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You waited all weekend for me to confirm what you already figured out: West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith takes the No. 1 spot in my countdown of the top 25 players in the Big East for 2011.

He may not have won Big East Offensive Player of the Year honors, but I thought Smith was the best and most valuable player in the league this year. Why?

Making the case: There is no way West Virginia would have had another record-breaking offensive year and been one of the most explosive groups in the country without Smith. Take Smith away, and Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey are not nearly as effective. There is no denying that trio of players benefited from playing in the high-powered offense Dana Holgorsen brought with him from Oklahoma State. But one glance at what happened at Pitt should show everybody that there is no such thing as just being able to insert any warm body into a spread offense and have it work like magic.

Were there problems? Sure, there were problems. Smith made bad decisions at times. The offense failed to put together a complete game on more than one occasion, driving the ball ridiculously well at some points, then stalling at others. We finally saw the full capability of the offense on display in the Orange Bowl against Clemson, a sign of things to come for 2012. But for 2011 at least, Smith learned the offense and did a great job in his first year -- setting the school and Big East record with 4,385 yards, while throwing for 31 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. Smith ranked No. 8 in the nation in passing, and was the most highly visible player in the Big East.

With Smith leading the way, West Virginia set 19 different school records. Smith owns seven of them. And if anybody needs reminding, his backup was a true freshman. So if Smith had gotten hurt, this team would have been in a heap of trouble. I don't think you can say the same of Austin. As good as Austin is, I think West Virginia would have been able to make do without him. That's why I have Smith ahead of his teammate.

Why Smith over Isaiah Pead? As I have written before, I understand the argument for making Pead the No. 1 player in the Big East. He had his best season, and was extremely valuable to the Bearcats, especially after Zach Collaros got hurt. But in a must-win game against Rutgers the week after losing Collaros, Pead had his worst game of the season, with 28 yards on 14 carries. A lot of that was a function of the way the Scarlet Knights focused on shutting him down and making Munchie Legaux beat them. But I think all Bearcats fans can probably agree they expected a little more out of Pead in that game. It was as if the entire offense failed to show up. To me, MVPs find a way to make a play -- even with nine men in the box.

Not to take away anything from the season Pead had. I obviously think highly enough of him to rank him No. 2 in the Big East. But overall, I thought Smith was better and more valuable, so he gets my No. 1 ranking.

Preseason ranking: No. 1

The countdown:

No. 2 Isaiah Pead, RB, Cincinnati

No. 3 Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia

No. 4 Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers

No. 5 Khaseem Greene, LB, Rutgers

No. 6 Derek Wolfe, DT, Cincinnati

No. 7 Stedman Bailey, WR, West Virginia

No. 8 Ray Graham, RB, Pitt

No. 9 Zach Collaros, QB, Cincinnati

No. 10 JK Schaffer, LB, Cincinnati

No. 11 Kendall Reyes, DT, UConn

No. 12 Najee Goode, LB, West Virginia

No. 13 Bruce Irvin, DE West Virginia

No. 14 Julian Miller, DE, West Virginia

No. 15 Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse

No. 16 Trevardo Williams, DE, UConn

No. 17 Aaron Donald, DE, Pitt

No. 18 Logan Ryan, CB, Rutgers

No. 19 Hakeem Smith, S, Louisville

No. 20 Dexter Heyman, LB, Louisville

No. 21 Lyle McCombs, RB, UConn

No. 22 Antwon Bailey, RB, Syracuse

No. 23 Duron Harmon, S, Rutgers

No. 24 Keith Tandy, CB, West Virginia

No. 25 Ryne Giddins, DE, USF

We continue our countdown of the top players in the Big East.

Up today: Zach Collaros, QB, Cincinnati.

Making the case: This is a case where the stats do not tell the full story. The true measure of his importance to this team and the Big East is in what happened to the Bearcats after he broke his ankle against West Virginia in November. Cincinnati lost its grip on the league race with Collaros out, though it did manage to win a share of the championship. With a healthy Collaros, the Bearcats may have very well been in the BCS. His veteran leadership and experience were sorely missed down the stretch, particularly in a stinging loss to Rutgers.

Collaros might not have had his best season statistically. He still threw far too many head-scratching interceptions (15 touchdowns to 10 INTs). But the way he was able to rally back and play in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl -- guiding the team to its first bowl win since 2007 -- speaks volumes about what he truly brought to his team. League coaches noticed well before that performance, voting him to the Big East second team.

Preseason ranking: No. 3.

The countdown:

No. 25 Ryne Giddins, DE, USF

No. 24 Keith Tandy, CB, West Virginia

No. 23 Duron Harmon, S, Rutgers

No. 22 Antwon Bailey, RB, Syracuse

No. 21 Lyle McCombs, RB, UConn

No. 20 Dexter Heyman, LB, Louisville

No. 19 Hakeem Smith, S, Louisville

No. 18 Logan Ryan, CB, Rutgers

No. 17 Aaron Donald, DE, Pitt

No. 16 Trevardo Williams, DE, UConn

No. 15 Chandler Jones, DE, Syracuse

No. 14 Julian Miller, DE, West Virginia

No. 13 Bruce Irvin, DE West Virginia

No. 12 Najee Goode, LB, West Virginia

No. 11 Kendall Reyes, DT, UConn

No. 10 JK Schaffer, LB, Cincinnati

My 40 time is ____.

• JK Schaffer and Zach Collaros remain upbeat even though they didn't get invited to the combine.
• Ex-UConn coach Randy Edsall has become a national punching bag at Maryland.
• It appears former Wisconsin quarterback Brooks Bollinger will be hired at Pitt.
• New Brunswick restaurants unite for the Eric LeGrand Believe Fund.
• Former Syracuse running back Joe Morris talks about the Orange.
• USF hires a grad assistant.
• How close are Temple and the Big East?

We continue on with our 2011 postseason position rankings with quarterback. There should not be too many surprises on this list. For me, it was hardest to separate Syracuse-USF-Rutgers in the middle of the pack. You could also make the case to flop Pitt and UConn.

