Big East: Eric Jobe
- 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.
- The team that came out for practice No. 6 won't be the same team you see this fall. At least Stewart hopes not. Several walking wounded wore non-contact jerseys, including receiver Bradley Starks (ankle) and running back Noel Devine (quad). Smith only participates in individual and skeleton drills, no team competitions. Cornerback Brandon Hogan didn't practice as he is concentrating on his academics. Fellow corner Keith Tandy was doing conditioning only with a red jersey. And Jock Sanders missed practice because of class.So it was far from a full deck, and Stewart said he was frustrated by a number of busted assignments and broken plays. You could tell the coaching staff's frustration, because after practice several defensive players were made to do up-downs, while the offensive guys ran sprints. Some defensive players argued with each other coming off the field.
"You have a couple of guys putting on [non-contact] jerseys, and all of a sudden leadership starts spiraling down," Stewart said in disgust.
- Coley White is a busy man with Smith limited. White takes every snap during the 11-on-11 and other team drills. He's had a good spring and showed off a stronger arm than I -- and even other frequent Mountaineers observers -- expected a couple of times on Wednesday, on a touchdown pass to Stedman Bailey and a long one to Starks. Smith is almost certain to be the starter, but White can win games if needed at quarterback. The only bad news is his time is so important at quarterback that he can't work on his desired transition to receiver.
- Only saw a little bit of Smith in skelly, but he made some nice throws. He's much bigger than last year, too. In fact, he later told me he's put on 25 pounds since the Gator Bowl, which is amazing.
- Bailey, by the way, looked pretty good and made a nice adjustment on one ball. He could be important with very little depth at receiver now that Deon Long and Logan Heastie are gone (and barring a miracle, they aren't coming back).
- Former cornerback Eddie Davis continues to work at receiver, but while he looked fast on the practice field, Stewart called him out as one of many players who did not know their assignments and plays Wednesday.
- I'm very high on Ryan Clarke. The big, bruising runner steamrolled defensive back Darwin Cook at one point. No surprise, since Cook was yielding about 45 pounds in that matchup.
- The starting corners, with Tandy and Hogan out, were Pat Miller and Brodrick Jenkins.
- Stewart said he's happy with the left side of his line (Don Barclay and Josh Jenkins) and center Joe Madsen. But he wants to see much more improvement from the right side, where Eric Jobe is at guard and Matt Timmerman is at tackle.
- The oddest sight during practice occurred in the end zone, where a couple of players apparently being punished had to slam a giant tire with a sledgehammer repeatedly. Reminded me of something out of "The World's Strongest Man" competitions. But it provided a good drum beat for practice.
- Most discombobulating sight: Starks wearing No. 5 (Pat White's old jersey number) and Devine sporting No. 10 (Steve Slaton's former digits) in their green noncontact shirts.
- Knee-jerk reaction of questionable merit: Hard to make a solid judgment on this team with so many important players out. But you'd think the Mountaineers would be a little sharper just because of all the returning starters who are back. It's still early in the spring for them, and there's plenty of time to turn things up. This team is too talented and experienced not to be a major factor in the Big East race.
Q&A with West Virginia coach Bill Stewart, Part I
You've had longer than most teams to go through lifting and conditioning. Anyone or anything standing out in offseason workouts?
Bill Stewart: We've had tremendous senior leadership. I don't like our underclassmen leadership at this point. You don't have to be a senior to lead. You just have to be a player to lead. And how you become a leader is by being accountable. Chris Neild is leading. J.T. Thomas is leading. Robert Sands is leading. Sidney Glover is leading. Offensive line, Donnie Barclay is doing a great job. Tyler Urban is doing a great job.
Noel and Jock are absolutely driving themselves with such a passion. They, on offense, have been the true team champions. Not just the fact that they came back and want to graduate, but they're putting themselves in a position to graduate in December. Their leadership skills in the winter have been outstanding.
We only had one senior linemen last year and none on defense, and we only have one senior lineman this year. Think about that. We won 19 games [since Stewart took over] and in the past two years we've had one senior lineman last year and one this year. We're fired up about that.
And Tavon Austin, holy cow. All I can say is wow. This guy, he is going to explode onto the scene.
You've got him listed as a wide receiver this year, which is new for him.
BS: I'm going to put the best players on the field. And if Noel goes down, I'll put him at tailback with Ryan Clarke. The best players are going to play. Tavon Austin is going to play. He's got to play.
The question most people probably want to know is, how is Geno Smith doing? And what will he be able to do when you start practice?
