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Is there such a thing as a Big East coach being hated because he wins too much?

The answer is clearly no when you look at the current group of head coaches. Three of them have never coached in a Big East game. Three are going into their third seasons in the league and are barely above .500. Paul Pasqualoni has a bushel-full of victories, but nearly all of them came at Syracuse two decades ago.

So let us take a dip back into history to find an answer. Here are the all-time winningest coaches in Big East history, by overall percentage. I am using this statistic because many of the biggest winners do not stick around the Big East for long.

• Larry Coker, Miami: 35-3 (.921)
• Dennis Erickson, Miami: 42-6 (.875)
• Brian Kelly, Cincinnati: 34-6 (.850)
• Bobby Petrino, Louisville: 21-4 (.840)
• Butch Davis, Miami: 51-20 (.718)
• Bill Stewart, West Virginia: 28-12 (.700)
• Rich Rodriguez, West Virginia: 60-26 (.698)
• Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech: 108-48-1 (.691)

The conclusion is an easy one: Much more than one hated coach, Miami was a hated team because of all the wins it racked up while playing in the Big East from 1991-2003. That includes two national championships and seven Big East titles, more than any other school. Coker was never vilified or hated. The man is impossibly nice.

Davis' image took much more of a hit at North Carolina because he left the place in scandal, with two major investigations hanging over the program. While at Miami, he was lauded as the man who saved the program from NCAA sanctions. It is hard to hate a coach who won 10 games only once in his career.

Erickson simply took over for Jimmy Johnson and continued what was started.

But the assignment is to find a coach hated for winning. Let's look at some of the other names on the list. Kelly and Petrino were hated much more for the ways they left their programs. Kelly only coached three years in the Big East; Petrino only two in the Big East. I can't imagine their short stays struck fear into the hearts of opponents, despite all the victories.

So let's turn the focus to Rodriguez. He, more than any of the aforementioned coaches, probably fits the bill. In his final three seasons in Morgantown, Rodriguez won two league championships and had three 11-win seasons. His team went undefeated in league play in 2005, one of only two teams to accomplish the feat in the past seven years. He won with swagger and style, and some of the best athletes in Big East history.

But I used the word probably. Because as great as Rodriguez was, his on-field coaching career in the Big East will be defined by what he didn't do in 2007. West Virginia was ranked No. 2 in the country going into the regular-season finale against Pitt in the always-heated Backyard Brawl. Win, and the Mountaineers would be playing for the school's first national title. Pitt was already out of the bowl picture, entering the game at 4-7. West Virginia was a 28 1/2-point favorite.

Slam dunk, right? Well, you guys know what happened. Pitt pulled one of the biggest upsets in the series, and Rodriguez went packing to Michigan. The loss will always follow Rodriguez, despite all of his wins in the league. On the day he needed a win most of all, he failed. But that loss did not make him a villain in Morgantown. Leaving did.

That is why it is hard to anoint any Big East coach as somebody hated for winning.

Current Big East coaches' career records in the league:

• Paul Pasqualoni, Syracuse and UConn: 112-63-1
• Doug Marrone, Syracuse: 17-20
• Butch Jones, Cincinnati: 14-11
• Charlie Strong, Louisville: 14-12
• Skip Holtz, USF: 13-12
• Steve Addazio, Temple: 0-0
• Paul Chryst, Pitt: 0-0
• Kyle Flood, Rutgers: 0-0

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- USF coach Skip Holtz delivered some encouraging news during the Big East spring meetings -- starting defensive tackle Cory Grissom is on pace to return for the start of the season.

Grissom broke his ankle during the last week of spring practice, and there were fears the injury could cost him some significant playing time. But after undergoing surgery and beginning rehab, Holtz said Grissom should be medically cleared Aug. 1. If there are no setbacks in his rehab and recovery, he should be able to play Sept. 1 against Chattanooga.

"He’s coming along well," Holtz said. "The swelling is going down, and he’s able to get on the bike and do some exercise things. One of the concerns was his weight that when he comes out of this he’s not 340 pounds and now it takes us a month to get back down to playing weight because of how much he would be limited with his exercise with the injury to the ankle. But he’s doing a great job keeping his weight down, he’s able to get on the weight and do some cardio things to keep his weight down. To this point, there have been no setbacks."

The tricky part will be handling Grissom during training camp. USF will take its time with him, to be sure it can get him up to speed with plenty of time to go before the season begins. All that will depend on how he handles getting back into practice.

