Kelly's offense can inflate receiver numbers I present this example: Marcus Barnett. He had a freshman year that was arguably better than Binns, catching a school record 13 touchdown passes and 862 yards overall. Yet, he has barely been heard from in the two years since as he fell out of favor with Kelly.

I don't mean this to sound critical of Binns, because he's a terrific talent who's got a world of potential. I will agree that perhaps he should have been in the Top 30 somewhere, and I can assure you he'll be there in the preseason list. But I don't see him as the slam-dunk postseason pick like many of you do.

---

Robert G. from Louisville writes: After analyzing your Top 30 Big East players list I can only draw one conclusion: Fire Dave Wannstedt. There is no excuse for having that many top players in your conference and continue to fall short of conference championships and BCS bowl participation.

Brian Bennett: Well, I assume you're being facetious here, Robert. After all, Wannstedt's Panthers have won 19 games in the last two years combined, so it's not like they're wildly underachieving. But there is a kernel of truth in there. It's hard to argue that Pitt has had as many, if not the most, talented players in the Big East of late, thanks to great recruiting efforts. It's time for the program to capitalize on that ability and win a Big East title. And with Nos. 1, 4, 5, 14 and 28 from my list returning to Pitt, 2010 looks like as good a time as any.

---

Jeff K. from Cincinnati writes: Arthur Jones rated below Greg Romeus and Mick Williams from Pitt? I understand Pitt was solid defensively for the most part all year (other than NC State and the meltdown against my beloved Cats) but Arthur Jones will WOW those at the combine, much more so than either of the Pitt DT/DE's. Wait and see!

Brian Bennett: This goes back to the whole production vs. potential criteria. As I said at the beginning, I judged production to be more important. Thus, while Mick Williams may or may not have a ton of pro potential, he was arguably the most productive defensive player in the Big East in 2010. Jones had injury issues and didn't put up his usual numbers, though he did receive a lot of attention from offensive lines. And while I agree that Jones should impress at the combine, if he's healthy, I wouldn't be so quick to dismiss Romeus. A 6-foot-6, 270-pounder who can run like he can doesn't come along every day.

---

Casto from Arlington, Va., writes: I am confused as to why you would rank Dion Lewis above Noel Devine? Devine averaged more yards per carry, more yards per catch and most importantly, Devine won the Backyard Brawl for WVU with his 88-yard TD against Pitt. On average, if Devine would have gotten the 325 carries that Lewis did, he would have had 1,976 yards!

Brian Bennett: In some ways, Casto, you could have put my top three in just about any order and make a strong case for it. But let's look at Devine vs. Lewis for a moment, because it is an interesting debate.

First, we'll throw out the Backyard Brawl from your argument, because Lewis actually outgained Devine in that game (158 yards to 134, with most of Devine's yardage coming on that one spectacular run). Yes, Devine averaged more yards per carry (6.1 to 5.5) and had 84 fewer rushing attempts. Some of that was because he injured his ankle late in the year.

But I think we also have to give credit to Lewis for being a workhorse back. Devine has never been a 25- to 30-carry guy in his career, whether that's because of his stature or simply because of West Virginia's philosophy. Lewis is about the same size but proved he could carry a heavy load on his shoulders. And the fact that he was just a freshman makes it all the more impressive and earns him more points in the potential category.

Are the two far apart? No. In fact, watching them both pursue the Big East rushing title in 2010 is going to be one of the highlights of the season.

• Jim Leavitt, South Florida and a bunch of lawyers met for nearly six hours for mediation over the weekend without a resolution being reached, Greg Auman reports in the St. Petersburg Times.
• Former Syracuse receiver Mike Williams needs a big showing at the NFL combine, Russ Lande says in the Sporting News.
• UConn's Andre Dixon is holed up in preparation for the draft workouts, Desmond Conner writes in the Hartford Courant.
• Anthony Davis, Jason Pierre-Paul and Arthur Jones are listed among the Top 45 prospects heading to the combine by SI.com.
• Cincinnati hosted several top junior prospects over the weekend, Tim Adams reports for Bearcatlair.com and the Cincinnati Enquirer.
• The Home News Tribune's Keith Sargeant interviews former Rutgers star Shaun O'Hara, who just endowed a scholarship at his alma mater.

