ESPN College Football

National signing day is inching ever closer, so it is time to take a look at the biggest recruiting needs for every team in the Big East.

Cincinnati

Defensive line. Cincinnati loses a host of seniors from this position, including Co-Defensive Player of the Year Derek Wolfe, John Hughes, Monte Taylor, and Rob Trigg. Factor in the key contributors for 2012 will be seniors in Dan Giordano, Brandon Mills and Walter Stewart and it is time to reload at this position.

Receiver. There is some promising young talent on the roster, but several guys are going to be leaving in the next few years. The Bearcats really need a guy who can stretch the field and make some big plays to join Anthony McClung and Alex Chisum.

Secondary. The Bearcats are going to take a hit at this position after 2012, losing a ton of seniors-to-be, including Cam Cheatham, Drew Frey, Dominique Battle and Reuben Johnson. Senior safety Wesley Richardson is already gone. The lone four-star commitment the Bearcats have is from a safety, Marcus Foster.

UConn

Quarterback. This need has been addressed in this recruiting cycle, with junior college transfer Chandler Whitmer and Casey Cochran already enrolled in school.

Tight end. With the impending departure of Ryan Griffin and John Delahunt, the Huskies could use another young player to be groomed to take over. Tight end is a critical part of the UConn offense.

Offensive line. UConn is losing its two best linemen in Moe Petrus and Mike Ryan. Of the 16 linemen currently listed on the roster, seven are juniors or seniors. Linemen generally take a redshirt season, so it never hurts to sign more to be able to restock.

Louisville

Linebacker. The Cardinals are losing Dexter Heyman and have a lot of juniors and seniors on their roster at this position. It is no surprise, then, that three of the top players coming in are linebackers -- Keith Brown and James Burgess are already enrolled; four-star recruit Nick Dawson has given a commitment.

Offensive line. Louisville has young players here, but not much depth, as evidenced this season when several true freshmen were forced to play much earlier than anticipated. It never hurts to build depth here, and the Cardinals have gotten a huge commit from four-star guard Abraham Garcia out of Miami.

Running back. This was an area the Cardinals struggled in this season, having to move quarterback Dominique Brown to the position. Victor Anderson is gone, and this team could really used another back to carry the load.

Pitt

Quarterback. This one is pretty self explanatory if you watched Tino Sunseri play. Mark Myers and Trey Anderson are also on the roster, but the Panthers are in definite need here -- which is why so many fans are looking forward to commit Chad Voytik coming to town.

Linebacker. This has been an area of inconsistency for the Panthers, who lose their best player in Max Gruder. There are some young players with talent in Todd Thomas and Ejuan Price, but this position could definitely use an upgrade.

Receiver. The play of the offense was disappointing this season, and that includes the receivers. Pitt could use some players to stretch the field. Ronald Jones was a start this season. But when you consider that Cameron Saddler, Mike Shanahan and Devin Street will all be upperclassmen in 2012, this is a definite area of need.

Rutgers

Receiver. Mohamed Sanu is gone, and Mark Harrison is a senior to be. There is plenty of young talent, but there is a reason Rutgers has commitments from four athletes. This gives the Scarlet Knights the flexibility to try them at receiver or running back, another area of need.

Running back. Once Savon Huggins got hurt this year, Rutgers had Jawan Jamison and Jeremy Deering at running back and that was about it. Depth has to be developed here.

Offensive line. Strides have absolutely been made at this position, but coach Greg Schiano likes to reiterate that the Scarlet Knights aren't going to pull themselves out of the hole they were in overnight. They need another solid draft class at this position to keep building.

USF

Secondary. Injuries and inconsistent play this season showed the Bulls really lacked some depth and need some immediate help in this area, which is why they signed junior college cornerbacks Fidel Montgomery and Josh Brown. One of their top four-star commitments is cornerback Chris Bivins.

Quarterback. Beyond B.J. Daniels, a senior in 2012, the Bulls have Bobby Eveld and Matt Floyd as the two heirs to take over. Eveld has been less than impressive, and we don't know much about Floyd. The Bulls would be served to get another quarterback in as they prepare for the future.

Running back. Darrell Scott is gone, and the Bulls are really in need of a game breaker at this position. Demetris Murray is going to be a senior, and nobody else really has stepped up at the position. Depth has to be built here, because USF goes into spring practice with four running backs on the roster.

