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Dwayne Difton, one of the most hyped recruits of the Randy Edsall era, is leaving Connecticut after two unproductive seasons.

Difton signed with the Huskies in 2009 from the nation's No. 1-ranked high school team, St. Thomas Aquinas in Florida. UConn fans were giddy with the idea of getting a rare, highly-ranked recruit after Edsall spent years succeeding with under-the-radar prospects.

But Difton could never crack the starting lineup and had only 22 catches in two years, including 14 last season. And it wasn't like the other UConn receivers were smashing records or winning All-America honors.

Even with a fresh start under new coach Paul Pasqualoni this year, Difton couldn't step forward as a major piece of the offense. So he has decided to transfer.

Hardly anybody expected Connecticut to be 1-2 right now. Not with 16 returning starters off a team that finished 2009 so strong. Even those who might have seen a 1-2 start probably wouldn't have guessed that both Huskies losses would have come by at least two touchdowns, or that the team would look like it needs an energy infusion.

"The level of expectations we have for ourselves, we haven't met that yet," head coach Randy Edsall said.

Edsall isn't making a major shakeup or delivering any rah-rah speeches. He thinks that only causes the players to panic when they see big changes.

Instead, he's making a few small adjustments and hoping that breathes some life into a team that still has its main goal available: winning the Big East.

Start with the depth chart. Kendall Reyes is moving to defensive end, with redshirt freshman Shamar Stephen starting at defensive tackle. Jerome Junior is replacing Harris Agbor at safety. Dwayne Difton is now a starting receiver, supplanting Isiah Moore.

And then there's the return of Cody Endres from a suspension. Endres is still the No. 2 quarterback behind Zach Frazer, but now Frazer is under pressure to perform better with a veteran and former starter behind him. Frazer hasn't thrown an interception this season, but he's completing just 52 percent of his passes and averaging only 153 passing yards per game.

Edsall said Frazer's fundamentals are fine but that he's not making the right reads all the time.

"I just feel that there are throws that could have been made and could have been better," Edsall said. "Throws were there that could have moved the chains or got the ball down the field. I just told him to go out and throw the ball. Don't be so cautious about throwing interceptions.

"I don't want him to be John Wayne out there and just letting it fly, because we've seen when that happens. But there's got to be a happy medium."

The offense in general hasn't been efficient enough for Edsall's liking. UConn had 390 yards against Temple but managed just 16 points.

"We're moving the ball, but we're not scoring," he said.

Above all, the coach wants to see his team play with more emotion and enthusiasm and deal with adversity better. He did not like some of the quotes he saw from the players about how the team reacted once Temple stripped Jordan Todman of the ball and went in for a go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter.

"There's still time left on clock; go find a way to win," he said. "Don't say you were demoralized or it took the wind out of you. That's bull crap. It's a cop-out."

Edsall said he thinks there will be players who will step up and be more vocal this week in practice. He hopes that translates to a better performance at home this week against Buffalo. Like UConn, the Bulls are just 1-2, with blowout losses to Central Florida and Baylor. They scored 16 total points in those defeats.

The Huskies should take care of business this week. They hope that will lead to some positive change.

"There's a lot of season left to go," Edsall said.

Cincinnati is in action tonight at NC State (ESPN, 7:30 p.m. ET), so the Bearcats lead off the links today:

• Butch Jones is looking for a spark for his team, which is in the midst of a brutal schedule stretch. A scouting report on the Wolfpack. NC State's Audie Cole is breaking out.
• This fact-filled notebook from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Paul Zeise includes tidbits about linebacker Dan Mason being demoted, Greg Romeus' possible return and the fate of Jason Douglas.
• True freshman defensive end B.J. Butler has been pressed into a starting role at Louisville.
• Former hyped recruit Dwayne Difton is starting to figure things out at UConn.
• Bill Stewart says he is a perfectionist.
• Marcus Sales has been a missing man for Syracuse, but he's hoping to change that.
• A few key South Florida players are nursing injuries during the bye week.
• Rutgers receivers say their youth isn't an excuse for why the passing game has struggled.

Let's continue our post-spring position rankings for every Big East team, moving on to wide receiver. Remember, depth matters as well as star power:

1. Cincinnati: Pretty easy call here. The starting trio of Armon Binns, Vidal Hazelton and D.J. Woods is as good as anybody's in the country. If Kenbrell Thompkins, Marcus Barnett and Jamar Howard can add to the group, this could be a really deep and dangerous unit.

2. Pittsburgh: It just doesn't get any better than Jonathan Baldwin. Mike Shanahan came on late in the season a year ago and should provide a strong No. 2 target. Guys like Devin Street, Cam Saddler and Greg Cross could make this a corps that can give Cincinnati a run for its elite status.

3. West Virginia: Depth here is a problem. But the Mountaineers are solid on the front lines with Bradley Starks, Jock Sanders and Tavon Austin, who will try to succeed as a wideout. Stedman Bailey played very well this spring at times. Beyond that, there are question marks, but incoming freshman Ivan McCartney could contribute right away.

4. Rutgers: Mohamed Sanu is the only proven receiver on this team. But Mark Harrison, Tim Wright and Quron Pratt all looked great this spring. I'm expecting big things out of this crew this year.