No lunchtime links today, because there aren't any. It's a slow time, though Rutgers is expected to name two new assistant coaches this afternoon. So instead, I thought I'd give you the full list of Big East players who have been invited to the NFL combine, which begins Feb. 24 in Indianapolis:

• Nate Allen, S, South Florida
• Alric Arnett, WR, West Virginia
• Jarrett Brown, QB, West Virginia
• Nate Byham, TE, Pittsburgh
• Selvish Capers, OT, West Virginia
• Anthony Davis, OT, Rutgers
• Dorin Dickerson, TE, Pittsburgh
• Andre Dixon, RB, Connecticut
• Marcus Easley, WR, Connecticut
• Mardy Gilyard, WR, Cincinnati
• Arthur Jones, DT, Syracuse
• Scott Long, WR, Louisville
• Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers
• Carlton Mitchell, WR, South Florida
• Jerome Murphy, CB, South Florida
• Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida
• Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnati
• George Selvie, DE, South Florida
• Mike Williams, WR, Syracuse
• Kion Wilson, LB, South Florida
• Lindsey Witten, DE, Connecticut

A postseason ranking of the Big East's top 30 players:

No. 17

Arthur Jones, DT, Syracuse, Sr.

Preseason rank: 9

Why him here: On 2009 statistics alone, Jones might have a hard time making this list. He had only 18 tackles last season, though more than a third of them were for a loss.

But let's look at the big picture here. Jones had a standout four-year career for a team that often wasn't very good around him. He was subjected to constant double-teams as the Orange's best defensive lineman. He was coming back from a torn pectoral muscle in the preseason and missed the end of the regular season with a knee injury.

The bottom line is that the 6-foot-4, 295-pounder was one of the best interior linemen in the Big East, and he remains an intriguing NFL draft prospect. Just maybe not the first- or second-rounder he was projected to be a year ago.

Previous:

No. 18: Lawrence Wilson, LB, Connecticut
No. 19: Tom Savage, QB, Rutgers
No. 20: Andre Dixon, RB, Connecticut
No. 21: Bill Stull, QB, Pittsburgh
No. 22: Nate Allen, S, South Florida
No. 23: Marcus Easley, WR, Connecticut
No. 24: Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers
No. 25: Jarrett Brown, QB, West Virginia
No. 26: George Selvie, DE, South Florida
No. 27: Kion Wilson, LB, South Florida
No. 28: Jabaal Sheard, DE, Pittsburgh
No. 29: Lindsey Witten, DE, Connecticut
No. 30: Jeff Linkenbach, OT, Cincinnati

The official and final list of NFL scouting combine invitees isn't quite complete, but the Sporting News has put together an early list of who's going. This list does not include juniors who have declared or will declare for the draft, and some seniors will be added later.

The combine runs from Feb. 24 to March 2 in Indianapolis. Here are the Big East players who've been invited so far:

Cincinnati: WR Mardy Gilyard, QB Tony Pike

Connecticut: RB Andre Dixon, WR Marcus Easley, DE Lindsey Witten

Louisville: WR Scott Long

Pittsburgh: TE Nate Byham, TE Dorin Dickerson

Rutgers: CB Devin McCourty

South Florida: S Nate Allen, CB Jerome Murphy, DE George Selvie, LB Kion Wilson

Syracuse: DT Arthur Jones

West Virginia: WR Alric Arnett, QB Jarrett Brown, OT Selvish Capers

We've got two weeks left in the season, though two Big East teams -- Louisville and Syracuse -- wrap up their 2009 this weekend.

The end of the season also means it's time to start thinking about who will make the All-Big East team. Here's an early look at who I think should and should not make the team at each position:

Quarterback

Raise your hand if you thought Pitt's Bill Stull would be the Big East's first-team quarterback this year. Heck, most people thought he'd lose his job. But he's leading the league in passing yards, passing touchdowns and passing efficiency -- all by a large margin. Had Tony Pike stayed healthy or Zach Collaros played a full year, we might be talking about them here. But they didn't, so it's an easy choice.

Running back

Dion Lewis is a shoo-in. The second running back spot on the team will likely belong to Noel Devine. But he's been slowed lately, mostly due to injuries. If that continues, there's a chance that UConn's Jordan Todman or Andre Dixon could slip onto the first team. Combine the two Huskies, and they've produced exactly 1,800 rushing yards.

Receiver

Mardy Gilyard and Tim Brown are the choices here for now, though you could make a strong argument for Jonathan Baldwin. If Baldwin has a big two final games, perhaps he'll earn a spot on the first team. Jock Sanders has had a great year as well. Mike Williams looked like a lock before he quit Syracuse.

Tight end

No doubt about it, Pitt's Dorin Dickerson -- a Mackey Award finalist -- gets the nod. His teammate, Nate Byham, might be the second-team tight end.