Syracuse

Defensive line. The Orange are losing Chandler Jones and Mikhail Marinovich and could really used some difference-makers up front who can help get after the quarterback. Depth is an issue here. One of their big commitments so far has been defensive end Josh Manley out of Georgia.

Secondary. This was one of the weakest parts of the team and now the Orange lose Phillip Thomas and Kevyn Scott, and there was a lack of depth when injuries hit this position in 2011. Brooklyn prep safety Wayne Morgan would be a huge get to add to this unit.

Receiver. Alec Lemon is a senior, Van Chew is gone and who knows what happens with Marcus Sales. The bottom line is the Orange are in major need of a game-changer to turn 15-yard passes into 40-yard receptions.

West Virginia

Quarterback. Geno Smith is a rising senior and after him it is crickets in the form of one player behind him in Paul Millard. So consider this need majorly filled with Ford Childress, ranked No. 139 on the ESPNU 150.

Offensive line. The most inconsistent part of the team in 2011, West Virginia has a major need here. The Mountaineers struggled so badly here they started converted defensive lineman Curtis Feigt late in the season. Don Barclay is gone, and Joe Madsen, Jeff Braun and Josh Jenkins are all upperclassmen.

Defensive line. Julian Miller, Josh Taylor and Bruce Irvin are gone, and there are depth concerns here. West Virginia has four commitments from defensive linemen already.

USF running back Darrell Scott has decided to forgo his senior season and enter the NFL draft.

Coach Skip Holtz made the announcement on Tuesday via Twitter, saying, "Good luck Darrell Scott."

Scott led the Bulls in rushing this past season with 814 yards on 153 carries, including five touchdown runs. He only played one year at USF after transferring from Colorado and sitting out the 2010 season.

In an interview last month, Holtz said Scott was going through the draft advisory board process.

"I would love to see him come back not just selfishly," Holtz said. "I’d be the first one to say if he comes back and says he's going in the first round, he needs to go. I think he could benefit from coming back. I think he could help his draft status, but he has to make the decision in the best interest of him and his family. But I'd love to see him come back."

Scott is not listed among Mel Kiper's top underclassmen at running back, and there has been no current projection on where he might get drafted. Without him, Demetris Murray and Marcus Shaw become USF's top two running backs for next season.

Here are the top storylines to watch in the Big East for Week 8:

1. Bowl eligibility. Cincinnati, Rutgers and West Virginia all have a chance to become bowl eligible this week. But they all are on the road, and Big East teams are 1-5 in conference road games this season. Which team will break through and become the first from the Big East to secure its postseason future?

2. West Virginia offense vs. Syracuse pass defense. It is no secret how good the Mountaineers have been on offense with Geno Smith running the show. The scary part is coach Dana Holgorsen insists he has not even reached maximum potential. Smith has a talented group of receivers in Stedman Bailey, Tavon Austin and Ivan McCartney, who each have more than 400 yards receiving this season. How will Syracuse cover them? The Orange have faced their share of top-notch receivers already this season, and have given up more than 300 yards passing in four of six games. Getting pressure up front will help take pressure off the back end.

3. Pressure on Smith. That leads to the next point. Syracuse has not generated much of a pass rush this year, with 13 sacks in six games, and that is something the Orange did well against the Mountaineers last season. Can they turn things around against an offensive line that has been excellent at protecting Smith? Chandler Jones returns, which should help.

4. USF rush offense vs. Cincinnati rush defense. This is a great matchup of the No. 1 run offense in the Big East against the No. 1 run defense in the Big East. Twice already the Bearcats have held opponents to negative rushing yards. But they might have a difficult time doing that against the Bulls. Their lowest rushing total came in the opener -- 126 yards at Notre Dame. Darrell Scott, B.J. Daniels and Demetris Murray all rank in the top 10 in the Big East in rushing, and each has a vastly different running style that the Bearcats will have to stop.

5. Isaiah Pead. He might not have the high rushing total, but Pead is having a terrific year, mainly because of his ability to break off game-changing plays. Pead ranks No. 6 in the nation, averaging 6.78 yards a carry, and already has touchdown runs this season of 40, 65 and 50 yards. His 50-yard run last week put the Bearcats ahead for good against Louisville. Remember, this is a USF defense that gave up more than 200 yards to Ray Graham, and Pead is just as good as him.

