ESPN College Football

Leap Day William is lurking ...

• Cincinnati spring preview from Athlon Sports. Who's filling those big Derek Wolfe shoes?
• UConn players did well at the NFL combine.
• Utah State has hired former Louisville offensive coordinator Mike Sanford.
• Rutgers is bringing in a preferred walk-on at quarterback.
• A documentary is out chronicling former Syracuse punter Rob Long's battle against cancer.
• Temple's Board of Trustees is meeting via conference call today to discuss possible Big East membership.

Mike Sanford is no longer a part of the Louisville coaching staff, two weeks after being relieved of his duties as offensive coordinator.

Coach Charlie Strong said Monday he made the decision because of differences he had with the coach, differences that went beyond play calling.

“Mike Sanford is no longer with our staff, both sides mutually agreed,” Strong said. “Mike is an outstanding person and outstanding football coach, but whenever I make a decision, I make a decision in the best interest of our program.”

Quarterbacks coach Shawn Watson has been handling the play calling since the North Carolina game two weeks ago, but that has done little to jump-start an offense that has struggled at just about every position. The Cardinals rank seventh in total offense and rushing offense and last in scoring offense in the Big East.

Sanford came to Louisville with Strong last season after serving as head coach at UNLV. Strong said he will not fill the offensive coordinator job until after the season.

Taking a whirl around the Web ...

• No two remaining Big East schools have benefited more from their membership in the Big East than Cincinnati and Louisville.
• Louisville coach Charlie Strong says his team's focus won't wane after making a switch at offensive coordinator.
• Inconsistency is a bigger question than who is to blame for Pitt. Players are taking ownership of their failings.
• Rutgers receiver Mark Harrison rediscovers the end zone -- and his confidence.
• Syracuse takes a look inward during the bye week.
• USF is getting ready to face the nation's No. 6 run defense in UConn. Tampa Tribune columnist Joe Henderson says it is time for the Big East to add UCF.
• Dana Holgorsen told his offense to stop trying so hard and let things happen last week.
• Will the Big East hold on to AQ status?

LOUISVILLE CARDINALS

Record: 2-3 (0-0, Big East)

Everybody knew Louisville would field a young squad after losing 25 seniors off last season's bowl team. That inexperience has shown throughout the entire team, and has played a role in the Cardinals' early struggles. So far, Louisville has had 24 players make their first collegiate appearance. Eleven true freshmen have played, and eight have made starts. That includes quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who has started the last two games while Will Stein has been out with a shoulder injury. The offensive line has not only been plagued with inexperience, but injuries as well. Center Mario Benavides missed the first three games of the season; Hector Hernandez, Kamran Joyner and John Miller have also missed games. Struggles along the line and with the running backs have meant struggles for the entire offense. Louisville, one of the best rushing teams last season with Bilal Powell, is now one of the worst in the league. The Cardinals have just two rushing touchdowns all season.

Penalties and turnovers have plagued them as well. Sensing a need to make a move to boost his offense, coach Charlie Strong has relieved Mike Sanford of his duties as offensive coordinator and handed the play calling over to Shawn Watson. Sanford remains with the team but in an undefined role. Bridgewater has been OK as a starter -- he gets major credit for leading the Cardinals to a huge win over Kentucky. But they have scored 20 total points in two games since that momentous victory, and teams are forcing Louisville to throw to beat them. Meanwhile, Louisville ranks No. 8 in the Big East in penalties and turnover margin (minus-4), two more reasons why Louisville has had problems so far this season.

Offensive MVP: The offense has been so anemic, there is nobody worthy of MVP. Don't believe me? Look at the stats.

Defensive MVP:LB Dexter Heyman. The Cardinals have gotten some good performances from their defense, but Heyman has stood out. Heyman leads the team with 39 tackles -- including seven for loss. He also has two sacks, one forced fumble and an interception this season.

Here are some news and notes from the Big East coaches call earlier today:

Cincinnati

Cincinnati and Louisville open Big East play against one another on Saturday in Paul Brown Stadium. When asked the importance of getting off a 1-0 start in league play, coach Butch Jones said, “You want to start fast and you want to be 1-0, but no one game in particular is more important than the other. The big thing is focusing on the task at hand. The team that ends up being the champion at the end of the season can handle adversity, persevere through the good times and the bad times. That's how we've approached our season."

Connecticut

The Huskies will be without starting cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson for a third straight game when they host USF on Saturday. As for keeping spirits up after a 2-4 start, coach Paul Pasqualoni said, "The attitude of our players is very positive. We're halfway through. It's still relatively new to the kids, the systems, and they're getting better at it. We'll just focus on getting better."

Louisville

Coach Charlie Strong said Shawn Watson will continue to call the plays, but he had yet to reassign former offensive coordinator Mike Sanford. Strong said Sanford remains with the team, and also made clear the two did not get into an altercation after the Marshall game.

When asked why he chose to remove Sanford as coordinator, Strong said, "Any decision I make I want to make it in the best interest of the program. In business, people get reassigned to different positions. I just thought at the time that (Watson) would do the job that we needed to move this team forward."

Pittsburgh

Coach Todd Graham continued to take the blame for his team's 34-10 loss at Rutgers, repeatedly saying he didn't do a good enough job to get his team ready to play. He also admitted that installing his hurry-up spread offense has been harder than he anticipated.