5. Connecticut: No one on the current roster had more than 24 catches a year ago, but the Huskies still should be fine at receiver this year. Kashif Moore, Isiah Moore and Michael Smith are all quite capable of providing big plays. If youngsters like Gerrard Sheppard, Malik Generett and Dwayne Difton can add something positive, this ranking will improve.

6. South Florida: The loss of A.J. Love to an ACL injury in the spring game leaves this group with more questions than answers. Dontavia Bogan turned in a huge spring game performance and may have to become the go-to guy. Sterling Griffin and Lindsey Lamar have tremendous speed if not much experience. Evan Landi is trying to convert from quarterback into a dependable target. It's still a work in progress.

7. Louisville: Eventually, Doug Beaumont (38 catches a year ago) is going to find the end zone. Troy Pascley and the 6-foot-9 Josh Chichester have been around a few years now, and Andrell Smith looks promising. Still, one wonders if the Cardinals have any true deep threats. Incoming freshman Michaelee Harris and junior-college import Josh Bellamy could contribute right away.

8. Syracuse: Perhaps I'm not giving the Orange enough due, but I just haven't been overly impressed with their receivers outside of Mike Williams for the past few years. Guys like Marcus Sales, Alec Lemon and Van Chew have improved, and Hofstra transfer Aaron Weaver could help this year. But this is a case of needing to see it before I believe it.

Both Connecticut and South Florida released their post-spring depth charts late Monday. Let's take a quick peek at both.

Not a lot of surprises on the new UConn two-deep. One change is that former receiver Mike Lang is now backing up Kijuan Dabney at one of the safety spots as the Huskies continue to look for depth in their secondary. Despite missing the spring with an injury, Jesse Joseph maintains his No. 1 status at one of the defensive end spots, with Trevardo Williams and A.J. Portee neck-and-neck to back him up.

Twyon Martin, a two-year starter who had his work ethic questioned by Randy Edsall this spring, is listed as the co-starter along with Ryan Wirth at one of the defensive tackle spots. Marcus Aiken, who spent time this spring in the secondary, is back at receiver and listed as tied with Gerrard Sheppard for second at one of the wideout spots. Former heralded recruit Dwayne Difton is stuck at third string.

The Bulls' depth chart shows that plenty of competition will remain in fall camp, especially at linebacker. Sam Barrington and Mike Lanaris are listed as co-starters in the middle, with Sabbath Joseph and DeDe Lattimore tied atop the two-deep at weakside linebacker.

Sterling Griffin is listed as the starter at A.J. Love's old receiving spot after Love suffered an ACL injury in the spring game. Jerrell Young has edged ahead of Jon Lejiste at strong safety. Meanwhile, redshirt freshman Ryne Giddins and juco import Claude Davis are each in a battle as backups at either defensive end spot.

Eric Schwartz is leading Maikon Bonani at kicker. Schwartz filled in ably last year as the team tried to replace Bonani, who injured his back in an amusement park accident.

• Dwayne Difton had a tough freshman year, made tougher by the loss of friend Jasper Howard. But the UConn receiver says he's ready to contribute now, Desmond Conner writes in the Hartford Courant.
• Bill Stull tried to show scouts that he's a legitimate NFL prospect at Pitt's pro day on Wednesday, Paul Zeise writes in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
• One guy who doesn't have to do much convincing is Dorin Dickerson, Ralph Paulk writes in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
• Here's a preview of Cincinnati's spring practice from the Cincinnati Enquirer's Bill Koch.
• Greg Schiano is eager for the challenge of leading a young team into the spring, Tom Luicci writes in The Star-Ledger.

This could be a big year for Connecticut.

The Huskies were playing as well as anybody in the Big East down the stretch and finished the 2009 season with a victory over South Carolina in the Papajohns.com Bowl. They bring back a wealth of starters and plenty of depth. I caught up with UConn coach Randy Edsall last week to talk about the beginning of spring practice, which starts March 16. This is part I of my interview. Check back later for part II.

First of all, you have to be feeling pretty good about where the program is given all the players you bring back from last year, right?

Randy Edsall: We do. We have a lot of guys back and we only have 12 seniors on the roster, so that bodes well for us. We're going to have more depth than we've ever had. The thing about this spring that's going to be a little different is, we're going to have a lot of guys who won't be doing things because of injuries. So we'll be able to get a lot of work in, but some of the kids won't be out there with us because of injury. But the thing I'm excited about is that we're going to give some of these young guys a lot of work to even develop more depth in the program.

Do the injuries cause a little less of a concern this spring just because you have so much experience coming back?

RE: Yeah, it really does. Just looking at our depth chart and our board ... even though Jesse Joseph is not going to go through the spring, Greg Lloyd is not going to go through the spring, Blidi Wreh-Wilson is not going to go through the spring on defense, with those guys out we still have so many guys and we know what those guys can do because they played for us. And now get some other kids more repetitions and kids we know are going to be available to play next year. For me, it's a plus for us. And we had six kids who came in at midyear, so it's another plus that those kids are going to get a lot of reps.

