ESPN College Football

A Tuesday mailbag actually on Tuesday. Imagine that. What's on your mind?

Kevin R. from Washington, DC, writes: Hey, Brian, love the blog. With Greg Schiano going for more speed on defense, do you think that he will finally be able to successfully defend against the spread offense? Recent history seems to show that he has been unable to defend against the spread, what with the difficulties against teams like WVU and Cincinnati. With Pitt adopting a no-huddle spread, it could be another long year if the Rutgers D can't keep up with spread offense teams.

Brian Bennett: That's the idea behind it, Kevin. And teams are going to have to be able to defend the spread effectively to win in this league going forward. You mentioned Pitt, Cincinnati and West Virginia as no-huddle, up-tempo offenses now. TCU also plays a version of the spread, and I think Louisville and Connecticut will move more toward that in the future. There will still be some power teams, but matching speed for speed will become a necessity in short order.

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Kris from Hollidaysburg, Pa., writes: What happened to Robert Sands' draft prospects? A month ago most places I saw had him going in the 3rd round. In your recent blog about Kiper and McShay and their projections, Sands wasn't even mentioned. Any explanation?

Brian Bennett: From what I'm hearing, Sands hasn't impressed in his pre-draft workouts. He has looked stiff and has shown poor ball skills. He'll probably still get drafted just because of his potential, but right now it's looking like he might have been better served by another year at West Virginia.

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Keith from Martinsburg, W.Va., writes: Do you think there is a Big East team that will be equipped to win a national title in the next few years? With a few teams on the rise and TCU coming in. Will there be enough respect for the conference, if we start winning some big games, to get a team in the title game if it goes undefeated, or even a 1-loss team like WVU almost did in 07?

Brian Bennett: People forget quickly how close 2006 Louisville, 2007 West Virginia and 2009 Cincinnati were to playing in the BCS title game. So it can happen. Last year's performance overall and three straight BCS bowl losses have taken a toll on the Big East's reputation, which could pose a problem if a team is in the title hunt this year. But we've clearly seen in the recent past that it can happen. A lot still depends on what happens elsewhere, because at this point the SEC champion is almost guaranteed a spot in the title match. A Big East team would need a good nonconference win to brag about, like if West Virginia were to beat LSU and LSU went on to win the SEC West.

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Gary P. from Cincinnati writes: What would have to happen to make or force the Big East to expand to 12 football schools?

Brian Bennett: Well, it's taking a while for the league to even get to 10, with the Villanova situation still in the wind. The problem with going to 12 is that you're adding three schools who have not been in BCS AQ conferences and who will have something to prove. The Big East is not getting teams from other AQ leagues to jump ship, so it would have to pick from candidates like UCF, East Carolina, Houston, etc. The league basically becomes Conference USA at that point, not to mention the effect it has on basketball. I say get to 10 and then re-evaluate after a couple of years.

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Aaron from Boca Raton, Fla., writes: Thanks for keeping the Big East fans informed. I really liked how you recently included a post about TCU and you're right about getting to know them. Since they will soon be in our conference, any chance of regularly including articles about them? Maybe Andrea Adelson's blog posts about TCU could be included here. Go Bulls!

Brian Bennett: My plan as of right now is to have at least a weekly TCU update during the season. I would think that all Big East fans are rooting for the Horned Frogs to have a strong season in their exit campaign from the Mountain West. Speaking of which ...

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Corey from Baton Rouge, La., writes: Everyone keeps pointing to 2012 as the year that the Big East takes a step forward, mainly due to the addition of TCU. Now, I've been a Mountaineer fan my entire life, and in general, a fan of the Big East (except Pitt). This has, of course, turned me into a pessimist. Knowing what I know about the Big East in football, isn't it more likely that TCU will take a huge hit this year with all the lost players, get crushed by Boise State, and limp into the postseason with a 9-3 record? They join the Big East, struggle to beat the top of the conference, and never regain their luster. Logistics are, as we can all expect, a nightmare, and everyone in the end agrees that it was a bad idea. The Big East takes ridicule by the major media, as usual. Can you give me any reason to believe that this won't be the case? Then please pick South Florida to win the conference this year.