"We’re going to have to be careful because we’re not going to be able to take him from 0 to 60 Aug. 1," Holtz said. "We’re going to have to slowly get him back in. Maybe we’ll take him through individual work for a week and no team stuff. Then the second week of camp, maybe we’ll let him do some 1-on-1s. Maybe the third week, he can get into inside drills or half line and hopefully when we get into our season, we’ll have been able to gradually get him back into it.

"He may get into it and at one point it, may start to swell and he may have soreness and we’ll have to pull back. Then you go a little slower with it. We’re going to have to see. It’s not the bone we’re worried about. It’s the ligaments and making sure that the ligaments come back strong enough and healthy enough and we don’t push him too early."

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Last May, Bill Stewart joined his colleagues at the Big East spring meetings to tackle league business and catch up with old friends.

One of them, Cincinnati coach Butch Jones, was particularly saddened by the news of Stewart's sudden and tragic passing Monday. When Jones took a job as receivers coach at West Virginia in 2005, Stewart was there as quarterbacks coach. The two grew close in the two seasons Jones spent with the Mountaineers. They then had the opportunity to face each other on opposite sidelines as Big East head coaches.

"Just one year ago, he was sitting in the meetings with us and we were sitting on the beach together talking," Jones recalled Tuesday. "Things like this put things into perspective in all aspects."

Here is the way Jones will remember his good friend:

You think of Bill Stewart the man and how much his wife Karen and his son Blaine meant to him. The best word that describes him is family man. They were everything to him. That was first. Him and I have been through a lot of wars together on the same team and also competed against each other. He was an individual of high integrity. We had that special bond from the positions we coached, and our friendship really grew. He was one of the guys who took me under his wing. He was a mentor to a lot of people. A father figure but extremely competitive. He had a love and passion for the state of West Virginia and that university. He used to talk about the old blue and gold, so I will always think about the passion and the affinity he had for Morgantown and the people in that community.

USF coach Skip Holtz also shared his fondest memory of Stewart.

He’s one of those guys that when you would have a big win, your phone would ring and it would be Bill Stewart. But the thing that makes Bill so classy is when you had that heartbreaking loss, your phone would ring and it would be Bill Stewart. I have great respect for him not just as a football coach but as a man and the way he handled everything. We lost one of the good people in this business, without a doubt. Thoughts and prayers go out to his family and the entire West Virginia family because he was a special individual.

As part of the “College Football Live” 100 Days 'Til Kickoff countdown, here’s a look at the top 10 players in the Big East. For those wondering, the Big East blog will still have its annual preseason Top 25 player countdown a little later in the summer.

Without further ado:

1. Ray Graham, RB, Pitt. Taking a calculated risk here, considering we have no idea how Graham is going to look a year after tearing his ACL. Coach Paul Chryst says Graham will be ready for fall camp. If Graham is able to return to form, he should be the best player in the league.

2. Khaseem Greene, LB, Rutgers. Greene goes into the season as the preseason favorite to win Big East Defensive Player of the Year honors for the second straight season after sharing honors with Derek Wolfe in 2011. Though he broke his ankle in the bowl game, he will be ready for fall camp. Side note: Isn't it a neat that he and Graham are brothers?

3. Aaron Donald, DT, Pitt. Donald emerged last season, finishing second in the league with 11 sacks. He has shifted inside to tackle this year, but he is the most productive and experienced player returning to the Pitt defensive line and should continue his upward trajectory.

4. Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville. Bridgewater had a sensational freshman season, winning league newcomer of the year honors. Hopes are high for him to build off his impressive campaign in his second year as a starter. Louisville will do more to take advantage of his athleticism, with plans to install some hurry-up offense.

5. Logan Ryan, CB, Rutgers. Ryan led the league with 16 passes defended -- 13 breakups and three interceptions last season. Defensive back is one of the strongest positions across the league, and Ryan leads the way as the Big East's best cornerback.

6. Hakeem Smith, S, Louisville. Smith has gotten better in each of his seasons with the Cardinals, so this season should feature more of the same. In 2011, he had 84 tackles, tied for second in the league, with nine pass breakups. He also tied for second in the league with three forced fumbles and made the Big East first team.

7. Ryne Giddins, DE, USF. Giddins emerged in the second half of last season (yes, I know many of you still remember him for his personal foul against West Virginia) and is in line to have a breakout year for the Bulls, who should have one of the stronger defensive lines in the Big East.