1. West Virginia. Geno Smith went about shattering school, Big East and Orange Bowl records during his career year for the Mountaineers, throwing for 4,385 yards, 31 touchdown passes and seven interceptions. His development under Dana Holgorsen was about what we expected. Preseason ranking: 1.

2. Cincinnati. Zach Collaros' worth to the team was illustrated when he got hurt against West Virginia. The Bearcats lost their grip atop the Big East and ended up sharing the league title. Munchie Legaux was not great, but Collaros was. Cincinnati may have relied more on the run this year, but I thought Collaros and Isaiah Pead complemented each other perfectly. Preseason ranking: 2.

3. Louisville. True freshman Teddy Bridgewater really helped anchor this team once he replaced Will Stein in the starting lineup. He set a school freshman passing record with 2,129 yards and won Big East Newcomer of the Year honors. Without Bridgewater, I'm not sure this team wins a share of the Big East title. He showed poise and maturity beyond his years. Preseason ranking: 7.

4. Syracuse. Ryan Nassib had a career year for the Orange, setting highs for completions, attempts, yards, completion percentage and touchdown passes. There is no doubt he made some significant strides for Syracuse, but the biggest knock is that he never really was able to make the plays to get his team in position to win just one game in the final stretch of the season. Preseason ranking: 6.

5. USF. Coach Skip Holtz rightfully points out that the Bulls offense was improved in 2011 vs. 2010. But I think most of us were waiting on B.J. Daniels to take that next step and become an elite quarterback in the Big East. We are still waiting. He barely improved his completion percentage and threw just 13 touchdown passes -- though he did have a career-high with 601 yards rushing. What sticks out most are critical mistakes against UConn and West Virginia that cost his team wins. Preseason ranking: 4.

6. Rutgers. Greg Schiano went with musical quarterbacks again, switching back and forth and then back again from Chas Dodd to Gary Nova to Dodd. Neither was particularly effective, and both had a penchant for making bad mistakes. It's a true credit to receiver Mohamed Sanu that he was able to have such a great year with such inconsistent quarterback play. Preseason ranking: 5.

7. Pitt. How much more can be said about the way Tino Sunseri played this season? The further removed we are from the year, the more I'm convinced that his coaches let him down. Still, he was not very good in 2011 -- 38 yards passing against Utah was the low point. It was a disaster of a season. Preseason ranking: 3 (Gulp!)

8. UConn. Three quarterbacks in contention, but the Huskies really had no true quarterbacks. Johnny McEntee ended up winning the right to start, but he was completely overmatched. Scott McCummings came in for Wildcat duties and Michael Nebrich was an afterthought. No surprise that this was the worst passing offense in the Big East. Preseason ranking: 8.

It is time to evaluate the receiver position in the Big East. For the postseason rankings, I am going to include tight ends as well. Before the season started, I did them separately, but it makes more sense to do them together.

This is a position group that has a clear-cut 1-2. To me, the rest are pretty interchangeable, as no other group really stood out to me this season.

1. West Virginia. Slam dunk to have the Mountaineers on top, given the way Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey performed this season. Each had 1,000-yard seasons -- the first time in school history two players hit that mark. Bailey led the Big East with 12 receiving touchdowns, and was No. 1 in receiving yards per game. Austin was third in receiving yards per game and second in receptions per game. Add in Ivan McCartney, also ranked among the top-10 receivers in the Big East and that says it all. Preseason ranking: No. 2.

2. Rutgers. Mohamed Sanu had an unbelievable season for Rutgers with a school and Big East record 115 receptions. He dominated at receiver, leading the league in receptions per game and finishing second in receiving yards per game. That domination meant his teammates did not get as many opportunities -- Brandon Coleman only had 17 receptions; Mark Harrison 14, Quron Pratt had 32. But when you have an unstoppable force like Sanu, you keep going to him. Preseason ranking: No. 1.

3. Syracuse. When you think of the Orange, you don't necessarily think of high-profile receivers. But Alec Lemon and Nick Provo teamed to have outstanding seasons this year. Both posted career years, Provo made the Big East first team and Lemon made the second team. The two combined for 119 catches and 13 touchdowns. Depth wasn't great, but the performance of Lemon and Provo make up for that and vaults Syracuse here. Preseason ranking: No. 5.

4. Cincinnati. I thought the Bearcats receivers had a down year. D.J. Woods didn't really live up to his potential, and Anthony McClung led the team with 683 yards. That is the fewest yards for the team's leading receiver since 2006. What really sticks out: when Zach Collaros got hurt, the receivers as a whole never really stepped up the way they should have to help Munchie Legaux. Preseason ranking: No. 3.

5. Louisville. The Cardinals did get much better play out of their receivers, and were helped with the impact freshman DeVante Parker and Eli Rogers made. They didn't have anybody with eye-popping numbers, but they did have consistent enough performances out of this group. Preseason ranking: 7.

6. USF. The Bulls were really hurt by injuries at this position, and never really had a go-to guy emerge. Sterling Griffin was en route to a good season before he got hurt; A.J. Love got hurt as well. That left the position in the hands of many young, inexperienced guys. I thought Deonte Welch really had a nice second half. He was their best receiver when Griffin was out. Preseason ranking: 6.

7. UConn. Considering the way the Huskies struggled in the pass game, Kashif Moore, Isiah Moore and Ryan Griffin all put together solid seasons for UConn. Both Moores ranked in the top 10 in the Big East in receiving, and Griffin was the second-best tight end behind Nick Provo. Depth was lacking at the position -- as only five players caught double-digit passes, and only three are true wide receivers. Preseason ranking: 8.

8. Pitt. The Panthers got their tight ends and running backs involved heavily in the pass game, probably because there was depth lacking at the actual receiver position. Devin Street put together a solid season, with 754 yards receiving, and Mike Shanahan was decent. But otherwise, big plays were lacking. Passing game woes obviously had an impact. Preseason ranking: 4.

Come one, come all for your midweek Big East mailblog.

Jackson Fiske in Cincinnati writes: Do you believe that the moves the Big East has made toward expansion have been beneficial? Obviously it is important to maintain a certain number of teams, but it seems like the conference is going after quantity and not quality. Conferences like the Big Ten, SEC, and Pac-12 would never consider adding some of these choices.