We're not going to be the finished product coming out of spring, because like with Jimmy Bennett and Mike Ryan on offense, they're not going to be practicing due to the injuries that they had in the fall and Robbie Frey will be limited and won't be full go. That's where in terms of the offensive line, it's going to give us a chance to work with some of our young guys and really get them a lot of reps to develop them so if they've got to get into a game, they're going to have some experience there.

Let's talk about the quarterbacks. Zach Frazer played well for you at the end of the year, but Cody Endres also played well before his injury. Is Frazer the No. 1 guy right now or is it more of a competition?

RE: As we came out of the season, we won four straight there with Zach and I thought he did some good things. Cody did, too, I think, so we're in a good situation. But as we go into the spring, Zach's the No. 1 guy and it would be his job to lose. He knows there's always competition, but he's the No. 1 guy as we start practice on the 16th.

What did you like about the way Frazer played at the end of the year?

RE: I thought he really just played within himself. I thought he was relaxed, he was poised and I thought he made a lot of good decisions He wasn't forcing the ball; he was taking what the defense was giving and throwing the ball where it should have been thrown. And when it wasn't there, he threw the ball away as opposed to trying to make a great play, squeeze a ball into somewhere you shouldn't. I really thought he did a good job of what we asked him to do in the game plans we had for those games.

People may forget that you put in a new offense last year, and there must have been some adjustments along the way.

RE: You could see the improvement as the season went on with what we did offensively, and I think one of the keys this spring is now the kids are going to be more comfortable in the offense. There are going to be some things that we're able to do to add or to tweak where we think it will make us better. But I was pleased with the development of the offense as the season went along. Our point production and passing yardage was up from a year ago, and we maintained what we wanted to do in the running game.

It took two guys to replace Donald Brown, but that's fine. And we want to keep building on the positives we had last year and keep moving forward, and the good thing is we only lost Andre [Dixon], and we still have Jordan Todman coming back. We lost Brad [Kanuch] and Marcus Easley, but we feel we have receivers to step in and do the job. And up front the only guy we lost was Mike Hicks. We really feel good about the guys we have coming back and what we can do to improve upon the production and the output we had a year ago.

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Spring football in the Big East kicks off March 16. Here's a breakdown of three issues facing each program heading into the spring:

CINCINNATI
Spring practice starts: March 17
Spring game: April 24
What to watch:

• Building depth: New coach Butch Jones said this is the biggest key for the spring. The Bearcats have a lot of top-flight players with starting experience back, like Zach Collaros, Armon Binns, Isaiah Pead and JK Schaffer. But there's a lot of youth and inexperience in potential backup roles, especially at positions like offensive line, linebacker and receiver. All slates are clean with the new coaching staff, and the spring will be a time when new names can emerge in key roles.

• Defensive line retooling: Jones will switch back to the 4-3 after a year in the 3-4 scheme. Both starting defensive ends from last year are gone, but the smallish line was overpowered at times near the end of the season anyway. Derek Wolfe should be a fixture inside, Dan Giordano, Brandon Mills and John Hughes step into more prominent roles. Jones will have to decide whether to make Walter Stewart a defensive end or keep him at outside linebacker. The Bearcats could use a little more strength and bulk up front against the bigger Big East offensive lines.

• Vidal's arrival: USC transfer Vidal Hazelton is eligible after sitting out last year. He reputedly dominated practices last season, and now he'll get to go full time with the first string. A lot of people will be watching closely to see how he and Collaros connect during the spring. A big year by Hazelton will lessen the loss of star wideout Mardy Gilyard and could keep Cincinnati as the Big East's best offense.

CONNECTICUT
Spring practice starts: March 16
Spring game: April 17
What to watch:

• Secondary matters: UConn returns a truckload of starters and looks rock solid in most areas. But the defensive backfield will be an area of emphasis starting in the spring. Gone are stalwarts Robert McClain and Robert Vaughn from a secondary that got picked apart much of the season by opposing passing games. Dwayne Gratz and Blidi Wreh-Wilson showed progress by the end of their redshirt freshmen seasons and should be the starting corners. The Huskies need someone to replace Vaughn at safety and overall better performance from the unit.

• Frazer vs. Endres: Zach Frazer and Cody Endres have been splitting starts since the second half of the 2008 season at quarterback. Endres took over early last year and played well until he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. Frazer picked things up late after a slow start. The competition should be back on this spring, with Frazer probably holding the edge given his late-season improvement.

• Catch as catch can: Receiver was a major question for UConn going into last spring, when walk-on senior Marcus Easley surprised everybody with his giant leap forward. He became the go-to guy in 2009, but now he's gone, along with starter Brad Kanuch. So the Huskies are basically back in the same position as this time a year ago, needing to find some reliable pass catchers. Kashif Moore may be the next to break out after some good, late-year performances. And perhaps former highly-touted recruit Dwayne Difton will emerge. UConn hopes to catch lightning in a bottle again like it did with Easley.

LOUISVILLE
Spring practice starts: March 24
Spring game: April 16
What to watch:

• Switching to Strong: The Cardinals will have their first practices under new coach Charlie Strong, who promises to bring a much different style than former coach Steve Kragthorpe. Strong is known as being an intense guy on the field, and as a former top-flight defensive coordinator, he will likely be particularly demanding of players on that side of the ball. There will be new terminology to learn, new assistants and new standards to which the Cardinals must adjust in a hurry.

