ESPN College Football

The NFL draft has come and gone. So how did the Big East fare?

Not great.

The Big East only had 12 players drafted -- the lowest total since 11 were selected in 2006. USF and Pitt did not have a player selected, breaking some pretty long streaks. At least one Pitt player had been selected in each of the last 12 NFL drafts headed into this year; USF had at least one player taken in five straight drafts.

In compiling the numbers, I did count West Virginia because the three players drafted -- Bruce Irvin, Najee Goode and Keith Tandy -- spent their entire careers playing in the Big East. Since Temple now lives in this blog, many of you will probably be happy to hear that the Owls also had three players drafted -- Bernard Pierce, Evan Rodriguez and Tahir Whitehead -- tying a school record.

For those interested in the new members entering the league in 2013 and how they stacked up against those leaving -- Boise State had a school-record six players drafted. SMU (four) and San Diego State (four) ended up with the same number of picks as Cincinnati, which led the Big East.

Here is the breakdown of players selected by school:

• Cincinnati (4)
• West Virginia (3)
• Syracuse (2)
• UConn (1)
• Louisville (1)
• Rutgers (1)

Here are the players that were selected:

Round 1

West Virginia DE/LB Bruce Irvin, Seattle

Syracuse DE/LB Chandler Jones, New England

Round 2

Cincinnati DT Derek Wolfe, Denver

UConn DT Kendall Reyes, San Diego

Cincinnati RB Isaiah Pead, St. Louis

Round 3

Rutgers WR Mohamed Sanu, Cincinnati

Cincinnati DT John Hughes, Cleveland

Round 4

Cincinnati TE Adrien Robinson, New York Giants

Round 5

West Virginia LB Najee Goode, Tampa Bay

Round 6

West Virginia CB Keith Tandy, Tampa Bay

Syracuse OG Andrew Tiller, New Orleans

Round 7

Louisville DE Greg Scruggs, Seattle

Here are a few of my thoughts:

• Eleven Big East players invited to the NFL combine went undrafted, which seems like a pretty large number to me. Generally, those invited to the combine have a decent shot of being drafted. Keep in mind only 20 total Big East players snagged invites to the combine. So the percentage of players drafted who attended the combine in February was less than 50 percent.
• USF running back Darrell Scott decided to leave school early to enter the draft. But he never got picked. Scott ended up signing as a free agent with the Dallas Cowboys. He was one of 18 underclassmen who entered the draft but was not selected. Syracuse safety Phillip Thomas and receiver Dorian Graham also are underclassmen.
• Speaking of Thomas, I was surprised he went undrafted. I thought he was one of the most valuable players on the Syracuse defense last season before he ended up getting suspended for the final few games of the season for a violation of team rules. He obviously had some baggage because of that, but not any more than other players who have gotten into trouble. At one point, Mel Kiper had him listed as one of the top five safeties available in the draft.
• Other surprise undrafted players? I thought for sure Pitt offensive lineman Lucas Nix would get picked. NFL teams are always in the market for stocking up on quality offensive linemen, particularly ones listed as 6-foot-5 and 317 pounds. I would say he and Thomas were two players that went undrafted that I had penciled in as getting drafted. Nobody expected a Louisville player to go, so it was a pleasant surprise to see Scruggs come off the board.
• I watched the third round Friday night waiting and waiting for Sanu to come off the board. You guys know I guaranteed he would be picked in the first three rounds. What surprised me, though, were some of the receivers who were drafted ahead of him. I thought Houston might take him as a complementary receiver to Andre Johnson with the fifth pick in the round. But instead the Texans went with DeVier Posey of Ohio State, who was suspended for accepting cash and tattoos from a Columbus tattoo-parlor owner. Posey played in three games all of last season. NC State receiver T.J. Graham was next to come off the board to the Bills. Sanu had a higher draft grade than those two players.

The NFL draft is almost here. With the first round set to begin Thursday night on ESPN, I now present to you the final big board and mock drafts for ESPN draft analysts Mel Kiper and Todd McShay.

Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones continues to shoot up the rankings. In his final mock draft , Kiper has Jones going No. 12 overall to the Seattle Seahawks. Kiper says:

The Seahawks need a pass-rusher, and I really like the fit. Pete Carroll can use a player with Jones' length and athleticism in a "Leo" role, and create an added dimension to the rush. The Seahawks will have built a pretty formidable defense if they can add a final piece or two up front. Jones makes sense here.

Jones ends up at No. 20 on Kiper's Big Board , a ranking of the top 25 prospects in the draft.

Meanwhile, McShay has Jones listed as No. 11 on his ranking of the top 32 players , moving up five spots. McShay says, "Jones' versatility and long frame make him an attractive prospect. He's risen steadily in recent weeks, from underrated prospect to the top half of the first round."

McShay, Steve Muench and Kevin Weidl did a complete mock draft, rounds one through seven. Here is where they have the Big East prospects:

• Jones, No. 12 overall, Seattle
• UConn DT Kendall Reyes, second round, New England
• Cincinnati DT, Derek Wolfe, second round, Atlanta
• Cincinnati RB Isaiah Pead, third round, Pittsburgh
• Temple RB Bernard Pierce, fourth round, Denver
• Syracuse S Phillip Thomas, fourth round, Green Bay
• Rutgers WR Mohamed Sanu, fourth round, Minnesota
• Syracuse OG Andrew Tiller, fifth round, Cincinnati
• Cincinnati TE Adrien Robinson, sixth round, Arizona
• Pitt OG Lucas Nix, sixth round, Oakland
• Temple TE Evan Rodriguez, sixth round, Indianapolis
• Rutgers OG Desmond Wynn, seventh round, Buffalo
• Pitt LB Brandon Lindsey, seventh round, Green Bay

Can't wait to see where everybody ends up!

So where do Big East players project in the draft?

Scouts Inc. expert Todd McShay has put together his own draft board , similar to what NFL teams use when they determine when to draft specific players. The chart lists players by position, and assigned to the round that corresponds to his draft grade. Here are where the Big East players stand on offense:

Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse: first round

Kendall Reyes, DT, UConn: second round

Isaiah Pead, RB, Cincinnati: third round

Bernard Pierce, RB, Temple: third round

Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers: third round

Phillip Thomas, S, Syracuse: third round

Adrien Robinson, TE, Cincinnati: fourth round

Derek Wolfe, DT, Cincinnati: fourth round

Brandon Lindsey, LB, Pitt: fifth round

Lucas Nix, OG, Pitt: fifth round

Chas Alecxih, DT, Pitt: sixth round

Justin Francis, DL, Rutgers: sixth round

Nick Provo, TE, Syracuse: sixth round

Desmond Wynn, OG, Rutgers: sixth round

Darrell Scott, RB, USF: seventh round

Evan Rodriguez, RB, Temple: seventh round

Mike Ryan, OT, UConn: seventh round

Alex Hoffman, OT, Cincinnati: seventh round

Antwuan Reed, DB, Pitt: seventh round

Tahir Whitehead, LB, Temple: seventh round

And then there were 13.

• Cincinnati coach Butch Jones talks about his team after a few practices.
• Temple's moves means change for the better, writes Rich Hofmann of the Philadelphia Daily News.
• The Big East still faces major challenges, writes Mike Jensen of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
• Bringing back Temple? The Big East is desperate.
• Temple coach Steve Addazio is excited to start play in the Big East.
• ESPNU150 Watch List receiver Quan Jones has an offer from UConn.
• Receiver Josh Bellamy caught the eye of scouts at Louisville's pro day.
• Pitt guard Lucas Nix is getting ready for a career in the NFL.
• Rutgers has reportedly hired former Columbia coach Norries Wilson to work with the running backs.
• Could USF and Rutgers play on a Thursday in September?
• How do Syracuse's recruiting prospects for 2013 stack up?

It appears that Big East players had mixed performances at the NFL combine, which just wrapped up in Indianapolis.

Cincinnati running back Isaiah Pead, UConn receiver Kashif Moore, Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones and UConn defensive tackle Kendall Reyes had solid performances, and likely helped themselves.

Of the 18 Big East players there, those four probably had the most notable performances. And it is still unclear if players like Jones, Reyes and Rutgers receiver Mohamed Sanu will be drafted in the first round.

