ESPN College Football

Did you know that ...

• Noel Devine went over 4,000 career rushing yards in Saturday's loss to Syracuse? Devine now has 4,007, most among active FBS players.

• Cincinnati had three 100-yard receivers for the first time in school history in last week's loss to South Florida? Marcus Barnett, Armon Binns and D.J. Woods each had more than 135 receiving yards.

• Syracuse has three road wins this season, matching its total from the previous five years combined?

• The Orange received Top 25 votes this week for the first time since 2004? Syracuse hasn't been ranked since the end of the 2001 season.

• UConn linebacker Lawrence Wilson ranks in the top 10 nationally in tackles for the second straight year, and his 404 career stops ranks fourth all-time in school history? Wilson needs 25 more tackles to move into second place.

• Cincinnati is averaging 528 yards of total offense over its past four games?

• Bearcats running back Isaiah Pead's 7.7 yards per carry average leads all FBS rushers with at least 75 attempts?

• Louisville's Bilal Powell, who has 1,003 rushing yards with five regular-season games left, needs only 427 yards to become the school's single- season rushing leader?

• Pitt had never scored 40 points in back-to-back Big East games until the past two weeks, when it hung 45 on Syracuse and 41 on Rutgers? The Panthers' offense is averaging 100 yards of offense more the past two games than it did in the first five.

Stock up

1. Brandon Lindsey: After a three-sack performance against Rutgers, the Pitt defensive end now leads the Big East with eight sacks. Not bad for Greg Romeus' fill-in.

2. Pitt's offense: The Panthers are averaging 43 points per game in conference play and have found good balance between the running and passing games to become very dangerous.

3. Scott Shafer: The Syracuse defensive coordinator has engineered terrific game plans against South Florida and West Virginia, and his blitz schemes have caused a lot of Big East teams trouble. Why did Michigan let this guy go?

4. B.J. Daniels: The South Florida quarterback got plenty of grief during his struggles, so it's only right that he earns praise for his four-touchdown, no-interception showing last week against Cincinnati in a big win. If he can approximate that performance in the future, the Bulls will be tough to beat.

5. Marcus Barnett: The Cincinnati receiver known as "Bones" had maybe his best game since his freshman year, catching nine balls for 174 yards and one touchdown. All three Bearcats receivers went over 135 yards against USF.

6. The Louisville defense: I had serious doubts about how this defense would compete this year, given its lack of size. The Cardinals have posted shutouts in two of their last three games, including a 26-0 whitewash of Connecticut on Saturday.

Stock down

1. The West Virginia offense: The Mountaineers are averaging 17 points and fewer than 300 total yards in their two conference games and were shut down for the final 46 minutes against Syracuse.

2. UConn's special teams: The Huskies posted a terrible trifecta on special teams against Louisville. They missed a field goal, fumbled away a punt return and allowed a punt return for a touchdown (after having another punt return score called back on a Louisville holding call).

3. Fairness on Syracuse's schedule: As Doug Marrone pointed out this week, the Orange aren't getting as much rest as their opponents. They just played a West Virginia team that was coming off a Thursday game the week before. This week, they get Cincinnati, which played last Friday. In two weeks, they will face Rutgers after the Scarlet Knights have a Wednesday game the prior week. Then it's UConn on Nov. 20 after the Huskies play a Thursday game the week before. Plus, the Orange only have one bye week instead of two like most other Big East teams.

Marrone says he understands why the situation exists: Syracuse hasn't been good enough to be featured on weeknight prime-time games. But he's starting to change that.

4. Safety for Rutgers' quarterbacks: Chas Dodd was sacked six times against Pitt, one week after being taken down behind the line eight times by Army. Nothing will wreck a young quarterback's confidence like a lack of protection. (See: Savage, Tom.) Dodd is holding onto the ball a little too long at times, but the O-line has to do a better job or else Dodd and Savage could be battered and bruised the rest of the year.

