ESPN College Football

Not getting drafted doesn't necessarily mean the end of one's football career. Once the draft finishes, there's a scramble for players and teams to sign free-agent deals. Here's a list, compiled from various media and team reports, of undrafted Big East players who have signed with NFL teams (list will be updated as new information rolls in):

Cincinnati

Jeff Linkenbach, OT, Indianapolis

Aaron Webster, S, Houston

Mike Windt, LS, Cincinnati

Connecticut

Lindsey Witten, DE, Pittsburgh

Louisville

Joe Tronzo, FB, Cincinnati

Scott Long, WR, San Francisco

UPDATE: Trent Guy, WR, Oakland

Pittsburgh

Bill Stull, QB, Kansas City

John Malecki, OG, Tennessee

Mick Williams, DT, New York Jets

Aaron Berry, CB, Detroit

Rutgers

Kevin Haslam, OT, Jacksonville

Jack Corcoran, FB, Houston

UPDATE: Tim Brown, WR, New York Giants

South Florida

Kion Wilson, LB, San Diego

Delbert Alvarado, K, Dallas

West Virginia

Jarrett Brown, QB, San Francisco

Alric Arnett, WR, Denver

West Virginia linebacker Reed Williams was named the 2009 Big East football scholar-athlete of the year today by the conference's academic affairs committee.

Williams, a three-year-starter and second team All-Big East performer this past season, will receive a $2,000 scholarship which may be applied to graduate or professional studies. He was one of 16 national finalists for the this year's William V. Campbell Trophy, which is presented to the national scholar-athlete of the year. Already a graduate student with a degree in finance, Williams was named to West Virginia’s dean’s list in each of his five academic years and is a four-time Big East All-Academic selection.

He is the headliner of 106 players who were chosen to the league's All-Academic team. To be nominated, a player must have a cumulative grade-point index of at least 3.0 and have completed a minimum of two semesters of academic work.

UConn placed the most members on the All-Academic team with 16, while Rutgers was second with 15. Notable players who made the list while performing at an all-conference level on the field include Cincinnati's Jeff Linkenbach and Aaron Webster, UConn's Marcus Easley, Pitt's Jonathan Baldwin, John Malecki and Adam Gunn, Rutgers' Devin McCourty, South Florida's Nate Allen and Syracuse's Derrell Smith.

The entire list can be viewed here.

A postseason ranking of the top 30 players in the Big East ...

No. 30

Jeff Linkenbach, LT, Cincinnati

Preseason rank: No. 23

Why him here: Linkenbach was the anchor for a Bearcats line that tied with Pittsburgh for the fewest sacks allowed, with just 15 all season. That's remarkable when you consider that Cincinnati passed the ball nearly 100 times more than any other league team this year. Linkenbach did a great job of protecting the blind side of both Tony Pike and Zach Collaros, and doing it in a fast-paced offense that demanded a lot of its linemen.

On the other hand, Linkenbach looked a little slow against some of the best defensive ends he played against this year in the South Florida, Pitt and Florida games. Despite his excellent size (6-foot-6, 311 pounds), his status as an NFL prospect remains questionable. He was not invited to any of the three major senior all-star showcase games and has yet to receive an NFL combine invitation. Still, he was easily one of the best offensive linemen in the league not only this year, but during much of his career.

It's been a while since I opened up the mailbag. There wasn't one last week while I was embroiled in Sugar Bowl coverage. So let's do a two-parter today. Still time to get your questions in for this afternoon's second part.

Robert G. from Louisville writes: I think you're being too critical of Cincinnati. When you look at the emotions involved in this game -- the Bearcats are coming off just being dumped by their coach, while Florida has Tim Tebow's last game and a coach who is doing his job despite the discomfort it creates for him. Same with West Virginia; how hard would it be for any team to beat Bobby Bowden in his last game?

Brian Bennett: Emotions only go so far. Yes, Cincinnati had some difficult things to deal with when Brian Kelly left, but that happened on Dec. 10, giving the team a full three weeks to get ready. To a man, the Bearcats said they would be OK and that they were focused on the game. And Kelly or no Kelly, this was the biggest game in school history, with a chance at going 13-0 on the line. And they laid a total egg. The game was never even close, as Florida led 37-3 at one point in the third quarter. There's no other way to say it except that Cincinnati was outplayed and outcoached thoroughly in New Orleans.

As for West Virginia, yes, Florida State had a lot of emotion on its side. But then how do you explain the Mountaineers taking a 14-3 lead? I didn't really understand the game plan for West Virginia. It had the better team and was controlling the action early but just couldn't maintain it. Maybe emotion helped the Seminoles get some momentum after it got back in the game, but that never should have even happened.