• The quarterback shuffle: Louisville had three quarterbacks -- Adam Froman, Justin Burke and Will Stein -- start games last year. All three will be given the chance to win the job in the spring, and mid-year enrollee Luke Woodley might see some snaps as well. Don't be surprised if this competition goes into the fall and if other newcomers like Dominique Brown get a look. Offensive coordinator Mike Sanford wants to run a Florida-style spread offense, which might favor the more mobile Froman if he chooses to go with a veteran under center.

• Line play: The trenches have not been a particularly strong suit for Louisville the past couple of seasons, one of the reasons why the program has fallen out of annual postseason play. The Cardinals have gotten very little pass rush from the defensive line and not enough of a consistent push from the offensive line. Strong asked the offensive linemen to rework their bodies to prepare for the spread, and he'll need replacements for two senior defensive tackles. Junior-college imports Randy Salmon and Tyler Harrell will have a chance to impress on the defensive line. If the holdovers don't step up, we could see more newcomers in key spots by the summer.

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Signing day is fast approaching, and every team is scrambling to put together or keep intact this year's class. So let's look at what each Big East team's pressing needs are going into this year's recruiting season.

Cincinnati

Receiver: Mardy Gilyard is gone, Armon Binns is a senior and Vidal Hazelton and D.J. Woods will be juniors. It's time to bring in the next wave of playmakers for the spread offense.

Defensive line: The Bearcats lose both starting defensive ends and their hybrid outside linebacker in the 3-4. The end of last season showed the need to get bigger and tougher up front.

Connecticut

Receiver: UConn made great strides in the passing game this year but still needs more reliable targets at wideout, especially with Marcus Easley and Brad Kanuch graduating. The Huskies brought in young receivers last year like Dwayne Difton, and they need to stay on that path.

Defensive back: Connecticut doesn't lose a whole lot off the 2009 team, but the secondary is one place that needs some restocking. Corner Robert McClain and safety Robert Vaughn were both seniors. Redshirt freshman Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Dwayne Gratz showed promise at corner late in the year, but more depth would help.

Linebacker: The Huskies will have an experienced linebacker corps next year, with Scott Lutrus, Lawrence Wilson and Greg Lloyd -- the latter may move to defensive line -- all seniors. Since Randy Edsall likes to redshirt as many freshmen as possible, this would be a good year to begin finding their eventual replacements.

Louisville

Depth: The Cardinals may have had the least amount of overall talent of any Big East team this season and have few pro prospects on the roster. First-year coach Charlie Strong's first order of business is simply to stock the cupboard.

Quarterback: Of the three players who started under center for the Cardinals last year, two (Justin Burke and Adam Froman) will be seniors, while the other (Will Stein) was a walk-on. None are considered pro prospects. Strong needs a major talent upgrade at that position.

Trenches: Louisville loses both starting defensive tackles, and three of its starting offensive linemen will be seniors. The team needs better players on both lines in order to compete consistently.

Pittsburgh

Cornerback: Starting corners Aaon Berry and Jovani Chappel were seniors, presenting one pressing need to a team that is otherwise well stocked. Pitt has signed a junior-college corner to help bridge the gap.

Receiver: Jonathan Baldwin will probably go to the NFL after this season. Which means the Panthers will need to start identifying the next great player at a position that's been manned in the past by Antonio Bryant and Larry Fitzgerald.

Quarterback: Tino Sunseri and Pat Bostick will battle it out for the starting job this spring. But there's little depth behind them, especially with last year's signee, Kolby Gray, moving to safety.

Rutgers

Offensive line: The Scarlet Knights lose three starters from this year's O-line: center Ryan Blaszczyk, left tackle Anthony Davis and right tackle Kevin Haslam. That makes finding some young guys up front a priority.

Defensive back: Star corner Devin McCourty and starting safety Zaire Kitchen are gone. Rutgers has some promising young players in the secondary, especially at corner, but could use some future help at safety and more depth overall.

South Florida

Defensive line: The Bulls didn't expect Jason Pierre-Paul to bolt for the NFL after one season when they signed him. That loss, along with the graduation of George Selvie, exposes the need for a big-time pass rusher, though last year's top signee, Ryne Giddins, could become that.

Linebacker: Middle linebacker and leading tackler Kion Wilson was a senior, as was weakside starter Chris Robinson. The Bulls love rising sophomore Sam Barrington, but they need some future stars around him.

Running back: The past few years, South Florida has always had a lot of tailbacks but no true standout. With Mo Plancher graduating and Mike Ford a senior, new coach Skip Holtz may want to locate a true No. 1 running back for the future.

Syracuse

Depth: Like Louisville, Syracuse needs bodies. The roster was decimated by injuries and departures last season, and Doug Marrone's program won't take off until it has enough depth to compete week to week.

Linebacker: The position should be in decent shape this year, but there isn't much behind the projected starters. It's telling that Marrone already has commitments from six linebackers.

Playmakers: Once Mike Williams quit, the Orange struggled to do much in the passing game. Marrone needs receivers, running backs and tight ends in order to employ a more wide open, multiple offense like he oversaw with the New Orleans Saints.