• Confidence is not a problem for Tino Sunseri.
• Is West Virginia getting its swagger back?
• Marcus Barnett is eager to seize his new opportunity with the Bearcats.
• Syracuse's freshmen got over their opening-night jitters but have a new challenge awaiting this weekend.
• UConn is looking to improve its third-down defense.
• Louisville will face a quarterback Saturday who grew up rooting for the Cardinals.
• Rutgers' Antonio Lowery has a homecoming in store for Saturday's game at FIU.
• Skip Holtz says USF has a chance against Florida. "Could we beat them nine times out of 10? No. There aren't many people in the country who can beat them even 50 percent of the time. I'll put it this way. We have a chance."

Even as most people were praising Cincinnati's receiving corps as one of the best in the nation this preseason, head coach Butch Jones was quietly nervous about the depth.

Sure, the starters were great, but Jones' up-tempo system demands that a lot of players rotate in at receiver to stay fresh. The depth started taking hits when junior college import Kenbrell Thompkins was ruled ineligible, when highly touted freshman Dyjuan Lewis wasn't cleared and when Jamar Howard got hurt in the spring.

All of those developments, however, pale in comparison to the loss of Vidal Hazelton.

The USC transfer, who was arguably the most talked-about newcomer in the Big East this season, is already done for the year after tearing his ACL on a kickoff return in the Fresno State game. Hazelton had six catches for 63 yards before the injury. You've got to feel terrible for a guy who sat out all of last year under transfer rules only to get less than one game his senior season.

Hazelton did not redshirt at USC, so there's a possibility that he could gain another year of eligibility. That's something that won't be determined until after the year, however, and who knows with the NCAA?

Hazelton brought size, strength and big-play ability to the wide receiver group. Now there's even more pressure on Armon Binns to be the Bearcats' No. 1 wideout. D.J. Woods had a strong first half against Fresno State and is one of the better slot receivers in the league. Marcus Barnett will assume Hazelton's role on the outside opposite Binns.

Barnett was a star his freshman year before finding himself in Brian Kelly's doghouse as a sophomore and junior. He has a lot of experience and ability, but his skinny frame -- his nickname is "Bones" -- means he will not be the same physical target that Hazelton was. He seems better suited as a slot guy.

"I don't think it will affect [us] that much in terms of what we do offensively and in terms of personnel groupings," Jones said. "But any time you take a person like Vidal out of the offense, obviously it concerns you a little bit because of his talent and playmaking ability.

"I'm excited for Marcus Barnett. ... Now is his opportunity to come in and make amends for the last couple of years, so we'll see how that goes."

Cincinnati, surprisingly, already has some offensive question marks after scoring just 14 points against Fresno State -- its lowest total in almost two years. Zach Collaros was sacked eight times and hurried even more. While Jones said not all of the sacks could be blamed on the offensive line -- Collaros clearly held onto the ball too long on several plays -- he's considering some personnel changes up front.

We all thought the Bearcats would have an explosive offense in 2010. Now that's not as certain. And with games coming up this month at NC State and against Oklahoma, Jones and his team could find themselves in an early hole if they don't make the right adjustments.

One of the main reasons Vidal Hazelton chose Cincinnati after transferring from USC in 2008 was to be closer to his grandfather. James Hazelton, who Vidal describes as one of his biggest fans, had been diagnosed with cancer at his home in Georgia.

"He couldn't get on a plane anymore, and I wanted him to be able to drive to my games," Hazelton said. "He's doing well now, going through the radiation process. He's really excited for the season."

Bearcats fans share that same enthusiasm about the idea of finally seeing Hazelton playing for their team this season. The senior receiver was denied a waiver for immediate eligibility by the NCAA and sat out the 2009 season under transfer rules. Now Hazelton may be ready to make the biggest impact of any Big East newcomer in 2010.

He was the No. 3 prospect in the recruiting class of 2006, according to ESPN's Scouts Inc. As a sophomore with the Trojans, he caught 50 passes for 540 yards and four touchdowns. His junior year was marred by an early ankle injury.

Though Cincinnati had a superstar wideout last year in Mardy Gilyard and another highly productive one in Armon Binns, coaches would say that Hazelton was at times the best receiver in practice.

"The scout team was kind of like my motivation, because that was the only thing I had to look forward to every day," Hazelton said. "The coaches would be on me every day to make sure I gave a good look to the defense."

Still, first-year Bearcats coach Butch Jones says sometimes it's easy for a player to go through practice without the pressures of knowing the entire offense or having to perform on game day. Jones saw Hazelton go through a transition in spring practice as he tried to knock the rust off and get down to serious preparation. Now, he looks ready.