Don from Dayton writes: I have to admit that Cincinnati's performance in the Sugar Bowl was poor, but I have to remind you and everyone else that they lost their head coach less than a month before the game. I am not trying to make excuses, but Brian Kelly did call a considerable amount of the offensive plays. In the Sugar Bowl, the offense was nonexistent. Do you think that will be taken into account when the final standings come out?

Brian Bennett: Kelly may have called a better offensive game, but unless he played linebacker, too, it probably wouldn't have mattered much. Florida absolutely steamrolled Cincinnati's defense on its way to 51 points. I don't think there was any way the Bearcats could have hung with the Gators no matter who was coach. Guys like Joe Haden, Carlos Dunlap and Brandon Spikes were just too much defensively.

David from Cincinnati writes: Brian, please tell me that the Bearcats' terrible postseason is no reason to be any less optimistic about next year. I really think less than 10 wins (losing to Oklahoma, splitting Pitt and WVU) would be a disappointment.

Brian Bennett: I'll say this: there aren't many teams, if any, who would have beaten Florida last Friday night if the Gators played that way. So it should have no effect on next year from that standpoint. What will have an effect is a coaching transition and losing valuable players like Mardy Gilyard, Jeff Linkenbach, Aaron Webster, etc. I think Cincinnati should be very good again, but to place those kind of expectations on Butch Jones in Year One may be a bit unfair.

Brad / Little Birch, W. Va., writes: What is your bet on what Noel Devine does now? Will he stay or will he go and what makes you think that? Please reply in 2 page double space format...

Brian Bennett: I can't give you double-spaced, but I'll try to add a bibliography at the end. My gut feeling is that Devine will go. We all know his life story (both his parents died of AIDS) and I think it's going to be too hard for him to say no to an NFL paycheck. And really, will his stock get any higher than it is now? Devine has done just about all he can do at the college level. That's just my feeling, anyway.

Aaron from Nashville: What do you make of West Virginia being put in a no-win situation against Florida State? If we win we're the villain. If we lose, well, they went 6-6 and it makes WVU and the Big East look pathetic. Also, do you think the outcome would have been any different had Jarrett Brown been able to go in the second half?

Brian Bennett: All that is true, but the bottom line is that Florida State was, in fact, a 6-6 team, and West Virginia was better. For whatever reason, the Mountaineers just didn't seem to make very good adjustments as that game went on. I don't know if Jarrett Brown makes too big of a difference; he was only 1-of-4 with an interception. The game plan did not seem to involve throwing the ball, except late when the coaching staff ignored Devine for some reason. If nothing else, at least Geno Smith got some valuable experience for 2010.

NEW ORLEANS -- Some news and notes from Tuesday's Allstate Sugar Bowl media sessions:

• While Cincinnati is certainly happy to be in New Orleans, the Bearcats can't help but think how close they came to Pasadena.

After returning home from a 45-44 victory at Pitt on Dec. 5, most of the players anxiously watched the Big 12 title game, hoping for a Texas loss to Nebraska. That might have been enough to vault the 12-0 Bearcats into the BCS title game. And when Colt McCoy's last pass sailed out of bounds and the clock showed zero, they thought they were headed to the national championship.

"I was at (receiver) Charley Howard's house eating wings," wideout Mardy Gilyard said. "When I saw that clock hit zero, I threw my wings in the air. My brother and everybody were calling me immediately, saying 'You all are going to be in the big show.' And then all of a sudden that dreaded second came back on the clock.

“It was really a swift change. My wings were in the air and then by the time they touched the ground, I was like, 'I wonder what BCS game we’re going to be in.'"

Big 12 officials, of course, put one second back on the clock, and Texas kicked the winning field goal. But Cincinnati players don't sound too upset to have missed out on their shot at the title.

"We were so close," center Chris Jurek said. "But the two teams playing for the national championship are the right teams to be playing for it."

• Florida's defense should get a boost with the return of defensive end Carlos Dunlap. The junior, who tied for the team lead with seven sacks this season, didn't play in the SEC championship game against Alabama after a DUI arrest.

"He made a mistake that never should have happened," defensive coordinator Charlie Strong said. "But he came back and was willing to apologize to the team."

Strong said no decision had been made whether Dunlap will start, but he will play.

"Everybody makes mistakes, but his was at a time that we really, really needed him," linebacker Ryan Stamper said.

• Florida's defensive players know they're going against one of the best offenses in the country. They see that as a chance to prove themselves.

Alabama ran all over the Gators in a 32-13 romp in that SEC title game. Cornerback Joe Haden said shutting down Cincinnati would restore the defense's reputation.

"This gives us a chance to rebound and show that last game was a fluke," Haden said. "Alabama did a great job, but we definitely didn't play as well as we should have."

Haden said the secondary is excited to play what is primarily a passing team, after spending most of the season preparing for run-heavy offenses in the SEC.

