ESPN College Football

The National Football Foundation announced its members of the 2011 Hampshire Honor Society on Wednesday. To qualify for the honor, a player must:

• Be a starter or a significant substitute in his last year of eligibility;
• Achieve a 3.2 cumulative GPA throughout his entire course of undergraduate study; and
• Meet all NCAA-mandated progress towards degree requirements and graduation.

Eight Big East players were named to the society. They are:

• Rutgers punter Teddy Dellaganna and linebacker Jim Dumont.
• Syracuse center Ryan Bartholomew and linebacker Derrell Smith.
• Connecticut long-snapper Derek Chard and safety John Yurek.
• West Virginia center Eric Jobe and punter Gregg Pugnetti.

Congrats to the honorees.

Scouts Inc. has come up with comprehensive draft boards for every position as we draw ever closer to the 2011 NFL draft (and, hopefully, a 2011 NFL season).

Let's start on the offensive side of the ball and take a look at where some Big East hopefuls are ranked. First, the skill positions:

• Jonathan Baldwin, WR, Pittsburgh: second round

• Jordan Todman, RB, Connecticut: third round

• Dion Lewis, RB, Pittsburgh: fourth round

• Delone Carter, RB, Syracuse: fourth round

• Bilal Powell, RB, Louisville: fifth round

• Anthony Sherman, FB, Connecticut: fifth round

• Noel Devine, RB, West Virginia: sixth round

• Henry Hynoski, FB, Pittsburgh: seventh round

• Armon Binns, WR, Cincinnati: seventh round

Now, the offensive linemen/tight ends:

• Jason Pinkston, OT, Pittsbugh: fifth round

• Cameron Graham, TE, Louisville: sixth round

• Zach Hurd, OG, Connecticut: sixth round

• Ryan Bartholomew, C, Syracuse: seventh round

• Jason Kelce, C, Cincinnati: seventh round

Now let's move to the defensive side and see where Scouts Inc. rates some Big East defenders:

• Terrell McClain, DT, South Florida: second round

• Jabaal Sheard, DE/LB, Pittsburgh: second round

• Johnny Patrick, CB, Louisville: third round

• Greg Romeus, DE, Pittsburgh: fourth round

• Brandon Hogan, CB, West Virginia: fourth round

• Robert Sands, S, West Virginia: fourth round

• Lawrence Wilson, LB, Connecticut: fifth round

• Scott Lutrus, LB, Connecticut: fifth round

• Joe Lefeged, S, Rutgers: sixth round

• Chris Neild, DT, West Virginia: sixth round

• Derrell Smith, LB, Syracuse: sixth round

• J.T. Thomas, LB, West Virginia: sixth round

• Doug Hogue, LB, Syracuse: sixth round

• Greg Lloyd, LB, Connecticut: seventh round

These projections aren't gospel by any means, but they should give you a pretty good idea of how Big East hopefuls are being viewed right now.

• Syracuse linebackers Doug Hogue and Derrell Smith have more to do after their NFL combine showings. Greg Paulus is now an assistant basketball coach at Navy. Former AD Jake Crouthamel answered some football history questions.

• Dana Holgorsen wants to make a long-term impact on West Virginia. A Mountaineers support staff member got a head-coaching gig.

• Skip Holtz is looking forward to putting his spring pieces together.

• A star recruit's high school is glad he chose Rutgers.

The NFL combine officially began on Wednesday, as players arrived in Indianapolis and started interviews with team officials.

There are more interviews Thursday, along with measurements and medical examinations. Workouts start on Friday, and here is the schedule for position groups:

Friday: Specialists
Saturday: Offensive linemen, tight ends
Sunday: Quarterbacks, wide receivers, running backs
Monday: Defensive linemen, linebackers
Tuesday: Defensive backs

It will be fun to follow the Big East players as they strut their stuff for scouts. Who will be the top player drafted from the league? My money is still on Pittsburgh receiver Jon Baldwin, whom I expect to put up dazzling numbers in his combine workouts.