"He's hungry, and he's a football junkie," Jones said. "You'll see him carrying a laptop around and be on YouTube watching different receiver videos and all that.

"I think you'll see an individual who can make all the plays. He's a very good route runner, and he's going to be a playmaker."

At 6-foot-3 and 213 pounds, Hazelton has the size and strength to be a good blocker, something he says he takes pride in, and to go over the middle. He's got speed to stretch defenses as well, and he wants to show that he can average more than the 10.8 yards per catch he posted at USC.

"I don't want to be labeled as a possession receiver," he said. "So when I get the ball, I just want to do good things and make a lot of plays."

Cincinnati needs Hazelton to replace the playmaking abilities of Gilyard, who was one of the most prolific receivers in Big East history. If he comes close to doing so, the Bearcats should have the best receiving corps in the conference and one of the best in the nation. Binns, also a senior, had 888 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns last season, while junior D.J. Woods caught 51 passes for 640 yards and four scores.

"Everybody brings something different to the table," Hazelton said. "Binns, if you throw it up, he's got unbelievable ball skills in the air. D.J. is fast and runs really good routes, so he's an excellent slot guy. Bones [Marcus Barnett], for somebody who's kind of skinny, he's got a lot of heart. He's not afraid to catch the ball over the middle."

Hazelton said he expects his grandfather to make the seven-hour drive to watch each of the Bearcats' home games this year. With that receiving group, James Hazelton should never be bored.

WEST HARRISON, Ind. -- A scary moment happened near the end of Cincinnati's final practice at Camp Higher Ground on Wednesday.

Starting quarterback Zach Collaros took the snap, then tumbled to the turf. Head coach Butch Jones screamed, "Trainer!"

Well, it was only scary if you didn't know what was going on. After the trainers looked at Collaros, a pair of linemen helped him hobble to the sideline. Then Collaros bounced up and skipped away laughing.

Turns out, the Bearcats were merely practicing a quarterback injury. They had scripted the entire thing the night before.

Sounds weird, but Jones leaves nothing to chance. He also had offensive players practice how to celebrate after a touchdown and the defense do the same following a three-and-out. That way, they learn how to do it without taking off their helmets or drawing excess celebration penalties.

"No stone unturned," Jones said. "You can't assume anything. Throughout the course of the season, there are a lot of bizarre things that happen. I keep a notebook of all the things that have happened and you try to practice them to at least have some familiarity for the players."

Much of the practice was devoted to specific situations, like punt coverage and goal-line defense, with only one unit on the field. At one point, Jones chided his players for not running through the end zone on a mock kickoff coverage, telling them they had to have "a mentality of confidence."

"I think it's creating expectations and a standard of excellence," he said. "It's like raising your kids. You never assume anything."

Some other thoughts from Higher Ground:

• Last year around this time on my visit here, I was blown away by Cincinnati's athleticism, speed and size. I knew the Bearcats were bound for a big year, and I regretted not picking them to win the Big East title. I didn't get the same feeling today, but some of that is because the practice was more situational-based. Still, Cincinnati's starters are as good as anybody in the league, and the offense might be the best. It's the backups that scare you. This team has to stay healthy. Identifying those key backups is still a concern for Jones."It's going to be an ongoing process throughout game week, solidifying our depth chart," he said.

• Marcus Barnett, a little bit of a forgotten man, caught my eye with some nice catches at practice. Remember, he had a huge freshman year before falling out of favor with Brian Kelly the past two years. By all accounts he's had a big camp, and he'll be needed to provide depth at receiver.
• Speaking of receivers, highly-touted freshman Dyjuan Lewis wasn't in pads and spent most of the practice on an exercise bike. He's been cleared to practice but not yet to play by the NCAA.
• A player I didn't know a lot about before today, Maalik Bomar, could be a big key to the defense. He's playing outside linebacker, with JK Schaffer moved to the middle. Like the other linebackers, Bomar (6-foot-2, 213 pounds) doesn't have a lot of size but can run. "He plays with a high energy level and is very consistent," Jones said. "He's extremely explosive, and I'm excited because he's worked himself into that spot.Linebacker is very thin behind the starters.