"It's been more difficult than I thought it would be, but it has a lot to do with being prepared," he said. "The injuries have contributed to making it more challenging. We're capable, we just have to execute and get it across."

Rutgers

Coach Greg Schiano said true freshman Gary Nova would make his second straight start Saturday against Navy. Nova went 11-of-24 for 174 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions last week against Pitt.

"Early on Gary was ... excited. As he calmed down, things slowed down," Schiano said. "He did a good job. ... I have a good feeling about the way he's playing."

Syracuse

Dorian Graham had career highs for catches, yards and touchdowns against Tulane, when he had four receptions for 55 yards and two scores.

"He's been a very good player for us, someone who has shown if you continue to work hard, you can put yourself in situations where you can make plays," coach Doug Marrone said. "Dorian has done an excellent job. I would say he's one of the hardest workers in practice that we have, a competitive kid. He's got a good chip on his shoulder -- he uses it the proper way. He's been able to win on the outside and make plays, and is someone becoming more and more involved in our offense."

USF

Coach Skip Holtz says this Saturday's game against UConn will not have a revenge factor, but he knows his players remember exactly what happened in a 19-16 last-second loss to the Huskies last season.

"I don't think you're going to build that into, 'Hey they beat us last year,' but this team knows," Holtz said. "We had an interception returned for 6 points, two 50-yard field goals kicked against us. That game will play in the back of the minds of the players from what happened a year ago."

West Virginia

Coach Dana Holgorsen was pleased to see redshirt freshman Michael Molinari step in as the punter against UConn last week and do a nice job. Molinari replaced Corey Smith and had five punts that went an average of 43 yards, including three that landed inside the 20.

Holgorsen praised Molinari for his "fantastic performance."

What did we learn in Week 6?

1. Rutgers off to fast start. We saw the defense starting to come together, but back-to-back dominating performances in Big East play cement what we thought we knew: This unit is one of the best in the league. The Scarlet Knights have been aggressive all season, and that was no different in a 34-10 win over Pitt. They had six sacks, six quarterback hurries and four forced turnovers. Rutgers has 20 sacks and 24 takeaways this season, after registering 17 sacks and 22 takeaways in all of 2010. The Scarlet Knights have now matched their win total from last season (four). More importantly, they are 2-0 in Big East play for just the second time in 21 seasons. The only other time Rutgers started 2-0 in league play was in 2006, when the Scarlet Knights finished tied for second at 5-2.

2. Pitt is ...Can we really say what we learned about Pitt? The Panthers remain perhaps the most confounding team in the Big East. One week after destroying USF 44-17, they mustered a season-low 10 points against Rutgers and had major problems on the offensive line and at quarterback once again. "That is my job to get them ready to play and we absolutely played our worst game," coach Todd Graham said afterward. "That is embarrassing to me, and we have to go work to make sure it doesn’t happen again.” Pitt has now given up a whopping 27 sacks on the season, worst in the Big East.

3. New coordinator for Louisville. The Cardinals left offensive coordinator Mike Sanford at home and handed play-calling duties over to quarterbacks coach Shawn Watson against North Carolina. The switch did not exactly jump-start the offense, as Louisville managed season lows for points and total yards (273) in a 14-7 loss. Louisville now has had back-to-back games with fewer than 300 yards of offense, and has had only one game without turning the ball over. Coach Charlie Strong said Sanford was still on staff, but unsure of his role. You have to wonder whether it makes much difference on a team with a shaky offensive line and true freshman quarterback.

4. West Virginia plays in spurts.The Mountaineers ended up dominating UConn 43-16, but that was only after scoring 23 points in the third quarter. West Virginia scored 10 in the first half. It has been a team that has played in spurts this season, and coach Dana Holgorsen is still waiting on this team to play a complete game from start to finish.

5. Syracuse pass D needs help. The Orange have plenty of youth in their secondary, and have been banged up, too. But still, there should be no excuses in giving up 320 yards to Tulane and quarterback Ryan Griffin. Consider that was his first 300-yard game of the season, and he threw for just 74 yards last week against Army. Syracuse has given up four 300-yard games in its six contests so far, and nearly gave up 300 last week to Rutgers (297). The Orange are going to have to make adjustments in the bye as they get ready for West Virginia in a Friday night game Oct. 21.

Had some personal business today but I am back with your Big East roundup of the early games:

North Carolina 14, Louisville 7. The Cardinals continued to struggle on offense, even without offensive coordinator Mike Sanford, who was left home on the trip. Quarterbacks coach Shawn Watson handled the play-calling duties in the game, but the Cardinals were plagued once again by mistakes and missed opportunities. They dominated the first half, but scored no points after Teddy Bridgewater threw an interception deep in North Carolina territory, and Chris Philpott missed two field goals (40, 36). Louisville ended the game with more total yards and first downs, but nine penalties for 78 yards. Strong said Sanford was still with the program, but his role moving forward had yet to be determined. The Cardinals went into the game ranking last in the Big East and No. 104 in the nation in scoring offense, and No. 84 in the nation in total offense.