Brian Bennett: Wow, that is pessimistic. I don't think it's unrealistic for TCU to suffer a few losses this year; the Horned Frogs lost several key players of the Rose Bowl team, and the Mountain West did them no favors in the schedule. But I have confidence that Gary Patterson will keep this program at a high level, and I believe TCU will contend right away in the Big East in 2012. Other reasons for optimism in 2012 include some pretty good senior quarterbacks: Geno Smith, Tino Sunseri, B.J. Daniels and Ryan Nassib.

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Kevin from Mahwah, N.J., writes: Brian, you continue to have high expectations on South Florida, but I am a bit confused. I think people are getting carried away with their victory over a likely unmotivited Clemson team in their bowl game. They still were 3-4 in Big East and with big losses to graduation. In the end, they have big question on both lines, especially on the offensive line, and potential but no proven playmakers from the skill positions, outside QB. Seems a lot is hung on B.J. Daniels reaching next level of performance.They have potential to be good, but to me, I am a little perplexed how are reaching "co-favorite" status with West Virginia, can you elaborate more on your thoughts?

Brian Bennett: I look at more than just the Meineke Car Care Bowl and see how USF finished. The Bulls won four of their final six games, including on the road at Louisville and Miami. Their two losses in that span were both one-possession games they could have won. Add in that it was Skip Holtz's first season, and the natural progression that should occur in Year Two, and you can expect the team to improve in 2011. They lost some valuable seniors but also played a lot of guys in 2010 and brought in two potential difference makers at running back with Darrell Scott and Dontae Aycock.

You're right, though, in that the season may ultimately depend on Daniels continuing to mature. The receiving corps is still a big question mark and did not play well this spring. That's a concern. Ultimately, my endorsement of USF as a contender has much to do with question marks at just about every other Big East team this season. Pitt and UConn have new head coaches. Cincinnati and Rutgers are coming off 4-8 seasons. Louisville and Syracuse each lost a ton of senior starters. South Florida and West Virginia look like the safest bets right now, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're the smartest bets.

Scouts Inc. has come up with comprehensive draft boards for every position as we draw ever closer to the 2011 NFL draft (and, hopefully, a 2011 NFL season).

Let's start on the offensive side of the ball and take a look at where some Big East hopefuls are ranked. First, the skill positions:

• Jonathan Baldwin, WR, Pittsburgh: second round

• Jordan Todman, RB, Connecticut: third round

• Dion Lewis, RB, Pittsburgh: fourth round

• Delone Carter, RB, Syracuse: fourth round

• Bilal Powell, RB, Louisville: fifth round

• Anthony Sherman, FB, Connecticut: fifth round

• Noel Devine, RB, West Virginia: sixth round

• Henry Hynoski, FB, Pittsburgh: seventh round

• Armon Binns, WR, Cincinnati: seventh round

Now, the offensive linemen/tight ends:

• Jason Pinkston, OT, Pittsbugh: fifth round

• Cameron Graham, TE, Louisville: sixth round

• Zach Hurd, OG, Connecticut: sixth round

• Ryan Bartholomew, C, Syracuse: seventh round

• Jason Kelce, C, Cincinnati: seventh round

Now let's move to the defensive side and see where Scouts Inc. rates some Big East defenders:

• Terrell McClain, DT, South Florida: second round

• Jabaal Sheard, DE/LB, Pittsburgh: second round

• Johnny Patrick, CB, Louisville: third round

• Greg Romeus, DE, Pittsburgh: fourth round

• Brandon Hogan, CB, West Virginia: fourth round

• Robert Sands, S, West Virginia: fourth round

• Lawrence Wilson, LB, Connecticut: fifth round

• Scott Lutrus, LB, Connecticut: fifth round

• Joe Lefeged, S, Rutgers: sixth round

• Chris Neild, DT, West Virginia: sixth round

• Derrell Smith, LB, Syracuse: sixth round

• J.T. Thomas, LB, West Virginia: sixth round

• Doug Hogue, LB, Syracuse: sixth round

• Greg Lloyd, LB, Connecticut: seventh round

These projections aren't gospel by any means, but they should give you a pretty good idea of how Big East hopefuls are being viewed right now.

Jumping back into our countdown of the Top 25 players in the Big East, based on their performance and impact in the 2010 season ...

No. 14

Robert Sands, S, West Virginia, Jr.

Preseason rank: No. 8

2010 numbers: Had 53 tackles, including 6.5 for loss, plus an interception and a forced fumble.