• Collaros looks like he's put on some muscle since the spring, and he was very sharp today. I still think he's sitting on a monster year.
• Another unusual part of a Butch Jones practice is the music, which blared throughout the workout from a stereo system. Heard some Van Halen, U2 and various rap songs during the practice. I'd like to apply for the job of football practice DJ.
• The Bearcats return to Clifton on Thursday morning and then will break in their new practice fields on campus.

Cincinnati's vaunted receiving corps just lost one potential key piece for 2010.

Kenbrell Thompkins, a junior college transfer and former Tennessee signee, had his request to be immediately eligible denied by the national letter of intent appeals committee. Tennessee refused to release Thompkins from his letter of intent after Lane Kiffin left the Volunteers to coach USC.

The appeals committee did grant Thompkins some relief, allowing him to sit out this year as a transfer and have two years of eligibility remaining. The standard penalty for breaking a letter of intent is one year's loss of eligibility.

We could talk about how unfair it is that a coach can recruit a player, then leave for another school, and the player isn't then free to transfer to another school. But that's another topic, and the system is so ludicrously tilted against athletes I'm not sure there's even any debate.

Either way, Cincinnati is still set at its starting wideout spots with Armon Binns, D.J. Woods and Vidal Hazelton. But Butch Jones is concerned with the depth behind the starters, since his high-tempo offense requires a lot from its receivers. Marcus Barnett and perhaps incoming freshman Dyjuan Lewis will have to step up, because Thompkins had been impressive in the spring and was in line for a lot of playing time.

In other Bearcats news, tight end Travis Kelce has been suspended for the season for a violation of team rules. Kelce was behind both Ben Guidugli and Adrien Robinson on the depth chart. He's best known for running in a touchdown against Rutgers out of the Wildcat formation in last year's season opener.

Here is Part II of my interview with Cincinnati associate head coach/defensive backs coach Kerry Coombs. For Part I, click here.

Let's talk about this year's secondary. It looked in the spring like you had a lot of competition back there. How is that all shaking out?

Kerry Coombs: Competition is exactly right. I think we're young. At the same time, we have some experience. Everybody made such a big deal last year out of the fact that we had 10 new starters on defense, which was absolutely true. And this year, we're actually younger on defense this year, but we've got more kids with playing time experience. And that's really represented in the secondary.

You know, Drew Frey still has three years of eligibility left, but he's been involved in three different seasons already. He's an experienced kid at the safety position, and he's going to be the quarterback back there and he's gaining confidence every day. Dominique Battle is a guy who started every game he was healthy for last year and got reps as a true freshman when we had three kids who got drafted in the secondary two years ago. So he's a talented kid. Those are the two guys you look at and say, OK, those are your anchor guys.

And then we've got competition at the other safety spot with Wes Richardson -- who's a former walk-on and a self-made player, a kid you have to admire for the way he does his business every day -- and two kids who were redshirt freshmen last year in Pat Lambert and Quincy Quetant.

Then at the other cornerback spot, you've got Camerron Cheatham -- who's a high-knowledge player, he's always right and doesn't make mistakes -- and Reuben Johnson -- who's probably one of the most explosive players on the team, who has no fear of failure. He's a dynamic player who's going to make some plays, and at the same time he runs the risk of being beat because he has no fear. And Chris Williams played as a true freshman last year before he got hurt early.

We'll play a lot of nickel, so those guys are going to have to play and we'll count on them to play.

How big, then, is fall camp for these young guys to get ready?

KC: It's huge for us. First of all, they've got to stay healthy, so this lifting and running period they're in right now is critical. They've got to be in such good shape that they stay healthy so they can get reps in practice. You get a hamstring tweaked or an ankle turned and you miss 10 days in camp, that's like missing half a season for these guys. It's not like DeAngelo Smith and Mike Mickens; it didn't matter if they went through two-a-days because they knew what they were doing. That's not the case with these guys.

So fall camp will be critical, because this stuff's not decided yet and they'll have to go out there and battle every day. They've got to play when the lights are on. We're going to go to Fresno State on September 4th and play in one of the more hostile environments on the other side of the country, and nobody cares how many years of experience they have or what grade they're in. They've got to line up and play.