To find out how your favorite player did in all the measurable categories, just click on his name:

Chas Alecxih, DT, Pitt

Justin Francis, DE, Rutgers

John Hughes, DT, Cincinnati

Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse

Brandon Lindsey, DE, Pitt

Kashif Moore, WR, UConn

Lucas Nix, OG, Pitt

Isaiah Pead, RB, Cincinnati

Nick Provo, TE, Syracuse

Antwuan Reed, CB, Pitt

Kendall Reyes, DT, UConn

Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers

Darrell Scott, RB, USF

Dave Teggart, K, UConn

Phillip Thomas, S, Syracuse

Andrew Tiller, OG, Syracuse

Derek Wolfe, DT, Cincinnati

Desmond Wynn, OG, Rutgers

With the NFL combine underway, our friends over at Scouts Inc. have done quite an impressive job putting together a list of grades for the top prospects leading into the draft.

Take a look at their rankings for:

• Quarterback
• Running back
• Offensive line
• Receivers
• Tight ends

For a quick overview on Big East players, here are some that were highlighted:

• In the category of competitiveness/toughness for receivers, Rutgers receiver Mohamed Sanu ranks No. 4 . He also is listed in the Top 10 among most draftable receivers. UConn receiver Kashif Moore didn't get a draftable grade, but he was invited to the combine.
• UConn center Moe Petrus is listed as the No. 3 center in the toughness category. Pitt guard Lucas Nix has the highest draftable grade among Big East offensive linemen. Desmond Wynn of Rutgers and Petrus also got draftable grades as well. Petrus wasn't invited to the combine.
• Syracuse tight end Nick Provo received a draftable grade, ranking right around the middle of all tight ends available.
• In the power/balance category for running backs, Darrell Scott of USF is ranked No. 3. Isaiah Pead of Cincinnati also received a Top 10 draftable grade. Scott did receive a draftable grade as well, but it wasn't very high.
• And not to leave the defense out, here is Todd McShay's latest big board , featuring Chandler Jones at No. 28.

I started the postseason countdown of the top-25 players in the Big East this morning. So it is only fitting that I start the postseason position rankings this afternoon.

The preseason version for each position caused much consternation and angst among every fan base. With a full season complete, we all have a much better idea of how everybody stacked up. So let us get started with offensive line. This was not a particularly strong year for line play across the Big East. There was a clear top, a clear bottom and then many similar groups in the middle.

1. Cincinnati. The Bearcats not only had the best group, they had the most improved group over a year ago. Much of that was experience, but they also proved their worth when it came to run blocking. Cincinnati transformed itself into a rushing team with Isaiah Pead leading the way. After allowing 33 sacks last year, Cincinnati only gave up 21 to rank No. 2 in the league. Randy Martinez made the first team at guard as well. Preseason ranking: 6.

2. USF. The Bulls had major question marks at this position going into the season after losing three starters. But Jeremiah Warren and Chaz Hine did a great job anchoring this unit, which allowed a Big East-low 16 sacks, and helped the Bulls lead the league in rushing. Freshman tackle Quinterrius Eatmon proved his worth. Preseason ranking: 5.

3. Syracuse. The Orange had two players make the Big East first team in Justin Pugh and Andrew Tiller, and yet another 1,000-yard rusher in Antwon Bailey. This group had its share of struggles, as the run game was inconsistent and the pass blocking seemed to regress late in the season. But consider this overall position was one of the weakest in the Big East this season. Preseason ranking: 1.

4. West Virginia. Yet another inconsistent group in the Big East, the Mountaineers had struggles at several key positions on the offensive line throughout the season. But what stands out is the way they played against their toughest opponents. West Virginia had its best efforts on the line against LSU and Clemson, proving this group could play up to the level of competition. Also, tackle Don Barclay made the Big East first-team. Preseason ranking: 2.

5. Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights were vastly improved at this position after ranking last in 2010. They cut the sacks they allowed in half, had a first-team selection in Art Forst and a Freshman All-American in Kaleb Johnson. The one area that remains a problem is rushing offense -- Rutgers averaged 97.8 yards a game and 2.8 yards a carry to rank No. 112 in the nation. Preaseason ranking: 8.