BS: Geno has been throwing pass skeleton on his own. I've not seen it, but I've heard about it. The trainers have watched him and said he was was standing with a knee on a chair throwing, then he got to where the chair was removed. His foot was in a boot, and he's out of the boot now. He can stand and throw it, he can hand off. We're not going to bootleg him or let him scrimmage or anything. By the end of spring, the end of April, he should be moving around pretty well. So I'm not worried about him. I'm going to keep him out of the scrimmages and everything, but we'll get done what we need to do.
So you think he'll get enough first-team reps to get ready for the fall?
BS: Oh, yeah, we just won't go live. And I'm looking for Coley White. Coley just wants to play. He asked to go to receiver, and he wants a shot so we'll put him out there. But I think Coley can still play quarterback. He doesn't throw the ball maybe as well as some of the other guys but he's a good little athlete and a good player and a great guy. And he's a competitor. And then Bary Brunetti and Jeremy Johnson will be here early. Barry will be done the 15th of May.
On to the Christmas Eve mailbag (and my Christmas present to myself is no expansion talk this week):
Greg B from Carbondale, Ill., writes: Concerning USF, it's amazing how quickly a program can develop a bad reputation. Two years ago, when the planets all aligned, the program reached No. 2 in the BCS rankings, and then lost three close conference games, two on the road. USF finished 9-3 and 4-3 in a conference that had four teams in the final Top 25 BCS rankings. Yet that season is judged a failure? Last year was justly considered a disappointment. Yet the early Top 10 ranking was based largely on a win over an overrated Kansas team, and the loss of two NFL-level cornerbacks from the year before exposed holes in the defense no one could have predicted. This year, having to replace huge holes on the offensive line, two starting LBs, and with new coordinators on both sides of the ball, most predictions had USF at 8-4 or 7-5, AND THAT WAS BEFORE the Bulls lost their fifth-year senior QB, Matt Grothe.
Given your recent video that mentions the correlation between 5th-year senior QBs and success, why is everyone acting surprised when the Bulls ended up roughly where people had them pegged, playing a redshirt freshman QB whose maddeningly inconsistent play could have been foreseen?
Brian Bennett: You make some valid points, especially concerning Grothe this year. However, what's so maddening about the Bulls is that we see early in the season that they're capable of being a contender, yet they never seem able to finish the season strong. The biggest knock on the program is that it has gone just 9-12 in conference play the past three years, and just 6-12 against teams not named Syracuse. The Bulls also have a maddening tendency not to show up for certain games (see: Rutgers and Pitt this year). While we may overrate the actual talent on hand, there's still too much of it in this program for these results.
Jeff D. from Roanoke, Va., writes: I'm really feeling bad for those kids in Cincinnati. They lose their head coach who got them to the Sugar Bowl. Now they have Jeff Quinn, who although I'm sure will do his best, is only there for the one game and then off to Buffalo. Why doesn't the NCAA issue a rule stating new head coaches can't be hired until after the National Championship game? I just can't see how the Bearcats have much of a chance now against Florida with all the turmoil that's gone on.
Brian Bennett: It's all about the recruiting calendar, Jeff. As long as the NCAA holds its signing day in early February, programs are not going to agree to wait until the second week in January to hire coaches and let them assemble a class. There's no real reason, of course, why signing day has to be in February, or why there can't be an early signing period like there is in basketball. But until those changes are made, we'll have the same system for hiring coaches that we have now.
James S. from Pensacola, Fla., writes: I know it's early and we're just kicking off bowl season, but do you see any Big East teams in the preseason Top 25 or will we be left out again?
Brian Bennett: How the bowl games go will have some effect, of course. And so too, will the decisions of underclassmen in regards to the draft, particularly Greg Romeus at Pitt and Noel Devine at West Virginia. But I can clearly see Cincinnati and Pitt entering the season ranked if they perform decently in their bowls, and possibly the Mountaineers, who return a strong nucleus.
Chris from Morgantown, W.Va., writes: I found this concerning WVU's O-line play this year, and as a former lineman from my high school days it absolutely blows my mind. From the school's athletic site MSNsportsnet.com: "Not only have the same five [offensive linemen] started all 12 games, but they have also played nearly every snap of every game as well. You would be hard pressed to find a group of offensive linemen anywhere in the country that did what Selvish Capers, Josh Jenkins, Eric Jobe, Joey Madsen and Don Barclay were required to do in 2009. All five were involved in at least 783 snaps (an average of 66 per game), with Capers and Jenkins both taking part in a team-best 797 plays. Outside of West Virginia's five starters, junior Matt Timmerman has the most playing time with 45 snaps. The rest have a combined 66 plays to their credit."
Brian Bennett: I've seen that stat, and it's really quite amazing, especially at a position that's so physical and violent. Surely those guys played through some severe bumps and bruises. The West Virginia offensive line wasn't always great this year, but that experience and the fact that all but Capers return next year should bode well for the Mountaineers.