Here again is the full list of Big East players scheduled to participate in Indianapolis:

Cincinnati (3)

Armon Binns, WR

Jason Kelce, OL

Jake Rogers, K

Connecticut (6)


Zach Hurd, OL

Anthony Sherman, FB

Jordan Todman, RB

Lawrence Wilson, LB

Greg Lloyd, LB

Scott Lutrus, LB

Louisville (3)


Cameron Graham, TE

Johnny Patrick, CB

Bilal Powell, RB

Pittsburgh (6)

Jon Baldwin, WR

Henry Hynoski, FB

Dion Lewis, RB

Jason Pinkston, OL

Greg Romeus, DE

Jabaal Sheard, DE

Rutgers (1)


Joe Lefeged, S

South Florida (1)

Terrell McClain, DT

Syracuse (4)

Ryan Bartholomew, OL

Doug Hogue, LB

Delone Carter, RB

Derrell Smith, LB

West Virginia (6)

Noel Devine, RB

Brandon Hogan, CB

Chris Neild, DT

Jock Sanders, WR

Robert Sands, S

J.T. Thomas, LB

Continuing our countdown of the 25 best players in the Big East from the 2010 season, based on last year's performance.

No. 23

Derrell Smith, LB, Syracuse, Sr.

Preseason rank: 24

2010 numbers: Led the Orange with 114 tackles, including nine for loss. Also had 1.5 sacks, an interception and three forced fumbles.

Making the case for Smith: The senior built on his breakthrough junior campaign by finishing second in the Big East in total tackles. Syracuse's defense led the way to the program's turnaround, as the Orange pressure scheme caused fits for opponents like West Virginia, South Florida, Cincinnati and Rutgers.

The linebackers were a major part of defensive coordinator Scott Shafer's game plan, and Smith provided leadership and skill from the middle linebacker position. A second team All-Big East selection, Smith has been invited to the NFL combine and could be a late-round pick or free agent pickup.

Previously

No. 25: Zach Hurd, OG, Connecticut
No. 24: Dave Teggart, K, Connecticut

The official invitation list to the NFL combine is out, and 30 Big East players will be showing off their skills at the premiere pre-draft event.

The following league players are scheduled to participate in the set of drills before scouts from Feb. 23 to March 1 in Indianapolis:

Jon Baldwin, WR, Pittsburgh

Ryan Bartholomew, OL, Syracuse

Armon Binns, WR, Cincinnati

Delone Carter, RB, Syracuse

Noel Devine, RB, West Virginia

Cameron Graham, TE, Louisville

Brandon Hogan, CB, West Virginia

Doug Hogue, LB, Syracuse

Zach Hurd, OL, Connecticut

Henry Hynoski, FB, Pittsburgh

Jason Kelce, OL, Cincinnati

Joe Lefeged, S, Rutgers

Dion Lewis, RB, Pittsburgh

Greg Lloyd, LB, Connecticut

Scott Lutrus, LB, Connecticut

Terrell McClain, DT, South Florida

Chris Neild, DT, West Virginia

Johnny Patrick, CB, Louisville

Jason Pinkston, OL, Pittsburgh

Bilal Powell, RB, Louisville

Greg Romeus, DE, Pittsburgh

Jake Rogers, K, Cincinnati

Jock Sanders, WR, West Virginia

Robert Sands, S, West Virginia

Jabaal Sheard, DE, Pittsburgh

Anthony Sherman, FB, Connecticut

Derrell Smith, LB, Syracuse

J.T. Thomas, LB, West Virginia

Jordan Todman, RB, Connecticut

Lawrence Wilson, LB, Connecticut

Let's put a final bow on bowl season with the Big East's All-Bowl team:

Offense

Quarterback: Ryan Nassib, Syracuse

Nassib, who struggled down the stretch of the regular season, took advantage of Kansas State's shaky defense to complete 13-of-21 passes for 239 yards and three touchdowns in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl.