Your guys practice every day against, what I think is, one of the best receiving groups in the country. While I'm sure that makes them better, do you have to remind yourself at times if they're having a bad day that they're doing so against some great receivers?


KC: You're absolutely right about that. If there's a better receiving corps in the country, I'd like to know who they are. I mean that in all sincerity, because I see them up close and personal every single day. Vidal Hazelton was one of the best players on our field last year every single day and he was just a scout guy. He'd wear us out. He's going to be dynamic, and with Armon Binns, D.J. Woods, Marcus Barnett and hopefully Kenbrell Thompkins, they're going to be very, very stout over there.

What I don't want to allow our guys to do is to think it's OK for UC receivers to catch balls, because it's not OK. If we start thinking that, we'll be in for a rude awakening when we go against Pitt's wide receiving corps, or Oklahoma's wide receiving corps. The good news for our guys is that we've seen some of the best teams in the country. They've been around enough that they've been to Oklahoma, we just got done getting thrashed by Florida in the Sugar Bowl. So I don't think they'll be afraid of anybody.

Other defensive coaches mentioned in the spring that this year's secondary would be more aggressive than last year's group. How accurate is that?

KC: It's important for everybody to know and understand that last year we designed every week a plan to win the game. People might look at our defense and say this or that without really understanding that we were designing a defense and managing the game to win the game. There were situations where we were ahead early and all of a sudden guys start going for it on fourth down when they wouldn't normally. That impacts your numbers and statistics, but it didn't impact our victories.

Last year, we made a conscious decision based on who we were playing in the back end and their style of play, relative to putting them on an island and straight man coverage against people and whether that was a positive matchup for us. Whereas the year before, when you have three guys who got drafted, you don't have much hesitance to do that. We had a different style of player last year in the back end. They were good guys, good players but a different style so we changed up, didn't pressure as much and did less man coverage.

I think this year coach [Tim] Banks and coach [John] Jancek have a philosophy built around pressure schemes. We'll put more pressure on the quarterback, and there will be more pressure on us in the back end. And I think we're eager for that, the players are eager. You don't find many good defensive backs who don't want to play man-to-man coverage, who don't want to be on an island. If you're afraid of that, you'll end up getting beat no matter what coverage you're in.

Finally, you've risen to the rank of associate head coach and some fans have thrown your name around as a head coaching candidate some day. Is that the career path you see yourself on?

KC: If my job never changes from what it is right now, I'll retire a very happy, happy man and I'll realize I'm very lucky and fortunate to have the life and career I've had. I'd love to be on the sidelines at Nippert Stadium for more victories than any coach in the history of the program. I think that would be something really, really neat.

There are some situations that come around that you don't foresee. If you'd asked me five years ago whether I'd be the coach at Colerain High School the rest of my life, I would have said absolutely and I wouldn't have been lying. But this opportunity came up and was really different and exciting.

I can't tell you I won't ever be somewhere else or doing something else, and I certainly would not hesitate to be a head coach again. But I love Cincinnati, and I love working with Butch Jones. I can see myself being a partner with him for a long, long time.

If Dion Lewis were to go down, Pitt could still run the ball well with Ray Graham, Chris Burns and Jason Douglas, plus battering ram fullback Henry Hynoski.

But the Panthers aren't the only team in the Big East that's prepared for injuries and other scenarios at key spots.

There are few players as dynamic as Noel Devine, but West Virginia believes it may have the next divine runner in Tavon Austin. Jock Sanders has also ably filled in at tailback for Devine over the years, and Ryan Clarke is physical, bruising ball carrier.

Cincinnati and Connecticut are blessed with rare quarterback depth. While Zach Collaros should be a star, his backup -- Chazz Anderson -- has already won important games. Same goes with UConn, which will start Zach Frazer but feels comfortable with Cody Endres leading the team. And both teams have third-stringers who can play.

The Bearcats are loaded at wide receiver with Armon Binns, D.J. Woods and Vidal Hazelton. Take one out, and it would hurt but not cripple the offense, as Marcus Barnett and two players who excelled in junior college -- Jamar Howard and Kenbrell Thompkins -- could pick up some slack.