West Virginia

Linebacker: West Virginia's needs for 2010 aren't plentiful since a ton of starters return. But the Mountaineers lost middle linebacker and defensive stalwart Reed Williams to graduation, and they could start three seniors there this season. Time to restock.

Receiver: Jock Sanders' return was a boost, but the team also lost Alric Arnett and Wes Lyons and is still looking for a dependable No. 1 wideout to complement an increased passing game.

Defensive line: Depth was an issue up front this past season, with Scooter Berry in and out of the lineup and junior college signee Tevita Finau never showing up. Berry and nose tackle Chris Neild will both be seniors this season.

Onto Part II of today's mailbag (Read Part I here):

Kevin from Mahwah, N.J., writes: Brian, how do you see the teams shaping up for 2010? I know there are still decisions to be made on declarations for the draft, but it seems we will be muddled next year once again. Pitt would seem to be the "favorite," but not a strong one. Like last year an argument could be made for Cincy, Rutgers, West Virginia, South Florida and even add UConn to the mix. It seems only Louisville and Syracuse would not be a reasonable choice to win, though I think both will be better than last year. Thoughts?

Brian Bennett: The difference between 2009 and 2010 is that, while there are still a fair number of contenders, teams may actually have fewer flaws on paper. Whereas you could make a case against each team last summer (Cincinnati replacing 10 defensive starters, quarterback and running back issues at Pitt, etc.), I think you could make a pretty good argument for a lot of teams in 2010.

Now, we've got eight months to discuss and preview 2010. But as of today, my top three contenders would be Pitt, Cincinnati and Connecticut. Pitt has a solid core returning, including Dion Lewis and Jonathan Baldwin, and will have to figure out quarterback and defensive line if Greg Romeus leaves. Cincinnati brings back a lot of offensive talent but has the coaching transition. UConn returns the vast majority of its team after a strong finish to '09.

West Virginia and Rutgers may be a bit too young at key spots. South Florida is too inconsistent to pick as a favorite. Syracuse and Louisville are still rebuilding. But I think the league deserves to have at least three teams in the preseason Top 25 for 2010 -- or three more than it had this season.

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Chris from Wallingford, Conn., writes: Prior to this year you did a segment on each team highlighting each position for each team and labeled them as feeling great, some questions, big problems, etc. Looking at what UConn has returning, are there any areas where we might have some problems? There is talk of Greg Lloyd moving to DE to replace Lindsey Witten. The only minor concerns I see are in our secondary, but Gratz and Wreh-Wilson got valuable playing time and Jerome Junior struggled at the beginning of the year but vastly improved as time went on. Could next year be the year the Huskies get over the hump?

Brian Bennett: I'm pretty bullish on the Huskies for 2010. This was a very young team that came on strong in the last month. My concern areas would be defensive back, as you mentioned, and receiver. Marcus Easley provided the best deep threat the program has seen in several years, but he was a senior. The Huskies need guys like Kashif Moore -- who made that great catch in the Papajohns.com Bowl -- and maybe a youngster like Dwayne Difton to really emerge and make the offense well-rounded.

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Jay from W.Va., writes: The Pac-10 is 2-5 in bowls this year. One of their two wins came against Temple. Why does this not shed light on their conference strength, but the Big East going 4-2 in bowls does?

Brian Bennett: The Pac-10 has had a crummy postseason, the worst among BCS conferences. The league also had a fantastic regular season and did not get blown away in its BCS game. The losses came to Ohio State, Oklahoma, BYU, Utah and Nebraska, all of whom are Top 25 teams. Everything counts.

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George from Philadelphia writes: I have not heard anything about the fifth and sixth selection of bowls for the Big East. Is it still going to be PapaJohns.com and St. Pete bowls? Is the St. Pete bowl going to have a BCS opponent rather than C-USA?

Brian Bennett: The bowl pecking order for the Big East beginning next season looks like this:

1. BCS
2. Champs Sports
3. Meineke Car Care
4. Yankee
5. Papajohns.com
6. St. Petersburg

The fifth and sixth places here are really interchangeable, because the league will work with the bowls to determine the best fit, rather than have a true pecking order. And St. Petersburg is expected to continue its Conference USA tie-in.

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Gary P. from Cincinnati writes: Why doesn't the Big East drop Seton Hall and DePaul? I guess I don't see what they bring to the table for the conference. Then we could add Central Florida and Memphis for example, or East Carolina. All football schools.

Brian Bennett: Hey, I'm with you. I've advocated this very idea in this space before on several occasions. At least Seton Hall has some tradition and history with the league, and its men's basketball program has had success. But the rest of the Pirates' programs leave much to be desired. DePaul adds zilch to the league; nobody in Chicago even cares about the Blue Demons any more. Though I think the schools you mentioned have some of their own issues, they would add more to the Big East than DePaul, for sure. I'm sure the league is skittish about the idea of dropping teams ever since the ACC raid, but it needs to be proactive now before the next conference shakeup begins.

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Mark S. from Marlboro, N.J. writes: Where do you see the Bearcats ranked in the final poll? I have them eighth.