6. Freshman QBs. Louisville and Rutgers will feature a battle between true freshman quarterbacks as the Cardinals are expected to start Teddy Bridgewater against Gary Nova. Both were highly touted coming into school, and both took over their teams after the season began. Both have shown flashes, but you can bet that the No. 1 goal of these aggressive defenses will be to rattle the young quarterback.

7. Dee-fense. Not much scoring is expected between Louisville and Rutgers, that is for sure. Rutgers ranks No. 1 in the Big East in scoring defense, giving up an average of 16 points a game. That is about what Louisville averages on offense. Meanwhile, the Cards rank No. 3 in the Big East in scoring defense, giving up an average of 17.7 points a game. No team has scored more than 25 points on them this season.

8. Turnovers. Rutgers and Cincinnati have gotten off to their fast starts because they have done well in the turnover battle. Can they win that all-important stat again? Last week against Louisville, the Bearcats had an uncharacteristic interception return for a touchdown and put the ball on the ground four times, though they recovered them all. They now face a USF team that is plus-5 in turnover margin on the season -- but minus-3 in two league games. Louisville has had a hard time creating takeaways, with just six on the season. Contrast that to Rutgers, with 24.

I now see why picking games in the Big East is so hard. You really never know what is going to happen. I was 2-2 thanks to Pitt and USF losses, bringing my season total to 35-10. What does Week 8 hold in store?

Rutgers (5-1) at Louisville (2-4), 8 p.m., Friday, ESPN2. This one is setting up to be a low-scoring game, featuring two teams with solid defenses but so-so offenses. The difference here for Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights should be able to put major pressure on the quarterback against a shaky offensive line. They also are the best in the league at creating turnovers, while Louisville is at minus-4 in turnover margin this season. True freshman Gary Nova has gone on the road and won already for Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights become bowl eligible in a slight upset (Louisville is favored by 2). Rutgers 20, Louisville 17.

No. 15 West Virginia (5-1) at Syracuse (4-2), 8 p.m., Friday, ESPN. You know the Mountaineers are going to be looking for a measure of redemption after losing to Syracuse last season. The Orange pass defense has been shaky all season, and now it faces one of the most prolific offenses in the nation. The Orange should get help from the return of Olando Fisher, and the general health of the defense -- coach Doug Marrone says this is the healthiest his team has been all season. Geno Smith is much better in this offense, and he and his teammates are finding a good rhythm, so it is going to be much harder to rattle him into making mistakes. This is my pick for Big East game of the week, so stay tuned for my video analysis later this afternoon. West Virginia 38, Syracuse 20.

Cincinnati (5-1) at USF (4-2), noon, Saturday, Big East Network. The Bulls are in desperate need of a win, and now they face one of the most improved teams in the Big East. But I think USF has a shot here for a few reasons: (1) This is one of the best offensive lines the Bearcats have faced this season, so they are going to have a harder time putting pressure on the quarterback (USF has given up only seven sacks all season); (2) USF has been much better running the ball (No. 1 in the league), and that will provide a huge challenge for the No. 1 run defense in the Big East. Darrell Scott is a load to take down, and averages 6.2 yards a carry. Playing at home, coupled with the increased sense of urgency, also helps. An astute USF reader pointed out I have been terrible with my USF picks (3-3), so we will see how this one turns out. USF 27, Cincinnati 24.

PITTSBURGH -- Pitt leads No. 16 USF 10-7 after the first quarter. Here are a few quick observations:

• The Pitt offensive line has done a good job of protecting Tino Sunseri so far, even after starting guard Lucas Nix left the game with an injury. He has not been sacked and has been mostly on target. The Panthers had two unfortunate drops from Mike Shanahan -- one that would have been a sure touchdown, another on the next play that most likely would have been a first down. But so far, they are doing a nice job of mixing the run and pass
• Both starting running backs for Pitt and USF are running hard. Ray Graham and Darrell Scott have been able to gain big chunks of yards already in the game -- Graham with 55 total yards and Scott with 35. The USF defense gave up a lot of yards last week in the first half against UTEP, so we will see if the Bulls can make some adjustments.
• The USF defense continues to be opportunistic. The lone Bulls' touchdown came off a Pitt fumble.
• Kevin Harper, who has struggled at times this season, kicked a career-long 47-yard field goal to give the Panthers a 10-7 lead. That marks the first time USF has trailed all season.