UConn has the league's deepest cast at offensive line, which showed this spring when Adam Masters and Kevin Friend stepped in to compensate for injuries and excelled. The Huskies seem to just plug in and play on their O-line with little dropoff.

Rutgers might have its deepest defensive line ever under Greg Schiano, so deep that the Scarlet Knights didn't mind moving former top-rated recruit Antwan Lowery over to offense. South Florida lost George Selvie and Jason Pierre-Paul off its defensive line but could still go 8-to-10 deep there if youngsters develop as expected.

Depth isn't a word thrown around Syracuse much lately, but the Orange enter 2010 with a full stable of defensive backs, including five players who started a year ago and several others who earned valuable experience in 2009.

Overall, I'd say UConn, Pittsburgh and West Virginia are the deepest teams in the Big East. But depending on the position, some teams are better off than others.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It's your favorite Big East blogger's birthday today, and cash always makes a nice gift. Of course, it's always better to give than receive, so I'll be giving out some answers to your e-mails now:

Charles from Tampa writes: With the injury to A..J. Love, USF has a lack of depth at quarterback and the wide receiver positions. I have attended every USF home game for the past two seasons and I have not been impressed with Dontavia Bogan at all, so I have no trust in him as our go-to wide receiver. Who could you see from the incoming recruiting class stepping up and playing a big role in the Bulls' passing game?

Brian Bennett: Bogan did have a big spring game, but with the way defenses are hamstrung in those glorified exhibitions it's hard to read too much into such performances. He has a lot of potential but hasn't really delivered. South Florida coaches were worried about depth at the position before Love got hurt, so it's a real concern.

As far as incoming recruits, that's always a guessing game before they arrive on campus, and there's no guarantee a true freshman will make an impact. South Florida only has two receivers coming in: Deonte Welch and Jamaal Montague. Of the two, Welch was more touted as a recruit. But I think it will be on guys like Sterling Griffin, Lindsey Lamar and Evan Landi -- none have much experience -- to raise their games along with Bogan.

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Dennis R. Philadelphia writes: I know I'm broaching this subject too soon, but it's kind of a downtime with college football so I think it's fun to think about. Is it possible for Pitt to produce four first-round picks next year in the draft? Assuming on-field performance stays level (not that unreasonable) and some early entries, Greg Romeus, Jon Baldwin, Dion Lewis and Jason Pinkston all are first-round caliber. Am I crazy for thinking this?

Brian Bennett: I'd be shocked if Baldwin does not go in the first round next year. He's that good. Romeus could improve his stock to that level with a big senior year. I don't think Pinkston is a first-round player; he's very solid but lacks the elite size of an NFL tackle.

Lewis is the most interesting case study. For those wondering, Pitt officials told me he is in fact eligible for the draft after this, his sophomore year because he spent an extra half-year at prep school. But would an NFL team want to spend a first-round pick on a running back who is about 5-foot-7, maybe 5-8? I doubt it, though Lewis could well deserve such status.

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Ryan J. from Madison, W. Va., writes: We all know that Bill Stewart thinks he has a shot at winning the national title in 2011. Why not this year? We have a ton of skill players on offense and the defense is loaded with returning starters. To me it seems we have a better shot this year than next with so much experience on both sides of the ball.

Brian Bennett: Stewart wasn't ruling out 2010. I think he was just suggesting that maybe next year will be even better because A) quarterback Geno Smith will be in his second year of starting; B) the offensive line will bring its core group back; and C) the Mountaineers get LSU at home instead of on the road. But you're right in that this year's team is loaded on defense and has Noel Devine and Jock Sanders for their senior years. Might as well capitalize on that too, if you can.

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Brandon from Storrs, Conn., writes: Any guesses on why Lindsey Witten and Andre Dixon still are without an NFL team to call their own. From what I read it seemed Witten was a guaranteed free agent at least?

Brian Bennett: Witten has reportedly signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, while Dixon will try out with the New York Giants. I thought both might fare a little better. But from an NFL perspective, both are somewhat undersized for what they do. Though, I wouldn't be surprised to see both latch on because we know they're both well coached.

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Tom C. from Greece writes: I can't get enough of this blog being isolated from college football in Greece, so I appreciate it a lot. I want to know what you think of Pitt's out-of-conference schedule and what it will say if they win all five games -- granted one is a FCS team and the other a low-tier FBS. Thanks and keep up the food work.