Brian Bennett: I want to see how the teams look in tonight's FedEx Orange Bowl, but I do think Cincinnati will take a tumble after that bad showing in the Allstate Sugar Bowl. The Bearcats will definitely be ranked behind Alabama, Texas, Florida, Boise State and Ohio State (so much for that Buckeye State argument this year). TCU will likely finish ahead of them, as would Georgia Tech and possibly Iowa, depending on who wins tonight.

So that's No. 8, at best, and there's a possibility some voters would even leapfrog Penn State, Oregon and/or Virginia Tech past Cincinnati. I don't think that would be right, but last impressions can mean a lot to voters.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

We're less than 48 hours away from game day in Tampa, and there's lots to talk about from last Saturday and this coming week. Let's get to your questions:

Jay from New York City writes: A lot of UConn fans are starting to wonder if Randy Edsall is the right guy to take the program to the next level. Are some of them irrationally impatient? Probably. But when you look at the Pitt game, UConn's execution on all the issues that Edsall preaches on (limiting dumb mistakes like turnovers, penalties, big plays on defense) was pretty good. Still, Pitt's offense was talented enough to come back on UConn and win the game despite their earlier mistakes.

Maybe there is a ceiling on how good UConn can get until they get the higher-profile recruits? Edsall has done an incredible job taking this program to FBS. But with success comes with even greater expectations. Does the program need to think about chasing a big recruiter?

Brian Bennett: I got a handful of emails like Jay's this week, and I've got to admit that it surprised me. Get rid of Edsall? The guy has done a fabulous job of bringing UConn up from then Division I-AA to a perennial bowl contender. I understand that the more you win, the more fans want. But let's remember that this is still a new program located in Storrs, Conn., not exactly the hotbed of football recruiting in America. Edsall's strength has been taking guys under the radar and developing them into stars -- witness his four picks in the first two rounds of the NFL Draft this past April.

Now, does UConn need to recruit better athletes, particularly at wide receiver? Definitely, but this is usually the last and hardest thing to achieve when building a program. There have already been some signs of success there, as with the signing of Dwayne Difton out of Florida this past offseason. Edsall prefers a conservative game plan that can sometimes be a detriment against faster and more talented teams. But I can't imagine any one doing a better job at UConn right now than him.

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Josh from Simsbury, Conn., writes: Why wouldn't Edsall let them score to get the ball back at the end of the game? Anyone who knows the game knows that in that kind of situation, chances are the team is going to score points. I know that letting them score goes against everything in football, but whether you lose by three or seven, it's still a loss. At least letting them score would have left some time on the clock to try and move down the field.

Brian Bennett: It's an interesting question. Pitt had first and goal on the 4 with 2:18 left when UConn called its last timeout. Would the Huskies had been better served by giving up the touchdown there and trying to mount a drive with their two-minute offense? That's a reasonable strategy.

However, we're talking about a team that mustered six total yards in the entire fourth quarter and has really not shown any signs of being able to put together a quick-strike, passing-oriented, full-field march. So I see where Edsall is coming from. Also keep in mind that Pitt has been pretty self-destructive at times under Dave Wannstedt. There was probably as good a chance of a fumble or a botched field goal as there was for UConn to go down and answer with six points of its own.

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Mark from Hershey, Penn., writes: How big is the gap between Tony Pike and Bill Stull? Statistically, they're very similar. Pike has about 240 more yards passing, but Stull has thrown about 30 less balls and has nearly an identical completion percentage and yards/attempts as Pike. They both have the same amount of touchdowns (13) and interceptions (3) and Stull has a better QB rating (163.5 to 159.9). I know Stull has not yet had a bye week while Cincnnati has, but the ratio are neck-and-neck. Why does Stull represent Pitt's whipping boy while Pike represents Cincy's wonderboy?

Brian Bennett: If we're talking purely about talent, the gap is pretty wide. Pike is a 6-foot-6 NFL prospect with good mobility and can make every throw in the playbook. Stull is a little more limited with his arm strength, but both are good leaders. There's no doubting that Stull has had a very fine season, and he does not deserve the scorn that is often heaped upon him. But while their numbers are similar, Pike has played far less because of Cincinnati's blowout victories, and he hasn't made the crucial mistakes that Stull has made, like his interception for a touchdown in the UConn game.

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Nick from Cincinnati writes: I'm a hardcore Cincinnati fan that goes to every game possible. I bleed Bearcat pride. Two weeks ago my Bearcats were ranked 10th and then somehow jumped Ohio State at 9 to become No. 8 and then this week Ohio State jumped us back. The best in Ohio question keeps getting thrown around. Is it at all possible that the Bearcats could meet the Buckeyes in the postseason and settle the debate on the field rather than on the internet?

Brian Bennett: It would be difficult, but not impossible for that scenario to unfold. For one, as you know, the Rose Bowl will do everything possible to take the Big Ten winner, which is Ohio State's best ticket to the BCS. If Cincinnati wins the Big East, it will most likely end up in the Sugar Bowl, which has the last at-large pick of the BCS games. The Sugar Bowl will take the second SEC BCS qualifier as its other team.

Here's the only scenario in which I can envision a Cincinnati-Ohio State matchup: Florida and Alabama are both 12-0 and play a thrilling SEC title game. The voters like both teams so much that they create a rare rematch in the BCS title game. Ohio State doesn't win the Big Ten but still qualifies as the second BCS team from the league since the Big 12 and Pac-10 don't have viable candidates. Then the Sugar Bowl takes Ohio State and Cincinnati. I still don't think it would work even under those circumstances, since the game would mostly have regional appeal. But it's a possibility, however remote.