8. B.J. Daniels, QB, USF. Daniels should be the best quarterback in the Big East, considering he is going into his fourth year as a starter. Is this the year he finally lives up to expectations and delivers a long-awaited -- and first -- league title?

9. Walter Stewart, DE, Cincinnati. Coach Butch Jones says he has not been around a player as focused as Stewart in a long time. That is saying something, considering the defensive stars the Bearcats had last season. Stewart is poised to give Cincinnati a huge presence at rush end.

10. Lyle McCombs, RB, UConn. McCombs ran for more than 1,000 yards as a freshman last season and returns for 2011 with much more confidence -- and the Huskies hope a better offensive line. He goes into the season as the unquestioned featured back.

Time for my long-awaited post-spring power rankings. I made only a few changes from the pre-spring rankings. Here goes ...

1. Louisville: Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater looked better than ever this spring, giving me renewed confidence the Cardinals are going to be the preseason favorite in the league. The secondary should be exceptionally strong, and the offensive line should be better. Questions remain at running back and with depth in the front seven. But of all the teams in the league, I think the Cardinals have the most stability headed into the season. Plus, it hugely helps to have Charlie Strong entering Year 3.

2. USF: Big jump for the Bulls. I know I said I refused to buy into USF until the Bulls actually do something. But what they have returning is hard to ignore. Generally speaking, teams with 18 returning starters -- many of them seniors -- do really well. So do teams with veteran starting quarterbacks. While USF still has some major question marks on paper -- can B.J. Daniels develop, what happens at running back, where is the depth at linebacker -- the Bulls look like they have a shot.

3. Rutgers: At one time, I had Rutgers as my preseason favorite. But I am a little nervous about the situation at quarterback. I thought there would be a resolution this spring, but neither Chas Dodd nor Gary Nova did much to impress. Mohamed Sanu is gone, there are more shifts on the offensive line, and the running game has to prove something. I think the defense will be the best in the Big East. The offense is scaring me right now, which is why I moved the Scarlet Knights down.

4. Cincinnati: The Bearcats do return talent, and players who saw some significant action last season. But they also lose 21 seniors, including Big East Offensive Player of the Year Isaiah Pead and Big East Co-Defensive Player of the Year Derek Wolfe. I don't have any doubts that the Bearcats will have a good season. I just don't know if they will win another championship.

5. Pitt: If there is any team with "ifs" all over the roster, it is the Panthers. They have a new head coach. They are returning Tino Sunseri at quarterback. Nobody knows how Ray Graham is going to do after major knee surgery. The offensive line has to be better. There is not much depth on the defensive line. If all of these come together, the Panthers could be really good. If they don't, they could be really bad.

6. UConn: The Huskies will be good on defense. But what about quarterback? I feel like a broken record saying the same thing over again. Quarterback uncertainty always makes me hesitant to rank a team in the top half of the league. I was hesitant last year, and I am hesitant again this year.

7. Syracuse: I have said this before, but it bears repeating: I think Syracuse is the hardest team to gauge in the Big East. The Orange have to be more consistent on offense. They have to find a running game to help ease some of the burden off quarterback Ryan Nassib. Does Ashton Broyld give them enough to get them more explosive plays? The defense still has depth concerns in the front seven.

8. Temple: I worry about how the Owls will make the transition to the Big East in Year 1. I think Temple has a good team, but the Owls also lost a lot of their best players and have depth concerns on the offensive and defensive lines. That is enough to worry any coach in Year 1 in a major conference.

Let's put one final bow on the spring with a look at five top breakout players.

JaQuez Jenkins, safety, USF. With starting strong safety Jon Lejiste out for the spring because of injury, Jenkins made his presence immediately felt in the defensive backfield and had one of the best springs of anybody on the Bulls roster. Jenkins was everywhere, making big plays and hard hits. His emergence gives USF a nice problem to have once Lejiste returns in the fall.

Scott Radcliff, receiver, Louisville. The most talked-about receiver after the Cardinals' spring game the former walk-on, who played with the first team and led all receivers with nine catches for 119 yards. He is listed ahead of Eli Rogers at the H-receiver spot on the post-spring depth chart.

Walter Stewart, defensive end, Cincinnati. Yes, Stewart is a returning starter. But he has never had a spring like the one he just completed, in which he was able to maintain what he started as his position. Stewart had been switched to several positions earlier in his career, but now he has a home at end and is ready to be a force this season.