Running backs: Delone Carter, Syracuse, and Dion Lewis, Pittsburgh

Carter ran 27 times for 198 yards and two scores in the Pinstripe Bowl. Lewis rumbled for 105 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries in the BBVA Compass Bowl before declaring for the NFL Draft.

Wide receiver: Marcus Sales, Syracuse

Sales came almost out of nowhere to record five catches for 172 yards and three touchdowns against Kansas State. No other Big East receiver had even a fraction of his stats in the postseason.

Tight end: Cameron Graham, Louisville

The league's best tight in the regular season kept it up in the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl, catching three passes for 31 yards and a touchdown.

Offensive line: Jacob Sims and Sampson Genus, South Florida; Jason Pinkston, Pittsburgh; Mark Wetterer, Louisville; Justin Pugh, Syracuse.


Sims and Genus were part of a USF line that pushed back Clemson's talented defensive front in the Meineke Car Care Bowl; Sims in particular helped keep Da'Quan Bowers quiet, which is not an easy thing to do. Pinkston showed some fire in protecting his quarterback after Tino Sunseri was hit late, and the Panthers ran for 261 yards while surrendering zero sacks against Kentucky. Wetterer and Pugh helped open holes for their high-scoring postseason offenses.

Defense

Defensive line: Brandon Lindsey, Pittsburgh; Terrell McClain, South Florida; Bruce Irvin, West Virginia.


Lindsey stepped up his game in the regular season when Greg Romeus was hurt and did so again in the bowl with Jabaal Sheard out. McClain didn't record many stats but was his usual dominant self in the middle against Clemson. Irvin had two sacks and a forced fumble against NC State in the Champs Sports Bowl.

Linebackers: Derrell Smith, Syracuse; J.T. Thomas, West Virginia; Brandon Heath, Louisville; DeDe Lattimore, South Florida.


I went with a 3-4 look on defense to recognize the many strong performances by linebackers during bowl. Just about all of these guys had double-digit tackles and/or a couple TFLs.

Cornerbacks: Johnny Patrick, Louisville; Quenton Washington, South Florida

After getting burned on a play early, Patrick was all over the field. He forced a fumble and blocked a punt. Washington also blocked a punt and had a 45-yard interception return.

Safeties: Dom DeCicco, Pittsburgh, and Robert Sands, West Virginia

DeCicco had nine tackles and a forced fumble, while Sands had eight tackles and a sack.

Specialists

Punter: Cole Wagner, Connecticut

Wagner punted seven times for an average of 46.9 yards -- with a long of 52 yards -- against Oklahoma in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

Placekicker: Chris Philpott, Louisville

Philpott only got the call once, but he made the game-winning 36-yarder in the fourth quarter.

Kick returners: Jeremy Wright, Louisville, and Robbie Frey, Connecticut

Both Wright and Frey returned kickoffs for touchdowns in their bowl games. Wright's was especially crucial, as it tied the score in the fourth quarter.

Punt returner: Terrence Mitchell, South Florida

Mitchell had a 34-yard punt return against Clemson.

Syracuse is bowling again. The Orange are back in the postseason for the first time since 2004, and they celebrate by ringing in the inaugural New Era Pinstripe Bowl in their home state. Here's a quick preview:

WHO TO WATCH: Syracuse running back Delone Carter. The Orange offense really struggled down the stretch of the regular season, and Carter remains its one true, dependable force. The muscular, 215-pound senior isn't a big-play threat most of the time, but he can wear down defenses with his straight-ahead, physical style. He went over 1,000 yards this year for the second straight season, and Syracuse must establish the ground game with him and Antwon Bailey to set up play-action. And in cold, potentially snowy conditions, the running game becomes even more vital.