6. UConn. This has traditionally been a position of strength for the Huskies, but that was not the case in 2011. Center Moe Petrus did make the Big East first team, but the Huskies did have a 1,000-yard rusher in Lyle McCombs. But this group did not play well for most of the season. Teams keyed in on the run to get UConn to pass, but even coach Paul Pasqualoni said he wanted to see more out of this unit. UConn gave up 41 sacks, compared to 15 a season ago. Preseason ranking: 3.

7. Louisville. The Cardinals were young at this position and it showed. Injuries hurt, but so did a lack of depth. This group did improve as the season went on, but against the toughest competition and the strongest defensive lines, they wilted. Rushing offense was down, and they gave up 41 sacks on the season. Preseason ranking: 7.

8. Pitt. To put it simply, the offensive line was a disaster for a number of reasons. Injuries to key players like Chris Jacobson and Lucas Nix certainly hurt. But so did the new blocking schemes installed under former coach Todd Graham, and Tino Sunseri's inability to get rid of the ball in a timely fashion in the hurry-up offense. Pitt gave up 64 sacks to rank last in the NCAA -- the second season in a row a Big East team held the dubious honor (Rutgers gave up 61 in 2010). Preseason ranking: 4.

The NFL officially released its list of players heading to the NFL combine in Indianapolis, and 20 Big East players made the cut. More than 300 prospects are set to gather beginning Feb. 22, to be tested, interviewed, evaluated and graded in the lead up to the NFL draft in April.

Here are the Big East representatives:

Chas Alecxih, DE, Pitt

Justin Francis, DE, Rutgers

Najee Goode, LB, West Virginia

John Hughes, DT, Cincinnati

Bruce Irvin, DE, West Virginia

Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse

Brandon Lindsey, DE, Pitt

Kashif Moore, WR, UConn

Lucas Nix, OG, Pitt

Isaiah Pead, RB, Cincinnati

Nick Provo, TE, Syracuse

Antwuan Reed, CB, Pitt

Kendall Reyes, DT, UConn

Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers

Darrell Scott, RB, USF

Dave Teggart, K, UConn

Phillip Thomas, S, Syracuse

Andrew Tiller, OG, Syracuse

Derek Wolfe, DT, Cincinnati

Desmond Wynn, OG, Rutgers

Breakdown by school:

Pitt: 4

Syracuse: 4

Cincinnati: 3

UConn: 3

Rutgers: 3

West Virginia: 2

USF: 1

Our friends at ESPN Recruiting Nation took a look back at the ESPNU 150 recruits in the class of 2008 to see how they fared. The Big East had four players on that list, all at Pitt.

No. 25 Jonathan Baldwin, WR. Baldwin was a top performer at Pitt,with 127 catches for 2,304 yards and 16 touchdowns over three seasons. He declared for the NFL draft after his junior season and was selected 26th overall by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2011.

No. 102 Shayne Hale, ILB. Hale redshirted his first year and then was moved to defensive end. He has appeared in just three games over the past two seasons.

No. 110 Chris Burns, RB. Burns transferred to Massachusetts following the 2010 season because of limited playing time. He played in four games and will have one more year of eligibility next fall.

No. 124 Lucas Nix, OL. Nix has been a mainstay on the offensive line for the past three seasons, but a knee injury early this season limited him to seven games. He has the potential to be third- or fourth-round pick in the NFL draft.

Pitt starting right guard Lucas Nix will play against SMU in the BBVA Compass Bowl on Saturday, even though he has three summary charges pending for his role in a fight over the holiday break.

Nix was charged with public drunkenness, disorderly conduct and criminal mischief after reportedly getting into a verbal argument with West Virginia offensive linemen Pat Eger and Joe Madsen at Eger's house. Nix was not arrested, and didn't find out he was charged until Thursday.

Interim coach Keith Patterson issued the following statement Friday:

"Last night I became aware of three summary charges filed against Lucas Nix for an incident that took place during the break. Yesterday was the first time Lucas was informed of these charges as well. He was not arrested but received these charges by mail. These are situations we take very seriously and we wanted to make sure we had the facts necessary to make the right decision on the matter. Based on the information we received, including a discussion with Lucas, we have decided he will play in his final college football game tomorrow against SMU. I am both comfortable and confident in this decision based on the information we've carefully gathered during the past 24 hours."