Offensive line

This is always the most difficult position to single out players, because offensive line play is not easy to evaluate from the outside. My two tackles at this point would be Cincinnati's Jeff Linkenbach and Pitt's Jason Pinkston. Rutgers left tackle Anthony Davis is the best pro prospect, but he's been far too inconsistent. Pitt's John Malecki is another lock at guard. The other two spots are less obvious. Perhaps Zach Hurd from UConn at guard and Chris Jurek from Cincinnati or UConn's Moe Petrus at center. This is one where I'll have to pick some coaches' brains to decipher.

Defensive line

You might be shocked at the one guy who's not on my list here: South Florida's George Selvie. I think his opposite end, Jason Pierre-Paul, has had the better year. I'd put Greg Romeus at the other end, along with his Pitt teammate Mick Williams at one defensive tackle. The other defensive tackle is up for grabs; I think I'd vote for West Virginia's Chris Neild in a tight one over Syracuse's Arthur Jones.

Linebacker

A lot of players have strong cases here. My three, at this point, would have to be USF's Kion Wilson, UConn's Lawrence Wilson and Louisville's Jon Dempsey. That's leaving off a lot of really good players, including Pitt's Adam Gunn and Syracuse's Derrell Smith.

Secondary

Cincinnati's Aaron Webster and USF's Nate Allen are my safeties, hands down. Devin McCourty is clearly a first-team cornerback. The other cornerback spot is debatable; right now, I'd probably pick Pitt's Aaron Berry, who's coming on strong at the end of the year.

Specialists

The clubhouse leaders are Pitt's Dan Hutchins at place-kicker, West Virginia's Scott Kozlowski at punter, Gilyard as punt returner and Louisville's Trent Guy as kick returner.

This early ballot leaves off several players I had ticketed for first-team honors in the preseason, including Selvie, Jones, West Virginia's Reed Williams, Rutgers' Ryan D'Imperio and others. But there's still time for performances to sway my picks, and I plan on getting a lot of input on my choices before picking a final team.

Now I want your input. Agree or disagree with these selections? Let's hear it.

Louisville is expected to start Adam Froman at quarterback against Syracuse, as long as Froman makes it through warm-ups without a problem. He's been dealing with a strain in his side since the Cincinnati game. Walk-on Will Stein has started the past two games.

Syracuse has brought 58 players to Louisville. That's three more than the Orange had at Pitt, but they're still perilously thin. They've lost their best offensive player (Mike Williams) and best defensive player (Arthur Jones) in the last two weeks.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

It's game day for South Florida and Rutgers (ESPN, 7:30 p.m. ET), so as usual we'll start the links with some previews to get you ready:

• Ever since they put up a billboard on I-4 in Tampa, the Scarlet Knights have annoyed South Florida like no other program, Greg Auman writes in the St. Petersburg Times. A three-game Rutgers winning streak doesn't help either.
• Joe Martinek had a breakout game last year in Tampa and has pretty much been Rutgers' No. 1 back ever since, Brendan Prunty writes in The Star-Ledger.
• The Scarlet Knights will have their hands full trying to stop B.J. Daniels, Keith Sargeant says in the Home News Tribune.

Elsewhere:

• Last year's win over West Virginia was a seminal moment for Cincinnati, Bill Koch writes in the Cincinnati Enquirer.
• The Mountaineers hope a healthier Jarrett Brown is a more productive Jarrett Brown, Dave Hickman says in the Charleston Gazette.
• Justin Matthews has shaken off the nerves and may start at safety for Louisville, C.L. Brown writes in The Courier-Journal
• Syracuse's Arthur Jones is staying positive despite his season-ending knee injury, Donnie Webb reports in the Syracuse Post-Standard.
• Even Pittsburgh's mayor is pumped up for the Notre Dame game, Ralph N. Paulk writes in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

I went undefeated last week for the fifth time in the last six weeks, but it's not much to brag about. There were only three games, all featuring heavy favorites at home (and I didn't exactly peg the way the games in Morgantown and Cincinnati would shake out). Besides, there's no time to boast when four hotly contested games will test my prognosticating ability this week.

Thursday

Rutgers 21, South Florida 19: The Bulls have more offensive firepower than the Scarlet Knights, but they'll be missing their best playmaking receiver in Carlton Mitchell, who's out with an ankle sprain. Rutgers' defense is improving each week, and I believe that Greg Schiano's complicated blitz schemes will befuddle freshman quarterback B.J. Daniels. There's still the matter of how the Scarlet Knights will score enough points, but I see a big play off a turnover or on special teams making the difference as South Florida loses its fourth straight in this series.