Ray Vinopal, safety, Pitt. Safety could actually turn out to be a position of strength across the Big East with some of the talent that has emerged this spring. Vinopal sat out a year after transferring in from Michigan, and despite the coaching change, had an outstanding spring. He made big plays, forced turnovers and now makes safety a bright spot for the Panthers with Jarred Holley, Andrew Taglianetti and Jason Hendricks all returning.

Ryan Wirth, defensive tackle, UConn. The Huskies lost an NFL player in Kendall Reyes, along with their other starting tackle, so this is a huge question going into the season. But Wirth showed he can make an impact inside, especially after his spring performance, with 4.5 sacks and a safety.

Every once in a while, it is important to remember that there is a reason players at every single university in America are called student-athletes.

Because, you know, they are on campus to get that all-important degree. While everybody is familiar with what football players do on Saturday, every athlete you root for has an overloaded schedule filled with classes, study hall, home work, practice and film study. So I felt it is important to recognize two Big East schools that have made some serious strides with their academic reputations this last semester.

USF and Louisville each set program marks for academic performance during the recently completed spring semester. But what makes this an even bigger accomplishment at each school is what they had to overcome to get there.

Just one year ago, the Cardinals announced they lost three scholarships because of a poor Academic Progress Rate performance. APR is a measure of eligibility and retention of student athletes over a four-year span. Its intention is to help schools better track how their players are doing in the classroom. In the 2011 report, Louisville went below the NCAA minimum 925, thanks in part to coaching turnover. During the four-year span that was measured, the Cardinals had three different head coaches (Bobby Petrino, Steve Kragthorpe, Charlie Strong).

Strong put a major emphasis on academics, and that showed this spring. Thirty-seven players had a grade-point average of 3.0 or better -- two had a perfect 4.0. Seventy-three players earned a 2.5 GPA or higher this spring. The team produced a combined 2.76 GPA for the semester, the highest average under Strong.

USF also made major strides since poor APR marks in 2006. Over the past two years, the Bulls have posted the largest APR gains of any team in an automatic qualifying conference. This spring, a program-record 37 student-athletes posted a grade-point average of 3.0 or better. USF also set a new top mark with a semester GPA of 2.76, better than the record of 2.64 set in fall 2011.

Since Skip Holtz became coach in 2010, the number of players with at least a 3.0 GPA has increased each semester.

"I feel like we're really healthy right now as a program," Holtz said on the school's website. "Not just physically, but academically we're on a very sound foundation."

Rutgers already made serious improvements under former coach Greg Schiano, ranking in the top three in APR in the nation in his final four years with the Scarlet Knights. Last year, Cincinnati won the Big East Academic Excellence Award for the 2010 season. The football team had a 2.68 GPA for the 2010-11 year, including an all-time team record of a 2.9 team GPA for the 2011 winter quarter.

And every Big East school was represented on the 2012 National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society, recognizing college players who maintain a cumulative 3.2 GPA or better throughout their college careers. The Big East was the only one of the six automatic qualifying conferences that had every school represented.

USF is on the cutting edge of some pretty cool social networking.

Skip Holtz became Hip Skip earlier this week when he became the first coach from an automatic qualifying conference to host a Google Hangout with fans. Essentially, Holtz sat in front of a Web cam for 30 minutes and answered questions from USF fans in a pretty relaxed, casual setting.

If there is any coach who is perfectly suited for this type of social networking it is Holtz, one of the most outgoing, gregarious coaches in all of college football. He is easygoing, personable and does not give out the same old tired clichés. He puts thoughts into his answers, and he always does it with a smile.

Needless to say, his Hangout on Google+ was a hit, and USF plans on doing another one closer to the season with either Holtz or perhaps quarterback B.J. Daniels.

So how did USF come up with the idea? Several folks in the athletic department were searching for ways to use social media to their advantage. They initially had an idea to try it out with men's basketball coach Stan Heath around the NCAA tournament. But they didn't have enough time to get the particulars laid out, so they figured they would try with Holtz after spring football ended.

They approached Holtz with the idea and he immediately gave the green light. USF asked fans to submit questions for Holtz, then selected a handful of fans to appear on the chat with Holtz. On Wednesday afternoon around lunch time, Holtz sat in his office and chatted amiably for 30 minutes.

Among the topics he hit:

Holtz reiterated the need for USF to win the Big East. “I would much rather lose one of the nonconference games and represent the Big East in the BCS bowl than have a great nonconference win along the way,” he said.