WHAT TO WATCH: The Syracuse defense vs. Kansas State's run game. There's little secret to what the Wildcats like to do: Get the ball in the hands of playmaking tailback Daniel Thomas as much as possible. They're not a big passing team, so Thomas gets the bulk of the work and will take snaps out of the Wildcat formation. The Orange defense was this team's strength all season. The suspension of tackle Andrew Lewis could hurt, but Chandler Jones, Bud Tribbey and Mikhail Marinovich are stout up front, while linebackers Doug Hogue and Derrell Smith are among the best in the Big East. The Orange will need safety help in the box as well.

WHY TO WATCH: To see Syracuse return to the postseason. To see postseason football being played for the first time in new Yankee Stadium. To see an old-school, grind-it-out physical game in cold weather, the way football was meant to be played. To see an up-and-coming coach (Syracuse's Doug Marrone) against a living legend (K-State's Bill Snyder).

PREDICTION: Syracuse should have a home-field feel in the Bronx, and I think the Orange defense can do a good job slowing down Thomas. Still, Kansas State has the ability to make big plays, while Syracuse has only lurched forward in small chunks and will be missing an underrated field-position weapon in punter Rob Long. The Orange keep it close, but fall 17-14.

I'm borrowing a page from the playbook of SEC blogger Chris Low and taking a moment to honor the Big East's top seniors in the 2010 season.

The league was full of young players, particularly at quarterback. But each team also was blessed with excellent seniors who provided leadership on and off the field. Today I recognize one outstanding elder statesman from each team:

Lawrence Wilson, LB, Connecticut: A rock on defense for the Huskies as a four-year starter, Wilson covers a ton of ground with his speed and instincts for the game. He led the league in tackles for a second straight year. And when his team needed a big play in the season finale against South Florida with the BCS bid on the line, he came up with a 55-yard interception return for a touchdown.

Armon Binns, WR, Cincinnati: Senior leadership was an issue for the Bearcats all season during a disappointing 4-8 campaign. But Binns was always reliable and became unstoppable as the year went on. He led the Big East in every major receiving category, finishing 14th nationally with 1,101 receiving yards.

Bilal Powell, RB, Louisville: Head coach Charlie Strong placed a lot on Powell's shoulders in the preseason, calling the quiet tailback the face of the program. Powell responded with, by far, the best season of his career, rushing for 1,330 yards and 10 touchdowns. He doesn't say a lot, but he leads by example. And he runs as if each cent of his scholarship check depends on it.

Jabaal Sheard, DE, Pittsburgh: When Sheard was arrested after a fight this preseason, Pitt coaches were quick to say the incident was way out of character for a guy who saved a woman from a burning house in high school. He showed his real character this season, picking up the slack for injured teammate Greg Romeus and turning into the most feared pass-rusher in the Big East while winning the league's defensive player of the year award. Sheard was also a leader in the locker room, calling guys out for their effort when the team struggled early this season.

Alex Silvestro, DE, Rutgers: Silvestro came to Rutgers weighing only about 220 pounds, but stepped in at defensive tackle when the Scarlet Knights needed help at the position. He moved between that and defensive end in his career and always contributed. The three-year starter led the team with 14.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks this year, earning defensive MVP honors for the Scarlet Knights.

Mistral Raymond, CB, South Florida: Raymond walked onto the team two years ago and quickly became one of the most respected members of the Bulls. His lanky frame allowed him to play corner or safety, depending on the team's needs, and he was the best defensive back South Florida had this season. He was one of the many seniors who stepped up and helped the Bulls turn their season around after a 0-2 start in Big East play.

Derrell Smith, LB, Syracuse: Smith moved all around in his Orange career, from running back to defensive end to outside linebacker and finally to middle linebacker. He took each move in stride and wound up as a three-year starter and cornerstone for the program's revival. He's shooting for his fourth straight all-Big East academic team honor as well.