PITTSBURGH -- Kickoff is closing in between No. 16 USF and Pitt on a cool, breezy night at Heinz Field. Here are a few keys to the game.

For USF

1. Establish the run game. Pitt would love nothing more than to test the new-found confidence B.J. Daniels is playing with in his first road game since the opener at Notre Dame. Darrell Scott has shown some nice flashes, but it is one thing to have a big game against Florida A&M. It is quite another to have a big game on the road against a Big East opponent as solid as Pitt.

2. Harass Tino Sunseri. This is something that nearly everybody has had success doing early on in the season, a big reason why Pitt has given up 19 sacks. Sunseri has not looked comfortable running this offense, and USF needs to keep it that way. The Bulls have played decently well on the defensive line, and should have an advantage against a Pitt offensive line that has struggled at times.

3. Keep testing the Pitt linebackers. Pitt actually played its best game on defense last season, but the Panthers have shown problems covering underneath routes in the pass game. USF could take advantage of this with its fast receivers that have the potential to get big plays in the pass game.

For Pitt

1. Get to B.J. Daniels. Pitt has played well up front, and that has to continue against a Bulls team that has done essentially whatever it has wanted in the past three games. Much has been made of the way Daniels has played through the first three games of the season, but we will see how he responds if Pitt knocks him down a few times and keeps the pressure on. Todd Thomas and Ejuan Price are going to be huge in the contain game, should Daniels be able to escape the pocket when the pressure closes in.

2. Get Sunseri comfortable. That means getting a little more help from his teammates. Better play from the offensive line. More consistent play from the receivers. More of a reliance on Ray Graham. Sunseri has not been able to shoulder the entire offensive load thus far.

3. Get Graham going. Graham slowed down a bit in his past two games, but there is no question he has got to help the Pitt offense get going with some big plays.

Let us take a look at the good and the bad from Week 3, with a quick peek ahead to Week 4.

The good: Big East teams went 4-3 in Week 3 and still have two undefeated teams ranked in the Top 25. West Virginia moved up to No. 16 after beating Maryland 37-31, and USF moved up to No. 18 with a 70-17 win over Florida A&M. College GameDay will be in Morgantown this weekend as the Mountaineers host No. 2 LSU in a critical game, not only for the Big East, but for West Virginia as well. Keep this in mind: West Virginia is 70-2 since 2000 when scoring 30 or more points. ... Meanwhile, Louisville pulled off the upset of the week with a 24-17 win against Kentucky, breaking a four-game losing streak against their in-state rival. Louisville has held each of its first three opponents to fewer than 300 yards of offense. ... Though Syracuse lost to USC, quarterback Ryan Nassib had a streak of 22 consecutive completed passes spanning the games against Rhode Island and USC. Nassib finished four shy of the NCAA record of 26, held by California’s Aaron Rogers.

The bad:You already know the bad. The games were an afterthought this weekend after news broke that Syracuse and Pitt were ready to hightail it out to the ACC. Gamedays are supposed to be sacred. But when it comes to expansion, nothing is sacred anymore.

As for on-the-field action, UConn and Pitt each blew fourth-quarter leads and lost. The Huskies had their nine-game home winning streak stopped against Iowa State. But there was nothing worse than seeing Pitt blow a 24-3 lead and fall to Iowa 31-27. Iowa scored three touchdowns in seven minutes in the fourth quarter to cap the greatest comeback in school history. The fourth quarter has been a problem for Pitt all season. The Panthers have given up 41 points in the final period in three games. They allowed teams like Buffalo and Maine to get closer than they should have been, and obviously ended up losing to Iowa because of those late-game breakdowns. Chas Alecxih told reporters after the game:

"[The team leaders], we have to step up. This is our team and we're up, what was it, 24-3 at the end of the third and lose?
That is a joke, that is not going to happen again, I will tell you that."

Career days:

B.J. Daniels, QB, USF. Threw for a career-high 382 yards and four touchdowns.

Isiah Moore, WR, UConn. Had career highs of eight catches and 143 receiving yards in a loss to Iowa State.

Nick Provo, TE, Syracuse. Had career highs of eight receptions and 85 receiving yards against USC.

Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia. Had career highs in completions (36), attempts (49) and passing yards (388) in a win against Maryland.