On the potential for a playoff and where the Big East stands in the BCS: "I would tell you I am a big fan of the bowl system. College football's hard. You look at the number of surgeries, the aches and the pains, the bowl game is a great reward for these teams. If they can take the top four teams they think should play for the 'national championship' and keep the bowl games, I would be in favor of it."

On Aaron Lynch: The plan is for Lynch to enroll for the second summer session. USF will look to see if there is a way for him to be eligible immediately. If not, he has to sit out a year because of NCAA transfer rules.

It was a great way for Holtz to not only interact with his fans, but to get USF's message out and show that the Bulls are among the most forward-thinking programs when it comes to social media.

With the season coming into view, let's take a look at what we learned in the Big East this spring.

1. Running backs have to prove themselves. Isaiah Pead is gone. Antwon Bailey is gone. Ray Graham is coming off a serious knee injury. There are some major question marks at virtually every Big East school at this position headed into the fall. Chief among them -- how does Graham do a year removed from ACL surgery? How do Cincinnati, Syracuse and Louisville spread the ball to their various running backs? How does Temple replace the production of Bernard Pierce? Does Savon Huggins improve on his injury-shortened freshman season at Rutgers? How is Lindsey Lamar used in the backfield at USF? Can Lyle McCombs repeat as a 1,000-yard rusher for UConn?

2. Next sack leader? The Big East generally has some of the top leaders in sacks in the country. Last year, it was Trevardo Williams and Aaron Donald who emerged to finish in the Top 10. The year before, it was first-year Big East player Bruce Irvin. So who is the next Big East player to lead the charge? USF defensive end Ryne Giddins, Cincinnati defensive end Walter Stewart and UConn tackle Ryan Wirth all had terrific springs so keep those names in mind as the season begins.

3. Earth to offense. We had an inkling that the Big East defenses would be way ahead of the offenses this spring, and that all came to fruition once the spring games were played. Defenses essentially dominated at nearly every school. Syracuse did not score a point on offense; UConn had two total offensive touchdowns; USF quarterback B.J. Daniels went 9-of-26 for 88 yards in the Bulls' spring game; Chris Coyer and his receivers struggled in the Temple spring game; and the Pitt passing game was just so-so in its final scrimmage. While it is true defenses are usually ahead of the offenses in the early going of practices, it is obvious most every offensive unit needs to get much better this offseason.

4. Bridgewater: Rising star. It was apparent that Louisville had a special player in Teddy Bridgewater last season. But worries about a potential "sophomore slump" have been temporarily put to rest after the spring he had. Bridgewater was stellar in the spring game, going 19-of-21 for 257 yards and three touchdowns. Afterward, offensive coordinator Shawn Watson said that Bridgewater completed about 70 percent of his passes in the spring. "I know he's been lights out," Watson said. "He's really played very well. I challenged him with the things he needed to get better with and use all the tools he has available to him. As a young player, he didn't quite get it. Now he's getting it. You're seeing a lot more completions now. He's worked hard. He's doing a lot of good things with his eyes and playing well."

5. Athletes (almost) everywhere. One trend to watch is the conversion of quarterbacks to running backs/receivers. Cincinnati moved Jordan Luallen to receiver, and he is expected to see time as a Wildcat quarterback as well. Ashton Broyld has been moved to running back, though he also played receiver in the spring game. Louisville converted quarterback Dominique Brown to running back last fall, and he is in contention to win the starting job. Temple running back Jalen Fitzpatrick was recruited as a quarterback out of high school. Those four players have the potential to be huge assets to their team. There were a few other notable position switches as well -- Lindsey Lamar is now at running back at USF; and Jeremy Deering is now a receiver at Rutgers.

Anybody who has watched the Big East in recent years realizes this a much more defensive league, than offensive league.

Last season, seven of the eight teams ranked in the top half of the nation in total defense. The "worst" defense, Syracuse, ranked No. 64 -- just outside the top half. In 2010, six of eight teams ranked in the top half of the nation in the same category. The "worst" two defenses -- Cincinnati and Rutgers -- were ranked No. 61 and 63, respectively. In 2009, the worst defense, Cincinnati, ranked No. 67 in the nation.

I went back and looked at recent draft history to see how this translated to the next level.

Sure enough, defensive players were selected more than offensive players, and in higher rounds to boot.

In the past two drafts, 21 of the 34 players selected came from the defense. In the recently concluded NFL draft, eight of the 12 Big East players came from the defense. More pronounced, five of the seven players drafted in the first three rounds were defensive, and all played defensive line (Bruce Irvin, Chandler Jones, Derek Wolfe, Kendall Reyes and John Hughes).