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Brad from Pittsburgh writes: We have all come to the realization that Pitt is kind of moody; they can beat anyone, yet also lose to anyone. My question is where would you rank both Pitts according to the Big East rankings? Personally, I would put the first-40-minutes-of-the-game-against-UConn Pitt as No. 6. However, I would put the Pitt that played the last 20 minutes as No. 1. Ahead of everyone. Would you say these are accurate positions?

Brian Bennett: Pitt played well in the last 19 minutes of that game, no question. Is that version of the Panthers the best in the Big East? I'd still say Cincinnati and South Florida at their best are a bit better, and West Virginia is right there. Pitt could at least play with those teams and beat any of them, depending on the breaks of the game. The Pitt we've seen at the beginning of that game, at the end of the NC State loss and the first half at Louisville could lose to anybody in the league. I suspect the Panthers might have just enough crucial flaws to end up somewhere in the middle, instead of at the high end of those extremes.

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Scott from Houston writes: Have you really been getting a lot of letters from Rutgers fans accusing you of a negative tone towards the program? What a crock! As a diehard RU fan, I can only say thank you. We had lofty expectations that came crashing back to reality with the beatdown by Cincinnati. Wins over several awful teams dont warrant a change in tone towards the RU program. Although, when we chop Pitt I'm sure things will take on a different tone.

Brian Bennett: Scott, all fans are like that. They love you when you say things are good and think you're nuts when you say the opposite. I can only call them like I see them, and Rutgers simply hasn't produced a body of evidence yet that says it has greatly improved from Week 1. But you know what? The Scarlet Knights get their opportunity to show everybody on Friday night against Pittsburgh. Win that one, and things will be looking sunny again in Piscataway and New Brunswick.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

	Kevin Hoffman/US Presswire
	Pittsburgh running back Dion Lewis is one of several freshmen making waves early in the season.

True freshmen made national headlines on Saturday, with Matt Barkley leading USC to a win at Ohio State and Tate Forcier doing the same for Michigan versus Notre Dame.

But those aren't the only true freshmen making an impact. In fact, the Big East is full of them, and many were on display last Saturday.

The top Big East freshman sensation so far is Pittsburgh running back Dion Lewis, who's currently ranked third in the country in rushing yards. Along with his obvious talent, Lewis has a presence that defies his years.

Coach Dave Wannstedt said he was nervous that Lewis, who's originally from Albany, N.Y., might be distracted for last week's game at Buffalo when about 20 friends and family came to town. Wannstedt was so worried that when he saw Lewis on the elevator at the team hotel Friday night, he had to ask the freshman where he was going. But Lewis assured his coach he was just grabbing a snack. Turns out that Lewis didn't even talk to any of his family members until after Saturday's game.

"I tell you that story just to reaffirm that this kid is probably ahead of his time from a maturity standpoint," Wannstedt said. "He breaks the long run at the end of the game and he's quoted as saying the first thing that went through his mind was making sure that he held onto the football. Most guys don't even think about that when they're in the open field. He's off to a good start, to say the least."

At Rutgers, freshmen are all over the place. Greg Schiano handed the reins to quarterback Tom Savage in the second half of the Cincinnati game, and Savage completed 8-of-13 passes for 223 yards and two touchdowns in his starting debut against Howard.

"He showed good composure," Schiano said. "To have no delay-of-game penalties or illegal procedure penalties when you are a starter, that was good to see. His decision making, again, was pretty darn good."

Receiver Mohamed Sanu is maybe the Scarlet Knights' most impressive freshman. He has a team-best 12 catches for 123 yards already. Running back De'Antwan Williams gained 89 yards in his debut against Howard.

The highest-rated 2009 recruit in the Big East, according to ESPN's Scouts Inc., was South Florida defensive end Ryne Giddins. He didn't play in the opener but made a tackle for a loss in his lid-lifter at Western Kentucky. Meanwhile, the Bulls' Lindsey Lamar has run for 99 yards and a touchdown

West Virginia's Tavon Austin caught a 58-yard touchdown pass on Saturday against East Carolina, probably the first of many highlight plays to come for the speedster. Once he figures everything out, that is. Earlier in the game, he drew a penalty for lining up offsides.

"And I was lined up on the wrong side too,'' Austin told the Charleston Gazette. "Coach [Chris] Beatty yelled at me, though, and we got it straightened out.''

Elsewhere, freshmen Jesse Joseph and Trevardo Williams are splitting reps at one of UConn's defensive end spots, while wideout Dwayne Difton is expected to take on a bigger role in the Huskies offense. Alec Lemon is starting at wide receiver for Syracuse. Defensive backs Reuben Johnson and Chris Williams got some run for Cincinnati in the second half against Southeast Missouri State.

These are some of the next wave of stars in the Big East, and they'll be making plays in the league for a long time.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

The Best Case/Worst Case series turns its eyes to Connecticut. Remember that the truth lies somewhere in the middle.


Best case


All hail the hurry-up Huskies.