• Gilyard, who's from Bunnell, Fla., told me for the story I wrote earlier this week that he had been recruited by Florida but that the Gators backed off because of academic concerns. He added some more details to that account on Tuesday.

"Ron Zook was the coach then, and he came to my high school," Gilyard said. "And that day, I did something knuckleheaded. I skipped school. My high school coach called me, upset of course, saying 'Ron Zook is here, we've checked all your classes, where are you?' I was at the beach or something. I'm sure Florida was like, 'Get him out of here.' I'm blessed that somebody wanted to fool with me."

• Quote of the day: Cincinnati left tackle Jeff Linkenbach, on both teams' rather interesting coaching situations: "It's been bizarre. But we're in New Orleans. It's a bizarre place."

NEW ORLEANS -- Cincinnati's offense has raced up and down the field all season, often scoring at a breakneck pace. Only one opponent -- West Virginia -- held the Bearcats' up-tempo spread to fewer than 28 points this year.

But will that offense -- missing its mastermind, Brian Kelly -- succeed against Florida's defense? Cincinnati passing game coordinator Charley Molnar described the Gators D as the best in the nation, and the numbers suggest that's not far off. Florida ranked third in the FBS in scoring defense this season, allowing fewer than 12 points per game.

The Bearcats dominated the Big East as well as teams like Oregon State and Illinois. But this is an SEC defense loaded with athletes. It may not be a fair comparison, but the last time Florida played a team from Ohio in a BCS game, its speed was too much for Ohio State to handle.

"It's the Florida athlete vs. the Ohio athlete," Gators linebacker Ryan Stamper said.

Cincinnati understands the mammoth challenge awaiting Friday night in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

"This is the best defense I've seen on film since I've been here," Bearcats senior quarterback Tony Pike said. "The biggest thing about Florida is they have athletes and speed at every position. You play some teams where the D-line may be unbelievable, but you may get a break in the secondary and the linebackers. But from the D-line to the linebackers to the secondary, this is the best group I've seen."

Pike said he expects to see a lot of man coverage from Florida's secondary. The Gators are so strong up front that they don't have to blitz often to get pressure.

"I think they resemble Pitt's defensive line, just with their sheer size and speed," Cincinnati center Chris Jurek said. "Their overall team speed on defense can be overwhelming for some teams."

Jurek and the Bearcats' offensive line will be under serious pressure, but on the other hand, they allowed only 12 sacks this season. Pike operates almost exclusively out of the shotgun and delivers the ball quickly by design.

"It's going to be a great challenge for the whole offensive line," left tackle Jeff Linkenbach said. "But we put four [linemen] on the Big East first and second teams. So this will be a great place for us to showcase ourselves."

Few teams have been more efficient or explosive offensively this season than the Bearcats. They excel at creating seams and getting receivers in open space. Pike is very accurate, and the wideouts go get the ball.

That formula has worked to perfection all year. Now it's time to see whether it will work against one of the nation's best defenses.

"We'll spread 'em out and get 'em moving, because that's what we do," receiver Mardy Gilyard said. "I know they have great athletes all over the field on defense, but we have athletes all over the field on offense. It will be strength against strength."

The official league selections will come out tomorrow. Here are my choices for the best of the Big East, from a season's worth of observations and some consultation from league coaches:

Offense

QB: Tony Pike, Cincinnati

RB: Dion Lewis, Pittsburgh

RB: Noel Devine, West Virginia

WR: Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati

WR: Jonathan Baldwin, Pittsburgh

TE: Dorin Dickerson, Pittsburgh

OT: Jason Pinkston, Pittsburgh

OT: Jeff Linkenbach, Cincinnati

C: Moe Petrus, Connecticut

OG: John Malecki, Pittsburgh

OG: Zach Hurd, Connecticut

Defense

DE: Greg Romeus, Pittsburgh

DE: Jason Pierre-Paul, South Florida

DT: Mick Williams, Pittsburgh

DT: Chris Neild, West Virginia

LB: Lawrence Wilson, Connecticut

LB: Kion Wilson, South Florida

LB: Derrell Smith, Syracuse

CB: Devin McCourty, Rutgers

CB: Aaron Berry, Pittsburgh

S: Aaron Webster, Cincinnati

S: Nate Allen, South Florida

Specialists

K: Tyler Bitancurt, West Virginia

P: Scott Kozlowski, West Virginia

KR: Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati

PR: Robert McClain, Connecticut

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

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

Quarterback

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

Running back

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

Receiver

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

Tight end

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

Offensive line

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

Defensive line

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

Linebacker

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

Secondary

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

Specialists

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

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

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

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

1. Focus: That's the key word this week, as the top three contenders in the Big East all are heavy favorites at home. Showdowns between Cincinnati, Pitt and West Virginia loom on the calendar ahead. But for those to matter, they need to take care of business this week against the heavy underdogs and not start thinking ahead to the stretch run.