Brian R. from Boston writes: In your latest email you said, "I don't know that you're ever going to see UConn have one of the top-rated recruiting classes just because it's not an easy place to which you can attract talent." I have to disagree with you here. The same was said when Jim Calhoun was coaching basketball in the early '90s. I think the results speak for themselves.
Even though the fact that UConn is located in a small rural town in a state that does not have great football recruits, if Randy Edsall is able to continue to develop his players into NFL caliber players, then more four- and five-star recruits will show interest in playing at UConn.
Brian Bennett: It's apples and oranges when you're comparing football and basketball recruiting. Location and weather don't play nearly as big of a factor in basketball, not too mention that the East Coast, and the New York area in particular, is a fertile ground for top prospects.
Just look at where the top football recruits generally are: in the South, especially Florida, and Texas and California. That's just reality. And that's why teams like Florida, Texas and USC are so good year after year. UConn is probably never going to get bush loads of players from those areas, but again, Edsall is one of the best in the game at identifying and developing talent, which in my view is just as important if not more so than the star ratings.
Luke from Chuck Town W. Va., writes: Ahoy Hoy, Brian. This question has nothing to do with Big East football. I noticed a Mr. Burns bobble head and now a Homer Simpson head in the background of your video segments. Is this something you are doing intentionally? I always knew I liked your blog for a reason (beside excellent reporting) anyone who loves "The Simpsons" is all right by me. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Brian Bennett: For that e-mail, Luke wins this week's C. Montgomery Burns Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence. Merry Christmas, everybody.
'Brawl' win could make West Virginia's season
In the last two years, though, the Mountaineers have curiously lacked any marquee victories. The Meineke Car Care Bowl win against North Carolina was nice but not chest-thumpingly brilliant. In the last two regular seasons, West Virginia has lost twice to Cincinnati, gotten beat at Pitt and let this year's game at Auburn slip away.
Senior linebacker Reed Williams said the best victory he could recall in the past two years was the one at home against Auburn last season. But even that came over a Tigers team that finished 5-7.
"We've lacked that signature win," Williams said. "As seniors, we don't want our signature year to be outlined by defeat and the inability to win that big game."
That's one of several reasons why Friday's renewal of the Backyard Brawl looms as important to the Mountaineers (7-3, 3-2 Big East). They've been eliminated from the conference race, but beating No. 9 Pitt would provide a highlight to the season.
There are bowl implications at stake as well. If West Virginia wins out and Pitt also loses to Cincinnati on Dec. 5, the Mountaineers could lay claim to a spot in the Gator Bowl.
"We could still be second in the Big East, and that would be great because the conference has been real tough this year," center Eric Jobe said. "There's a lot to play for."
Neither team ever needs much motivation in this rivalry, which is the oldest and best in the Big East. The two schools are less than 80 miles away from each other, and many of the players come from the same recruiting areas.
"It’s almost like playing your brother -- you want to go out there and whip him bad," West Virginia coach Bill Stewart said.
Lately, Pitt has held the whip. The Panthers upset the Mountaineers 13-9 in Morgantown two years ago in the regular-season finale, knocking WVU out of a BCS title game appearance. Last year at Heinz Field, Pitt took home a bruising 19-15 victory that extinguished any conference title hopes for the Mountaineers.
"That loss two years ago is definitely on everyone's mind," Jobe said. "We want to get back to winning against them. Maybe this year, we can play the spoiler."
They can't spoil Pitt's BCS hopes, because those ride solely on the Cincinnati outcome. But West Virginia could put a dent in its rival's season by knocking it out of the Top 10 and perhaps down to a lesser bowl.
This is about more than Pitt, though. The Mountaineers would like to return to their old ways, which means recording big wins.
"Even though things didn't go as planned for us in the Big East, I think we're still a great football team," Williams said. "We just haven't played that game where we've put everything together yet. When we do, I think we'll play to a tee and be a great football team."
Barclay hoping to improve West Virginia's O-line picture
There's an image that West Virginia coaches keep showing the offensive players. It's not always the same picture, but it carries the same message.
It's a referee holding his hands inches apart.
"They showed us a lot of pictures of that," left tackle Don Barclay said. "It hurts deep down."
The Mountaineers saw that in real life too much last season, failing to convert key short-yardage downs at Colorado, Pitt and elsewhere. That wasn't all the offensive line's fault. Some of the blame has to be pinned on the lack of a real power back.
But Barclay said the linemen are taking that picture to heart. And short yardage is not all that's riding on him and his guys up front.
With four starters from last year gone, the O-line is the biggest area of concern for most West Virginia fans. That fact is not lost on the players.