Making the case for Sands: Like the player before him on this list, Jon Baldwin, Sands is a physically gifted athlete who skipped his senior year to start his career in the NFL. And like Baldwin, Sands didn't have quite the season most expected of him in 2010.

Part of the reason may have been health. He seemed to be nursing an injury for much of the season, and perhaps that took away a little bit of his playmaking ability. Yet it's hard to be disappointed about Sands' season, since he was an anchor on one of the best defenses in the country. His presence as a hard-hitting, 6-foot-5 safety who could come up to help the run or defend in pass coverage was unlike anything any other Big East team had to offer. Sands gave defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel an unbelievable security blanket.

Sands put up excellent numbers at the NFL Combine and should make a solid pro. He leaves West Virginia as a two-time first-team All-Big East player and undoubtedly one of the top players from 2010.

Previously

No. 25: Zach Hurd, OG, Connecticut
No. 24: Dave Teggart, K, Connecticut
No. 23: Derrell Smith, LB, Syracuse
No. 22: J.T. Thomas, LB, West Virginia
No. 21: Johnny Patrick, CB, Louisville
No. 20: Dion Lewis, RB, Pittsburgh
No. 19: Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia
No. 18: Isaiah Pead, RB, Cincinnati
No. 17: Kendall Reyes, DL, Connecticut
No. 16: Jason Pinkston, OT, Pittsburgh
No. 15: Jon Baldwin, WR, Pittsburgh

On Monday, I looked at the results posted by Big East offensive linemen, running backs, receivers, tight ends and preliminary numbers for the linebackers. Let's check in now on some more updates by top performers for the defensive guys from the league (performance ranks are listed by position).

Defensive line

Pittsburgh's Jabaal Sheard had the fifth-fastest 40-yard dash time at 4.69 seconds. He was 12th in the broad jump.

Linebackers

Scott Lutrus put up strong numbers, finishing first in vertical leap (38 inches) second in the 60-yard shuttle, third in the three-cone drill, fourth in the 20-yard shuttle, tied for fifth in the broad jump and tied for seventh in the 40 at 4.68 seconds. Here's what our Scouts Inc. team wrote about Lutrus's performance:

"Lutrus (6-2½, 241) far exceeded expectations based on what we've seen on film. ... We now have to go back to the tape to see if we missed something during our initial evaluation and figure why his explosiveness and lateral quickness are so much better at this point."

Syracuse's Doug Hogue was fifth in the 40 at 4.63 seconds. He tied for fifth in the broad jump, tied for sixth in vertical leap and was 12th in the three-cone drill.

West Virginia's J.T. Thomas tied for seventh in the 40, tied for 10th in the 20-yard shuttle, and tied for 13th in the 60-yard drill.

Connecticut's Greg Lloyd tied for 14th in the three-cone drill.

UConn's Lawrence Wilson tied for 13th in both the vertical leap and 40-yard dash. Would you have guessed Lutrus would beat teammate Wilson in the 40?

Safeties

West Virginia's Robert Sands showed off his array of skills. He tied for second with a 35-inch vertical leap and had the best broad jump at 10 feet, four inches. His 40 time of 4.57 seconds was third.

Cornerbacks

Rutgers' Joe Lefeged, a safety in college who was listed with the cornerbacks at the combine, tied for the fifth-best 40 time at 4.43 seconds. He also tied for 11th in the vertical leap and 14th in the broad jump.

West Virginia's Brandon Hogan tied for 10th on the bench press with 19 reps at 225 pounds.

The NFL combine officially began on Wednesday, as players arrived in Indianapolis and started interviews with team officials.

There are more interviews Thursday, along with measurements and medical examinations. Workouts start on Friday, and here is the schedule for position groups:

Friday: Specialists
Saturday: Offensive linemen, tight ends
Sunday: Quarterbacks, wide receivers, running backs
Monday: Defensive linemen, linebackers
Tuesday: Defensive backs

It will be fun to follow the Big East players as they strut their stuff for scouts. Who will be the top player drafted from the league? My money is still on Pittsburgh receiver Jon Baldwin, whom I expect to put up dazzling numbers in his combine workouts.