2. Cincinnati's receivers vs. the UConn secondary: The Huskies got burned by Tim Brown on an 81-yard pass play to lose this week, but they've been pretty good against the pass this year and have the league's two co-leaders in interceptions (Robert Vaughn and Robert McClain). They will face a major challenge this week against the Bearcats' Mardy Gilyard, Armon Binns and D.J. Woods. Syracuse had some small success slowing Cincinnati down last week by trying to keep everything in front of the defense. UConn might also want to make the Bearcats prove they can sustain long drives.

3. Attack of the backup Zachs: Cincinnati looks likely to go with Zach Collaros again at quarterback as Tony Pike continues to recover from his left forearm injury. Collaros has been outstanding the past two and a half games, though this will be the best team he's started against thus far. UConn's Zach Frazer is back at quarterback now that Cody Endres is out for the season with a shoulder injury. Frazer has been way too erratic this season, including three more interceptions last week at Rutgers, and can't afford those mistakes against the Bearcats.

4. Lindsey Witten vs. Jeff Linkenbach: Witten is tied for second in the nation in sacks with 10.5. Linkenbach has developed into the best left tackle in the Big East, in my opinion. If UConn can't get pressure on Collaros, it could be a long night at Nippert Stadium for the Huskies. Witten needs to bring the heat.

5. Dion Lewis: The Pitt freshman tailback was named a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award this week and floats on the periphery of the Heisman race. Syracuse has been surprisingly stout against the run this season, ranking first in the Big East with just 88.9 yards allowed per game on the ground. Another big game by Lewis against this defense should vault him into the lead for Big East player of the year and other award honors.

6. Paulus and the passing game: Syracuse quarterback Greg Paulus was booed at home last week and then received a passionate defense by his head coach Doug Marrone. Paulus has struggled in Big East play, and he just lost his best and maybe only big-play receiver in Mike Williams, who quit the team on Monday. How do he and the Orange offense respond?

7. West Virginia's pass defense: The deep pass has hurt the Mountaineers the past few weeks and much of the season. Louisville has the worst scoring offense in the Big East but is capable of pulling off some big plays in the passing game with guys like Scott Long, Trent Guy and Doug Beaumont. If West Virginia can tighten that part of its defense up, it should have little trouble at home against the last-place Cardinals.

8. Louisville's quarterback derby: Three guys -- Justin Burke, Will Stein and Adam Froman -- have started, and it's anybody's guess who will get the call this week. Coach Steve Kragthorpe said earlier this week that Burke and Froman, who were both hurt at Cincinnati, should be available for practice. If they're all good to go, Froman likely gets the nod. But West Virginia has to prepare for all three just in case.

9. Speed on the edge: The main difference between West Virginia and Louisville the past two years was that the Cardinals didn't have the defensive speed on the perimeter to contain the Mountaineers' playmakers unlike, say, South Florida. Pat White got outside with ease in last year's game in Louisville, and the Cardinals' quickness hasn't gotten significantly better. Expect at least one huge run, if not several, from Noel Devine and maybe even Jarrett Brown or Jock Sanders.

10. Cincinnati's competition: We're not talking about UConn, but the other contenders for the national title. Keep an eye this weekend on Alabama against LSU, Iowa against Northwestern, Boise State at Louisiana Tech and TCU against San Diego State. Any of them faltering would help the Bearcats' national title chances.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

The Wall Street Journal has nothing on this stock report. Let's see who's up, who's down and who's leading the big races (bonus category: top assistant coach) as we enter Week 9 of the Big East marathon:

Stock up

	John Korduner/Icon SMI
	West Virginia fans showed a lot of class Saturday when the Mountaineers played UConn.

1. West Virginia fans: The Mountaineers' fans get a bad rap sometimes, especially from the outside press that wants to label them as couch-burners from the backwoods. They're a passionate bunch, to be sure, and they showed a lot of class and dignity last week with the tributes to Connecticut and Jasper Howard. Today we applaud you, fans.

2. Delone Carter: The Syracuse senior had a career day against Akron, rushing for 170 yards and three touchdowns. That's 33 more yards and three more scores than he had in all of an injury-plagued 2008.

3. Marcus Easley: The UConn senior and former walk-on has become the Huskies' big-play guy. He had an 88-yard touchdown catch that gave Connecticut its final lead in the fourth quarter at West Virginia and is averaging 26.1 yards per catch with three scores this year.

4. Mike Shanahan: No, not the former Broncos coach. The redshirt freshman receiver has become a weapon for Pitt in the last few games and now has seven catches for 88 yards on the season. He's 6-foot-5 with sure hands and gives Bill Stull yet another target.

5. Mark Harrison: The true freshman Rutgers receiver has overcome an early-season groin injury and is taking on a bigger role in the offense. Fellow wideout Tim Brown told The Star-Ledger that the 6-foot-3 Harrison could be the next Kenny Britt.