"That's definitely the question," Barclay said. "Anyone you talk to is like, the season's going to depend on the O-line. We talk about that, too. We tell each other that this is going to be our season; it's going to depend on how we do.
"I don't think a lot of people have our backs. But I think we're going to come out and surprise a lot of people."
Coach Bill Stewart has been shuffling his line in recent days during practice. Redshirt freshman Joey Madsen has seen time as the starting center, with Eric Jobe shifting to right. Jeff Braun is also at right guard but can play center, too.
"They are young, and they are making mistakes, but they are giving great effort," Stewart said. "I think those three are pretty interchangeable."
Josh Jenkins is entrenched at left guard after playing as a true freshman last year, and Selvish Capers is the lone graybeard as the senior right tackle.
"We are young, especially on the inside," Barclay said. "But I think every day we're improving a little bit. We've had some rough days in camp, but we've had some really good days, too."
Barclay will be starting at the all-important left tackle spot after appearing in 13 games as a reserve his redshirt freshman year in 2008. The 6-foot-4, 291-pounder will try to replace Ryan Stanchek, who left as one of the more decorated offensive linemen in school history.
"He had an unmatched passion for the game, and his motor never stopped," Barclay said. "He taught me everything I needed to know, all the insights. I'm really close with him and we always talk."
Barclay feared he might not get this opportunity when he broke his leg in the spring game. But he said he was full go again about a week before training camp began, and he hasn't missed any reps since practice started.
The line is different this year, and not just because of fresh faces. For years the Mountaineers wanted lean, quick blockers for their running schemes. Now they're turning to a bigger, more powerful line that can help with the increased passing game.
"We're a little more downhill now," Barclay said. "It's more pro-style stuff. But they're putting in tricks so the defense doesn't know if we're running outside or the inside belly."
Barclay holds no illusions about the importance of improving the offensive line. He doesn't want to be looking at any more disheartening pictures this time next season.
Looking back at the '06 Big East recruiting classes
My colleague Ted Miller out in the wild, wild west of the Pac-10 had a really fun post earlier this week. He looked back on that conference's 2006 recruiting class. Players who signed that year should be seniors or redshirt juniors now, so it's a perfect time to judge the class on actual results, not promise.
And so, I figure that's a good idea to steal and apply to the Big East. Pittsburgh had the 16th-best recruiting class in the nation that season, according to our Scouts Inc. experts, while Louisville ranked 21st. No other Big East team cracked the top 25.
Let's take a look back and see how things have turned out, shall we?
Cincinnati
Class: 22
Expected major contributors in 2009: 7 -- LB John Goebel, LB Robby Armstrong, CB Marcus Barnett, TE Ben Guidugli, DL Ricardo Matthews, RB Jacob Ramsey, S Aaron Webster
Misses: DT Oren Wilson
Verdict: Mark Dantonio's final full class contained some players who have already contributed, like Ramsey, Guidugli, Barnett and Webster, and some who should assume bigger roles this year, like Armstrong and Matthews. But overall, this lacked the quality of the deep '05 bunch that formed the core of last year's Orange Bowl squad. Receiver Jamar Howard, who was part of the '06 class but didn't qualify in 2006, is back this year after a stint in junior college.
Connecticut
Class: 24
Expected major contributors in 2009: 11 -- WR Brad Kanuch, S Robert Vaughn, K Desi Cullen, OL Zach Hurd, LB Scott Lutrus, CB Robert McClain, LB Lawrence Wilson, DE Lindsey Witten, OL Mathieu Olivier, DT Alex Polito, DE Mike Cox
Misses: CB Jamie Nixon
Verdict: As usual, Randy Edsall's '06 class didn't draw much attention nationally. But he found a whole bunch of players who exceeded their star rankings and became key pieces for the Huskies. Lutrus is one of the best linebackers in the Big East, while Vaughn is a top safety and Witten has NFL potential. UConn could use a breakthrough from the oft-injured Kanuch.
Louisville
Class: 30
Expected major contributors in 2009: 7 -- DE Rodney Gnat, DT L.T. Walker, LB Brandon Heath, WR Josh Chichester, CB Johnny Patrick, WR Troy Pascley, OT Jeff Adams
Misses: DT Aundre Henderson, DT Kareem Crowell, QB Emmanuel Francis
Verdict: Bobby Petrino's final class at Louisville looked great on paper but was hit hard by attrition and misevaluations, which is part of the reason why the Cardinals have been so thin the past two years. Some problems were unforeseen; promising defensive end Peanut Whitehead had his career ended after just a season by a back injury. Henderson decided he didn't like football and quit. Running back Anthony Allen transferred. Several others were dismissed for disciplinary reasons or never panned out.