No. 16 West Virginia 43, UConn 16. The Mountaineers survived another slow start, and broke open the game thanks to their defense. Johnny McEntee had the Huskies in position to take the lead, but he fumbled at the West Virginia 5 yard-line. Jewone Snow returned the fumble 83 yards to set up the offense. West Virginia scored 23 points in the third quarter to cruise. Geno Smith threw for 450 yards and four touchdowns -- his second 400-yard game of the season. Stedman Bailey had his fourth 100-yard game. The defense finally got its pass rush going, finishing with a season-high five sacks. The Mountaineers had three going into the game. As for UConn, the Huskies have given up 400 yards passing in back-to-back games, and they had just 275 total yards.

Rutgers 34, Pitt 10. The Scarlet Knights dominated with yet another incredible defensive performance, collecting six sacks and getting four more takeaways to push their record to 4-1, but more importantly, 2-0 in league play. This defense has been the most opportunistic in the nation, and that certainly continued against a Pitt team that scored 44 points last week in a victory over USF. But all the strides quarterback Tino Sunseri and the offensive line seemed to make last week vanished Saturday. He was constantly harassed and hit after getting rid of the ball. He threw zero touchdowns to three interceptions -- including one returned for a touchdown. Pitt went 2-of-14 on third down. Gary Nova became the fifth true freshman to start a game under coach Greg Schiano, and managed the game well, throwing two touchdown passes to no interceptions. Savon Huggins got a few opportunities late, and ended with 10 carries for 42 yards and a touchdown.

The news that Tyler Gabbert has decided to transfer to Louisville does not come as a huge shock. The Cardinals appeared to be the front-runner from the beginning, when Gabbert decided he wanted a fresh start away from Missouri.

Louisville now has talent and depth at quarterback for 2012, so that should ease some concerns about a position that is a question mark in 2011. But it is going to be interesting to see how this situation plays out once Gabbert is eligible to play next season.

True freshman Teddy Bridgewater and junior Will Stein go into fall camp competing for the starting job. But expectations are high for Bridgewater to eventually become the full-time starter. The four-star player out of Miami was one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the class of 2011 and a huge recruiting coup for the Cardinals.

Bridgewater had been a Miami commitment for six months before decommitting last December and deciding on Louisville because of the opportunity to play early in his career. The Cardinals were losing two senior quarterbacks, creating big-time room for him.

He enrolled early in school and participated in spring practice, where he had his share of ups and downs. But offensive coordinator Mike Sanford says Bridgewater has transformed himself in the few short months he has been on campus. Indeed, in an interview earlier this week with the Louisville Courier-Journal, Bridgewater said, "If I would have got here like a regular freshman, I would probably be lost right now. There's no way that you can prepare yourself for this level if you're not already here."

Though Sanford has said that both Bridgewater and Stein would play early on this season, neither he nor coach Charlie Strong have said how much they would use their young player. There is no question Bridgewater has talent, but it is always incredibly hard to evaluate true freshmen quarterbacks until they are put in a game situation.

So what happens when Gabbert is eligible? What if Bridgewater takes the helm and is as good as advertised right off the bat? What if Stein impresses as a starter? Is there a quarterback competition next spring no matter what happens in 2011? There are so many unknowns right now, that all we can do is guess. Adding more talent and depth to the quarterback spot is never bad. But Strong certainly is going to have to figure out the best way to handle this situation.

Neither Bridgewater nor Gabbert came to Louisville to be a backup.

I had a chance to speak with Louisville offensive coordinator Mike Sanford at length about this upcoming season last week and figured I would put up some news and notes. In addition to saying that both Teddy Bridgewater and Will Stein would play this season, here are some of his thoughts on the offense headed into fall practice, which begins Aug. 4.

• Jeremy Wright is still recovering from a sports hernia and is not 100 percent yet, but Sanford expects him back in time for the start of practice. Sanford was encouraged in the spring by the play of Wright and Victor Anderson. "We feel like we had a very good spring and we’re excited about having the two of them," he said. "The running back position, you’ve got to have two or three. We have a very good situation in that we have Victor Anderson and Jeremy Wright for sure and some others behind them, but those two I think are a really good complement of each other."
• Sanford also discussed the importance of keeping Anderson healthy: "That’s something we ideally would love to see. I think one of the things, he’s a guy who runs hard. With a guy like him, sometimes you can run over people and most times he’s going to have to make them miss. As long as he does that, he’ll be fine."
• Michaelee Harris and Andrell Smith are recovering from injuries, but expectations are high for them to join Josh Bellamy as productive receivers this season. But Sanford is really excited about Josh Chichester at tight end. "He’s big and athletic and we expect big things out of him and the other two tight ends, Stephon Ball and Nate Nord," Sanford said. "We expect both of them to be big contributors. Tie them in with receiving group because we utilize our tight ends to be in the game a lot."
• As for true freshmen who might contribute, Sanford listed receivers Eli Rogers and DeVante Parker. There could also be true freshmen relied upon on the offensive line, where four new starters enter the season. Ryan Mack and John Miller are two possibilities.
• Here is his assessment of the offense: There are question marks. We don’t have an experienced, established quarterback. No. 2, we lost a lot of guys on the offensive line. ... On the flip side of that, we don’t believe in excuses. We’re going to get ourselves ready to go and we have high expectations for our players and I have high expectations for this offense. I’m not going to take a step back and lower our standards. We have to move forward. Our standard is to be the best we can be and better than we were last year."