Stock down

	Cliff Welch/Icon SMI
	USF’s George Selvie's stock is down after two poor games.

1. George Selvie: I hate to say it, because Selvie is one of the nicest guys in the league and a real talent, but his stock is down after the last two games. Cincinnati's Jeff Linkenbach and Pitt's Jason Pinkston slowed him down to a crawl. Yes, they had help often, but even in one-on-one situations, Selvie was not the force we've seen him be in the past.

2. Steve Kragthorpe's reasoning: The Louisville coach said after his team's 41-10 loss to Cincinnati that he was hoping to see Tony Pike instead of Zach Collaros because Pike was one-dimensional. Um, OK. The Courier-Journal's Eric Crawford blisters Kragthorpe for that comment in this column.

3. Jerome Murphy: Two very tough games in a row for the talented South Florida senior cornerback. He had a mistake-filled night against Cincinnati and was burned repeatedly in the Pitt game. Jim Leavitt hinted at personnel changes this week, and most people looked immediately to Murphy, who will be under fire against West Virginia's passing game.

4. The BCS standings: What kind of system drops Cincinnati from No. 5 to No. 8 after it beats a conference rival by 31 points without its star quarterback?

5. Anyone but Mohamed Sanu or Tom Savage at quarterback for Rutgers: Sanu has made the Wildcat package work much better than Jabu Lovelace or Kordell Young. The Scarlet Knights even had punter Teddy Dellaganna attempt a pass. I know they're searching of offense, but sometimes too much trickery is not a treat.

Player of the year race: Offense

1. Tony Pike, QB, Cincinnati: Has completed 64.3 percent of his passes for 1,633 yards and 15 touchdowns, with three interceptions. Missed last week's game against Louisville with an injured left forearm.

2. Noel Devine, RB, West Virginia: Has rushed for 912 yards on 137 attempts, with 10 touchdowns. Ranks third in the FBS in rushing yards per game.

3. Dion Lewis, RB, Pittsburgh: Has run for 1,029 on 185 attempts, with 11 touchdowns. Ranks fourth n the FBS in rushing yards per game

4. Mardy Gilyard, WR, Cincinnati: Has 47 catches for 674 yards and eight touchdowns.

5. Bill Stull, QB, Pittsburgh: Has completed 67.3 percent of his passes for 1,654 yards and 16 touchdowns, with four interceptions.

Player of the year race: Defense

1. Mick Williams, DT, Pittsburgh: This category changes wildly from week to week, as no one seems to want to take control. I'm going this week with Williams, who leads the league with 12.5 tackles for loss and is second in forced fumbles with three.

2. Lindsey Witten, DE, UConn: He's second in the nation in sacks, with 10.5.

3. Derrell Smith, LB, Syracuse: He leads the nation in forced fumbles and is tied for second in the Big East with 6.5 sacks.

4. Aaron Webster, S, Cincinnati: Has three interceptions and is the leader of the defense for the Big East's top-ranked team and stingiest 'D'.

5. Lawrence Wilson, LB, UConn: Leads the Big East in tackles.

Assistant coach of the year

1. Bob Diaco, Cincinnati: All the first-year defensive coordinator has done is switch to a 3-4 scheme, replace 10 senior starters and make the Bearcats the top scoring defense in the league with 13.7 points allowed per game.

2. Frank Cignetti, Pittsburgh: Cignetti deserves a lot of credit for the improvement by Stull and for utilizing all the weapons at his disposal as Pitt's offensive coordinator. The Panthers are averaging 34.2 points per game

3. Jeff Mullen, West Virginia: Mullen came under fire in his first year as offensive coordinator in Morgantown while trying to implement more of a passing game. Things are clicking now, as West Virginia is averaging 31.3 points and has the second-best passing offense in the league.

Posted by the ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

The first Big East game of the year is in the books. The next one might be Nov. 13, when West Virginia comes to Cincinnati, if both teams keep winning until then.

That's down the road. Right now, let's get to your emails:

Dimitri from Cincinnati: After last night's game, I gotta say, UC is the best football team in the nation. Now I know that's a huge statement, but hear me out, and maybe, just maybe you can agree. Just look at what UC was up against. They were playing away, versus another undefeated team in their conference, that had one of their former coaches. That's a tough game in itself for any team to play. But to make things even tougher, the star QB goes down. But UC changed QBs and playing styles on the fly, and not only did they keep their lead, they extended it. Winning by 17 with all those going against them is remarkable.

Brian Bennett: It was a remarkable win, given all the things that the Bearcats were up against. Best team in the nation? I won't go that far. I'm still not sold that Cincinnati could beat Florida or Alabama or a couple of other elite teams.