Darrell Scott, RB, USF. Ran for a career-high 146 yards and three touchdowns.

Devin Street, WR, Pitt. Had seven receptions for a career-high 138 yards and a touchdown against Iowa.

WR Tavon Austin (11 receptions, 122 yards), WR Stedman Bailey(8 receptions, 113 yards) and WR Ivan McCartney (8 receptions, 101 yards) gave West Virginia three 100-yard receivers for the first time in school history. All three are career highs.

Week 4 schedule
NC State at Cincinnati, 8 pm, Thursday, ESPN
Notre Dame at Pittsburgh, noon, Saturday, ABC
Toldeo at Syracuse, noon, Saturday, Big East Network
Ohio at Rutgers, 2 pm, Saturday, ESPN3
Connecticut at Buffalo, 3:30 p.m., Saturday, Big East Network
UTEP at USF, 7 pm, Saturday, ESPN3
LSU at West Virginia, 8 pm, Saturday, ABC

How about helmet stickers for a job well done:

Cincinnati defense. Cincinnati keeps creating the turnovers in a big way. In their 59-14 win over Akron, the Bearcats became the first Big East team to score three defensive touchdowns since Miami scored on two interceptions and one fumble against West Virginia in a 41-10 victory on Sept. 23, 2000. The Bearcats' six forced turnovers are the most since forcing seven against Oregon State on Sept. 6, 2007.

Darrell Scott, RB, USF. Scott notched the first 100-yard rushing game of his USF career before halftime ended. He totaled 146 yards on 12 carries in a 70-17 win over Florida A&M. Scott scored four total touchdowns -- three rushing and one receiving -- and became the first player in school history to record both a rushing and receiving touchdown of more than 50 yards in a season.

Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville. The true freshman came off the bench and led a spirited 24-17 win over rival Kentucky, the Cardinals' first victory over the Wildcats in five years. After starter Will Stein went down, Bridgewater came in and held the offense steady. He threw two touchdown passes and went 10-of-18 for 106 yards. Dominique Brown deserves mention, too, for running for 91 yards and averaging 6.5 yards a carry.

Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia. This may sound like a broken record, but Smith had yet another career day in a 37-31 win over Maryland. Smith finished with a career-best 388 passing yards on a career-best, and school record, 36 completions. His 49 passing attempts were also a career high and the fifth-best total in school history. The passing yardage is the second-best total in the past 10 years, and the seventh-best total in program history. Special note: Tavon Austin (122), Stedman Bailey (113) and Ivan McCartney (101) each had 100 yards receiving. It is the first time West Virginia had multiple 100-yard receivers since Shawn Foreman (115) and Khori Ivy (113) recorded the feat at Pitt on Nov. 27, 1998.

USF easily handled FCS opponent Florida A&M 70-17 on Saturday night. In the process, the Bulls set a new Big East record for total offense with 745 yards.

That broke the old mark of 729 yards, set by Louisville against Middle Tennessee in 2007. The starters played a little over a half. Darrell Scott had the best game of his career, as he ran for 146 yards and three touchdowns, and added an 84-yard touchdown reception.

We already knew the Bulls were a solid team, so beating up on an overmatched FCS opponent won't tell us too much about the Bulls as they move on to Week 4. Still, some other notable performances:

• B.J. Daniels had 382 yards and four touchdown passes. He now has six touchdowns to one interception on the season. Bobby Eveld looked a little shaky again in relief, throwing two interceptions and no touchdowns.
• The defense picked up two more turnovers.
• Fourteen different players caught a pass.

Here are 10 storylines to watch in the Big East this week:

1. Proving time. The Big East went 4-4 last week and has a chance to make the nation notice in Week 3 with five games against teams from automatic qualifying conferences. Four of those games are on the road, and all four teams are underdogs. So the Big East will need to pull off some upsets in order to call this weekend a success. Is it up to the task?

2. More consistency. A similar theme has emerged with nearly every team in the Big East. USF is the only team that really has put together a complete game. Everybody else has had lapses on offense and defense. That cannot happen this week when Pitt, West Virginia, Syracuse and Louisville hit the road. To pull off an upset, consistent play on both sides of the ball is key. That starts up front, a problem area through two weeks for most teams in the league.