Louisville might not have a starting quarterback right now, but the Cardinals do have plans to play both true freshman Teddy Bridgewater and veteran Will Stein when the season begins.

Offensive coordinator Mike Sanford said in a phone interview Tuesday that he does not yet have an idea about how the plan would work, but said it was important to get both players game time.

"In college football these days, you can’t just get one guy ready," Sanford said. "We want to have both those guys ready to play. We think each has a lot of strong characteristics and we can develop them by playing them."

The plan during fall camp is to give equal reps as much as possible. Stein was a little further ahead of Bridgewater in spring because he has had more time in the offense, but Sanford also believes the competition will be open going into the fall. He said Bridgewater, who comes into school with sky-high expectations, looks like a completely different player than the one who enrolled in school in January.

"As spring went on, as he became more familiar with the system, he got better and better and more comfortable," Sanford said. "I really liked what I saw out of Teddy. I love his attitude. He’s a hard-working guy, hard working off the field, cares about knowing all the mental things you’ve got to know at quarterback, wants to understand what everybody does. I do feel like he progressed as spring went on."

As for the dynamic between Stein and Bridgewater, Sanford said, "Stein is a guy who’s been in the program, played before, played last year, has some seasoning to him, a very confident young man and I think in his mind he’s one of those guys who believes he’s the best and nobody is going to beat him out. It creates an interesting scenario. You’ve got a young guy who’s been told he’s good and an older guy who believes he’s good.

"As the thing develops, we’re going to see how it goes. I know one thing going in: We’re going to play them both. How that works I don’t know. I don’t know what the recipe of that is, but that’s something we’re going to do. We’ll see how training camp goes, how the start of the season goes and go from there. We'll play the guy that gives us the best chance to win."

Spring practice is just around the corner -- South Florida will be on its new practice fields next week, while other Big East teams will follow suit shortly after.

So here's a look at what to expect from each league team this spring.

Cincinnati

Spring practice starts: March 29
Spring game: April 16

What to watch:

• Fixing the defense: There's little doubt that improving the defense is the first order of business in Clifton. The Bearcats ranked last in the Big East last season while giving up 28 points per game. The good news is that all 11 starters on that side of the ball are back. The bad news is those are the same guys who couldn't get it done a season ago. An extra year of maturity should help, and Butch Jones expects more depth and competition on defense, including the arrival of junior-college import Malcolm Murray at safety.

• Restocking the Binns: Cincinnati should still be strong on offense with the return of senior quarterback Zach Collaros and senior Isaiah Pead, the leading returning rusher in the Big East. Yet the loss of the league's most productive receiver in 2010, Armon Binns, means the Bearcats need to find a few more guys to make plays at receiver. D.J. Woods is an obvious choice as the new go-to guy, but he'll have to solve his fumble problems. Transfer Kenbrell Thompkins, who couldn't get eligible last season, will look to step forward. Another sidelined receiver, freshman Dyjuan Lewis, won't be cleared to join in team activities until the summer.

• Looking for leaders: One of the problems during the 2010 4-8 season, as voiced by departing senior Jason Kelce and implied by Jones, was a lack of leadership on the team. Hey, it happens sometimes when your program has been to back-to-back BCS games and young players feel an undeserved sense of entitlement. Jones has been trying to change that, and we should be able to tell during the spring whether some new leaders have emerged.

Connecticut

Spring practice starts: March 15
Spring game: April 16

What to watch:

• Back to the future: For the first time since the end of 1990s, and for the first time ever as an FBS-level program, the Huskies will have someone other than Randy Edsall leading them through practice in March. Former longtime Syracuse coach Paul Pasqualoni took over when Edsall left for Maryland, and Pasqualoni hired new coordinators (George DeLeone on offense and Don Brown on defense) to mix in with the holdovers from Edsall's staff. UConn has been doing things the same way for a long time, and with pretty strong results. How will the team react to Pasqualoni's new-look, old-school ways?

• Backfield in motion: Quarterback Zach Frazer is gone. Star tailback Jordan Todman left early for the NFL. Fullback Anthony Sherman graduated. Everything behind center is new. The quarterback position looks pretty wide open, with sophomore Michael Box perhaps having the edge after making one (very unsuccessful) start in 2010. Early enrollee Michael Nebrich is one to watch. How will the Huskies replace Todman? Good question. Robbie Frey decided to concentrate on graduate school, leaving USC transfer D.J. Shoemate as the only experienced ballcarrier. Freshman Lyle McCombs' status is unclear for spring after his offseason arrest, and the two running backs in the signing class won't arrive until summer. Right now, it's anybody's guess as to who might carry on the UConn running back tradition.

• Reloading at linebacker: The Connecticut defense brings a lot back, but one position that needs refilling is linebacker. Lawrence Wilson, who led the Big East in tackles the past two seasons, and Scott Lutrus, a four-year starter and solid leader, both exhausted their eligibility. Sio Moore looks like a rising star and had some huge games in 2010, but the other two positions have large shoes to fill.