Andrea Adelson: I think the Big East did the best it could do under the circumstances. The truth is that the Big East simply does not have the cache to be able to go and raid other conferences. No team from the ACC or Big Ten, for example, is leaving its secure conference home to join one that has been teetering on the brink. So given that, the Big East did what needed to be done to survive. It added the most successful non-AQ teams out there which also expands its television footprint and national reach. The Big East was not going to sit there and fold. Bringing in these schools had to be done.

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Mike in Orlando writes: Andrea, It opens up quite a few possibilities with Navy joining the Big East in football only, the most obvious one being its effect on Air Force and Army in negotiations. What I've wondered, and what I've heard whispered in the darker corners of the forum Internet is the effect this move will have on BYU and Notre Dame. Do you think it is a pipe dream or a possibility that we see the addition of (best case scenario, in my opinion) of AFA, ND, and BYU by 2015, making a 14-team (and very powerful, market-wise) conference?

Adelson: I think Notre Dame is a pipe dream. I will not rule out the other two even though they said no for right now. Market forces can change minds, especially if independence does not work out for BYU (Although the Big 12 could be an option as well). Notre Dame will wait until the very last moment to join a conference. If and win that does happen, I just don't think the Big East will be the big winner.

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John in Roanoke, Va., writes: Andrea, your question about the Big East Offensive MVP is interesting. However, I think you (and others) have missed an important angle when comparing Smith vs. Austin vs. Pead. Who was most VALUABLE to their team? In other words, how many more games would their respective teams have lost if they went down with a season-ending injury on the first play of game one? Without Austin, WVU might have lost an extra game or two -- the team would have lost explosiveness at the slot position, but there are other weapons at the receiver position. Without Pead, Cincy simply relies more heavily on a proven quarterback in (Zach) Collaros, but I'll admit they still might have lost another game or two. Without Geno, WVU relies on a true freshman quarterback, mostly unrecruited and certainly unproven. WVU would have been lucky to go 6-6.

Adelson: John, you bring up a logical point. I think I addressed the idea of who was most valuable in the blog. I believe the award went to Pead because coaches believed he was most valuable, especially once Collaros went down. How would Cincinnati have done without Collaros AND Pead? Based on your reasoning, Smith should have been the MVP of his own team. But he was not. That honor went to Austin, which I thought was very interesting and the whole reason I revisited the topic.

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Grant in NYC writes: Hi AA. As an alum and die-hard 'Cuse football fan, I find it hard to believe that Doug Marrone has not changed or announced any coaching changes. The last two years we have had the same offensive coordinator and the offense has been horrible. We were the only team in the Big East not to play at all two quarterbacks. (Ryan) Nassib played the whole year. Not one other quarterback got a chance to show what they can do. I would like to see Doug Marrone go with a dual-threat like a Ashton Broyld or another mobile quarterback. What do you think? I do like coach (Scot) Shafer as the DC. We just didn't have the man-power last year as the year before, which you will agree. Also we lose a lot this year due to players leaving early, kicked off the team and what not. Do you see 'Cuse getting any better this season? The recruiting seems to be OK at best, but no studs or four-stars. I know we don't always get the best players, but Doug Marrone seems to know what he is doing and I do like coach Marone. I just wish we can get a big fish one of these days.

Adelson: I agree wholeheartedly with your defensive assessment. However, I am not of the same mind about pulling Nassib. I understand the frustrations over the offense not really making strides this year over last year, but what would putting in an inexperienced quarterback have done? Nassib did end up having a career year, and he improved in virtually every statistical category even if it didn't feel that way. He gives Syracuse the best chance to win. Broyld is totally unproven, and so are the other guys on the roster. I don't think Cincinnati or USF would have played their backups if given a choice. Would you rather play three like UConn? I don't think so. Syracuse has just got to find a way to be more consistent with Nassib leading the charge. As for recruiting, your complaints are understood. But again, it is all about developing the talent you bring in. I have always believed this star rating system is a crock because nobody really knows how these kids are going to turn out. Florida has consistently signed Top 5 recruiting classes filled with four and five star players and went 7-6 last season. It's all about getting as much as you can out of these kids once they arrive.

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Kris in Hollidaysburg, Pa., writes: Andrea, There were a lot of people on the chat last week speculating that the ACC is having buyer's remorse over Pitt and Syracuse, and I tend to agree. Of the teams that will no longer be in the Big East, who will get the most TV money: ACC schools Pitt and Cuse, or Big 12 schools WVU and TCU? What about a few years down the road? Thanks.

Adelson: Well if you are splitting a pie 10 ways versus splitting it 14 ways, then I go with the Big 12 schools. I think the ACC is going to renegotiate with Syracuse and Pitt on board and will be lucky to get an incremental increase per school as part of the new deal. Any conference with Texas and Oklahoma in it would probably get more television dollars in my best estimation.

It is time to take a last look back at how each Big East team fared in 2011 with season-ending report cards.

First up: Cincinnati

Offense: The Bearcats were a much different offense in 2011 than they were in 2010. Total offense was down by 31 yards, and so were total first downs and third-down conversions. But rushing offense was up, as Cincinnati tried to play to its strengths: running the football. Credit the Bearcats for having a solid offensive line and the Big East Offensive Player of the Year in Isaiah Pead. After starting quarterback Zach Collaros got hurt, it was much harder for the Bearcats to generate any offensive consistency with Munchie Legaux and Jordan Luallen behind center. Pead had his struggles as well. The receiving corps as a whole has also got a lot of growing up to do and that showed no matter who was throwing the passes. As much as I would like to give Cincinnati a pass for what happened with Collaros, that is indeed part of the season and part of the overall grade.

Grade: B.

Defense: One of the biggest reasons the Bearcats won this season is because of their defensive turnaround. Total defense was right around the same as it was last year, but the biggest areas of improvement are among the most important to defensive success: rushing defense, sacks, tackles for loss and takeaways. Cincinnati ranked No. 1 in the Big East in sacks with 46 -- a whopping 20 more than last season. The Bearcats had 16 interceptions -- double what they had last year. Overall they had 33 takeaways -- 19 more than 2010. They also gave up an average of 40 yards fewer per game on the ground. Playing aggressive, opportunistic defense generally makes your team much better, and that is exactly what Cincinnati did in 2011. You can't overlook the contributions of Derek Wolfe and JK Schaffer, or the improvement of safety Drew Frey to this group.