But how high should the Bearcats be ranked this week? I would argue they deserve to be ahead of Boise State, which was not at all impressive in beating Tulsa by seven points on Thursday night. No way you can tell me Tulsa is better than South Florida. I would also put Cincinnati ahead of Ohio State, because the Bearcats have done more this year in beating three pretty good teams (Oregon State, South Florida and Rutgers) on the road.

Beyond that, Cincinnati fans should root for USC to lose to Notre Dame and Oklahoma to beat Texas this weekend.

Brett from Austin, Texas, writes: It seems that Cincy can just interchange quarterbacks without losing too much. I felt that Zach Collaros did a more than reasonable job of managing the game to a win after the long QB draw play on his first drive. Is Tony Pike really that special of a QB or is he just an average to above-average quarterback playing in an excellent system? You know that NFL scouts are thinking the same thing right now.

Brian Bennett: Well, first of all, Cincinnati completely changed its system when Pike went out, going from a five-wide, shotgun spread passing attack to a zone-read quarterback run system. That in itself is amazing. Pike has all the skills. He's 6-foot-6 and can make every throw. The way he avoided a sack in the end zone, rolled to his left and zipped the ball to the sideline across his body 25 yards down the field late in the first half showed why the NFL is interested.

The questions about Pike are going to be his durability -- he's got a skinny frame and now has a second major problem with his left arm -- and whether he can take snaps under center ever down. That latter question, though, is the same one that guys like Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy must answer.

Brian from Raleigh, N.C., writes: Coach Kelly referenced being in the situaiton of playing with backups on short notice before. WAY back when he was at Grand Valley State, a Division II powerhouse under Kelly, his backup QB was his best WR. When the QB went down, they still ran the table for a national championship.

Brian Bennett: Actually, here's what happened. It was 2001, and star quarterback Curt Anes suffered a season-ending knee injury in the first round of the Division II playoffs. Kelly plugged in backup Todd Wojciechowski and receiver Ryan Brady, using Wojciechowski on throwing downs and Brady for running plays. Grand Valley State won the next two playoff games before losing by three points in the championship game.

At Central Michigan in 2006, starter Brian Brunner had a concussion on the second play of the season. Kelly turned to freshman Dan LeFevour, who led the team to the MAC title.

Nothing fazes this guy, apparently.

Keith from Pittsburgh writes: How on earth can George Selvie be a Lombardi semifinalist this year. I am so sick of these awards, and the "watch list" being pre-determined. I thought the award was for "Lineman of the Year," not best career, not second or third best last year, not based off of NFL potential. Greg Romeus has had a much bigger impact this year, and the stats show it. Sure, Selvie was hurt early, but shouldn't that be a consideration when determine who had the best year?

Brian Bennett: I still think Selvie is a great player who has an enormous impact on the game. But, I was watching him very closely last night, and Cincinnati left tackle Jeff Linkenbach -- who's probably a future pro himself -- did a great job of neutralizing Selvie most of the night. I really believe at this point that Jason Pierre-Paul is having the better season and has a much higher ceiling at the next level. Of course, Pierre-Paul had a more advantageous matchup against Sam Griffin instead of having to face Linkenbach.

Matt from Philadelphia writes: UCF is now the biggest university in Florida, third in the country. Is it inevitable they get an invite to the Big East in the next five years? Maybe all the expansion talk can be put to rest then. Although fun to think about, it gets almost as old as Favre re-re-re retiring.

Brian Bennett: I have always thought that, of the usual suspects mentioned for expansion (Memphis, East Carolina, etc.), Central Florida made the most sense. The school has good facilities, including a brand new, on-campus stadium, is in a major media market (Orlando) that's in the footprint of the Big East and would provide a natural rival for South Florida.

The downside is, the Bulls don't want them in. Right now, they have an obvious recruiting advantage over the Golden Knights because they can tell prospects, "Hey, come to Tampa and play in a BCS league." That would evaporate if UCF were in the Big East. Jim Leavitt said this summer he would acquiesce on UCF if it would help the Big East. The Golden Knights need to keep improving their football program and their other sports, but they could be an attractive target down the road.

Jason from Charleston, W. Va., writes: Shouldn't your stock report include a special teams category? Returners, punters, kick-offs, field goals, PAT's, return coverage... quite a bit of the game goes on during special teams.

Brian Bennett: Jason, I included special teams players a couple of weeks ago and will mix it in occasionally in the future. I don't think people want to see a week-by-week report of where the punters, kickers and return men stand. Am I wrong?

Gary P. from Cincinnati writes: If the Big East wants to be ranked with the best football conferences, don't we have to play the best? Could the Big East pass a rule that would require every Big East football program to play one game each year against a Top 10 or top 15 team?