Louisville

Spring practice starts: March 23
Spring game: April 15

What to watch:

• Smooth sailing for Bridegwater?: The Cardinals' most pressing issue is at quarterback, where senior co-starters Justin Burke and Adam Froman are gone. Highly-touted recruit Teddy Bridgewater will participate in the spring, and how quickly he picks up the college game and coordinator Mike Sanford's system could go a long way to determining what happens this fall. If he needs more time, senior Will Stein will happily take the reins.

• Rebuilding the O-line: The key to Louisville's offensive success was its senior-laden line, which proved to be the best in the Big East a year ago. But now four new starters must be found to go along with center Mario Benavides. The new guys must get up to speed and develop chemistry quickly for the running game and presumed new starter Jeremy Wright to duplicate last season's progress.

• Last line of defense: Louisville's defense was most vulnerable at its back end at times last season, and now the Cardinals must replace both starting cornerbacks (including All-Big East first team performer Johnny Patrick), no to mention two senior linebackers. An obvious candidate to take over some leadership is safety Hakeem Smith, who was the Big East rookie of the year. The plus side is that Charlie Strong and coordinator Vance Bedford will have more young talent to work with.

Pittsburgh

Spring practice starts: March 15
Spring game: April 16

What to watch:

• Golden Graham?: There will be no more drastic change in the Big East this spring than the offense at Pittsburgh, which will go from a run-based pro-style attack to Graham's no-huddle, wide-open, points-per-minute machine. Can the Panthers get this new offense up and running this spring? Does Graham have the players to make it work? And how will his offense, so successful in Conference USA, translate into the more rugged Big East? All those questions will be fascinating to follow.

• Quarterback competition: Junior Tino Sunseri started every game in his first year at the controls in 2010, and he played well at times. But a new style and new coaching staff means that he might have an edge, but not necessarily an insurmountable one, in this spring's competition. Redshirt freshman Mark Myers is multi-talented and will be given a look, along with classmate Anthony Gonzalez and Kolby Gray. The current staff has no loyalty to Sunseri, so he'll need to perform at a high level this spring to keep his job.

• Shoring up the 'D': It's no secret that Pitt struggled in defending the pass last season. Graham's offense may be more explosive, but he doesn't want to have to get into shootouts all the time. He and defensive coordinator Keith Patterson have experience running 3-3-5 and 4-2-5 formations and may go to more of those kinds of looks to counter the increasing spread offenses throughout the league. First Pitt will have to get better play from its secondary and linebackers in pass coverage, and that starts this spring.

Rutgers

Spring practice starts: March 29
Spring game: April 30

What to watch:

• Line change: The first thing to focus on this spring for the Scarlet Knights is the front five on offense. The offensive line has been a mess for the past two years and was an utter disaster a year ago. Head coach Greg Schiano is counting on junior-college center Dallas Hendrickson to provide some immediate help, and that another year will lead to better things for the returnees. Rutgers needs answers at right tackle, especially, and if the line can't block its own defense in spring practice, you'll know there's trouble.

• A Frank re-assessment: Former Pitt offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti takes over the Scarlet Knights' playcalling duties this spring, and his pro-style background seems like a perfect match for what Schiano likes to do. Look for Cignetti to try to establish a stronger running game this spring (while waiting for mega-recruit Savon Huggins to arrive this summer) and abandon the Wildcat formation and other gimmicks that Rutgers desperately turned to the past two years. His work with sophomore starter Chas Dodd will also be critical, since there are no other experienced quarterbacks on campus.

• Recharging the defense: You always expect a Schiano-led defense to be rock solid, but that defense wore down last season and ended up allowing more points in conference play than anybody. Three of the starting four defensive linemen are gone, as well as the team's leading tackler -- linebacker Antonio Lowery -- and safety Joe Lefeged. Schiano has recruited well and has lots of young players ready to step into bigger roles. Spring will be the time we start to learn who's ready to handle increased responsibilities.

South Florida

Spring practice starts: March 3
Spring game: April 2

What to watch:

• Transfers accepted: Running backs Darrell Scott and Dontae Aycock have strong credentials; Scott was one of the more sought-after recruits in the country before disappointing at Colorado, while Aycock was set to play for Auburn. Both become eligible this year and will show their stuff this spring. The two big-bodied ballcarriers could add some power and explosiveness to the Bulls offense. Notre Dame transfer Spencer Boyd should bring depth, at the very least, to the secondary.

• B.J. still the main Bull?: Junior B.J. Daniels seemed to reassert himself as the starter with a big performance in the Meineke Car Care Bowl win over Clemson. But before that, there were serious questions about whether sophomore Bobby Eveld might unseat him. Daniels goes into the spring with an obvious edge, but he'll be pushed by Eveld and redshirt freshman Jamius Gunsby. He'll need to perform at a consistent level to stiff-arm questions about his job security.

• Receiver reconstitution: No doubt, receiver was the position that needed the largest upgrade a year ago. The bad news is, the Bulls lost leading pass-catcher Dontavia Bogan, who was nearly a one-man show at wideout in 2010. On the flip side, A.J. Love and Sterling Griffin return from injury. And Skip Holtz hopes getting thrown into the fire last season sped the development of guys like Evan Landi, Joel Miller and Lindsey Lamar. At the very least, the position has a lot more experience and depth than it did a year ago at this time.