Grade: A.

Overall: Once again, Cincinnati was underestimated going into the season and once again the Bearcats proved their doubters wrong, finishing with a share of the Big East title, a 10-win season, a bowl win for the first time since 2007, Big East coach of the Year honors for Butch Jones, six players on the Big East first team, and a final AP ranking of No. 25. Whew! It is worth repeating that Cincinnati won 10 games for the fourth time in five seasons, an incredible standard to continue to uphold. Getting to double-digit victories is the sign of a great season and this one absolutely qualifies for Cincinnati.

Grade: A

Every team has plenty to do in the offseason. Today, I present to you my top priorities for each Big East program headed into the 2012 season.

Cincinnati

• Settle on a quarterback. If 2011 was any indication, then Munchie Legaux seems a sure bet to start next season. He showed flashes, but he needs to spend the bulk of his offseason developing a nice rhythm and chemistry with his receivers. That was one of the biggest roadblocks for him when he took over for Zach Collaros. Cincinnati has some good talent at receiver -- with Anthony McClung, Kenbrell Thompkins and Alex Chisum coming back -- so this must be a top priority.
• Develop senior leadership. The Bearcats are losing the best senior class in school history, filled with leaders left and right. With guys such as Collaros, Isaiah Pead and JK Schaffer gone, who is going to take the responsibility of leading this team? That is something that must be worked on throughout the offseason.

UConn

• Find a quarterback. Sounds the same as last season, right? The Huskies never really found one in 2011 and that is a big reason why they struggled. Spring practice has the potential to have five different quarterbacks taking reps in Johnny McEntee, Scott McCummings, Michael Nebrich, Chandler Whitmer and Casey Cochran. Somebody has to emerge to take a hold of this offense.
• Work on improving the secondary. The weakest part of this team last season ranked No. 113 in the nation, so this is a clear area that has to get better. The Huskies were hurt when starting cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson missed a good chunk of the season with a knee injury, and they also had to rely on freshmen in Byron Jones and Ty-Meer Brown. This group will be much more experienced, so you have to hope they will be much better, too.

Louisville

• Mature. The Cardinals were one of the youngest teams in the nation last season, and their immaturity showed at times. But now they enter the offseason with exceedingly high expectations. Many preseason lists have them ranked in the Top 25 and challenging for the Big East title. This team will still be young in 2012, so it will be imperative for coach Charlie Strong to help get this group to mature quickly and stay focused.
• Work on the run game. Strong wants the run game to be the bread-and-butter of the offense, and this was an area that took a step back in 2011 with Bilal Powell gone. Louisville went from being ranked No. 1 in the Big East to No. 5 in the Big East, averaging 121.5 yards per game. That is down over 50 yards per game. Dominique Brown and Jeremy Wright are back, but they have to be consistent and the Cardinals probably need somebody else to emerge.

Pitt

• New identity. A new coach means a new identity, so it will be interesting to see how the Panthers look under Paul Chryst and his new staff. We will find out when spring practice opens in March. There is plenty of talent on the roster, but the big question is how will the talent be utilized?
• Is Tino the man? This is starting to sound like a trend, right? The Panthers have quarterback issues as well after Tino Sunseri had a season to forget. Much of his performance can probably be laid at the feet of former coach Todd Graham, who stubbornly tried to run an offensive system that was not suited for the players he had. You can be sure Chryst will open up the quarterback competition to see who emerges.

Rutgers

• Handle expectations. The Scarlet Knights have not been so good in the past when the pressure is on. All you have to do is look back at what happened this season, with a shot to win a share of the Big East title. Now they are getting some preseason love and probably have their best team since 2006. So coach Greg Schiano is going to have to do a good job of managing preparation and focus because expectations were raised off a successful 2011 campaign.
• Quarterback derby. Yet another Big East team with a quarterback question mark. Chas Dodd and Gary Nova ended up splitting the starts this past season. Now there is the possibility that former quarterback Tom Savage transfers back in. I don't know if Schiano can afford to keep playing musical chairs with his quarterbacks every season.

USF

• Re-focus. The Bulls have to put 2011 behind them and focus on the future. This is still a team that has the talent to win. Coach Skip Holtz has to find a way to get that done. This is going to be a veteran team that has been through good times and bad. He needs leaders who will their teammates to victory, who know how to win close games and are determined to get this team back on top. Who are they?
• New defense. USF brings in new defensive coordinator Chris Cosh from Kansas State, its third different coordinator in the past four years. Getting the players adapted to his scheme as soon as possible has to be a point of emphasis in the spring and throughout the offseason.

Syracuse

• More offensive consistency. To be sure, Ryan Nassib and Alec Lemon both had career years and made strides for the Orange. But a lot of that was because the run game was inconsistent, and Syracuse found itself trailing late in several games. This team has to find a way to sustain drives and score -- Syracuse was No. 7 in the Big East in scoring offense (24.2 ppg).
• Shore up the defense. The Orange lose some of their best players on the defensive line, and have to get better in the secondary, which was a major problem for most of the year. Syracuse ranked No. 98 in the nation in pass defense, and they lose some key contributors. Shamarko Thomas is really going to have to step up and take control of this group.

West Virginia

• Big 12 or Big East? The Mountaineers are bent on leaving for the Big 12, regardless of any court outcomes. On-field issues have nothing on trying to figure out where you are going to be playing. And who you are going to be playing.
• Defense. Coach Dana Holgorsen has hired a few defensive assistants, but still no word yet on who is going to run the show. That, of course, will determine the future course of this defense. It appears an inevitability that they will no longer use the 3-3-5 that former coordinator Jeff Casteel ran. Plus, players such as Keith Tandy, Najee Goode, Bruce Irvin and Julian Miller are gone. Shoring up this unit has to be tops on Holgorsen's list.

I had a chance to catch up with Cincinnati coach Butch Jones and hit a wide variety of topics. In Part I, he reflects on 2011. Stay tuned for Part II, in which he looks to the future.