Going back to the 2010 draft, 12 of the 16 players taken in the first three rounds were on defense.

We can continue looking a bit deeper to see defensive line has been an incredible strength, not just in the draft this year. In the past four drafts, the Big East has had at least one defensive lineman drafted in the first three rounds. Last year, two of the first four Big East picks were linemen. In 2010, Jason Pierre-Paul of USF went in the first round.

Coaches like Charlie Strong, Greg Schiano, Randy Edsall, Dave Wannstedt, Paul Pasqualoni and Jim Leavitt all have had a hand in the transformation, given their defensive backgrounds.

So will the trend hold for the 2013 draft?

In the super early mock drafts for next season, there are no Big East players listed in the first round. But CBS Sports already has a listing of the top draft prospects, by position. Eleven defensive players are listed among the Top 25 players at their respective positions, compared to five on offense.

However, there are more offensive players ranked among the Top 5 at their positions. Justin Pugh of Syracuse is listed as the No. 4 offensive tackle; Ray Graham of Pitt is listed as the No. 5 running back; and Ryan Griffin of UConn is listed as the No. 5 tight end.

The top-ranked defensive player is Khaseem Greene, at No. 6 among outside linebackers. Sio Moore of UConn also makes that list, at No. 9.

There is obviously an entire season of football to be played, and all these projections will change. But the way the Big East's defensive players have emerged is a trend worth noting.

The best Big East rivalry may never be played again, now that expansion has changed the face of college football.

Pitt and West Virginia had made a living hating each other, a bitter rivalry that really transcended the Big East and became one of the most heated in the entire country. Think of rivalry games, and think of the Backyard Brawl.

No future meetings between the two schools have been scheduled, with West Virginia beginning play in the Big 12 in 2012 and Pitt on its way out to the ACC. So what does that leave the Big East in terms of true league rivalries?

The longest running one remaining is Pitt-Syracuse. The two schools first met in 1916 and have played 67 times, including every year since 1955. But alas, those two schools are on their way out of the Big East.

So turn your attention to Cincinnati-Louisville. These two schools first played in 1922 and have met 52 times, with the rivalry starting back up in 1996 after a three-year hiatus. Cincinnati leads the series 30-21-1 and has won the last four.

But that could very well change in 2012.

While there may not be much national cache to the rivalry game between the two programs, all the ingredients are there for the intensity to ratchet up another notch between the two.

• The game already has a nifty trophy. The "Keg of Nails" has been handed out to the winner of this game since 1929, when fraternity chapters on both campuses decided the victorious players were tough as nails. The trophy is a replica of a keg that was used to ship nails and features the logos of both schools and the scores of every game. This rivalry is not merely contained to the Big East, either. The two were also Missouri Valley and Conference USA rivals.
• They are virtually neighbors. In the newly far-flung Big East, that counts for something. The two schools are a mere 106 miles away from each other.
• The two programs are on the rise, with coaches on the rise. Both Louisville coach Charlie Strong and Cincinnati coach Butch Jones head into their third seasons as Big East champions, and it seems pretty clear that neither one is going to stop at one, either. Louisville is expected to contend for the Big East championship this season; Cincinnati may have lost a bunch of starters but there is plenty of talent on the roster. Both coaches have become "hot" names in coaching circles because of their successes, and both have pledged their commitment to their respective programs. You can definitely see this game having pivotal implications in the race for the conference championship in the years to come.

While it is true that both schools have other rivals (Louisville has Kentucky; Cincinnati has Miami (Ohio) and Pitt), nobody says rivalries have to be exclusive. Michigan has Michigan State and Ohio State; Florida has Tennessee, Florida State and Georgia; Florida State has Florida and Miami; Oklahoma has Texas and Oklahoma State; Texas has Oklahoma and Texas A&M.

In the cases of all those rivalries, the greater the stakes, the greater the intensity, the greater the scrutiny. Florida State-Miami has lost a bit of its luster, compared to the 1980s and 1990s. If Cincinnati and Louisville are competing for Big East and national championships every year, the game will grow in national stature.

Here are a few other potential rivalry games in the new Big East:

USF vs. UCF: The War on I-4 has been played four times, with USF winning all meetings. Bulls fans will say this is not a rivalry because they have dominated the series, last played in 2008. There is no question the hatred is there, one of the key components to any good rivalry. USF fans look down at UCF as being a whiny little brother; UCF fans think USF fans are entitled for no apparent reason. Let the rivalry resume!