Brian Bennett: The blog's reach keeps expanding around the globe. Careful with the ouzo. As for Pitt's nonconference schedule, it's challenging to say the least. The Panthers open at Utah, go to Notre Dame and get Miami at home. And even their FCS opponent, New Hampshire, is no pushover. If Pitt can go 5-0 against that schedule, then it will have a chance to have a special season, and there will be no excuse for not winning the Big East.

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Sean O'Connor from Charleston, S.C., writes: Cincinnati: Best group of wideouts in the nation in 2010? Your thoughts?

Brian Bennett: The Bearcats definitely are loaded at wideout, with Armon Binns, D.J. Woods and Vidal Hazelton as starters, plus possible contributions from Kenbrell Thompkins and Marcus Barnett. They're the best group in the Big East, by far. Best in the nation? That's a bold claim. I want to see what Hazelton does after a year off and see if Binns can repeat his success as a junior. Right now, though, you'd be hard pressed to find too many receiving units that are better on paper.

Cincinnati senior wide receiver Jamar Howard had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Monday and will miss the final five practices of the Bearcats' spring, the team announced. He is expected to be available for fall camp.

Howard, a junior college transfer last year, appeared in five games during the 2009 season and caught three passes for 50 yards. With Vidal Hazelton, Armon Binns, D.J. Woods, Marcus Barnett and Kenbrell Thompkins on board, the Bearcats are blessed with a lot of depth at wideout right now.

Howard was expected to make a big impact last year -- I even picked him as my Big East newcomer of the year before the season -- but he never really played much of a role in the offense.

CINCINNATI -- Some thoughts and observations from today's Cincinnati Bearcats practice:

• The one word I would use to describe a Butch Jones practice is: Fast. Now, I've seen some up-tempo practices in my time. Bobby Petrino used to run his guys hard at Louisville. Heck, Brian Kelly's practices were up-tempo, so much so that Notre Dame is having to adjust to the new pace.
  
  Still, I'm not sure I've seen a practice move as quickly, especially in the spring, as the one I saw today. The team took only one short break for water during the nearly 2 1/2 hour workout which covered 24 periods. When the offense was doing pass skeleton drills, the players had to absolutely sprint to the line of scrimmage after each throw. It's also a loud practice, as several coaches are yelling throughout. Usually, there's one or two extremely vocal, super-intense assistants on the field. At Nippert Stadium today, you would see several coaches sprinting and screaming all over the field.
  
  At one point when a receiver failed to keep running down the field after a catch, Mike Bajakian chased him back to the huddle and then made him sprint with him for yards.
  
  "Get the mentality!" Bajakian yelled.
  
  So that was interesting.

• Some other differences included music over the loudspeakers at the start of practice, though it was turned off after assistant Kerry Coombs voiced his displeasure with Metallica's "One." Team managers wore referee shirts so players would know where to throw the ball after a drill. The team just bought six-foot screens on wheels that stood in for the pass rush on pass drills, as managers would push the screens toward the quarterbacks. And the players line up and shake hands like a postgame hockey scene once practice ends.

• Today was the first day in pads for the Bearcats, but they mostly avoided contact. So it was hard to draw large conclusions about the team as a whole. I would definitely say the receivers are impressive; the starting trio of Armon Binns, Vidal Hazelton and D.J. Woods all look great and it has to be the best group in the Big East. Jamar Howard looks bigger, and Kenbrell Thompkins looked like he could contribute down the line. Marcus Barnett, who has changed his number to 89, made some nice catches as well today.

• I thought Zach Collaros and Chazz Anderson looked sharp. Collaros is going to be the starter, of course, but this team can win with Anderson as well.

• Here was the starting unit on defense when the team went to 11-on-11 drills: Dan Giordano, Derek Wolfe, Brandon Mills and John Hughes up front, JK Schaffer, Dorian Davis and Walter Stewart at linebacker and Camerron Cheatham, Drew Frey, Wesley Richardson and Dominique Battle at defensive back. Cheatham made some nice plays, including an interception. Depth on the defensive line is a concern.