What was your favorite moment of the season?

BJ: There's so many that I don't think there's one particular moment but just the journey and obviously very happy for our players, especially our seniors. Everything we talk about in our program is about how you leave your legacy overall. When I said it at Big East media days at that point in time, I liked the way we managed our business and conducted ourselves. To win a Big East championship and also have the academic achievement award, to represent our conference and win the Liberty Bowl was very fitting, and I think when you throw in the adversity and the resilience our football team had to show. It's one of the most under-talked stories in college football -- Zach Collaros coming back for that game.

I’ve said it before -- we live in SportsCenter society. The only thing people see are the highlights. They don't see the trials and tribulations, the amount of effort Zach put in to the rehab process, eight, nine hours a day. In his mind, he was going to play in that football game. So I just think that obviously 10-win seasons are extremely difficult in the world of college football, so there's so many things and it provides us with great momentum. But it also defines our foundation of what it means to be a senior in our program. They've laid the foundation, and the expectations of what we expect from our future seniors.

Is this the best senior class in the history of Cincinnati football?

BJ: We’ve played football here, this is our 124th year. We’ve had five 10-win seasons and these seniors have been a part of three of those. I think also the exciting thing for us, for a lot of them it was their first bowl victory in their careers, the first bowl victory versus a BCS opponent. They finished the way we want our teams to finish. That's a tribute to them.

There is something to be said about the intangible of leadership. How important is that to a winning team?

BJ: We won this year on intangibles, on character, work ethic. Leadership is something that develops daily. It doesn't develop overnight. We have a peer intervention program, we teach leadership, we define leadership and we've already started that process. The greatest thing is the younger players in our program had the benefit of witnessing the leadership of this senior class. The younger players saw that each and every day, and so it's something that we spend more time on -- leadership sometimes and the intangibles -- than actual X and Os, because everything is about the team. We do lose a lot of quality individuals, but I also think we have a number of quality individuals in our program.

You mentioned before the contributions of the senior class. Cincinnati has won at least a share of a Big East title in three of the past four years, yet still does not get much respect nationally. How do you change that?

BJ: Great programs are marked by their level of consistency, so being consistent in everything we do on and off the field. We have very high expectations for ourselves, so just continuing to win on and off the field and playing with a level of consistency with everything that we do.

Now it is time to relive the top moments in the Big East for 2011 -- both the good, and the bad.

1. Eric LeGrand returns. Not only was this the top moment in the Big East, it was one of the top moments in all of sports in 2011. Seeing the injured LeGrand lead his Rutgers teammates onto the field in his wheelchair before the start of the West Virginia game Oct. 29 in middle of a snowstorm had to soften the hearts of even the most jaded. What LeGrand has been able to do is truly inspiring in the year since he was paralyzed making a hit against Army in 2010. He has gone further than anybody ever anticipated -- he has started rehab work on a treadmill and gotten twitches and sensations throughout his entire body. And he has begun to do radio and television work for Rutgers, as well.

2. Expansion. This is the storyline that eclipsed most everything else for the entire season. First it was Pitt and Syracuse leaving, seemingly catching commissioner John Marinatto off guard. Then TCU jumped ship. Then West Virginia. When everything was tidied up in December, the Big East had gone Big Country, adding Boise State, San Diego State, SMU, UCF and Houston. West Virginia's fate remains tied up in pending lawsuits. However that saga plays out, the Big East is prepared to launch Version 3.0 in 2013.

3. West Virginia goes BOOM! You could make the case that the way the Mountaineers dismantled Clemson in the Discover Orange Bowl should be ranked higher. In any other season, it would be No. 1. But when folks look back on the 2011 season, I think the first two stories are more likely to come to mind because of the way they transcended sports, and signaled the dawning of a new era. If we are going with purely on-the-field stories, then this one is the hands-down choice. West Virginia scored a bowl-record 70 points on the Tigers. For perspective, not even the worst teams in the nation -- New Mexico, FAU, Indiana and Akron -- had 70 scored on them this year. The ACC champ did. Unforgettable moment: Darwin Cook returning a fumble 99 yards to swing momentum, then taking down Obie the Orange Bowl mascot.

4. Down goes Collaros. One play changed the entire complexion of the Big East race. Too simple to say? Nope. Cincinnati had a two-game lead on everybody else on Nov. 12 when West Virginia came to town. In the second quarter, Bruce Irvin sacked Zach Collaros, who fumbled on the play. Julian Miller recovered in the end zone for a touchdown but the damage was done for the Bearcats. Collaros broke his ankle, and Cincinnati dropped two straight. West Virginia won out and finished in a three-way tie with Cincinnati and Louisville. The Mountaineers clinched the BCS berth -- leading to the eventual walloping of Clemson -- because they finished as the highest-ranked team in the final BCS standings.

5. Todd Graham bolts. In one of the most stunning turns of events this season, Todd Graham decided he had enough of Pittsburgh after 11 months on the job and a 6-6 record. He bolted for Arizona State without saying good-bye to his players, gleefully spewing the same speech he gave to the Panthers when he was hired for his "dream job." His coaching move drew universal scorn, and outrage from his players, as well. They took to Twitter to lambaste their former coach for his lies and unseemly departure.

6. Four clutch plays. West Virginia faced a must-win against USF in the regular-season finale Dec. 1. With the game tied at 27 and 5 minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Bulls embarked on a drive that took them down to the West Virginia 28. That's when clutch play No. 1 happened. Najee Goode forced B.J. Daniels to fumble and the Mountaineers recovered. Geno Smith took over with 3:02 left. Clutch play No. 2: Stedman Bailey makes an unbelievable catch on fourth-and-10 for 26 yards, down at the USF 16. Clutch play No. 3: Shawne Alston drags Bailey back to the line of scrimmage after the catch so the Mountaineers can get the snap off without a penalty. Clutch play No. 4: Tyler Bitancurt hits a 28-yard field goal to win the game 30-27 and a share of the Big East title.

7. Ray Graham gets hurt. Pitt running back Ray Graham ranked second nationally and led the Big East in rushing yards per game (134.1) headed into Week 9 against UConn. But early on against the Huskies, Graham crumpled to the ground while making a cut, clutching his right knee. He had torn his ACL, and his season was over. You could almost say the same for the Panthers, who struggled to do anything on offense without their best player.