Brian Bennett: Well, schedules are done far in advance, so I don't know how you can predict where a team will be ranked a couple of years down the line. There are some good teams on the Big East schedule this year, including Penn State, Auburn, Oregon State, Florida State, Miami, North Carolina, Utah and Notre Dame. League teams are scheduling more aggressively in the future, with planned games against the following:

Florida (South Florida 2010)

USC (Syracuse 2011, '12)

LSU (West Virginia, 2010, '11)

Oklahoma (Cincinnati 2010),

Ohio State (Cincinnati 2012)

Michigan (UConn 2010 and '13)

Georgia (2011, '12),

Penn State (Rutgers 2014, 15),

Tennessee (UConn 2015, '16),

Just to name a few.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

Cincinnati's offense is full of sound and fury. Heisman Trophy candidate Tony Pike, star receiver Mardy Gilyard and the rest of the skill players garner most of the attention.

	Rich Kane/Icon SMI
	Cincinnati prefers nimble, athletic offensive linemen, and even 313-pound Jeff Linkenbach is light on his feet.

Hardly anybody ever talks about the Bearcats' offensive line, though. And that might just be the biggest key to Bearcats' 5-0 start and 42 points-per-game average.

"We don't get a lot of notoriety, but that's kind of how we are," senior center Chris Jurek said. "We like not getting our names called. We create for everybody else."

Consider this stat: The offensive line has allowed just three sacks this year despite 188 pass attempts. That's one sack for every 63 passes. The Bearcats rank fourth in the FBS in fewest sacks allowed but have thrown the ball more times than the three teams in front of them.

Some of that stems from the fact that Pike is often in the shotgun, and head coach Brian Kelly's offense is designed to get rid of the ball quickly to receivers in the open field. Still, you shouldn't underestimate how much the offensive line has contributed to the most prolific attack in Kelly's three-year tenure at Cincinnati.

"The biggest change in our offensive structure has been the offensive line," Kelly said. "[Previous coach] Mark Dantonio did a great job of building his offense here, but the offensive linemen, quite frankly, didn't fit the same profile" as Kelly's offense.

"So Year 1 and Year 2 were really about getting our offensive linemen to fit our style. In Year 3, we're so much further along in their ability to play in space, to be more of a zone team than a gap team, a team that can put their linemen out and get out in screens and things of that nature."

Dantonio -- who's now at Michigan State -- liked a Big Ten-style line, with big, hulking guys who could plow holes for the power run game. Kelly has a high-tempo offense that often requires the linemen to run down the field and spring receivers free. That requires svelte, athletic players.

"It's been a pretty significant progression in terms of our body types and conditioning," Jurek said. "Coach's style is to get smaller guys who are more athletic and put good weight on them. That's one of the things I've seen here, and we've been able to do it with a high level of success."

Other than left tackle Jeff Linkenbach, no Cincinnati offensive lineman weighs more than 293 pounds. And even Linkenbach's 311 pounds don't sit heavily on his 6-foot-6 frame. Jurek, Linkenbach and left guard Jason Kelce all started on last year's Orange Bowl team. Alex Hoffman and Sam Griffin are first-year starters who have made the right side just as formidable.

The line will face its biggest test of the season on Thursday night at South Florida. The Bulls' defensive front four, Kelly said, "is as good as you're going to see. They can match up with any SEC or Big Ten teams." Defensive ends George Selvie and Jason Pierre-Paul have been terrorizing tackles, and the interior linemen are nearly as fast and aggressive. The Bulls' No. 1 goal is to get to Pike and disrupt his timing.

"I don't feel as if these guys have been challenged up front like we are going to do on Thursday," South Florida linebacker Kion Wilson said. "They haven't been hit and been physically abused yet. That's what we plan on going out there and doing."

"Their offensive line plays very well together," Selvie said. "But I think we can do a very good job against them. We've just got to be aggressive, let them know we're ready to play and that it's going to be a long day for them."

Kelly will surely design his game plan around quick throws and screens, rolling the pocket and other things to slow down that South Florida pass rush. The rest of the job will fall on the offensive linemen. If that group remains anonymous Thursday night, then you know they got the job done.

"It will be a tough challenge for us Thursday night," Jurek said, "but I think we'll be up for it."

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

• Screens will be a big part of new Pitt offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti's game plan, Paul Zeise writes in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

• The Big East needs more marquee nonconference games, Mitch Vingle says in the Charleston Gazette.

• South Florida special-teams ace Cameron Perkins found out two days before the opener that his NCAA eligibility has expired, Brett McMurphy writes in the Tampa Tribune.

• Left tackle Jeff Linkenbach is the unsung hero for Cincinnati's offense, Bill Koch writes in the Cincinnati Enquirer.

• The Syracuse Post-Standards's Dave Rahme has a Q&A with Greg Paulus.

• Lindsey Witten needs to have a big senior year for UConn, Desmond Conner writes in the Hartford Courant.

• New Louisville quarterback Justin Burke is known for his smarts, C.L. Brown writes in The Courier-Journal.