Temple vs. Rutgers: Having the schools in close proximity to one another certainly helps, along with the natural rivalry between New Jersey and Philadelphia. Rutgers fans will tell you a rivalry can't exist until Temple is on the same playing level. But Temple fans will tell you the Owls are already there, with three straight winning seasons. Watch out for some major recruiting clashes between the two as well.

Navy vs. SMU: There already is a trophy for the winner in this game. It is named after Frank Gansz, who played at Navy and later served on the coaching staffs at SMU and Navy. The trophy was established in 2009, and Navy has won it three times. The two are set to become conference rivals in 2015.

Shortly after USF beat Florida State in 2009, a billboard went up in Tampa that welcomed the Bulls to the Big Four in the state of Florida.

Certainly, it was a historic win for the young program, going on the road to Tallahassee to take down one of the perennial powers in the state, one of three universities in Florida that make up the "Big Three."

What has happened in the three years since that victory? Well, football in Florida has gone through a bit of a down period. Florida State was the only team from the state to finish ranked in the Top 25 last season. Of the seven FBS programs in Florida, only three had winning seasons: Florida State, Florida and FIU.

I took a look at the recent struggles of Florida, Florida State and Miami in a recent article for ESPN.com, and had a chance to ask USF coach Skip Holtz for his take on college football in this state. USF has some pretty great nonconference wins, including one in 2010 over Miami. But Holtz firmly believes the focus for this program must be taken off its place in the state, and on its quest to win championships.

"People talk about, 'Well we’ve got to beat Florida State, we’ve got to beat Miami and we’ve got to beat Florida.' ... To me, the next step isn’t to beat a Florida State or a Miami or a Notre Dame or an Auburn," Holtz said. "Our next step needs to be able to run the table in the Big East. We need to get to where we can play in a BCS bowl."

USF should not be compared to Miami, Florida and Florida State right now. There are vast differences. USF has been playing FBS football for only a handful of years. Florida, Florida State and Miami did not win championships in the first 10 years of their existence. In fact, their success has only come in the past 30 years. Before then, nobody knew who they were.

The Big Three did not begin to get their notoriety until they established themselves as national powers and started winning championships. It is understandable for those at USF to look at what its geographic rivals have done and wonder, "When is it our turn?" But steps have to be made to reach that level.

Wins over Florida State and Miami are great, and they should give the Bulls some bragging rights. But rings are what really count. So USF has to start winning the Big East and putting up consistent 10-win seasons for progress to truly be made in its quest to make Florida home to the "Big Four."

Andrea Adelson talks to USF coach Skip Holtz about the state of football in Florida.

TAMPA, Fla. – When people think of USF, they think of a team that …

“Don’t say it,” quarterback B.J. Daniels interrupts.

He knows what is coming. So does everybody in the football facility. The Bulls have been a big tease, raising hopes with eyebrow-raising wins, only to dash them with eyebrow-raising losses. Last season only added to that reputation, after USF squandered a 4-0 start and national ranking with its worst season since joining the Big East in 2005.

How can a team with so many big nonconference wins crash so spectacularly in Big East play? You might have an easier time figuring out the meaning to life. No matter the season, something generally goes wrong in Tampa. Last season, it was four games lost on the final play, and the end result was a 5-7 season and no bowl game for the first time as a BCS team.

Daniels and his teammates have lived through the drama the past few seasons, and yes, the perception about their program bothers them. They intend to end all the jokes about the Beat-a-Bulls this season behind a strong senior class that has banded together to make a change.

“We’ve been ranked, we’ve beaten big teams, we’ve been projected to do this and that, but for whatever reason it doesn’t work out,” Daniels said. “We take pride in what we do. We’re not out here punching a clock. A lot of us have passion for the game and love it. It does bother us in the sense that the goals we have set out in the past, we haven’t accomplished. One approach that’s different is we are taking everything one game at a time. If we do the little things every day, we’ll end up where we want to be."

That, of course, would be with Big East championship rings for the first time. USF has plenty going for it as it works toward improving this spring. Eighteen starters return, tops in the Big East. But perhaps most important is a senior class of 24 strong. At least 12 will be starters; at least 18 will be on the two-deep. Every position but receiver will have at least one senior starter. That includes Daniels, who has started nearly every game of his career.