8. Charlie Strong, surfer. You know how momentous Louisville's 38-35 victory over West Virginia was this season? So momentous it sent coach Charlie Strong bodysurfing over his players in a jubilant locker room afterward. He had Adrian Bushell and Andrew Johnson to thank. On the first play of the fourth quarter, West Virginia lined up for a 23-yard field goal to tie the game. Bushell blocked the kick; Johnson returned it 82 yards for a touchdown and the momentum went to the Cardinals. It was their first win in Morgantown since 1990, and third win ever in the series.

9. Syracuse does what? Surely Syracuse's win over West Virginia in Morgantown in 2010 was a fluke. Surely the Mountaineers would gain revenge in the Dome. Yeah. About that. The Orange schooled West Virginia and reintroduced the Mountaineers to the tight end, pulling the biggest upset of the season 49-23. Syracuse had not scored that many points in the series since 1960. The game also marked the triumphant return of Chandler Jones -- who had two sacks and six tackles in his first game back from a knee injury.

10. USF collapse. The Bulls began the year 4-0 with a national ranking and a victory at Notre Dame. Then Big East play happened. USF lost seven of its final eight games and missed a bowl for the first time as members of the Big East. The Bulls also posted their worst record in Big East play (1-6). A team pegged as a dark horse disappointed in every possible way, losing five games by six points or fewer.

Here are some of the highs and lows of Big East bowl season:

Best performance, team: West Virginia. The 70-33 win over Clemson in the Discover Orange Bowl goes down as one of the best team performances in bowl history. The Mountaineers set a bowl record for points scored, and another bowl record for points scored in one quarter (35, second); an Orange Bowl record for touchdowns (10); and tied an Orange Bowl record for first downs (31). Theirs was the most dominating bowl win of the season.

Best performance, individual: Tavon Austin, West Virginia. Geno Smith won game MVP honors, but I thought the biggest difference maker was Austin. He set Orange Bowl records for total yards (280), receptions (12) and receiving touchdowns (4) and his versatility was a major reason why the Mountaineers won. Smith said this about Austin after the game: "He won me an MVP. I should give him a trophy."

Worst performance, team: Pitt. The numbers on offense were ugly once again in the BBVA Compass Bowl against SMU. The Panthers had season lows in points and yards rushing (10), and their 205 total yards were second-worst this season. They also were 6-of-17 on third down, and had no touchdowns in four trips inside the SMU 25. Pretty sure Pitt is happy to turn the page on this season.

Best comeback: Zach Collaros, Cincinnati. In the weeks leading up to the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, we could only guess about whether Collaros would make it back from a broken ankle. He was weeks ahead of rehab, but there was still soreness and he was not running all that well. But Collaros is such a gamer, he refused to be held out of the game. He made his triumphant return and the Bearcats beat Vanderbilt 31-24.

Worst injury: Khaseem Greene, Rutgers. It looked gruesome on television -- Greene went down hard on his ankle against Iowa State in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl, and we were all thankful when the television replays stopped. It was a tough end to the season for the co-Defensive Player of the Year, who had one of the finest defensive performances this bowl season with 13 tackles, half a sack and a forced fumble. Greene ended up with a broken ankle, but should be just fine for the start of training camp this summer.

Worst loss: Louisville. Yes, we can say Pitt had a terrible loss, but the season had gone horribly for the Panthers and after another coaching change, you almost understood why they failed to show up. But the Cardinals finished the season with wins in four of their final five games, and earned a share of the Big East title. They were riding high going into their game against NC State in the Belk Bowl. An NC State team, by the way, that Cincinnati clobbered earlier in the season. I fully expected a win. But Louisville came out flat and trailed 31-10 before a valiant attempt at a comeback. Too many mistakes did in the Cardinals and they lost 31-24. I give a hand clap to the comeback, but I firmly believe this is a game the Cardinals should have won.

Best momentum swing (1): Clemson running back Andre Ellington was on his way in for a short touchdown in the second quarter against the Mountaineers. But he lost the football, and Darwin Cook returned it 99 yards for a score. West Virginia ended up scoring 35 points in the second quarter -- including 21 off three turnovers.

Best momentum swing (2): Cincinnati trailed Vanderbilt 21-17 early in the fourth quarter, after Larry Smith connected with Chris Boyd on a 68-yard touchdown pass. Ralph David Abernathy IV took the ensuing kickoff and returned it 90 yards for a score to put the Bearcats ahead 24-21. It was the first return for a score in his career. Even better -- Cincinnati would never trail again.

Worst series: Louisville scored to make it 31-24 with 4:29 left in the fourth quarter. Plenty of time to kick it deep and then trust your defense to get a three-and-out to set up good field position for a game-winning drive. Charlie Strong opted for an onside kick, and NC State recovered. Luckily for the Cardinals, NC State coach Tom O'Brien made a move that was even more head-scratching when he decided to go for it on fourth-and-1 from the Louisville 33. The Cardinals stopped them to get great field position with 1:35 remaining. But Teddy Bridgewater took two sacks on the drive, and ended up throwing his third interception to end the game.

Best turnaround: Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights went into their game against Iowa State averaging 2.6 yards a carry and 91.5 yards a game on the ground. They nearly doubled those numbers in the bowl game, rushing for 173 yards and 4.1 yards a carry, as Jawan Jamison had 131 yards and two touchdowns.

You still have questions. I still have (some) answers. Let's open up the mailbag.

Don Vest in Richmond, Ky., writes: Has the Big East commissioner made any comments on the Orange Bowl victory by WVU?

Andrea Adelson: Glad you brought this up, Don. In last week's Big East chat, I was asked why commissioner John Marinatto was not at the Orange Bowl, and I gave an erroneous answer. It turns out Marinatto was at the Orange Bowl watching West Virginia play Clemson, but was keeping a low profile so as to not serve as a distraction. He then went to New Orleans to be a part of the ongoing discussion about possible reforms to the BCS. To my knowledge, he has given no interviews on either the Orange Bowl win or what should happen to the BCS.