Pittsburgh
Class: 27
Expected major contributors in 2009: 9 -- TE Nate Byham, OT Jason Pinkston, CB Aaron Berry, OL John Malecki, CB Jovani Chappel, OL Joe Thomas, S Elijah Fields, DE Greg Romeus, CB Ricky Gary
Misses: QB Kevan Smith, CB Aaron Smith, DT Scott Corson
Verdict: Overall, this was a deep, solid class that will form the backbone of this year's team. Add in the fact that star left tackle Jeff Otah was part of this group as a junior college transfer, and it becomes all the more impressive. Byham, Pinkston, Berry and Romeus are All-Big East-caliber players with pro futures. Pitt hasn't seemed able to figure out what to do yet with once highly-rated prospect Dorin Dickerson. Running back Kevin Collier could contribute this year.
Rutgers
Class: 27
Expected major contributors in 2009: 9 -- RB Kordell Young, WR Tim Brown, LB Antonio Lowery, DT Blair Bines, LB Ryan D'Imperio, DB Zaire Kitchen, TE Shamar Graves, FB Jack Corcoran, DT Charlie Noonan
Misses: TE Jeff Minemeyer, LB Sorie Bayoh
Verdict: The best player from this class, Kenny Britt, was a first-round NFL draft pick in April. Combine that with a high number of contributors, and Greg Schiano had a pretty good batting average with this class.
South Florida
Class: 30
Expected major contributors in 2009: 11 -- WR Carlton Mitchell, OL Zach Hermann, S Nate Allen, DB Jerrell Young, OL Jeremiah Warren, LB Sabbath Joseph, DL Aaron Harris, DL Craig Marshall, K Delbert Alvarado, WR Ed Alcin, OL Kevin McCaskill
Misses: DT Leslie Stirrups, WR Jason Sherman, DE Joseph Jackson
Verdict: Surprisingly, some of the Bulls' highest-rated recruits in the 2006 class are the ones who didn't pan out, while the lesser-regarded names have gained regular playing time. The best player so far of this group is Allen, who should have an NFL future. This is a good class that just needs a little more star power.
Syracuse
Class: 22
Expected major contributors in 2009: 9 -- TE Andrew Robinson, RB Delone Carter, OL Jim McKenzie, OL Ryan Bartholomew, OL Tucker Baumbach, OL Jonathan Meldrum, DE Jared Kimmel, LB Derrell Smith, WR Mike Williams
Misses: WR Andrey Baskin, S Derek Hrinya
Verdict: Several players from the '06 batch will start this year, including nearly all of Syracuse's offensive line. But this class, like most of Greg Robinson's efforts, is short on all-conference caliber players. Baskin was the Orange's biggest recruit, but he failed to qualify and never made it to campus. Robinson was the starting quarterback two years ago before switching to tight end this spring.
West Virginia
Class: 16
Expected major contributors in 2009: 6 -- DT Chris Neild, WR Wes Lyons, LB Anthony Leonard, C Eric Jobe, S Franchot "Boogie" Allen, LB J.T. Thomas
Misses: S John Maddox, CB Robert Williams, OL Eric Rodemoyer, CB Greg Davis
Verdict: The Mountaineers had a small class in '06, and they could have handed out half the scholarships and gotten the same results. Only eight 2006 signees are on the current roster. Several from that class are expected to take a step up this year, including Neild, Lyons and Allen. Still, only getting six major contributors from any class is a hard pill to swallow.
Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett
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West Virginia releases spring depth chart, prospectus
Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett
West Virginia won't begin spring practice until March 24, but for those of you yearning for a Mountaineers football fix, the team has posted its spring prospectus online.
The thing that's bound to catch most eyes is the spring depth chart. Again, like all spring depth charts, this should be viewed as a rough draft only. But there are still some interesting items here, such as:
• The team is painfully thin and unproven at the slot receiver spot with Jock Sanders still suspended. The depth chart lists starters at two different slot positions: seldom-used seniors Carmen Connolly and Jack Crow. No backups are listed behind either. Unless Sanders makes it back by the start of the year, West Virginia may have to rely on newcomers like Deon Long and Tavon Austin to add depth there. Backup tailback Mark Rodgers can also slide out to the slot.
• Only two starters are back on the offensive line in center Eric Jobe and right tackle Selvish Capers. The first-stringers going into the spring are sophomore Don Barclay at left tackle, sophomore Josh Jenkins at left guard and junior Matt Timmerman at right guard.
• The fullback position, which proved to be a trouble spot last season, bears watching. Returning starter Will Johnson is listed on top there, but Ricky Kovatch and redshirt freshman Ryan Clarke are right behind.