Chris Neild, DT, West Virginia: The Mountaineers were loaded with valuable seniors -- Noel Devine, Jock Sanders, J.T. Thomas, Anthony Leonard and on and on and on. Few did so much important work with so little glory than Neild, whose job is to plug up the middle of the 3-3-5 defense by crashing into two offensive linemen on every play. Neild finished with only 31 tackles, but his stats don't begin to measure his true worth to one of the nation's top defenses.

Catching up on some tidbits from the weekend:

• Connecticut and Louisville fans can breathe a sigh of relief. Neither team is going to lose its head coach, at least not on the current cycle of the coaching carousel. Randy Edsall was reportedly one of three finalists at Miami before the Hurricanes hired Al Golden. At one point over the weekend, it looked like Florida would hire Bob Stoops and Miami would take Edsall, leaving the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl in even worse shape than last year's Sugar Bowl. But neither move happened, and both Edsall and Charlie Strong are still Big East coaches.
• The Miami move also had a ripple effect on Pittsburgh, which was seriously considering Golden. It appears as if Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen still tops the Panthers' wish list.
• Syracuse freshman linebacker Malcom Cater was kicked off the team after being charged with committing three burglaries on campus. Cater was considered a coup on the recruiting trail last year for the Orange, who beat out Rutgers for the Long Island native. He was in line to take over for Derrell Smith at middle linebacker next season. Now Syracuse has another hole on the roster to fill.
• South Florida coach Skip Holtz said Bobby Eveld is the starting quarterback for the Meineke Car Care Bowl. B.J. Daniels is still healing from the quadriceps injury that forced him to miss the season finale against UConn. If Daniels is fully healed by the Dec. 31 bowl, he may be able to play. But for now the Bulls are preparing as if Eveld is the starter. And given the promise he's shown, that sounds like a good idea. Both quarterbacks could have trouble against Da'Quan Bowers and Clemson's fierce defense.

Earlier today, I presented you with my picks for the All-Big East team, which you can find here. Not long after, the official league awards and first and second teams came out, which you can find here.

The Big East official teams are voted on by the league's eight head coaches, who know a heck of a lot more about football than me. But that doesn't mean they always make the right choices. Let's take a look at each position and go over some of the reasoning behind the picks, starting with what seems to me like the most egregious error.

Quarterback

The league coaches chose Cincinnati's Zach Collaros as the unanimous pick, which is just shocking to me. Don't get me wrong, Collaros is a fantastic player who can put up crazy numbers. But I don't see how Collaros was chosen over West Virginia's Geno Smith. Smith led the Big East in passing efficiency and had a 23-6 touchdown to interception ratio. He had one bad game against Syracuse and was terrific just about every other game. Collaros threw 26 touchdowns but with a whopping 14 interceptions. His completion percentage was 58.7 compared to Smith's to 65.8.

In conference play, Collaros had 14 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Smith had 11 touchdowns and four interceptions in league play, not to mention that the Mountaineers were co-champions while Cincinnati finished 4-8.

The coaches, frankly, blew this one.

Running back

Jordan Todman and Bilal Powell were the easy calls here. What's amazing is that neither Noel Devine nor Dion Lewis made the first or second team. No one saw that coming before the year.

Wide receiver and tight end

Armon Binns and Jon Baldwin were the obvious calls at receiver. Louisville's Cameron Graham was the most productive tight end in the league.

Offensive line

Here's where the coaches' expertise should come into play. It's really hard just watching from TV or even from a press box to tell who's playing well on the interior of an offensive line, especially if you don't know what the blocking assignments are supposed to be. I made sure to get some input from coaches on this one and was pleased to see my choices of Sampson Genus at center and Zach Hurd and Mark Wetterer at guard were echoed by the coaches. We also agreed on Jason Pinkston at tackle, though the coaches had UConn's Mike Ryan at the other tackle, while I had Louisville's Byron Stingily. Both are fine choices, since Louisville and UConn had the best offensive lines in the league.