Friday

Cincinnati 30, West Virginia 21: The Mountaineers are not coming into this important game on a high note, having seen their offensive prowess decline and having several players bruised and banged up. Not a good situation going into a hostile Nippert Stadium. Whether it's Zach Collaros or Tony Pike leading the charge -- and both will see time at quarterback -- the Bearcats are going to score points, and they're more equipped to handle a speed-based spread offense than they are a power running game like UConn's.

Saturday

Pitt 35, Notre Dame 33: Regular readers of this blog won't be surprised with this pick, since I've been saying since the offseason that Pitt would win this game. I'm a little more nervous for the Panthers because of Notre Dame's loss to Navy; no doubt the Irish will be desperate coming to Heinz Field. And that offense can really score. Even though they had just 21 points against Navy, the Irish never punted, got to the red zone six times and rolled up more than 500 yards. But Notre Dame's Swiss cheese defense will have just as many problems stopping Pitt's versatile attack, and the Panthers will find a way to win just as they did last year in South Bend.

Louisville 17, Syracuse 14: For most of the year, I would have said Syracuse was the better team and would beat Louisville for a third straight year. But given all of the Orange's roster depletions -- losing start defensive tackle Arthur Jones was the latest blow -- I have to give the edge now to the Cardinals, who pushed West Virginia to the wire last week on the road. This won't be a pretty game or one that many people will want to watch, but it could be the last chance for an '09 victory for either school.

Last week: 3-0

Season: 45-8 (85 percent)

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

Stock up

1. Pitt: At 8-1 and a Top 10 ranking in November for the first time since 1982, the Panthers are at their highest point in a quarter-century. And Notre Dame is coming to town for a sold-out game at Heinz Field. Can the Panthers continue their climb?

2. Julian Miller: The West Virginia defensive end was named Big East defensive player of the week for his three-sack performance against Louisville. The Mountaineers weren't sure about their defensive line outside of Chris Neild and Scooter Berry going into the year (remember the Tevita Finau saga?) Miller has shored that up with team bests of 11.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks.

3. UConn's grit: We knew the Huskies were tough the way they hung in there after the Jasper Howard death. To come back from 20 points down in the second half on the road against a Top 5 team and nearly pull off the victory was an amazing feat.

4. Darius Ashley: The Louisville freshman running back wasn't used much early in the season, then hurt his shoulder against Pitt. With Vic Anderson and Bilal Powell sidelined Saturday, Ashley carried the ball a whopping 33 times for 164 yards.

5. Adrien Robinson: With Ben Guidugli still slowed from a concussion at Syracuse, Robinson took on a bigger role as Cincinnati's tight end against UConn. He had two catches for 74 yards, including a ridiculous 54-yard grab off a batted ball that set up an important field goal at the end of the first half.

Stock down

1. Syracuse's depth: Already battling roster problems -- the Orange had just 55 scholarship players available for the Pitt game -- Syracuse lost star defensive lineman Arthur Jones and starting offensive lineman Jonathan Meldrum to season-ending knee injuries this week. It could be a struggle to find enough bodies to finish the season at this point.

2. UConn's defense: Credit the Huskies for never quitting, but they should use the bye week to figure out what's wrong with the defense. They have given up big plays at the end of games to lose and got stomped for 711 total yards by Cincinnati. The secondary is a major question mark.

3. Noel Devine: Stock is down only relevant to where he was two weeks ago, when we were calling Devine a Heisman Trophy contender. Since then, Devine has run for 42 yards at South Florida and 56 versus Louisville before being sidelined with an ankle sprain. The Mountaineers must have a vintage Devine performance on Friday at Cincinnati.

4. Cincinnati's defense: From third in the country in scoring defense, allowing an an average of a little more than 12 points a game, to surrendering 45 to a Connecticut team not known for being explosive. Yep, that stock has gone down. Is it a one-week blip in the market, or a more problematic long-term concern?

5. The Big East's bowl hopes: Notre Dame's loss to Navy took the Irish off the BCS table, which means the Irish are firmly pointing toward taking the Big East's spot in the Gator Bowl and moving the No. 2 league team to the Meineke Car Care Bowl. The Big East should root for Pitt and UConn to beat Notre Dame the next two weeks, and then hope Stanford takes care of business Thanksgiving weekend to make the Irish ineligible at 6-6.