Compare that to last season, when USF had 17 seniors -- only six of them starters.

The larger group has actually been a more united group. After the season ended, the seniors got together to form a plan.

"We said we can’t have another season like we had last year," running back Demetris Murray said. "Days we’re supposed to be off, we're here, working out. We’re not letting days slip by that we can take advantage of."

Seniors have an expanded role in team meeting rooms. The added responsibility of setting an example for the younger players has been embraced wholeheartedly. The goal is to get everybody to buy in, from the most experienced players who have been through all the heartbreak to the freshmen who just want to play.

"All seniors have that urgency to win," linebacker Mike Lanaris said. "But the thing that we need to do as a senior class, we need to permeate that urgency throughout the team. It can’t be 25 guys have this sense of urgency to win a championship while the other 80 guys are worried about something else. We need to spread that sense of urgency and those small things that are going to make a difference need to be stressed. If we can get everybody on the same page, we have a chance to be really, really good."

Lanaris mentioned small things. Paying attention to those critical details has just about every player hooked. The mantra from coach Skip Holtz, repeated since last year, has become a rallying cry. Ask any player, and he will say it, probably as a reflex:

Little things lead to big rings.

So does a renewed focus on conference play, where everybody has to get as excited and motivated as he does when playing geographic rivals like Florida State or national names like Notre Dame. Though USF is really in its infancy as a program, getting some of those bigger nonconference victories ratcheted up expectations for the Big East. If the Bulls can beat Notre Dame on the road, surely they can handle UConn, right?

"We’ve talked a lot about what our goals are and what we want to do and want the next step is," Holtz said. "People talk about, 'Well we’ve got to beat Florida State, we’ve got to beat Miami and we’ve got to beat Florida.' I would have rather lost to Notre Dame and won every won of those close games in the Big East than the way it happened (last season). To me, the next step isn’t to beat a Florida State or a Miami or a Notre Dame or an Auburn. Our next step needs to be able to run the table in the Big East. We need to get to where we can play in a BCS bowl. To win those nonconference games and not play in a BCS bowl takes some of the luster away from those big wins. ... We’ve just got make sure that our players understand the season starts in conference. That’s what we’re playing for."

On paper, this should be the year USF breaks through. This is a veteran team with solid senior leadership -- the best, most vocal leaders since Holtz arrived. Depth is better across the board. Optimism is high. And it doesn't hurt that West Virginia is out of the league.

But when people think of USF ...

"The M.O. here has always been -- they're a talented team that underachieves," Lanaris said. "We want to break that."

I had a chance to visit USF all day Monday, checking in on the Bulls to see where they stand in their quest to move on from a disappointing 5-7 season a year ago. Everybody was really great, from coach Skip Holtz, to the players, to the coordinators, so stay tuned for plenty of videos and posts in the coming days. And special thanks to everyone at USF.

Here are a few quick notes:

• Holtz says he will be ready to reveal his first depth chart after the first major scrimmage of the spring Friday. The scrimmage will feature eight- to 10-play scrimmages, and there will be a set number of plays for everybody, that way each player can be evaluated. Plays will be called to get the ball in specific players' hands. One big key for the offense -- there will be no designed runs called for B.J. Daniels. Offensive coordinator Todd Fitch said he wants to see his offense run without relying on Daniels. In each of the past three seasons, Daniels has had more than 100 carries.
• Two players who have stood out on the defensive line this spring: junior college transfer Tevin Mims at end and Luke Sager at tackle. Mims initially signed with Texas before transferring to Navarro Junior College. Holtz praised him for his early progress this spring. Sager, meanwhile, has done a nice job in competition with Elkino Watson for the open tackle spot. It's not a foregone conclusion that Watson wins the starting job.
• Sophomore Austin Reiter has done a nice job stepping in at center for Chaz Hine, and looks to be the front-runner to win the starting job. Fitch had high praise for Reiter, who played sparingly a season ago.
• Fidel Montgomery, Josh Brown, Kenneth Durden and George Baker are competing for the open cornerback spot. Coaches are pleased with how far Montgomery and Brown have come in their short time on campus since transferring in from junior college. Working on building depth in the secondary is a major spring priority.
• Linebacker play was a strong part of the Kansas State defense last year under defensive coordinator Chris Cosh, and he really is working with his group this spring to make sure there is much better communication between the front and the back end. He highlighted DeDe Lattimore in particular, as a player who is starting to play much better against the pass. Depth is an issue at this position.

Stay tuned for plenty more!