3. Fast start. Another key to winning on the road -- getting off to a fast start. West Virginia has struggled with this in two games. So has Syracuse. In the case of Louisville, the Cardinals are 1-5 under Charlie Strong when trailing at halftime. Getting into a good rhythm early and putting points on the board not only gives your team confidence, it helps take the crowd out of the game. Every coach will preach the need for a fast start. Now the Big East teams have to go out and make it happen.

4. UConn and its (lack of) offense. The Huskies have not scored an offensive touchdown against an AQ team since last November, a streak of three straight games. Can that be broken at home Friday night? Everyone is still uncertain about what will happen at quarterback, so the best bet might be on the ground, where Lyle McCombs has two straight 100-yard games and UConn fans are waiting on D.J. Shoemate to be completely healthy. Of course, UConn has to hang on to the football to score. Four turnovers last week were a killer.

5. Tino Sunseri. Pitt coach Todd Graham has made it clear that he expects his quarterback to play better than he has in the new hurry-up offense. Sunseri says the offense is inches away from clicking the way it needs to. They are going to have to close that gap on the road against an Iowa team no doubt eager to make up for an overtime loss to Iowa State last week. Sunseri has to get rid of the ball faster, and he also has to be more accurate with his passes. If that happens, the Panthers will have the threat of the pass to complement their ground game and that will make them a much tougher team to beat.

6. West Virginia run game. The Mountaineers have struggled running the ball, in part because of shaky offensive line play, and in part because they have inexperienced freshmen playing running back. Coach Dana Holgorsen has made it a point of emphasis to get this part of the offense going because he does not want to become too one-dimensional. Maryland gave up 172 yards on the ground to Miami in Week 1, so this could be the right time for everything to get jump-started on the ground against the Terps.

7. Louisville bounce back? The Cardinals dropped a disappointing game to FIU last week and now have to try to bounce back against Kentucky, a team that has beaten them four straight times. A loss here, and Louisville goes to 1-2 on the season going into a bye week. There has to be an added sense of urgency in this one to erase what happened last week and finally beat the Wildcats. A tough task awaits.

8. Syracuse defense. The Orange already faced a tough task at USC. But now they have to do it without starting defensive end Chandler Jones, one of the most experienced players on the team. The defense has been up and down in two games this season and a big reason why is because of all the inexperienced players who have played. How will they fare on the road against what is supposed to be a decent offense?

9. USF run game. The Bulls are expected to have no problems against FCS Florida A&M, but you can expect they will try to keep fine-tuning the run game. Darrell Scott showed some good things last week against Ball State. His high-hurdling is fun to watch when he gets it right, but coach Skip Holtz would rather he stop doing that.

10. Cincinnati pressure. The Bearcats are not going to face as big a test against Akron as they did last week against Tennessee. But they can still work on generating more of a pass rush, which was nonexistent against the Vols. That is one point coach Butch Jones made this week. Getting a pass rush will help take the pressure off a secondary that proved last week it needs some help.

No. 22 USF breezed to a 37-7 win over Ball State, showing no signs of a letdown after an emotional week.

The Bulls came into the game off a big win at Notre Dame, but also mourning the loss of Lee Roy Selmon. Tributes to him were all over the place during the game, with his No. 63 on the field and on helmets. But USF was on from the start -- and has now outscored opponents 46-0 in the first half this season.

The Bulls ended up with 519 yards of total offense and a school-record 33 first downs. B.J. Daniels only played a few series in the second half before giving way to Bobby Eveld. Daniels finished with 359 yards passing, one touchdown and one interception. Darrell Scott and Demetris Murray each had one touchdown on the ground.

Ball State came into the game after an upset win over Indiana. The Cardinals run a high-tempo spread offense, but the USF defense stymied them. Ball State had 218 total yards and scored its lone touchdown in the fourth quarter with the USF backups in the game. Claude Davis had a huge game as well, with a forced fumble and sack.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Here is a quick halftime analysis of the USF-Notre Dame game:

Turning point: The opening drive of the game. Notre Dame easily drove down the field on USF and made it all the way to the 1. But Jonas Gray was stripped by Jerrell Young. Kayvon Webster picked up the ball and returned it 96 yards for a touchdown and a quick 7-0 lead for the Bulls. Notre Dame has been out of sorts since then, with two more turnovers and zero points.

Stat of the half: Zero. Notre Dame has had two trips inside the USF 5-yard line and came away with zero points. In addition to the fumble by Gray, Dayne Crist threw an interception into the end zone to DeDe Lattimore.