• The starting offensive line was C.J. Cobb, Sam Griffin, Alex Hoffman, Evan Davis and Jason Kelce.

• Jones has devised an interesting way to deal with Cincinnati's lack of practice space (Nippert Stadium is the team's only field). While at most other places punters do their thing on another field somewhere, they stood on the sidelines near the end zone Tuesday and punted the ball into the bleachers as a manager retrieved the balls.

Happy Friday, everybody. Let's get to some e-mails:

Adam from Cincinnati writes: With D.J. Woods, Armon Binns, Vidal Hazelton, and incoming freshman Dyjuan Lewis, and just getting Kenbrell Thompkins could Cincy have the best WR corps in the Big East next year?

Brian Bennett: Well, I'm going to withhold judgment on Lewis and Thompkins, since neither is on campus. Recruiting rankings and hype are nice, but until you actually do it on the field, they don't mean squat. However, I think with just Binns, Hazelton and Woods, Cincinnati already has the best receiving corps in the Big East. If they get anything out of the two new guys -- or Jamar Howard or Marcus Barnett -- that just makes it even better.

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Jason from Pittsburgh writes: There was a very real possibility (had a handful of plays changed) that three of the last four BCS championships could have featured teams that are listed on your Big East Football Madness Bracket (2006 Louisville, 2007 WVU & 2009 Cincy), and another very real possibility that Louisville and WVU could have won the BCS national championship. How do you think the perception of the Big East would have changed if the Big East played in three of the last four BCS championships and came away with one or two wins?

Brian Bennett: The key is the last part of your question: wins. Had Big East teams gone to the BCS title game and come up empty -- especially if the games weren't close -- then all of a sudden they would have been looked at like Ohio State and the Big Ten were perceived before this year's Rose Bowl. Could the Big East have won a title or two? It seems like Louisville would have had a real shot against Ohio State that year, and if West Virginia had gotten the Buckeyes in the 2007 season, they might have won it, too.

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Ronaldo from New Britain, Conn., writes: I'm a big Rutgers fan now for a few years (since the bandwagon has room, I decided to jump on). Do you think that Rutgers can win a BCS bid even though they are a young team or is it Pitt and West Virginia's to lose?

Brian Bennett: I maintain that Rutgers is a year away, and Tom Savage's junior and senior seasons of should be the time the team makes its run. Here's what Greg Schiano had to say about the very subject after practice yesterday (as relayed from the Home News Tribune's Keith Sargeant): "Can we win a title with this team? I don’t know if, when I watch this tape (of practice drills) we may be less than 50 percent correct. We’re so far away.” Maybe they'll be too young to know any better. But with experienced teams like Pitt, Cincinnati, UConn and West Virginia to deal with, it's going to be tough.

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John from Syracuse, N.Y. writes: Has there been any news about who Syracuse is getting to fill their open slot in their schedule with? I personally think that they should get the biggest name as possible because the Carrier Dome has been pretty empty the last couple seasons. If for no other reason, get more fans in the stands for one saturday during the season.

Brian Bennett: I wouldn't look for it to be a big name. Syracuse has played ambitious nonconference schedules every year -- too ambitious lately, in my opinion. I'm all for scheduling aggressively, but this is a program that needs to gain some wins and confidence to get back on track. With Washington, Boston College, Akron and Maine already on the nonconference slate, adding a beatable team -- even if that means a second FCS school -- could help the Orange creep toward bowl eligibility.

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Jason from the USS HARRY S. TRUMAN writes: How bout this? Dump Notre Dame and Rutgers. Split from Catholic schools. BIG EAST NORTH: Pitt, Syracuse, UConn, WVU, Cincy & Louisville. BIG EAST SOUTH: USF, UCF, Houston, TCU, Memphis.

Brian Bennett: I don't really have a comment, since I'm about expansion-ed out at this point. I just think it's cool that somebody e-mailed me from a boat.

• Marcus Barnett is back at wide receiver and hoping for a fresh start under Butch Jones, Bill Koch writes in the Cincinnati Enquirer.

• The Pitt quarterback race officially started Thursday, Paul Zeise writes in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

• It's time for Zach Frazer to lead at UConn, Desmond Conner writes in the Hartford Courant.
• Could Elijah Fields end up at Division II California University?