Defensive line

Very little question here with Jabaal Sheard, Terrell McClain and Chris Neild up front. The second defensive end spot was a tricky one for me. The coaches chose Kendall Reyes, who had an excellent year. I picked West Virginia's Julian Miller, who was a beast in conference play and part of the Mountaineers' unbelievable defense. When in doubt at one of these defensive positions, I went with a West Virgina player. I also strongly considered Chandler Jones, Brandon Lindsey and Jesse Joseph for that spot.

Linebacker

Linebacker is one of the deepest positions in the Big East this year. Lawrence Wilson was a definite, and the coaches and I agreed on J.T. Thomas. They chose Doug Hogue while I went with his Syracuse teammate, Derrell Smith. Can't argue too much either way and I would have put all four of them on there if there were enough spots.

Defensive back

Here's another place where I sharply disagree with the coaches' pick. They had West Virginia's Keith Tandy and not Brandon Hogan. I'm not sure even Tandy would agree with that. Tandy had the better interception and tackle numbers, but as he told me in a late-season interview, most of that was because teams wouldn't throw Hogan's way. The coaches I talked to all said Hogan was easily the best cornerback in the Big East. I had him and Johnny Patrick, who was also an official pick, though I heard some support for and strongly considered South Florida's Mistral Raymond.

At safety, Robert Sands was a no-brainer. The other safety spot was my most difficult choice on the entire list. Safety was not a strong position for the Big East this year. The coaches picked Dom DeCicco, who had a solid year. But I felt like he played some his best while working at linebacker for Pitt this year. I went instead with West Virginia's Sidney Glover, a rock-solid senior who fit my "when in doubt pick a Mountaineer" strategy. I liked Rutgers' Joe Lefeged earlier in the year but thought he faded along with his whole team. One coach who played Rutgers late in the season said they picked on Lefeged in the passing game.

So there you have it. How do you feel about the all-conference picks? Do you think, like I do, that Smith and Hogan were the biggest snubs?

Welcome to the ESPN.com 2010 All-Big East team. Unlike the official league team, we don't do ties here. One man, one spot.

I compiled the following list after watching each team the entire season and through consultation this week with some coaches throughout the league. Later on today, I'll offer up some thoughts on the selections, explaining my picks and the toughest omissions.

Here is the team:

Offense

QB: Geno Smith, West Virginia
RB: Jordan Todman, Connecticut
RB: Bilal Powell, Louisville
WR: Armon Binns, Cincinnati
WR: Jon Baldwin, Pittsburgh
TE: Cameron Graham, Louisville
OT: Jason Pinkston, Pittsburgh
OG: Zach Hurd, Connecticut
C: Sampson Genus, South Florida
OG: Mark Wetterer, Louisville
OT: Byron Stingily, Louisville

Defense

DE: Jabaal Sheard, Pittsburgh
DT: Chris Neild, West Virginia
DT: Terrell McClain, South Florida
DE: Julian Miller, West Virginia
LB: Lawrence Wilson, Connecticut
LB: Derrell Smith, Syracuse
LB: J.T. Thomas, West Virginia
CB: Brandon Hogan, West Virginia
CB: Johnny Patrick, Louisville
S: Robert Sands, West Virginia
S: Sidney Glover, West Virginia

Specialists

K: Dave Teggart, Connecticut
P: Dan Hutchins, Pittsburgh
KR: Lindsey Lamar, South Florida
PR: Doug Beaumont, Louisville

Some may have scoffed this offseason when Doug Marrone boldly proclaimed that his team's goal for 2010 was to make a bowl game.

The Orange, after all, hadn't won more than four games in a season since 2004, including a 4-8 mark in Marrone's first year as head coach. They had won only four Big East games in the previous five seasons combined.