The switch to a no-huddle offense is a smashing success, allowing Zach Frazer to show off why Notre Dame wanted him out of high school. Freshman receiver Dwayne Difton is a star out of the gate, and the other wideouts prove they can catch the ball as long as they're involved in the game plan. The running game barely misses a beat despite losing Donald Brown, thanks to the 1-2 combo of Jordan Todman and Andre Dixon. The offense averages 28 points per game.

That's more than enough for UConn's solid defense to give the team a chance to win every game. And it looks like that might happen as the Huskies start 4-0, knocking off North Carolina at home and winning at Baylor to crack the Top 25.

After that, the Huskies lose at Pittsburgh in overtime. They handily beat Louisville at home and then score one of the biggest wins in school history, finally taking down West Virginia in Morgantown.

A home win over Rutgers leaves UConn at 7-1. Another bump comes with a loss at Cincinnati, but that defeat is quickly forgotten when the Huskies go in to South Bend and beat Notre Dame on national TV. They wrap the season by beating Syracuse and South Florida for a 10-2 record and win the tiebreaker over West Virginia for the Big East's BCS bid.

Jim Calhoun and Geno Auriemma have nothing on Randy Edsall as he leads his team to the Orange Bowl against surprise ACC champion Boston College. Naturally, Connecticut has the entire Big East in its corner as it trounces the Eagles.


Worst case

Hail no.

Changing the program's conservative offense to a no-huddle goes about as well as Nebraska's first year in the spread. Frazer, who can be erratic with the ball, is hit or miss and struggles with interceptions. He and Cody Endres are locked in a quarterback controversy all year. The same receivers who were brutal last year haven't suddenly morphed into Jerry Rice, and Difton is too young to be a savior. The running game can't replace Brown's 2,000 yards. The offense averages 18 points a game.

The defense, while solid, misses pass-rushers Cody Brown and Julius Williams, and still lacks the speed of some of UConn's better opponents.

The Huskies narrowly escape an upset at Ohio in the opener and then are blow out at home by North Carolina as Bruce Carter blocks seven punts. Robert Griffin exposes the lack of speed on defense by running wild in Baylor's victory over UConn.

In Big East play, the team's only victories come over Louisville and Syracuse at home. The Notre Dame game is a rout, as a national TV audience scoffs at the contrast in tradition between the two programs.

Frustrated after his team's 4-7 finish, Edsall announces he'll scrap the no-huddle and run the wishbone in 2010.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

New Rutgers co-offensive coordinators Kirk Ciarrocca and Kyle Flood have to fill several holes, especially at quarterback and wide receiver, Tom Luicci writes in The Star-Ledger.

"Obviously, it's a real challenge right now," Ciarrocca said. "We're racing against the clock to get a lot of guys ready who haven't played in a meaningful college football game.

"We're confident in their ability. They have a tremendous work ethic and ability. But they're young and they don't have much experience."

• Pat Bostick is trying to stay positive, but so far it looks like he's the odd man out in Pitt's three-way quarterback battle, Paul Zeise says in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

• True freshman receiver Dwayne Difton, UConn's prized recruit in the Class of 2009, could be a starter on opening day, Desmond Conner writes in the Hartford Courant.

• South Florida running back Mike Ford, who has been suspended for the first two games, has to earn back his coaches' trust, Brett McMurphy says in the Tampa Tribune. McMurphy also speculates that Jamar Taylor might be out for the year with a knee injury.

• CBSSports.com's Dennis Dodd picks Rutgers to win the Big East but focuses on Cincinnati in his league preview. (Sorry for the earlier mistake; you'd think I'd highlight it when somebody joins me in the Rutgers pick).

• Speaking of the Bearcats, homegrown products Andre Revels and Craig Carey could make a big impact on this year's team, Bill Koch writes in the Cincinnati Enquirer.

• West Virginia is using some of its height -- like 6-foot-8 Wes Lyons and 6-5 Robert Sands -- to put together a potentially dangerous field goal block unit, Mike Casazza writes in the Charleston Daily Mail.

• Chaz Thompson has finally found his niche at strong safety with Louisville, C.L. Brown says in The Courier-Journal.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

Our fresh faces in the Big East series continues with Connecticut. Remember that we're talking about players who weren't around in the spring but are worth watching this summer.

The Huskies typically don't play many true freshmen, as Randy Edsall prefers to redshirt as many first-year players as possible. But there are two who might make an immediate impact.

Dwayne Difton, WR: Difton was the recruit who got the most Huskies fans excited this winter -- and with good reason. Edsall managed to pluck the receiver out of Florida off the top-ranked high school football team (St. Thomas Aquinas) in the country, according to USA Today. The team won state championships his junior and senior years and finished with 25 catches for 414 yards and five touchdowns last season. In UConn's new no-huddle attack, the 5-foot-11, 175-pound Difton could prove to be a threat right away.

Marcus Aiken, WR: Connecticut needs help at receiver, as last season proved. So Aiken could join Difton as an immediate contributor. A standout athlete who played receiver, running back and defensive back in high school, the 6-foot-1 Aiken ran for more than 1,000 yards with 15 touchdowns as a senior. It's a lot to ask for a true freshman to play in Edsall's system, but necessity might force the Huskies' hand at receiver.