Here again is the full list of Big East players scheduled to participate in Indianapolis:

Cincinnati (3)

Armon Binns, WR

Jason Kelce, OL

Jake Rogers, K

Connecticut (6)


Zach Hurd, OL

Anthony Sherman, FB

Jordan Todman, RB

Lawrence Wilson, LB

Greg Lloyd, LB

Scott Lutrus, LB

Louisville (3)


Cameron Graham, TE

Johnny Patrick, CB

Bilal Powell, RB

Pittsburgh (6)

Jon Baldwin, WR

Henry Hynoski, FB

Dion Lewis, RB

Jason Pinkston, OL

Greg Romeus, DE

Jabaal Sheard, DE

Rutgers (1)


Joe Lefeged, S

South Florida (1)

Terrell McClain, DT

Syracuse (4)

Ryan Bartholomew, OL

Doug Hogue, LB

Delone Carter, RB

Derrell Smith, LB

West Virginia (6)

Noel Devine, RB

Brandon Hogan, CB

Chris Neild, DT

Jock Sanders, WR

Robert Sands, S

J.T. Thomas, LB

The official invitation list to the NFL combine is out, and 30 Big East players will be showing off their skills at the premiere pre-draft event.

The following league players are scheduled to participate in the set of drills before scouts from Feb. 23 to March 1 in Indianapolis:

Jon Baldwin, WR, Pittsburgh

Ryan Bartholomew, OL, Syracuse

Armon Binns, WR, Cincinnati

Delone Carter, RB, Syracuse

Noel Devine, RB, West Virginia

Cameron Graham, TE, Louisville

Brandon Hogan, CB, West Virginia

Doug Hogue, LB, Syracuse

Zach Hurd, OL, Connecticut

Henry Hynoski, FB, Pittsburgh

Jason Kelce, OL, Cincinnati

Joe Lefeged, S, Rutgers

Dion Lewis, RB, Pittsburgh

Greg Lloyd, LB, Connecticut

Scott Lutrus, LB, Connecticut

Terrell McClain, DT, South Florida

Chris Neild, DT, West Virginia

Johnny Patrick, CB, Louisville

Jason Pinkston, OL, Pittsburgh

Bilal Powell, RB, Louisville

Greg Romeus, DE, Pittsburgh

Jake Rogers, K, Cincinnati

Jock Sanders, WR, West Virginia

Robert Sands, S, West Virginia

Jabaal Sheard, DE, Pittsburgh

Anthony Sherman, FB, Connecticut

Derrell Smith, LB, Syracuse

J.T. Thomas, LB, West Virginia

Jordan Todman, RB, Connecticut

Lawrence Wilson, LB, Connecticut

National signing day is Wednesday, and every fan base will be excited about the guys their schools bring in.

But how much do star rankings and hype really correlate to future success? One way to find out is by working backwards. Let's take a look at this year's official All-Big East team and see where each player was ranked as a recruit coming into his program.

All information is based on ESPN.com's recruiting rankings.

Offense

QB: Zach Collaros, Cincinnati: Unranked as a recruit.

RB: Jordan Todman, Connecticut: Two-star recruit, ranked No. 118 among running backs in the Class of 2008.

RB: Bilal Powell, Louisville: Unranked as a recruit.

WR: Armon Binns, Cincinnati: Unranked as a recruit.

WR: Jon Baldwin, Pittsburgh: Four-star prospect, ESPNU150 performer, No. 8 among wide receivers in the Class of 2008.

OT: Mike Ryan, Connecticut: Unranked as a recruit.

OT: Jason Pinkston, Pittsburgh: Four-star prospect and No. 13 defensive tackle in the Class of '06.

OG: Zach Hurd, Connecticut: Unranked as a recruit.

OG: Mark Wetterer, Louisville: Two-star prospect and No. 70 offensive tackle in Class of '07.

C: Sampson Genus, South Florida: Three-star prospect and No. 12 center in the Class of '07.

TE: Cameron Graham, Louisville: Junior college transfer.

Defense

DL: Kendall Reyes, Connecticut: Unranked as a recruit.

DL: Jabaal Sheard, Pittsburgh: Two-star prospect and No. 83 defensive end in the Class of '07.

DL: Terrell McClain, South Florida: Three-star prospect and No. 29 defensive tackle in Class of '07.

DL: Chris Neild, West Virginia: Three-star prospect and No. 17 tight end in Class of '06.

LB: Lawrence Wilson, Connecticut: Unranked as a recruit.