• There aren't a lot of holes to be filled on the defensive side. Senior Zac Cooper, who played defensive end last season, is currently listed as the starter at strongside linebacker, with Reed Williams and Anthony Leonard in the middle. Senior Franchot Allen is penciled in as the replacement for bandit safety Quinton Andrews, a three-year starter who is transferring. Keith Tandy leads a group of four players working at Ellis Lankster's old cornerback spot.
• It will take two men to replace Pat McAfee. Tyler Bitancurt is currently listed as the top place-kicker, while Scott Kozlowski begins the spring as the No. 1 punter and kickoff man.
Never forget to look closely at the offensive lines when trying to predict what will happen in the coming season. Teams can overcome inexperience up front, but that's not the norm. Here's a look at how each Big East team is feeling about its O-line heading into spring practice:
Feeling great:
• Pittsburgh: C.J. Davis was an integral part of the line who moved to center late in the year, but Robb Houser should be back and healthy to fill in for the departed senior. Other than that, Pitt only needs to find a left guard, and between sophomores Lucas Nix and Chris Jacobson, that position should be fine. This will be an experienced group with three seniors and a solid left tackle in junior Jason Pinkston.
• Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights' line was erratic to begin last season, which contributed to the 1-5 start. But they finally found the right chemistry as the year went on and became a force. Now, all five starters are back, including Caleb Ruch and Art Forst, who played as freshmen last season. Anthony Davis is an anchor at left tackle. The last hurdle for this group is to become better at run blocking.
Feeling pretty good:
• Cincinnati: The right side will need repair, as senior starters Trevor Canfield and Khalil El-Amin are gone. But the other three starters are back, including underrated left tackle Jeff Linkenbach. The Bearcats had four freshmen in backup roles last season and will need a couple of them to step in as contributors now.
Some questions:
• Connecticut: The Huskies lost their best lineman in left tackle Will Beatty, who has impressed NFL scouts since leaving school. Center Keith Gray is gone as well. UConn still has a lot to work with here, including impressive sophomore guard Moe Petrus. The biggest question is how this line, which was so used to run blocking, will adjust to a hurry-up offense with more involved pass blocking.• Syracuse: The Orange lost the right side of their line to graduation but have three returning juniors coming back. This is a group that became pretty good at run-blocking last year for Curtis Brinkley. Like UConn, though, it will have to transition to a different and more open offense this spring.
Big questions:
• Louisville: The Cardinals' line was inconsistent last year, and that was with two of the better linemen in recent school history in Eric Wood and George Bussey. With both those players gone, sophomore Mario Benavides and left tackle Greg Tomczyk will have to play major roles, and everyone will have to get much better. And there's not a lot of depth behind the starters.• South Florida: The Bulls lost four senior starters, so the spring will be a crucial time to start rebuilding this line. Jacob Sims is the lone starter back at left tackle, but several others -- like Zach Hermann and Jeremiah Warren -- got experience last year. Look for juco imports Carlos Savala and Jamar Bass to compete for playing time right away.
• West Virginia: West Virginia also lost four starters, including left guard Greg Isdaner, who surprisingly declared for the NFL draft after his junior year. The Mountaineers may be in a little better shape than the Bulls, though. Eric Jobe got valuable experience at center late in the year, and Josh Jenkins played about half the season as a freshman before getting hurt. Selvish Capers is back for a fifth year and needs to become a leader at right tackle. This should be the most scrutinized area during spring practice in Morgantown.
Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett
GoWVU from Los Angeles writes: There is absolutely no doubt that Larry Fitzgerald was the best WR ever in the Big East. I truly enjoyed watching the awe-inspiring ability and class Fitz displayed even though he played with WVU's most ancient foe. Once in a while, there comes a player so amazing that he transcends the hatred of the rivalry and you must sit back to admire history unfold before your eyes. A number of Pitt fans offered congratulatory wishes when Pat White finished at WVU, and many Mountaineer fans still hold Larry Fitzgerald in equally high regard. You cannot deny greatness.
Brian Bennett: I received no sane arguments from anyone in my post last week about Fitzgerald being the best Big East receiver of all time. So congrats, Larry, you win the ESPN.com Big East Blog's All-Time Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence. Come on down and collect it at any time*.
(* Offer not valid).
ChiCat from Chicago writes: You did an article on whether Larry Fitzgerald is the best receiver to come out of the Big East (he clearly is) in an effort to assess Kenny Britt's overall position in the Big East receiver pantheon. Your list ignored Cincinnati's Dominick Goodman. He's No. 2 all-time in catches in the conference, ninth all-time in receiving yards, and fourth all-time in receiving TDs. Those numbers are better than Santana Moss and Harry Douglas, who made your list. They are also much better than Reggie Wayne and Andre Johnson, who didn't. And that's after playing in an offense that didn't throw much his first two seasons. Isn't this just another example of UC not getting any respect from the media who follow the Big East?