• UConn defensive coordinator Don Brown met with Yale officials recently to discuss its open head-coaching job.
• You guys noticed the Big East topped the ACC, right?
• The Belk Bowl had the second-largest attendance increase among bowls this season.
• Pitt offensive lineman Lucas Nix is facing charges after a fight with some West Virginia players. Could Joe Rudolph be coming home to work for Paul Chryst?
• Four-star linebacker Quanzell Lambert picked Rutgers -- its best defensive commitment so far.
• USF special-teams ace Armando Sanchez won't play his senior season.
• Syracuse will be without its top five receivers when spring practice opens, after Alec Lemon underwent surgery.
• Video: This is what Darwin Cook looks like while he finds out Obie, the Orange Bowl mascot he tackled, is a girl. West Virginia's defense broke the game open.

Last week, we took a look at the up-and-coming freshmen in the Big East. Now it is time to take a look at all of the departing senior talent. There is a ton across every team in this league. Sixteen of the 29 players honored on the All-Big East first team are seniors. There are still five bowl games left to be played, but it is worth taking a look at how many seniors are departing.

I will take a closer look at some of these "super seniors" in a future post.

Cincinnati

• Seniors: 21
• Starters: 12
• Key losses: Zach Collaros, Isaiah Pead, Randy Martinez, D.J. Woods, Evan Davis, John Hughes, Wes Richardson, Alex Hoffman, JK Schaffer, Adrien Robinson, Tom DeTemple, Derek Wolfe.

UConn

• Seniors: 13
• Starters: 7
• Key losses: Mike Ryan, Moe Petrus, Kashif Moore, Isiah Moore, Dave Teggart, Twyon Martin, Kendall Reyes.

Louisville

• Seniors: 17
• Starters: 9
• Key losses: Victor Anderson, Josh Bellamy, Josh Chichester, Ryan Kessling, Dexter Heyman, William Savoy, Greg Scruggs, Chris Philpott.

Pitt

• Seniors: 17
• Starters: 9
• Key losses: Lucas Nix, Greg Gaskins, Jordan Gibbs, Antwuan Reed, Max Gruder, Greg Williams, Brandon Lindsey, Chas Alecxih, Myles Caragein.

Rutgers

• Seniors: 16
• Starters: 8
• Key losses: Desmond Wynn, Caleb Ruch, Art Forst, Joe Martinek, Justin Francis, Manny Abreu, David Rowe, San San Te.

USF

• Seniors: 17
• Starters: 6
• Key losses: Jeremiah Warren, Chaz Hine, Quenton Washington, Jerrell Young, Patrick Hampton, Keith McCaskill.

Syracuse

• Seniors: 18
• Starters: 7
• Key losses: Van Chew, Andrew Tiller, Michael Hay, Antwon Bailey, Kevyn Scott, Mikhail Marinovich, Nick Provo.

West Virginia

• Seniors: 22
• Starters: 8
• Key losses: Don Barclay, Julian Miller, Bruce Irvin, Najee Goode, Keith Tandy, Eain Smith.

Pittsburgh and Syracuse will play for the same goal Saturday in Pittsburgh -- bowl eligibility.

It is safe to say nobody expected either team to be in this position. The Panthers were picked to finish No. 2 in the Big East when the season began. Syracuse was 5-2 in the middle of October. Yet neither team has gotten particularly strong play from its offense down the stretch, so both face a must-win just to get to .500 and keep their seasons alive.

"Obviously we didn't want to be in the position where we're fighting to be in a bowl game, but it would be big for us to get to one," Pittsburgh guard Lucas Nix said. "Not only that, it's Senior Day, so we all want to perform well."

Syracuse coach Doug Marrone also has emphasized to his team the meaning and importance of playing for the senior class, a group that worked so hard to help the Orange rebuild their program. He said this week that playing for a bowl game has not been motivation enough, since the Orange have dropped four straight with bowl eligibility on the line.

So he has tried a different tactic.

"He's been harping on doing it for the seniors, playing for those guys next to you, those guys who poured all their blood, sweat and tears into the program the last four years," Syracuse tackle Justin Pugh said.

Since Syracuse's big win against West Virginia, Marrone has said his players are worried about making mistakes and that has impacted the way they have played.