LB: Doug Hogue, Syracuse: Three-star prospect and No. 84 running back in Class of '07.

LB: J.T. Thomas, West Virginia: Unranked as a recruit.

CB: Johnny Patrick, Louisville: Unranked as a recruit.

CB: Keith Tandy, West Virginia: One-star prospect and No. 207 quarterback in Class of '07.

S: Dom DeCicco, Pittsburgh: Two-star prospect and No. 126 wide receiver in Class of '07.

S: Robert Sands, West Virginia: Unranked as a recruit.

As you can see, it was almost as likely that a player without any stars attached to his name would develop into an All-Big East performer as those more highly regarded. There were some on-the-mark evaluations, such as Baldwin and McClain, Pinkston and Genus. And there were guys who flew way under the radar, like Binns and Powell, Ryan and Wilson.

It still, like always, comes down to proper evaluation by a staff, then to player development and an individual's own desire to be great. Something to keep in mind on signing day.

Let's put a final bow on bowl season with the Big East's All-Bowl team:

Offense

Quarterback: Ryan Nassib, Syracuse

Nassib, who struggled down the stretch of the regular season, took advantage of Kansas State's shaky defense to complete 13-of-21 passes for 239 yards and three touchdowns in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl.

Running backs: Delone Carter, Syracuse, and Dion Lewis, Pittsburgh

Carter ran 27 times for 198 yards and two scores in the Pinstripe Bowl. Lewis rumbled for 105 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries in the BBVA Compass Bowl before declaring for the NFL Draft.

Wide receiver: Marcus Sales, Syracuse

Sales came almost out of nowhere to record five catches for 172 yards and three touchdowns against Kansas State. No other Big East receiver had even a fraction of his stats in the postseason.

Tight end: Cameron Graham, Louisville

The league's best tight in the regular season kept it up in the Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl, catching three passes for 31 yards and a touchdown.

Offensive line: Jacob Sims and Sampson Genus, South Florida; Jason Pinkston, Pittsburgh; Mark Wetterer, Louisville; Justin Pugh, Syracuse.


Sims and Genus were part of a USF line that pushed back Clemson's talented defensive front in the Meineke Car Care Bowl; Sims in particular helped keep Da'Quan Bowers quiet, which is not an easy thing to do. Pinkston showed some fire in protecting his quarterback after Tino Sunseri was hit late, and the Panthers ran for 261 yards while surrendering zero sacks against Kentucky. Wetterer and Pugh helped open holes for their high-scoring postseason offenses.

Defense

Defensive line: Brandon Lindsey, Pittsburgh; Terrell McClain, South Florida; Bruce Irvin, West Virginia.


Lindsey stepped up his game in the regular season when Greg Romeus was hurt and did so again in the bowl with Jabaal Sheard out. McClain didn't record many stats but was his usual dominant self in the middle against Clemson. Irvin had two sacks and a forced fumble against NC State in the Champs Sports Bowl.

Linebackers: Derrell Smith, Syracuse; J.T. Thomas, West Virginia; Brandon Heath, Louisville; DeDe Lattimore, South Florida.


I went with a 3-4 look on defense to recognize the many strong performances by linebackers during bowl. Just about all of these guys had double-digit tackles and/or a couple TFLs.

Cornerbacks: Johnny Patrick, Louisville; Quenton Washington, South Florida

After getting burned on a play early, Patrick was all over the field. He forced a fumble and blocked a punt. Washington also blocked a punt and had a 45-yard interception return.

Safeties: Dom DeCicco, Pittsburgh, and Robert Sands, West Virginia

DeCicco had nine tackles and a forced fumble, while Sands had eight tackles and a sack.

Specialists

Punter: Cole Wagner, Connecticut

Wagner punted seven times for an average of 46.9 yards -- with a long of 52 yards -- against Oklahoma in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

Placekicker: Chris Philpott, Louisville

Philpott only got the call once, but he made the game-winning 36-yarder in the fourth quarter.

Kick returners: Jeremy Wright, Louisville, and Robbie Frey, Connecticut

Both Wright and Frey returned kickoffs for touchdowns in their bowl games. Wright's was especially crucial, as it tied the score in the fourth quarter.

Punt returner: Terrence Mitchell, South Florida

Mitchell had a 34-yard punt return against Clemson.