What USF needs to do: The recipe for the second half should be the same as the first. USF played quite a clean first half -- no turnovers and just one penalty for five yards. They do not want to crawl into a hole and get too conservative, but you can bet they will continue to try to establish B.J. Daniels, Darrell Scott and Demetris Murray in the ground game. Daniels actually leads the team with 39 yards on nine carries at halftime.

What Notre Dame needs to do: Quit turning the ball over and take advantage of long drives. The Irish actually outgained USF in the first half 191-144. They have been able to get some nice chunks on the ground. Cierre Wood has 84 first-half yards on 15 carries. So Notre Dame has been able to move the ball. But three turnovers and five penalties have been absolute killers.

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- USF jumped out to a quick 10-0 lead on Notre Dame thanks to some big-time defense.

Notre Dame marched down to the 1-yard line on the first drive, but Jerrell Young stripped Jonas Gray. Kayvon Webster picked up the ball and returned it 99 yards for a score. USF added a 49-yard field goal from Maikon Bonani to go up 10-0 in the first quarter.

It is early in the game, but a few takeaways so far: Notre Dame has gotten its way on the offensive line, and that allowed the Irish to break off some big runs and pass plays on the first few drives drives. But give the USF defense props for making the big plays when they needed. USF already is rotating in plenty of defensive linemen. True freshman Elkino Watson has seen the first playing time of his career. On his first play in, he made a tackle.

USF has only had one drive on offense, but it featured two designed runs for B.J. Daniels. Demetris Murray started the game at running back, but both he and Darrell Scott got carries. Sterling Griffin also had his first catch since 2009.

Storm clouds are rolling in, so we could see some rain here shortly.

Game week is finally here, so you know what that means? Time for some Week 1 power rankings. This is where I think the teams in the league stack up today headed into the first game, so they are going to be subject to change each week.

1. West Virginia: The Mountaineers are the only ranked Big East team in any of the polls, at No. 24 in AP poll, and have some of the top talent in the league at multiple positions. Geno Smith is expected to be the next in the line of quarterbacks Dana Holgorsen has turned into stars, and defensive end Bruce Irvin could have an even better year than he did last year. Are there questions? Every team in the league has questions. How will Holgorsen do as a head coach? How will a revamped defense do with seven new starters? I think West Virginia is as complete a team as there is in the Big East, hence the No. 1 position.

2. Pitt: As you saw from the mailbag last week, a lot of fans wonder why Pitt is not getting the preseason love from media that West Virginia has received. There are two key differences. Pitt will try to run the spread with players who were bought into a pro-style offense; and the defense is switching alignments. Still, there is plenty of talent on offense and defense to make the Panthers a real threat to win the league.

3. USF: Then you have the fans who ask, well why not USF atop the league this season? For starters, the Bulls have 11 returning starters, second fewest in the Big East. There are still questions about whether B.J. Daniels can be consistent, how a revamped defensive line with three new starters is going to come together and whether the running game will be vastly improved with Darrell Scott in the backfield -- especially with three new starters on the line. The talent is absolutely there for a run at the league title if these questions are answered. But for now the Bulls start here.

4. Syracuse: It is imperative for the Orange to build on the momentum from last season with an even better year in 2011. I think the offense has a chance to be good with Ryan Nassib back. Antwon Bailey should be fine at running back, and the starting offensive line is one of the best in the league. There are questions on defense without some key starters at linebacker and with an undersized unit that is going to take the field.

5. Cincinnati: The Bearcats get the edge here over Louisville because they do not have as many questions going into the season. The offense should be better with Zach Collaros and Isaiah Pead back --provided the offensive line plays better than it did last season. On defense, the unit should be much better with another year of experience and some incoming freshmen who should make a difference. But the big questions are on defense, along the offensive line and at receiver, where a few players are going to have to step up.

6. Louisville: The Cardinals lost 25 seniors and are the youngest team in the Big East. But there is much room for improvement and room to move up in these standings. For one, there is some talent at running back, receiver and tight end. The front seven should be solid. But injuries have taken a toll on the defensive line this fall. The cornerbacks are a gigantic question mark. So is quarterback, where we have no idea how Will Stein will do as the starter and what type of impact Teddy Bridgewater will make. Until those answers become clearer, Louisville stays here.