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Kris in Hollidaysburg, Pa., writes: Andrea, After reading your article about the SEC's current reign, it's worth repeating that the last conference to knock off the champion of the SEC was the Big East and WVU over Georgia in the 2006 Sugar Bowl. (Not counting this year with the SEC champion facing another SEC team in the championship game.) Also, I have to say I'm shocked that West Virginia was ranked no higher than they were in the final polls, particularly the coaches' poll, which had a Virginia Tech team that lost the last 2 games of the year ranked ahead of the Mountaineers! (And obviously, 2 of VT's losses were to the team that WVU just took behind the woodshed and blistered.) I had WVU at 15th.

Adelson: I will allow you to bring up the Sugar Bowl win, though the article was about winning national championships. Good try in support of the Big East! I was also surprised to see Virginia Tech ranked ahead of West Virginia in the coaches' poll. The thing about the coaches' poll is many of the coaches do not do the voting and instead have SIDs do it. There are always wacky final rankings that make no sense, and this is a classic example.

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Noah Sonnet in Jamison, Pa., writes: Can B.J. Daniels lead USF to a Big East title?

Adelson: I really like Daniels, one of the best interviews in the Big East. And I really want to like him on the field, as evidence by my preseason Top 25 player ranking for 2011. But he has been a starter for three years, and we are all still waiting on him to take the next step. He took a few this past season, but I think many were expecting more out of him. It would also help if he stayed healthy for an entire season. As you saw from my way too early preseason 2012 rankings, I am not on the USF bandwagon, which means I am just not sure Daniels can do it.

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Corey in Cincy writes: AA, love your blog. I understand your concern about UC, but I mean come on 3 out of the last 4 championships in the Big East, four 10-win seasons in five years. They prove each year that they can replace last year's stars. I have such high hope for this team it is unreal. Butch (Jones) has got the greatest ranked recruiting class coming into UC. Anyways, my real question is -- do you see UC getting more looks for four-star recruits and even a few top 150 guys? I mean there are quite a few in this area and obviously we won't get the top rated guys, but can you see Butch getting some of these four-star guys?

Adelson: Well that is going to be a lot tougher with Mr. Urban Meyer setting up shop in Columbus. I don't really think it is much of a reflection on Jones, but sitting in the shadow of The Ohio State University. You know as well as I do that all those fancy stats you listed are not going to convince a recruit when he can play in the Horseshoe, and in the Big Ten. I think Butch has done a solid job in recruiting, as evidence by the 31 commitments so far. Cincinnati has won Big East titles without all the four-star and ESPU150 talent. To me, all that is meaningless in the end because you don't truly know what you have until these kids hit college. Isaiah Pead and Zach Collaros were three-star players; JK Schaffer and Derek Wolfe were two-star. I'm pretty sure you were happy to have them, right?

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Nick G in Hartford, Conn., writes: Hello there Andrea. Uconn lost it's QB coach to Fordham for the head coaching position there. I heard that Penn State quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno, the son of great coach JoePa is leaving PSU, Do you think there is a possibility Jay Pa comes or at least gets looked at for the UConn QB coach position? Thanks great job all year, but especially the last 4-5 weeks... Lots of other BE fans think the same way, too!!

Adelson: Thanks, Nick. Much appreciated. This must be a hot topic of conversation, because I saw it in Desmond Conner's mailbag at The Hartford Courant. Jay Paterno does have past ties to UConn, having served as tight ends coach for the Huskies in the early 1990s. And let's not forget that UConn coach Paul Pasqualoni played for Joe Paterno at Penn State. So the connections are there. The bottom line comes down to what Pasqualoni wants in a quarterbacks coach. I don't know who is on his short list, but I wouldn't be surprised if he gave Jay a look.

Now that the college football season is over, we have plenty of time to dissect what happened. Let us take a look back at what we learned about the Big East during bowl season.

1. R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Yup, that was West Virginia hanging 70 on Clemson. Yup, that was Cincinnati beating Vanderbilt. Yup, that was two 10-win Big East teams finishing in the Top 25. Not too shabby for the most disrespected league in America. The twin results of bowl season might do little to calm the anti-Big East rhetoric, but clearly West Virginia served notice that it should not be trifled with in 2012. All season long we waited on the Mountaineers to put together a complete game from start to finish. We finally got it in the Discover Orange Bowl to the tune of a bowl record for points scored, along with many other Orange Bowl and BCS marks shattered. The television ratings might not have been terrific, but West Virginia put on one heck of a show in South Florida. Say what you will about its imminent departure to the Big 12 -- that game counted for the Big East, which had lost its three previous BCS games by a combined 38 points.

2. Comeback kid. Cincinnati coach Butch Jones wasn't exaggerating when he said Zach Collaros' return from an ankle injury was one of the best stories of bowl season. It was indeed. Collaros is a good kid and a good player who deserved to lead his team in his final game. He worked countless hours in the rehab room to get his broken ankle healed up enough to be able to play Vanderbilt. His status was a question leading up to the game, so much so that the Commodores were favored over the co-Big East champs. But Collaros was able to come back to the field about two weeks before schedule and deliver a 31-24 win. His stats weren't pretty (neither were his interceptions), but Collaros gutted it out and did just enough to get the Bearcats their fourth 10-win season in the past five years.

3. Louisville has some growing up to do. Don't get me wrong. The Cardinals exceeded most everyone's expectations this season when they won a share of the Big East title, and beat West Virginia along the way. But they had a few too many mistakes in their Belk Bowl loss to NC State, and their late rally came up just short. Teddy Bridgewater threw three interceptions, and was confused by some of the blitzes thrown his way. He also took several sacks late in the game when he should have thrown the ball away. This was a winnable game for Louisville, and it always hurts to lose. But I think this game can serve as a valuable learning experience heading into 2012.

4. Rutgers completes turnaround. It was a few months ago that people like me picked Rutgers to finish dead last. Consider its bowl win against Iowa State the bookend to a terrific turnaround season. What we always know to be true about the Scarlet Knights happened again -- they won their fifth straight bowl game, the longest active bowl winning streak in the nation. The game turned out to be the final one for receiver Mohamed Sanu, who declared for the NFL draft the following week. He had six catches for 62 yards in the game, and Jawan Jamison showed once again that the potential is there for the Scarlet Knights to have a good run game.