But those who paid close attention saw the improvement that Syracuse made late last year under Marrone. And that surge continued during the program's breakout campaign that resulted in its first bowl in six seasons. The Orange were one of the surprise teams nationally after a 6-2 start that included impressive road wins at South Florida, West Virginia and Cincinnati. They were even threatening to win the Big East title until a November slump.

Scott Shafer's aggressive blitz schemes helped Syracuse finish No. 5 nationally in total defense, allowing fewer than 300 yards and only 18.1 points per game. Injuries started to take their toll on a thin roster, though, especially on the offensive side. The Orange lacked playmakers at receiver for quarterback Ryan Nassib, and they really sputtered down the stretch while scoring just two touchdowns in the final three games. Take away the game against Cincinnati's lousy defense, and Syracuse averaged just 14 points per game in conference play.

Those offensive problems and the team's inexplicable 0-4 record at the Carrier Dome against FBS opponents put a small damper on the enthusiasm for this season. Still, there's no way Marrone's second year could be considered anything but a major leap forward for the program.

Offensive MVP: Delone Carter.

Strong as a bull, Carter was the Orange's most feared player. The senior running back might not rip off a lot of huge plays, but he could wear out opposing defenders tasked with trying to bring him down. He had 1,035 yards and seven touchdowns, going over 1,000 for the second straight year and finishing among the Orange's all-time rushing leaders.

Defensive MVP: Derrell Smith

Much like West Virginia, Syracuse was a well-rounded, team-oriented defense with many standouts. But the linebackers were the strength, and Smith was the leader in the middle linebacker while pacing the team with 103 tackles.

Turning point: A 13-9 win at South Florida on Oct. 9 in the first Big East game gave the team belief that a new era was dawning and put the rest of the league on alert. Syracuse would go on to win every conference road game.

What's next: An in-state postseason game against Kansas State in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl provides a nice reward for a job well done. Offseason goals involve replacing 10 senior starters and finding a way to inject some firepower into the offense.

Kansas State Wildcats (7-5) vs. Syracuse Orange (7-5)

Dec. 30, 3:20 p.m. ET (ESPN)

Kansas State take by Big 12 blogger David Ubben: Take me at my word, I'll spare you any sort of Apple humor for the duration of this game's coverage. That said, the two Manhattans will be linked when Kansas State heads to the Pinstripe Bowl, even though Yankee Stadium is in the Bronx.

Daniel Thomas carried the Wildcats to an early 4-0 start, but Kansas State struggled to a 1-4 finish in conference play before finishing the season with a win over North Texas to finish 7-5. Thomas, a senior, will get a chance to prove his worth to NFL scouts with a big game against Syracuse, and he'll be coming off a 269-yard performance in the win over North Texas.

Kansas State found a new offense late in the season when it leaned on quarterback Collin Klein, who played receiver last season. Carson Coffman still sees plenty of time, but the Wildcats offense, even if it's one-dimensional with Klein, can be dangerous. In a 39-14 win over Texas earlier this year, the Wildcats needed just four pass attempts to jump out to a 39-0 lead. They ran for 261 yards in that game, and Klein and Thomas both topped 100 yards.

If Syracuse doesn't see enough Cats on Broadway, its front seven will have its hands full with these 'Cats.

No promises on other New York/baseball humor.

---

Syracuse take by Big East blogger Brian Bennett: Syracuse won't even be leaving its own state for its bowl game, but there was a time not long ago when the postseason seemed far, far away.

Second-year coach Doug Marrone has engineered a remarkable turnaround, leading the Orange to their first bowl game since 2004. They actually were still in position to win the Big East title in their final conference game, but losing three of the past four to end the year took a little cheer out of the banner year.

Defense powered the improvement, as coordinator Scott Shafer's heavy blitz schemes caused problems for Big East teams all year. Led by tackling-machine linebackers Derrell Smith and Doug Hogue, Syracuse ranked sixth in the FBS in total defense.