7. UConn: A lot of fans wondered how a team that has so many players on my Top 25 list is at No. 7. The Huskies do have a nice collection of talent, but does that make a nice team? We still have no idea who is going to start at quarterback. We have no idea whether or not D.J. Shoemate is going to replicate what Jordan Todman did last season. We have no idea who is going to be a playmaker at receiver. Linebacker is a concern as well with two new starters joining Sio Moore. Until Shoemate and whoever starts at quarterback ease my concerns, UConn is No. 7.

8. Rutgers: I know Rutgers fans are not too happy with me, and I understand that. Everybody wants to see their team ranked No. 1. But this is a team with perhaps more questions than all the others headed into the season. How will the offense fare with a new offensive coordinator? Will the offensive line be any better? Will the running game work this year? Will the talented receiving group live up to its potential? How are the changes on defense going to make this unit better than last season? I think Rutgers will be better. But how much better?

Time to rank the best running backs in the Big East. Keep in mind, the position rankings are not necessarily reflected the same way as the player rankings. The position rankings take into account depth and experience. These rankings just go with individual players.

This was quite a difficult task. Outside of the top backs, there is so much uncertainty and inexperience that these rankings are based largely on potential. They could go many different ways, depending on who is doing the ranking.

1. Isaiah Pead, Cincinnati. The top returning rusher in the Big East should have another 1,000-yard season. Pead averaged 6.6 yards per carry last season -- more than any of the top 12 rushers in the league. He also made several watch lists, for top running back and top player in college football. A definite player to watch.

2. Ray Graham, Pittsburgh. He had a breakout season last year behind Dion Lewis and should have 1,000 yards this season. What has been impressive about Graham is the way he has reshaped his body in the offseason. Strength and conditioning coach Shawn Griswold says Graham has really worked on his upper body in order to help his durability.

3. Victor Anderson, Louisville. The Cardinals lose Bilal Powell but there is some talent here waiting. If Anderson stays healthy, I think he could be poised for a season similar to the one he had in 2008. He had a terrific spring, and he told me earlier this summer that he finally feels healthy and is determined to end his career with his best season yet.

4. Antwon Bailey, Syracuse. The Orange lose Delone Carter, the No. 3 rusher in the league, but Bailey got his share of reps and carries last season, running for 554 yards and two touchdowns. He is a different type of back than Carter, lacking the power that his predecessor had. But I think he has a chance to have a 1,000-yard season, especially behind one of the best lines in the league.

5. Savon Huggins, Rutgers. I had a hard time figuring out where to put Huggins because we have never seen him play a college down. He is expected to take over as the starting running back at some point, and he certainly has the talent to become the next Ray Rice. But how about his offensive line? How many carries will he get? How will the pressure to succeed immediately affect him?

6. Darrell Scott, USF. Hopes are high for Scott as well after he transferred in from Colorado. But I am not so sure Scott has the same potential as Huggins. He only had 438 yards in his career with the Buffs, and his work ethic was called into question in the past. He also has had weight issues. But he has a chance for a fresh start and could be a 1,000-yard rusher.

7. Vernard Roberts, West Virginia. This was another tough ranking for me, considering I had the Mountaineers in the No. 3 spot in the team rankings. The Mountaineers have so much depth and talent, several players could emerge with a breakout season. Roberts is chief among them after his impressive spring debut. He is currently listed at No. 1 on the depth chart and has to hold off competition from the likes of Trey Johnson and incoming players Andrew Buie and Dustin Garrison.

8. D.J. Shoemate, UConn. I know Huskies fans are going to be upset with this ranking, but I have one question here: Is Shoemate more than a fullback who has a history of fumbling? The potential is there, which is why I had him listed as my UConn impact player. But somebody else could easily emerge.

9. Jeremy Wright, Louisville. I had a tough time between Anderson and Wright because I think both could easily have good years. My expectation is for them to share the load, but Wright is coming off an injury. He is expected to be 100 percent for the fall, but I give the edge to Anderson because of his terrific spring.

10. Zach Brown, Pitt. Here is my wild-card pick of the rankings. The Panthers need some relief behind Graham, and Brown provides the experience to be able to take some of the load off. His production may have fallen off at Wisconsin, but he has displayed flashes of potential and could be a surprise player.

Previous rankings:

• Offensive linemen
• Wide receivers