Syracuse

Spring practice starts: March 8
Spring game: April 16

What to watch:

• Displacing Delone: Senior Delone Carter brought the thunder to the Syracuse running game the last two years, and he may have been the least favorite ballcarrier for opposing tacklers to bring down. With him gone, it remains to be seen whether the smaller Antwon Bailey can be an every-down back, or if youngsters like Prince-Tyson Gulley and Jerome Smith are ready for an increased role in the offense.

• Linebacker makeover: It would be hard for any team to lose a more productive linebacker tandem than the Orange did with seniors Doug Hogue and Derrell Smith. They were both crucial to what defensive coordinator Scott Shafer liked to do. The lone returning starter is Marquis Spruill, who played as a true freshman last year. Could a newcomer like junior-college transfer Siriki Diabate be ready to help immediately?

• Wideout wonders: Marcus Sales helped rescue an ailing passing game with his breakout performance in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl. Is Sales ready to play like that all the time now, or was he a one-game wonder? Will Van Chew continue the improvement he showed last season before getting injured? Can the Orange get more out of Alec Lemon? What new faces might help at receiver? The answers to these questions will be key to the attack under Nathaniel Hackett, who was promoted to offensive coordinator this offseason.

West Virginia

Spring practice starts: March 28
Spring game: April 29

What to watch:

• Dana days: Mountaineer Nation is salivating at the thought of what Dana Holgorsen will do to revive the offense. Holgorsen has had an immediate and incredible impact at the last two places where he called plays, and some solid work in the spring is required to do the same in Morgantown. A couple of things are for sure: the Mountaineers will be throwing it around a whole bunch during practice, and fans will breathlessly gobble up every small detail. Another thing to watch will be the chemistry between Holgorsen's hand-picked offensive staff and Bill Stewart, the man he'll replace at the end of the season. That relationship will also be dissected relentlessly.

• Defense reload or rebuild?: Most people assume West Virginia will continue to field an excellent defense because of coordinator Jeff Casteel. That may be true, but no team lost more defensive talent than the Mountaineers, who must replace frontline players like tackle Chris Neild, linebacker J.T. Thomas, safety Robert Sands and cornerback Brandon Hogan, among others. There's still a lot to like here, including ends Julian Miller and Bruce Irvin and corner Keith Tandy, but for Casteel must find new contributors to keep his 3-3-5 humming along.

• Who's in the backfield?: It's not yet know just how much quarterback Geno Smith will be able to do during spring practice after his offseason foot surgery. Obviously, the more reps he can take, the better he'll be able to get Holgorsen's system down. And there's no experience behind him. West Virginia will be cautious with Smith, though, because the fall is way more important. With Noel Devine gone and Tavon Austin seemingly making his move to receiver permanent, there will be competition for the starting running back spot. Shawne Alston and Ryan Clarke are bulldozers who could add an interesting wrinkle to Holgorsen's spread if they get the job done.

Louisville has officially hired former Nebraska offensive coordinator Shawn Watson as its new quarterbacks coach. He replaces Mike Groh, who left after one year to go to Alabama.

Watson spent five years at Nebraska, including the past four as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. A 29-year coaching veteran, Watson drew heavy criticism from Huskers fans when the offense struggled, especially late in the 2010 season, and he was not retained this season by Bo Pelini. But he has a strong overall résumé and was strongly considered for the head-coaching vacancies at Miami of Ohio and Vanderbilt this offseason. The addition of Watson -- who was once the head coach at Southern Illinois -- gives the Cardinals two former head coaches on the offensive staff, as playcaller Mike Sanford was the head coach at UNLV.

"I feel Charlie [Strong] is building something special at the University of Louisville and it's a very exciting time to be a part of that staff," Watson said in an official release from the school.

The quarterbacks coach position takes on added significance for the Cardinals this season as they must find a new starter. True freshman and early enrollee Teddy Bridgewater is a leading candidate, but he must learn the college game quickly. Watson helped Nebraska redshirt freshman Taylor Martinez have early success in 2010 until Martinez was slowed by injury.

Watson has also coached at Colorado, Illinois, Northwestern, Miami of Ohio and Southern Illinois during his career.

Signing day is now just 48 hours away. So let's take a look at the recruiting needs are for each Big East team in this class.

The positions listed reflect areas of need for the 2011 and 2012 seasons and don't take into account players who have already committed at those spots, though I try to highlight some of those notable commitments below.

Cincinnati

Offensive line: The Bearcats lose three senior starters from an offensive line that had its share of struggles in the 2010 season. Left tackle, center and right guard will all need new starters in 2011, and Butch Jones wasn't thrilled with the depth he inherited at those key positions. He needs to refill the ranks.

Running back: Isaiah Pead had a breakthrough year and might be the top running back in the Big East in 2011, but he's a senior. Backup John Goebel graduated, and Darrin Williams hasn't shown enough consistency as an every-down player. The Bearcats hope current commitment Jameel Poteat can be the next Pead.

Defensive toughness: Cincinnati returns all 11 starters from the 2010 defense, but that defense gave up the most points in the Big East. There's not a position on the defense that couldn't use more depth and more talent. The Bearcats were especially light on strength and toughness on defense, so any hard-nosed guys who can play on that side of the ball are welcome to join.