Player of the year race: Offense

1. Dion Lewis, RB, Pittsburgh: The Big East's leading rusher at 1,139 yards on 203 attempts, with 12 touchdowns.

2. Mardy Gilyard, WR, Cincinnati: The Big East's leader in receiving yards, with 65 catches for 908 yards and eight touchdowns.

3. Bill Stull, QB, Pittsburgh: The Big East's leader in passing yards and pass efficiency; he's has completed 67.6 percent of his passes for 1,879 yards and 17 touchdowns, with four interceptions.

4. Noel Devine, RB, West Virginia: Fallen back a bit after the past two games. He has rushed for 1,010 yards on 167 attempts this season, with 10 touchdowns.

5. Zach Collaros, QB, Cincinnati: Yes, that's right. Collaros not Pike. If you credit Collaros with the South Florida win -- the game was very much in doubt when he came in after Pike's injury -- Collaros has won four Big East games and will start a fifth this week. For the season, he has completed 76 percent of his passes for 1,229 yards and 10 touchdowns, with only one interceptions. He's also run for 288 yards and four scores.

Player of the year race: Defense

1. Mick Williams, DT, Pittsburgh: Leads the league with 13 tackles for loss, has three sacks and has forced three fumbles.

2. Kion Wilson, LB, South Florida: Leads the Bulls with 61 tackles. Had some strong comments before the Rutgers game and needs to back them up Thursday night.

3. Julian Miller, DE, West Virginia: See above.

4. Aaron Webster, S, Cincinnati: Has three interceptions and 42 tackles.

5. Greg Romeus, DE, Pittsburgh: Has 7.5 sacks and and an interception.

Newcomer of the year

1. Dion Lewis, RB, Pitt: See above.

2. Jason Pierre-Paul, DE, South Florida: Has 9.5 sacks, and interception and a forced fumble.

3. Tom Savage, QB, Rutgers: Has completed 56 percent of his passes for 1,341 yards and and eight touchdowns with one interception.

4. Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers: has 32 catches for 291 yards and has run 10 times for 55 yards.

5. Darius Ashley, RB, Louisville: See above.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

The preliminary rosters for the East-West Shrine Game, a showcase for seniors that's played in Orlando, and three Big East players have been selected.

They are South Florida linebacker Kion Wilson, Syracuse defensive lineman Arthur Jones and Pittsburgh tight end Nate Byham. Jones may not be able to play because of a torn meniscus in his left knee that was discovered this week; he's out for the rest of the regular season.

More names will be added as the game gets closer.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

How much more can go wrong for Syracuse?

	Marc Squire/Getty Images
	Nose tackle Arthur Jones has played his last down with the Orange.

The Orange lost its best offensive weapon when receiver Mike Williams abruptly quit the team last week. And now they will be without their best defensive player, nose tackle Arthur Jones, for the rest of the season. Jones, along with starting offensive lineman Jonathan Meldrum, suffered a torn mensicus in his left knee against Pitt last week.

Though constant double teams limited his production this year, Jones was arguably the best interior defensive lineman in the Big East. He memorably wreaked havoc on Notre Dame last year in an upset victory at South Bend.

Jones could have turned pro at the end of last season, and no one would have blamed him after three years of losing. Some analysts had even projected him as a first- or second-round pick. Instead, he came back to help the rebuilding project with Doug Marrone and to play alongside his brother, freshman defensive end Chandler Jones. His senior year got off to a bad start when he tore a pectoral muscle lifting weights in the winter, which forced him to miss all of the spring. But he hurried back and made it for the start of the year.

Jones -- who's a bright, engaging guy -- was the subject of my Friday Q&A last week and spoke about how he had no regrets on his decision to return to school. You just have to hope now that his injury doesn't knock down his NFL draft stock.

Losing two more starters -- Meldrum had started at right tackle all year -- was the last thing Syracuse needed. The Orange took only 55 scholarship players to Pitt because of injuries, dismissals and player defections. Roster turnover usually happens during a coaching change, but Doug Marrone has been hit hard by upheaval.

"Here we are we're trying to create a foundation for this program that's going to last a long time," Marrone said. "I feel very comfortable with the direction we're going in. People need to step up. Granted, there may not be the same production right now because of our numbers. That's a problem this year, but it won't be a problem in the future."

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

Arthur Jones could have left for the NFL last season and likely would have been a high pick. Instead, he chose to come back for his senior season and help Syracuse rebuild under first-year coach Doug Marrone.