Brian Bennett: Dominick Goodman had a terrific career. But at his very best, he didn't compare to the top seasons that others on my list had. Consider that Goodman's best year was 2008, when he had 1,028 yard and seven scores. Compare that to Douglas, who has 1,265 yards as a junior and 1,159 as a senior. Or look at Andre Johnson, who had 1,038 yards and nine touchdowns as a redshirt junior. Moss did not produce as many yards but he was also a dynamic punt returner and a threat on reverses and gadget plays. You could make a strong argument that Goodman wasn't even the best receiver on his team this year, as Mardy Gilyard made the All-Big East first team and Goodman did not. In my opinion, Goodman is a slight notch below the choices on my list.
Dave from College Station, Texas, writes: Brian, great job with the blog this season. I know it's VERY early but with their toughest Big East opponents, in my opinion, playing in Piscataway, what are the chances Rutgers will get to that BCS bowl game?
Brian Bennett: It is, as you say, awfully early. But Rutgers gets West Virginia, Pitt, Cincinnati and South Florida at home, and its toughest road game looks like at Connecticut. That's a great advantage. The question really is whether the Scarlet Knights can find replacements at quarterback and receiver. They benefit from having the Big East schedule start in mid-October; by then, Greg Schiano may have found the answers.
Justin from York, Penn., writes: You said that Dave Wannstedt likes experienced QB's. But in all seriousness, with our recruiting class building upon depth wouldn't it make sense to start Pat Bostick or Tino Sunseri and build upon more towards the future instead of right now? Maybe these young players can get on a run like Cincinnati did this year? Time for Bill Stull to sit and watch.
Brian Bennett: Well, I don't believe -- and am sure Wannstedt would agree -- that you simply give the starting job to someone because they have more eligibility. The job has to be won. Bostick is only one year behind Stull, and he has not shown anything in the past two years to suggest he should be playing ahead of Stull. Sunseri is the wild card here, in my opinion. But he'll still have to earn it in spring and fall practice. I believe Stull maintains the edge here for now.
Collin from Syracuse writes: I am a big Syracuse fan and ironically a big Rutgers fan because my cousin is Brian Leonard, but in my heart I bleed Orange. I saw your article on recruiting class ranks and am happy with Rutgers being at the top. But am discouraged with SU being at the bottom but admit I am not surprised. I also saw that SU had many recruits coming in this weekend and none bigger than David Oku. Can you tell me what is going on with not only him, but with all the guys who came in this weekend? Do they actually have a chance at getting Oku as weird as it sounds to get a top 100 prospect?
Brian Bennett: No word yet from Oku -- who looks like a long shot for the Orange -- but Doug Marrone and his staff secured four solid commitments over the weekend. It was a good haul.
Daniel from Charleston, W. Va., writes: Brian, love the blog, man! It's great, seriously. I was looking over your recruiting needs for WVU, and just had some comments. First, you're right -- replacing Pat White is by far the biggest hole this year, or maybe any year. We have Jarrett Brown, who has some big-game experience (See: Rutgers 3OT). He is a senior this year, and the heir-apparent following him would be Eugene Smith. But what about Pat's little brother, Coley? Any word on whether he'll be a QB? Also, you mentioned our (desperate) need for a blocking back. See exhibit A: Chris Snook, Medina, Ohio. No. 2 fullback in the nation, and an early commit. Not sure if he'll be an Owen Schmitt, but he's a big, bruising back that can block, and should add that added threat we've been missing. Last, I know we've lost four starters on the O-line, and only two returners had substantial game time last season. But with Jeff Mullen's new offense (which I question at times), is it better just to get new guys in, and start over?
Brian Bennett: From what I'm hearing, Coley White will probably end up switching positions. I'd look for Brown to start and Smith to be his backup but get playing time in 2009 before taking over full time in 2010. We'll see about Snook. You can't count on any incoming freshman until they come in and prove themselves, though fullback should be a position where it's not terribly difficult to play right away. I don't know if I'd agree with you that it's ever a good thing to have turnover and inexperience on the offensive line. But with Selvish Capers in line to get an extra year, center Eric Jobe getting valuable experience at the end of the year and Josh Jenkins hopefully coming back from injury, the Mountaineers might be OK at offensive line. It will be one of their biggest questions going into 2009, for sure.
The first order of business for West Virginia in recruiting season was no small order: replacing the face of the program.
There's no real substitute for Pat White, of course, but the Mountaineers need to find the next great quarterback. They're hoping that incoming freshman Eugene Smith can fill that role, in time.