• Rutgers is hoping to improve its sack totals this year, Tom Luicci says in The Star-Ledger.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

I faced many difficult choices for my All-Big East team. In fact, I kept waffling between Tim Brown and Jonathan Baldwin for one of the receiver spots, and in cutting and pasting I accidentally listed Baldwin as playing for Rutgers when I first posted the list. D'oh! Thank God it's Friday, right?

Anyway, here's some guys I thought deserved recognition on my second team:

Offense

QB: Matt Grothe, South Florida
RB: Jordan Todman, Connecticut
WR: Tim Brown, Rutgers
WR: Alric Arnett, West Virginia
WR: Scott Long, Louisville
OT: Jeff Linkenbach, Cincinnati
OG: Zach Hurd, Connecticut
C: Moe Petrus, Connecticut
OG: Josh Jenkins, West Virginia
OT: Jamar Bass, South Florida
TE: Mike Owen, Syracuse

Defense

DE: Jabaal Sheard, Pittsburgh
DT: Mick Williams, Pittsburgh
DT: Chris Neild, West Virginia
DE: Lindsey Witten, Connecticut
LB: Jon Dempsey, Louisville
LB: Kion Wilson, South Florida
LB: J.T. Thomas, West Virginia
CB: Jerome Murphy, South Florida
CB: Jasper Howard, Connecticut
S: Aaron Webster, Cincinnati
S: Dom DeCicco, Pittsburgh

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

Cincinnati Bearcats 2008 overall record: 11-3 2008 conference record: 6-1 Returning starters Offense: 8, defense: 1, kicker/punter: 1 Top returners QB Tony Pike, WR Mardy Gilyard, OT Jeff Linkenbach, RB Jacob Ramsey, RB John Goebel, S Aaron Webster, K Jake Rogers, WR D.J. Woods Key losses DE Connor Barwin, CB Mike Mickens, CB DeAngelo Smith, S Brandon Underwood, DT Terrell Byrd, WR Dominick Goodman, LB Corey Smith, P Kevin Huber, OT Trevor Canfield, LB Ryan Manalac, DT Adam Hoppel, LB Torry Cornett 2008 statistical leaders (*returners) Rushing: Jacob Ramsey* (664 yards) Passing: Tony Pike* (2,407 yards) Receiving: Mardy Gilyard* (1,276 yards) Tackles: Ryan Manalac (82) Sacks: Connor Barwin (11) Interceptions: Mike Mickens/Brandon Underwood (4) Spring answers 2009 Schedule Sept. 7 at Rutgers Sept. 12 Southeast Missouri State Sept. 19 at Oregon State Sept. 26 Fresno State Oct. 3 at Miami (Ohio) Oct. 10 BYE Oct. 15 at South Florida Oct. 24 Louisville Oct. 31 at Syracuse Nov. 7 Connecticut Nov. 13 West Virginia Nov. 20 BYE Nov. 27 Illinois Dec. 5 at Pittsburgh Diaco does it: New defensive coordinator Bob Diaco was hired shortly before spring practice began and was tasked with changing the Bearcats to a 3-4 base -- while replacing 10 starters. It seemed like a yeoman's task, but head coach Brian Kelly was pleased with how Diaco got the defense to respond throughout the spring. Moving receiver Marcus Barnett to cornerback solidified the secondary, and Derek Wolfe emerged as a force at nose tackle. The defense could be better than a lot of people think. More backfield options: Cincinnati had an explosive offense despite fielding a mostly mediocre running game. Sophomore Isaiah Pead showed signs of being ready for a breakout campaign, and spritely speedster Darrin Williams should also contribute to a backfield that already includes veterans Jacob Ramsey and John Goebel. That could help the Bearcats improve a troublesome short-yardage game. Pike's peak: There weren't a lot of questions about Tony Pike heading into the spring. Still, Pike's steady play was a welcome sight for Kelly, who didn't have a returning starting quarterback in his first two years at Cincinnati. Pike can still get better, but he's pretty good as is right now. Fall questions More playmakers on defense: Though Kelly was encouraged this spring, the simple fact remains that the Bearcats lost some big-time playmakers in guys like Connor Barwin, Mike Mickens and DeAngelo Smith. They will need some new stars to emerge, perhaps someone like Curtis Young. And depth at middle linebacker and safety remains a concern. Punting: All-American Kevin Huber was an invaluable weapon on fourth down. No one in the spring showed the ability to replicate the NFL draft pick's booming punts. You might see Cincinnati going for it more on fourth down in 2009. Vidal so-soon? One question that might be answered before the summer is whether USC transfer Vidal Hazelton will be cleared to play this season. If so, he gives Pike another terrific weapon in the passing game. If not, D.J. Woods or junior college transfer Jamar Howard will have to increase their production alongside Mardy Gilyard.