• Cincinnati is working on its best-ever recruiting class, at least according to some scout services.

• Syracuse keeps waiting and hoping for Ishaq Williams.

• Todd Graham is the leading candidate, but several other names are alive in the Pitt coaching search. The BBVA Compass Bowl win gave the Panthers some hope.

• Robert Sands decided that the NFL was his best bet for next year.

• Two new Louisville recruits have high hopes for their new home.

• Eric LeGrand is maintaining his belief, and so are others.

West Virginia junior safety Robert Sands declared for the NFL draft over the weekend, which came as little surprise.

The 6-foot-5 Sands has been one of the top playmakers in the Big East the past two years and had 34 tackles -- 6.5 of them for loss -- in 2010. He received an evaluation from the NFL draft advisory board and obviously liked what he saw. Sands has the skill set to be highly successful as a pro.

The Mountaineers were clearly braced for the loss of Sands -- head coach Bill Stewart said last spring that his top safety could make the leap with a strong season -- but it still creates a void for 2011. Even with a below average performance in the Champs Sports Bowl, the West Virginia defense finished fourth nationally in both yards allowed and points allowed. But it will have to replace many valuable players next season, including:

• Nose tackle Chris Neild

• Defensive end Scooter Berry

• Linebackers J.T. Thomas, Anthony Leonard and Pat Lazear

• Cornerback Brandon Hogan

• Safeties Sidney Glover and Sands.

That's eight starters lost. There are still some solid returnees, including defensive end Julian Miller, linebacker Najee Goode, safety Terence Garvin and cornerback Keith Tandy. They were all starters in 2010. Bruce Irvin should move into an every-down role at defensive end opposite Miller, and junior college transfer Josh Francis could provide immediate help at linebacker. The Mountaineers will look for young players like Will Clarke, Brodrick Jenkins and Pat Miller to make major strides in the offseason.

Still, it's hard to make up for the veteran leadership that defense had, and how its knowledge helped Jeff Casteel disguise coverages so well in the 3-3-5 alignment. Casteel is sticking around, which might be the best news of all. He'll have his work cut out for him in 2011, though, and it would be unrealistic to expect the Mountaineers to repeat the same kind of defensive dominance they did this year.

These are strange times indeed at West Virginia, with Bill Stewart about to enter his one-year, lame-duck phase, several offensive assistants getting ready for their last game with the Mountaineers and an introductory news conference for Dana Holgorsen (at which Stewart will appear) taking place Wednesday.

All the while, the team needs to focus on Tuesday's Champs Sports Bowl game against a tough opponent in NC State. There are more possible distractions then a fireworks explosion inside a candy factory. But the team is trying to close ranks and stay on task as much as possible.

"We talked about it a little bit," safety Robert Sands said. "Everybody understands it's a business and stuff like this is going to happen. We can't do anything about it. The only thing we can do is play football."

Stewart brushed off speculation that he will retire after the bowl game and tried to keep his Tuesday bowl news conference solely about the upcoming game. He'll talk Wednesday about his job and the Holgorsen hire, but he doesn't think that will become a sideshow.

"I’ve taken my marching orders, and we’re going to go finish this thing this year," he said. "Before we talk about 2011, I need to focus on 2010. How do we finish? That’s what I’ve asked the team. How will you be remembered? That’s the most important thing to this football team right now -- we want to finish."

West Virginia (9-3) still has a chance to accomplish one of its preseason goals: winning 10 games. To do so, the Mountaineers must find a way to stop NC State quarterback Russell Wilson, who accounts for more than 300 all-purpose yards per game. They'll also be without their best cornerback with Brandon Hogan sidelined with a knee injury. Wilson will be the top quarterback they have faced all year, and his mobility can cause the defense problems.

Sands compared Wilson to South Florida's B.J. Daniels, who struggled against West Virginia this year but led the Bulls to victory last year in Tampa.

"We had a pretty good game plan for [Daniels] this year, and I think we'll have a good game plan this time," he said. "Both are tremendous athletes. He's constantly putting up good numbers, so you have to respect that. At the same time, we've got a group of guys over here that are ready to put some pressure on him."

When Wilson is on, the Wolfpack can put up a lot of points. But West Virginia's offense played its best down the stretch, and Noel Devine should be healthier after three weeks' rest.