5. Pitt ends the misery. It was a miserable season for the Panthers, and they ended it with a miserable performance against SMU in the BBVA Compass Bowl. You can hardly blame them for wanting to turn the page on 2011, a season that has been defined by the antics of former coach Todd Graham. First he left his players in the lurch by making them play a style of offense that made them look inept. Then he left his players in the lurch when he lied to them and actually left with a text message through a surrogate as his way of thanking them for their hard work this season. Pitt ended up 6-7 -- its first losing season since 2007. The top half of the league might have been good, but the Big East did have four teams with losing records for the first time since 2005.

Because I love you all so much, I now present to you my early 2012 Big East power rankings. The season is one day old, so I reserve the right to change my mind based on spring practice and then fall practice. To say these are way early is to say West Virginia beat Clemson. Understatement!

1. West Virginia.* You see the asterisk there for obvious reasons. Will the Mountaineers be in this league in 2012, or will somebody else get to be called the favorite in the preseason? Should West Virginia return to this league, that performance in the Orange Bowl should frighten the rest of this conference. Now granted, there will be some major questions on this defense, but if Geno Smith, Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey can put up half a hundred every week, the Mountaineers are going to be really tough to beat.

2. Rutgers. This was a tough call for me. The Scarlet Knights still have quarterback issues, a nonexistent running game and are losing Mohamed Sanu. But they also return 16 starters, including Co-Big East Defensive Player of the Year Khaseem Greene. Everything should be in place for this team to make a serious run. The offensive line will be better; I firmly believe the quarterback play will be better; and there is enough talent at receiver to make up for Sanu's loss.

3. Louisville. Right now, I think it is a toss up between Louisville and Rutgers. The Cardinals also return a majority of their starters, including freshman of the year Teddy Bridgewater, along with a talented receiving corps and an offensive line that solidified itself as the season went on. What I worry about most right now is maturity and leadership. Louisville seems to thrive in an underdog role, and that will not be the case in 2012.

4. Cincinnati. The Bearcats lose 21 seniors, including Offensive Player of the Year Isaiah Pead, Co-Defensive Player of the Year Derek Wolfe, defensive leader JK Schaffer and starting quarterback Zach Collaros. There is a lot of young talent on this team, but the key word is young. How will the Bearcats handle themselves without so many of their best players?

5. USF. This has got to be the year the Bulls make a serious run at the Big East. The only problem is they have no idea how to win Big East games, and that prevents me from listing them higher than middle of the road in this league. There are going to be a lot of returning starters and returning seniors on this team, and plenty of talent. But there are some holes that have to be filled on the offensive line, defensive line and in the secondary. B.J. Daniels must win this season.

6. Pitt. I truly believe Paul Chryst is the best hire Pitt could have made this time around. But does that mean he has what he needs to be able to turn this team into a serious Big East contender? There are major question marks at quarterback, offensive line, defensive line and linebacker. The defense was the strength of this team but it's losing most of its best players. How does Ray Graham come back from knee surgery? I think of all the Big East teams, the Panthers have the most questions headed into the offseason.

7. UConn. Should we talk again about quarterback issues for the Huskies? It was the same theme in the preseason last year. We are no closer today to knowing who is going to lead this team, because there will be yet another quarterback competition. Running back should be an area of strength, just like last season, and there are some good players returning on the defensive line. But offensive line and secondary are also two major questions that must be improved for this team to contend again.

8. Syracuse. The Orange lost their best players on defense in Phillip Thomas, Chandler Jones and Mikhail Marinovich, along with 1,000-yard rusher Antwon Bailey. There are also depth questions on the offensive line, defensive line and at receiver. Ryan Nassib took a good first step this season, but he's got to make bigger steps this year. First and foremost, this team must find an identity and solve all the issues that plagued them at the end of this season.

The time has come to put a big red bow on the 2011 season. I present to you the final Big East power rankings:

1. West Virginia (10-3). I would say scoring a bowl-record 70 points against Clemson in the Discover Orange Bowl gives the Mountaineers this spot quite comfortably. They lost a couple of head-scratchers, but they also beat Cincinnati -- the other 10-win Big East team -- and ended the season with four straight victories.

2. Cincinnati (10-3). We can talk about woulda been or shoulda been had Zach Collaros stayed healthy. But the reality is that the Bearcats put together their third championship season in four years, and won their first bowl game since 2007. Cincinnati also reached 10 wins for the fourth time in five seasons.

3. Rutgers (9-4). How about woulda been or shoulda been for the Scarlet Knights? Had they beaten UConn in the regular-season finale, they would have had a share of their first Big East championship. But nine wins is not too shabby for a team picked to finish last in the Big East. Plus, Rutgers owns the nation’s longest active bowl winning streak with five consecutive victories in postseason play.

4. Louisville (7-6). The Cardinals slip a notch because they could not close the season out with a win. Too many mistakes doomed them in a Belk Bowl loss to NC State. Still, you have to give credit to coach Charlie Strong for leading this team to a share of the Big East championship in his second season. They just have a lot of maturing to do.

5. Pitt (6-7). Let's be honest -- the Panthers closed out the season about as terribly as a team can play. But who can blame them for wanting the season to be over as quickly as possible after 1.) the disappointing season and 2.) the debacle that was Todd Graham? They beat the bottom three teams, so there is no real reason to rank them lower.

6. UConn (5-7). Had the Huskies held on to leads against Iowa State, Vanderbilt or Western Michigan, they would have gone back to a bowl game. But alas, they were never able to string together consecutive wins on the season, and beat only one team with a winning record.

7. USF (5-7). The Bulls have to be the biggest disappointment of the Big East, after some picked them as a dark horse to win the conference. Their only league win came at Syracuse, and they ended the season with seven losses in their final eight games. Really hard to believe for a team with so much talent.

8. Syracuse (5-7). What can you say about a team that had a major victory (over West Virginia), then proceeded to lose five straight to end the season? Their résumé is pretty comparable to USF, but the Bulls won head to head so Syracuse ends up here.