Beyond that very obvious void, second-year head coach Bill Stewart and his staff have several other areas that need replenishing. The offensive line, for one, lost four senior starters and saw junior guard Greg Isdaner unexpectedly declare for the NFL Draft. Outside of center Eric Jobe, who saw time late in the year after Mike Dent's neck injury, and freshman Josh Jenkins, who got hurt himself early in the season, this will basically be an entirely new unit in 2009.
Stewart has said he wants to turn the Mountaineers into more of a passing-based offense, and that requires finding more receivers. Dorrell Jalloh was a senior in 2008, and Alric Arnett and Wes Lyons will be gone after '09. At running back, there's no obvious heir to Noel Devine, who'll be a junior this season. And a big back to block for him on short-yardage plays is crucial.
Defensively, West Virginia is in good shape. The only major losses off that young side of the ball are linebacker Mortty Ivy and cornerback Ellis Lankster. Defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel has a lot of good young players to work with, including Scooter Berry, J.T. Thomas and Brandon Hogan. A big-time pass rusher and some more depth for the back of the 3-3-5 alignment are the most needed acquisitions here.
There's also the matter of replacing Pat McAfee, who handled kickoffs, field goals and punting duties for the Mountaineers and was one of the best in the Big East in each of those disciplines.
Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights have had four different tailbacks take starring roles this season. Last 
week, redshirt freshman Joe Martinek ran for 98 yards and two touchdowns at South Florida. The week before, Kordell Young had 143 yards against Syracuse. Earlier this season, Jourdan Brooks and Mason Robinson each had big games, but their roles have diminished of late. Coach Greg Schiano said he determines who will be the featured back each week based on the opponent. "We have to look and see what do we think we're going to try to do most in the run game, and then who fits that description best and try to rep it that way during the week," he said. "It's hard to get more than two backs ready for a game. There's always a third guy that is ready and a fourth guy that's ready, but they don't get many repetitions. I can't tell you right now who that guy will be."
Cincinnati: Should the Bearcats be concerned about kicker Jake Rogers? He lost his job early in the season after missing a few extra points, and coach Brian Kelly wondered about his confidence. But then 
Rogers came back and tied a school record with 13 straight converted field-goal attempts. Since then, however, Rogers has missed four straight kicks, including all three tries at Louisville. The conditions were poor at wet and windy Papa John's Cardinal Stadium, and Kelly said that had more to do with Rogers' problems than anything. "It's the development of a kicker," Kelly said. "Earlier in the year, he struggled mentally. This time, it was technique. He has a natural draw on his kicks, but they didn't draw because of the wet balls. He hit all of them well, but he missed all of them to right. Then he overcompensated. I'm sure he'll be able to correct it for this weekend."
West Virginia: The Mountaineers could be without starting center Mike Dent for a second straight game 
this week at Louisville. A mainstay in the lineup the past two seasons, Dent missed the Cincinnati game with a neck injury. Now he has swelling in the neck, and team officials aren't sure what the problem is. Dent could play this weekend, but coach Bill Stewart is fearful of further damage to his neck. Sophomore Eric Jobe got the start versus Cincinnati and likely will be the snapper on Saturday. "Eric Jobe is good.," Stewart said. "He's just not Mike Dent. Mike Dent isn't good, he's great. We had two pro scouts watching tape on him. He's got a chance to play at the next level.''
Pittsburgh: Fourth down doesn't necessarily mean it's time to punt for Pittsburgh. The Panthers have 
shown an inclination to go for it on fourth down this year, and usually with success. They have converted 13 of their 17 fourth-down attempts, a 76.5 percent rate that ranks sixth-best in the nation. An outstanding running game and a strong offensive line gives coach Dave Wannstedt confidence in going for the gamble. "I think that every time we get in a fourth-down situation our players want to go for it," he said. "That's a normal reaction. They're like the fans and the media. I think you have to look at the defense and what we feel we can execute and then try and make up a sound decision as to what your chances are of making it. You don't want to do something just to do it. We have been outstanding though."
Syracuse: Quarterback Cam Dantley has struggled in his past few games and was pulled for Andrew 
Robinson in the Connecticut loss. Dantley was just 3-of-12 for 19 yards against Rutgers and 4-of-16 for 38 yards with an interception against UConn. Robinson hasn't been much better in relief, going a combined 4-of-14 for 29 yards and throwing two picks in those same two games. Cody Catalina even got a couple of looks under center versus the Huskies. Coach Greg Robinson isn't saying yet who will be the starter this week at Notre Dame.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Andrea Adelson
Adelson joined ESPN.com in 2010 after spending time as a college football columnist at The Orlando Sentinel. She has covered college football since her days as a University of Florida student, and lives in Orlando, Fla.