"After the big win against West Virginia, there was added pressure," Pugh said. "It's tough to go out there when you're thinking about not messing up. Coach has really emphasized to us to try to play loose and with a lot of enthusiasm, to play our game. If we do our job, everything should end up OK. Hopefully everyone takes that mindset and all 11 guys have it this week."

Scoring more would certainly help. During this four-game losing streak, Syracuse is averaging 15 points a game. As it stands, the Orange rank No. 89 in the nation in total offense, and No. 79 in scoring offense. Pittsburgh has not lit up the scoreboard, either, ranking No. 83 in total offense and No. 75 in scoring offense.

Those numbers come as more of a surprise, because coach Todd Graham promised a high-octane offense when he got the job. But everybody on offense has been slow to adapt to the new hurry-up spread, from the offensive line, to quarterback Tino Sunseri, to his receivers. Remember, these are pro-style players being asked to run a system that is completely foreign to them.

A learning curve was to be expected. But what has come as a disappointment is that the players have not really grasped the concepts well after 11 games. There has been little to no improvement. Plus, the Panthers have had to deal with the loss of their best player, Ray Graham.

"It's been an experience trying to go through this season and coaching on the fly," Nix said. "All year, we kept saying, 'It's getting close it's getting close.' At points we thought we were there and getting over the hump, but it's just mental mistakes, people not fully buying into the system. I honestly think all these players have tried to buy in, it's just a matter of more time and repetitions."

Adversity has struck both teams. Whoever handles it best Saturday will be going bowling.

"Every season despite the records, there's always ups and downs and some type of adversity you have to deal with," Marrone said. "Has this been a tough year? Does it rank up there with some of the other ones? It has. I'm not going to deny that. Whatever the adversity you're faced with, you refocus everything on the field.

"When you have situations that occur that you can't control, whether it's injuries or suspensions, you need to move on and people need to pick up. The one lesson I always learned: no one ever feels sorry for you. No one's looking across that field saying, 'Gosh I feel bad this player's hurt or this player's out.' Everyone's focused on going out to win a game. Sometimes the greatest lessons in life you learn during this time. Sometimes true character is created, and how you deal with these situations and how you deal with adversity is going to help you later on in life."

Happy December, and happy football watching tonight.

• The Cincinnati seniors are happy to be back at Nippert Stadium.
• It is time to raise the level of the UConn football program.
• Can the Huskies beat Cincinnati to send Louisville to the Orange Bowl? Tracking a November to remember.
• Pitt senior offensive lineman Lucas Nix is fighting through the pain. The receivers have been slow to catch on to the spread offense.
• USF is hoping to win one more for its seniors.
• Syracuse defensive end Mikhail Marinovich is questionable against Pitt.
• The numbers are in, and beer sales have greatly benefited West Virginia this season. It all comes down to tonight for the Mountaineers.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- We are approaching kickoff between Pitt and West Virginia. Here are a few final thoughts before the game starts:

Pitt might get a boost on the offensive line, which has struggled mightily this season. Right guard Lucas Nix is expected to play Friday night for the first time since injuring his knee against USF in September. He has missed five straight games, and Pitt has started three different players in his place. Nix was dressed and participated in pregame warmups.

A bunch of West Virginia records could be falling Friday. Among them:

• Quarterback Geno Smith is 111 yards away from passing Marc Bulger for the most single-season passing yards in school history. Smith has 3,497 yards; Bulger had 3,607 in 1998.
• Smith also is 291 yards shy of 7,000 for his career. He would become the fifth player in school history with 7,000 total yards of offense, joining Pat White, Bulger, Rasheed Marshall and Major Harris.
• Receiver Stedman Bailey needs just 7 yards to break the single-season record for receiving yards, set by David Saunders in 1996.
• Bailey also has an opportunity to match the school record for touchdown catches in a season. He currently has 10; the record is 12, held by Darius Reynaud (2007) and Chris Henry (2004).
• Receiver Tavon Austin needs six receptions to break the single-season record of 77, set by Saunders in 1998.
• West Virginia has won two straight in this series. Pitt leads overall 61-39-3. In West Virginia's last 15 wins in the series, the Mountaineers have scored 581 points -- an average of 38.7 per game.