"I think we were kind of hitting our stride late," quarterback Geno Smith said. "Yeah, it came late but we've been through a lot this season."

The Mountaineers are still going through a lot. But they're doing their best to not let it affect this game.

"There are no awkward feelings out here," Smith said. "It's still the same as it was about three weeks ago. We're out at practice getting after each other."

Connecticut's Randy Edsall offered a brief update on his team Monday, which included the following news: running back Jordan Todman and defensive lineman Kendall Reyes are each exploring their NFL draft stock while deciding whether to come back for their senior seasons.

That's not particularly surprising in the case of Todman, who finished the season as the nation's No. 2 rusher after turning in his second straight season over the 1,000-yard barrier. Todman has little left to prove in college, though his size may cause some concern for scouts at the next level. UConn simply reloads at the running back position because of how well its offensive line is coached and performs. Todman also took on a heavy load this year, leading the Big East with 302 carries in 11 games. Bilal Powell was the league's second most-used ball carrier, and he had 91 fewer rushes.

Reyes was a first-team All-Big East selection who really performed well down the stretch. He's not a guy who has generated a lot of NFL buzz from the mock draft folks, but UConn has showed in the past few years that it can produce high draft picks.

Who are some other Big East underclassmen who will be seriously studying their draft stocks this month? Here is a list of those candidates:

Jon Baldwin, WR, Pittsburgh: As good as gone, and should be a first-rounder.

Robert Sands, S, West Virginia: Didn't have huge stats this year but will be coveted for his size (6-foot-5) and skills. Could probably use another year of seasoning but would definitely get drafted.

Dion Lewis, RB, Pittsburgh: A draft-eligible sophomore, Lewis had a very slow start to the season and finished far off his 2009 pace. That, plus his diminutive size, probably means he'll be back for 2010.

Isaiah Pead, RB, Cincinnati: The junior finished third in the Big East in rushing, and 5-foot-11 and 200 pounds, he is bigger than both Todman and Lewis. He may need to prove more durability, however, after a year in which he had just 157 carries.

Derek Wolfe, DT, Cincinnati: Has good size for a defensive tackle at 6-foot-6, 295 pounds but would probably be wise to stay in school.

Julian Miller and Bruce Irvin, DE, West Virginia: Both had outstanding years and will be major cornerstones if they return as seniors in 2011. Irvin needs to gain weight and become a more complete player but is already a pass-rushing dynamo.

There are always a couple of surprises in the early-entrant decisions -- for example, USF's Carlton Mitchell last year -- so this bears watching over the next several weeks.

• West Virginia cornerback Brandon Hogan could miss the Champs Sports Bowl because of a knee injury. The bowl could be the last college game for junior safety Robert Sands.
• Dana Holgorsen could be the man for Pitt.
• UConn has its share of critics. John Marinatto isn't one of them.
• Because Terrell McClain became more of a student of the game, he became a more effective player for South Florida.
• Ohio's Mr. Football committed to Cincinnati, as did a local linebacker.
• Rutgers picked up a punter and defensive end.
• Syracuse's Rob Long will have surgery Tuesday to remove a benign brain tumor.

Earlier today, I presented you with my picks for the All-Big East team, which you can find here. Not long after, the official league awards and first and second teams came out, which you can find here.

The Big East official teams are voted on by the league's eight head coaches, who know a heck of a lot more about football than me. But that doesn't mean they always make the right choices. Let's take a look at each position and go over some of the reasoning behind the picks, starting with what seems to me like the most egregious error.

Quarterback

The league coaches chose Cincinnati's Zach Collaros as the unanimous pick, which is just shocking to me. Don't get me wrong, Collaros is a fantastic player who can put up crazy numbers. But I don't see how Collaros was chosen over West Virginia's Geno Smith. Smith led the Big East in passing efficiency and had a 23-6 touchdown to interception ratio. He had one bad game against Syracuse and was terrific just about every other game. Collaros threw 26 touchdowns but with a whopping 14 interceptions. His completion percentage was 58.7 compared to Smith's to 65.8.

In conference play, Collaros had 14 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Smith had 11 touchdowns and four interceptions in league play, not to mention that the Mountaineers were co-champions while Cincinnati finished 4-8.

The coaches, frankly, blew this one.