	Randy Litzinger/Icon SMI
	Arthur Jones is wrapping up a solid career at Syracuse.

Jones' numbers are a little down -- he only has 18 tackles, 6.5 of them for loss -- but he remains one of the best defensive tackles in the Big East, and a steadying influence during a tumultuous week for the Orange. I caught up with Jones before his team headed to Pittsburgh for this week's Friday Q&A:

So, uh, things have been a little interesting around Syracuse this week, huh?

Arthur Jones: It's definitely been an interesting week. But everything 's going good. We're focused now, ready for Pittsburgh.

You guys are leading the Big East in rush defense, doing a much better job than last year. What's the difference?

AJ: Basically just believing in our system. We're more of an attack defense than last year. I give credit to (defensive coordinator Scott) Shafer and all the guys he brought into the program. He's a passionate coach who won't let you slack in practice. He's unbelievable. I enjoy having him here. I just wish I had him for a few more years.

Speaking of which, you're approaching the end of your college career. Has that hit you yet, and does it add to your sense of urgency?

AJ: Oh yeah, definitely. I was telling my brother yesterday that I only have four more opportunities to play for this great university. It kind of hit me a few days ago. I'm just trying to make the best of it, do what I can and just enjoy the rest of my time being here.

You could have turned pro last January. Are you happy you came back to school?

AJ: Oh yeah. I believe everything happens for a reason. Stats-wise, I'm not where I wanted to be, but I'm healthy right now and I got the opportunity to play under these great coaches. I'm just happy to play with my little brother and the rest of the Orange family. I can't really complain.

Speaking of stats, yours are a little down but stats don't always tell the story for a defensive lineman. How do you think you've played this year?

AJ: I think I've played pretty well. A lot of teams are game-planning against me, trapping the middle, things like that. But assignment-wise, I think I'm doing a pretty good job, taking on double teams and just playing the defense.

That happened last year to you as well. When did you accept that you were going to be double-teamed most plays and wouldn't always be able to make plays?

AJ: It mainly hit me this year more than last year. Even last year, I was still able to make some plays when I was double-teamed, really. It hit me this year that they're really scheming against me. It's all right. If I'm not making a play, I feel like I am making a play when there's two guys on me and Derrell Smith makes a tackle or something. So I celebrate when they celebrate.

You mentioned playing alongside your younger brother, Chandler. What's that been like?

AJ: It's been unbelievable. In high school, I didn't get a chance to play with him because he was a freshman and I was a senior. He actually got brought up in my last game as a senior, but he played in the JV championship earlier that day and wasn't allowed to play. It's just been fun, flying around with him and watching him goof off on the field.

You guys have matched your win total from last year. What are your goals for the rest of the year?

AJ: What I hope to accomplish the rest of the season is finish strong, be the best leader I can for my team and just have fun. I have four games left, so I will just try to live in the moment. Or five games. When we make a bowl game.

You sound confident about that.

AJ: Oh yeah.

You had the news this week of three suspensions and Mike Williams quitting. Is that a distraction, or does it bring you closer together?

AJ: I think honestly it brought us together. Yesterday was an unbelievable practice, with all the things that have been going on. Guys were just flying around. It was physical. It felt like the first day of camp when you've got the pads on. It was unbelievable to see guys that motivated and the level of intensity that was going on. Hopefully we can carry that on and continue that.

There was also a lot of talk about the small crowd at Saturday's game. Did you notice that, and what do you think about it?

AJ: I honestly did not know that until you just told me. I honestly would not know. I don't really look at crowds unless I hear my mom screaming in the crowd, and I can hear her anywhere. I just go out and play for my team and for each other.

What about the challenges Pitt poses on offense? The Panthers are averaging about 34 points a game.

AJ: I'm excited for this week. They've got a real good, physical offensive line, probably the best we'll see this year. Their quarterback is pretty accurate with the ball, and they've got great running backs. It's going to be a challenge this week, but we're ready for it.

Do you relish playing a straight ahead, physical offense?

AJ: They're more of a basic team, running right at you with powers and iso's and things like that. None of that spread stuff. I'm excited. It's old-fashioned football.

How big would it be for you guys to get a Big East win?

AJ: It would be great to get that first Big East win. It's a little late, but it's not too late to get it rolling. I believe we can win out; I honestly think that. We've just got to keep believing, keep clawing and scratching.

Is your other brother, Jon, still competing in UFC?

AJ: He has another fight on December 5. He's doing a fantastic job.

Is that something you'd ever get into?

AJ: I don't know about that. I'm too much of a prima donna for that.