Connecticut

Linebacker: UConn returns most of its starting defense from 2010 but loses a pair of four-year starters in linebackers Scott Lutrus and Lawrence Wilson. Sio Moore is a rising star at the position, but it will be hard to replace the veteran leadership and production that Lutrus and Wilson provided. The Huskies' top two recruits right now are both linebackers.

Offensive line: The Huskies lose both starting guards from 2010, including All-Big East performer Zach Hurd. The program has had an uncanny knack for simply plugging in new starters along that offensive front and not missing a beat. It remains to be seen whether new coach Paul Pasqualoni and his staff can continue that tradition.

Wide receiver: Sure, UConn returns virtually all of its pass-catchers from the Big East championship team. But the passing game was brutally bad down the stretch, and the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl loss highlighted the need for more playmakers on offense. Pasqualoni has said he wants to throw the ball down the field to stretch the defense, and he'll need game-breakers to do so.

Louisville

Quarterback: Adam Froman and Justin Burke split the starting duties under center last season, and both were seniors. The only other quarterback on the roster with experience at the position is Will Stein, who'll be a senior this year. Dominique Brown was recruited as a quarterback last year, but his future probably lies at another position. Incoming freshmen Teddy Bridgewater and DaMarcus Smith, if he keeps his pledge to the Cardinals, could compete for the starting job right away.

Defensive back: The secondary was a constant source of concern for Louisville last year, and the Cardinals got a surprising contribution from Big East rookie of the year Hakeem Smith at safety. But both starting cornerbacks, including likely NFL draft pick Johnny Patrick, are gone. Louisville's top recruit right now is safety Gerod Holliman.

Wide receiver: The Cardinals had an excellent running game and the top pass-catching tight end in the Big East a year ago. But they had trouble going vertical in the passing game because of a lack of explosive playmakers in the passing game. Injuries and inexperience hurt the position last season, and leading receiver Doug Beaumont graduated. Offensive coordinator Mike Sanford's attack will look much different when Louisville gets some star wideouts on board.

Pittsburgh

Running back: Dion Lewis bolted for the NFL as a draft-eligible sophomore, and fullback Henry Hynoski went pro early as well. That leaves Ray Graham as the only real option for handoffs. It's no surprise that Pitt has commitments from four players identified as running backs in this class so far.

Wide receiver: Jon Baldwin took his talents to the NFL after his junior year. True, the Panthers still have plenty of talent at the position, including Mike Shanahan and the emerging Devin Street. But Todd Graham's new wide-open offense is going to need a lot of targets in the passing game, especially versatile players who can do lots of things in space.

Offensive line: Pitt's problems in the middle of its offensive line to start last season exposed a shocking lack of depth at the position, which had suffered through several recruiting misses in the past. The Panthers now have to replace their All-Big East left tackle in Jason Pinkston and find a new starting center. And Graham's offense is going to require a different kind of blocking scheme.

Rutgers

Offensive line: This is a no-brainer for a team that gave up a nation's-worst 61 sacks a year ago. It's hard to find immediate help at this position, but the Scarlet Knights did ink a junior-college player who is expected to start at center this season. Whether it's the scheme or just the players running it, Rutgers needs a change up front.

Running back: Jordan Thomas did some nice things as a true freshman, and Joe Martinek hopes to be fully healthy for his senior year. But Greg Schiano's offense has been searching for a difference-maker at tailback since Ray Rice went to the Baltimore Ravens. He hopes Savon Huggins, the top New Jersey recruit who committed late last week, is that guy.

Quarterback: Tom Savage's transfer leaves true sophomore Chas Dodd as the only quarterback with any experience. It's hard to go through a whole year with just one quarterback, so the Scarlet Knights desperately need depth. They received a pledge from Don Bosco Prep signal-caller Gary Nova, a former Pitt recruit.

Defensive line: Three of the four starters along the defensive line were seniors last year, including starting defensive ends Jonathan Freeny and Alex Silvestro. Schiano has some promising young players at the position but needs depth there so he can rotate in fresh bodies to rush the passer.

South Florida

Wide receiver: The Bulls' dearth of reliable targets in the passing game was painfully obvious most of the year. No. 1 wideout Dontavia Bogan was a senior, meaning some of the younger players at that spot need to grow up in a hurry. USF should get A.J. Love and Sterling Griffin back from injury, but it's clear that Skip Holtz needs some more deep threats.

Offensive line: Three starters are gone off the offensive line, including tackles Jamar Bass and Jake Sims and center Sampson Genus. The two returning starters will be seniors this season. The Bulls need to usher in the next wave of linemen into the program this recruiting season.

Defensive back: Mistral Raymond, who could play both corner and safety for the Bulls last season, is gone. There wasn't a ton of depth here this year, and though Quenton Washington had a great Meineke Car Care Bowl game, South Florida feels like it can upgrade its secondary through recruiting.

Syracuse

Linebacker: The Orange had one of the better defenses in the Big East in '10, and senior linebackers Doug Hogue and Derrell Smith were big reasons why. Marquis Spruill showed promise at the position as a true freshman this season, and Syracuse needs a couple more like him to stay strong in Scott Shafer's pressure scheme.