Running back

Jordan Todman and Bilal Powell were the easy calls here. What's amazing is that neither Noel Devine nor Dion Lewis made the first or second team. No one saw that coming before the year.

Wide receiver and tight end

Armon Binns and Jon Baldwin were the obvious calls at receiver. Louisville's Cameron Graham was the most productive tight end in the league.

Offensive line

Here's where the coaches' expertise should come into play. It's really hard just watching from TV or even from a press box to tell who's playing well on the interior of an offensive line, especially if you don't know what the blocking assignments are supposed to be. I made sure to get some input from coaches on this one and was pleased to see my choices of Sampson Genus at center and Zach Hurd and Mark Wetterer at guard were echoed by the coaches. We also agreed on Jason Pinkston at tackle, though the coaches had UConn's Mike Ryan at the other tackle, while I had Louisville's Byron Stingily. Both are fine choices, since Louisville and UConn had the best offensive lines in the league.

Defensive line

Very little question here with Jabaal Sheard, Terrell McClain and Chris Neild up front. The second defensive end spot was a tricky one for me. The coaches chose Kendall Reyes, who had an excellent year. I picked West Virginia's Julian Miller, who was a beast in conference play and part of the Mountaineers' unbelievable defense. When in doubt at one of these defensive positions, I went with a West Virgina player. I also strongly considered Chandler Jones, Brandon Lindsey and Jesse Joseph for that spot.

Linebacker

Linebacker is one of the deepest positions in the Big East this year. Lawrence Wilson was a definite, and the coaches and I agreed on J.T. Thomas. They chose Doug Hogue while I went with his Syracuse teammate, Derrell Smith. Can't argue too much either way and I would have put all four of them on there if there were enough spots.

Defensive back

Here's another place where I sharply disagree with the coaches' pick. They had West Virginia's Keith Tandy and not Brandon Hogan. I'm not sure even Tandy would agree with that. Tandy had the better interception and tackle numbers, but as he told me in a late-season interview, most of that was because teams wouldn't throw Hogan's way. The coaches I talked to all said Hogan was easily the best cornerback in the Big East. I had him and Johnny Patrick, who was also an official pick, though I heard some support for and strongly considered South Florida's Mistral Raymond.

At safety, Robert Sands was a no-brainer. The other safety spot was my most difficult choice on the entire list. Safety was not a strong position for the Big East this year. The coaches picked Dom DeCicco, who had a solid year. But I felt like he played some his best while working at linebacker for Pitt this year. I went instead with West Virginia's Sidney Glover, a rock-solid senior who fit my "when in doubt pick a Mountaineer" strategy. I liked Rutgers' Joe Lefeged earlier in the year but thought he faded along with his whole team. One coach who played Rutgers late in the season said they picked on Lefeged in the passing game.

So there you have it. How do you feel about the all-conference picks? Do you think, like I do, that Smith and Hogan were the biggest snubs?

Welcome to the ESPN.com 2010 All-Big East team. Unlike the official league team, we don't do ties here. One man, one spot.

I compiled the following list after watching each team the entire season and through consultation this week with some coaches throughout the league. Later on today, I'll offer up some thoughts on the selections, explaining my picks and the toughest omissions.

Here is the team:

Offense

QB: Geno Smith, West Virginia
RB: Jordan Todman, Connecticut
RB: Bilal Powell, Louisville
WR: Armon Binns, Cincinnati
WR: Jon Baldwin, Pittsburgh
TE: Cameron Graham, Louisville
OT: Jason Pinkston, Pittsburgh
OG: Zach Hurd, Connecticut
C: Sampson Genus, South Florida
OG: Mark Wetterer, Louisville
OT: Byron Stingily, Louisville

Defense

DE: Jabaal Sheard, Pittsburgh
DT: Chris Neild, West Virginia
DT: Terrell McClain, South Florida
DE: Julian Miller, West Virginia
LB: Lawrence Wilson, Connecticut
LB: Derrell Smith, Syracuse
LB: J.T. Thomas, West Virginia
CB: Brandon Hogan, West Virginia
CB: Johnny Patrick, Louisville
S: Robert Sands, West Virginia
S: Sidney Glover, West Virginia

Specialists

K: Dave Teggart, Connecticut
P: Dan Hutchins, Pittsburgh
KR: Lindsey Lamar, South Florida
PR: Doug Beaumont, Louisville