This is an offensively-challenged team that sputtered to the finish line, scoring just 26 points in its final three games combined. That could spell trouble against a Kansas State team that averaged 33.5 points per game this season. The Orange are in no way built for a Big 12-style shootout.

But they should have a heavily pro-Syracuse crowd at Yankee Stadium. And after such a long absence from the postseason, the Orange are just happy to be bowling anywhere.

The official Big East individual awards will be out next week. Here is my final forecast:

Player of the year race: Offense

1. Jordan Todman, RB, Connecticut: He's a lock to win this award. Todman is No. 2 in the nation in rushing yards and will go over 1,500 yards for the season this week at South Florida.

2. Bilal Powell, RB, Louisville: If not for a knee injury at Pitt and the flu before the West Virginia game, Powell could have overtaken Todman for the rushing title. As is, he finished the regular season with 1,330 yards and a bowl game left.

3. Armon Binns, WR, Cincinnati: Despite the Bearcats' struggles, Binns has had a spectacular season. He has 72 catches for 1,072 yards and 10 touchdowns with a game left against Pitt.

4. Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia: Smith leads the league in pass efficiency with 22 touchdowns and only six interceptions.

Player of the year race: Defense

1. Jabaal Sheard, DE, Pittsburgh: He's been the leader here for some time and there's no reason to move him now. An AFCA All-American, Sheard is second in the Big East in tackles for loss, first in fumbles forced and third in sacks despite near-constant double teams.

2. Chris Neild, DT, West Virginia: The entire West Virginia defense needs to be represented, and Neild is the anchor up front.

3. Lawrence Wilson, LB, Connecticut: The senior is leading the league in tackles -- with 110 through 11 games -- for the second straight year.

4. Brandon Hogan, CB, West Virginia: There's a reason why teammate Keith Tandy leads the league in interceptions: opponents are scared to throw Hogan's way.

5. Derrell Smith, LB, Syracuse: Finished regular season with team-best 103 tackles on a very stout Orange defense.

Coach of the year race

1. Doug Marrone, Syracuse

2. Charlie Strong, Louisville

I struggled with this decision for a long time. Marrone led his team to a 7-5 record, while Strong's Cardinals were 6-6. But Louisville beat Syracuse and didn't play a second FCS team. It's incredibly close, and I would argue for co-coaches of the year. But if forced to choose one, I'll go with Marrone because he had more Big East wins (West Virginia, South Florida, Cincinnati and Rutgers) than Strong (Rutgers, Syracuse, Connecticut).

Player of the year race: Special teams

1. Nick Williams, Connecticut

2. Lindsey Lamar, South Florida

3. Dan Hutchins, Pittsburgh

Unlike last year, when it was clear that Mardy Gilyard was far and above the best special teams player in the league if not the country, there's no surefire winner this year. I pick Williams for now because of his ridiculous 42-yard kickoff return average -- tops in the FBS -- and his two touchdowns, including the 100-yarder against Pitt that changed that game and the Big East race. But Williams has only 11 returns all year, a very low number for an award like this.

Lamar has 24 returns and also two touchdowns, including one that spurred a win at Louisville. If either one has a big game this weekend in Tampa, that might tilt it in his favor. Hutchins led the league in punting and also handled field goals. But he shanked a few key punts and couldn't be relied on outside of 40 yards on field goals.

Rookie of the year

1. Chas Dodd, QB, Rutgers

2. Bruce Irvin, DE, West Virginia

3. Jeremy Deering, WR, Rutgers

4. Hakeem Smith, S, Louisville

Like special teams, there's no hands-down winner a la Dion Lewis in 2009. But Dodd shockingly became Rutgers stating quarterback and has thrown for nearly 1,500 yards and nine touchdowns despite awful protection from his line. Irvin leads the league with 10 sacks but is mostly a third-down specialist. Deering took over Wildcat duties from a banged up Mohamed Sanu and has produced more than 640 yards of offense. Smith led a surprisingly strong Louisville defense in tackles with 80.