Wide receiver: Marcus Sales came out of nowhere to have a huge New Era Pinstripe Bowl performance, but it remains to be seen if he can duplicate that performance next year. Van Chew showed great improvement throughout the year, but he and Alec Lemon dealt with injuries down the stretch that often left Ryan Nassib without anybody to target.

Running back: Delone Carter's graduation and Averin Collier's dismissal thins the backfield significantly. Antwon Bailey returns for his senior year but has to prove he's an every-down back. No one else on the roster has proved anything at the position.

West Virginia

Quarterback: The good news is that Geno Smith has thoroughly established himself as The Man at quarterback. The bad news is that Smith's entrenchment at the position helped run off freshmen Barry Brunetti and Jeremy Johnson, so the Mountaineers once again have no depth behind their starter. They have brought in an intriguing under-the-radar prospect in Paul Millard, who had ridiculous numbers in Texas.

Defensive back: Jeff Casteel's 3-3-5 scheme demands the constant need for physical safeties who can play in different spots. West Virginia also lost a pair of stalwarts at the position in Sidney Glover and Robert Sands, who left early for the NFL. Add in the loss of star cornerback Brandon Hogan, and it's time to reload the secondary in Morgantown.

Linebacker: The Mountaineers got surprisingly good contributions from Anthony Leonard at middle linebacker this season, and J.T. Thomas was as solid as everyone expected. They both depart, along with top backup Pat Lazear, and only senior Najee Goode remains among the experienced players at the position. West Virginia hopes junior-college import Josh Francis can help right away.

USA Today has come up with another illuminating chart on coaching salaries, this time highlighting the pay of assistants.

The salary chart shows who some of the top-compensated assistants are in the Big East (Syracuse and Pittsburgh weren't included because those schools aren't subject to the same open-records laws).

Here's a look at the Big East assistants with the top salaries:

Jeff Casteel, defensive coordinator, West Virginia: $372, 268

Vance Bedford, defensive coordinator, Louisville: $300,000

Mike Sanford, offensive coordinator, Louisville: $275,000

Jeff Mullen, offensive coordinator, West Virginia: $266,583

Dave Johnson, offensive line, West Virginia: $243,333

Kyle Flood, assistant head coach/co-offensive coordinator, Rutgers: $240,000

Ed Pinkham, co-defensive coordinator/secondary, Rutgers: $222,000

Kirk Ciarrocca, co-offensive coordinator/quarterbacks, Rutgers: $220,000

Bob Fraser, co-defensive coordinator/linebackers, Rutgers: $220,000

Steve Dunlap, assistant head coach/safeties, West Virginia: $216, 920

Some thoughts:

It's no surprise that West Virginia has the highest-paid assistants, as Bill Stewart sacrificed some of his salary to make sure his staff was well-compensated. You can also see the commitment that Louisville made with its new staff under Charlie Strong. The Cardinals also have four non-coordinators on staff making at least $200,000, while South Florida and Cincinnati are paying their coordinators on both sides of the ball a little more than $200,000 each.

It's ironic, or at least interesting, that at least four of these top 10 are either in serious hot water or have already been let go. Mullen and Johnson won't return for West Virginia, and Greg Schiano is expected to shake up his offensive staff.

I am floored by how low Connecticut's assistants salaries are -- relatively speaking, of course -- compared to the rest of the league. The top-paid UConn assistant is offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead at $170,000. That's less than almost everyone on staff at UConn's Big East counterparts on this list. And yet the Huskies are going to the BCS. If you wonder why Randy Edsall's name is often in the mix for other jobs, take a look at the pay of his assistants, which has been a constant sore spot.

Three keys for Louisville against Southern Miss in the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl on Tuesday night:

1. Establish Bilal Powell: Cardinals coach Charlie Strong calls his senior-led offensive line the backbone of the team, and he believes they can run on anybody. Southern Miss finished 13th nationally against the run this year, allowing just 113 yards per game on the ground with 300-pound run stuffers like John Henderson and Anthony Gray in the middle up front. Louisville's offense usually goes as running back Powell goes, and the more successful he is, the more Southern Miss's offense has to stay on the sidelines.

2. Make something happen in the passing game: Adam Froman started the first eight games at quarterback and played pretty well before suffering a deep thigh bruise. Justin Burke took over for the final four games before getting injured himself in the finale at Rutgers. Both should be ready for Tuesday night, and offensive coordinator Mike Sanford said he expects both seniors to play. Louisville's passing game didn't do much the final month or so of the season, but the opportunities should be there against a Golden Eagles' defense that ranks 103rd nationally against the pass. Whoever is in at quarterback needs to take advantage and avoid mistakes, because beating Southern Miss will probably require a score somewhere in the high 20s or more.

3. Contain Austin Davis: The Golden Eagles rely a lot on Davis, their quarterback. He has close to 3,000 yards passing and is third on the team in rushing. Play the pass too much, and he'll slip in a few big gains on the zone-read play. Louisville has done an excellent job all year of applying pressure from confusing angles in defensive coordinator Vance Bedford's scheme. The pressure has to get to Davis and not let him bust free, or he can do some serious damage.