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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

Syracuse is not at the Big East spring meetings, but I did have a chance to catch up with coach Doug Marrone at the ACC meetings on Amelia Island. One quick note before I get to the Q&A. I asked Marrone for an injury update, and he said he would provide one as fall practice gets closer. So still no answers on when many of his key players will be back. Stay tuned.

We have heard a lot this spring about Ashton Broyld. Describe what makes him so special.

Doug Marrone: He’s an outstanding athlete. In my time there, I haven’t had many players who have possessed that type of talent level. From that standpoint he’s going through his first spring. So we are looking to find ways to get him involved because he’s someone that can make plays and has that ability. We have to do a very good job of finding ways of making sure how we insert him into our offense moving forward. But it’s a good problem, not a bad problem.

He was listed as a running back on the depth chart. Will he stay there or be used in a variety of ways like receiver and quarterback?

DM: We’re open to all those plans, so again a lot of it is based on the type of productivity we can get from him in what areas or what positions or where it may be on the offense and how we progress him and how much he can or cannot handle. It’s a matter of what the other people are able to do at the positions around him to put him where it’s best needed for us to score more points.

One of the problems that has plagued you guys has been inconsistency on offense. How will you be better this season?

DM: We changed a lot of things offensively in what we’re doing and the reason why we’ve done that is to be able to create that type of consistency. When you look at it, we did a very good job in just one area of third down; we led the Big East in third-down conversions. Well why was that successful? Those are the questions we asked ourselves, and then trying to take that philosophy and putting it into what we do offensively to have that type of consistency. We’ve gone forward in looking to make some changes, to become a better football team and that’s what we did this spring.

What was the biggest thing you learned about the way last season went?

DM: I think obviously we’re all disappointed, being in a good position, at 5-2 and not being able to turn that around and creating more wins always leaves a bad taste not only for coaches and fans and administrators but players and everyone involved in the program. For us, it was to go ahead, create a level of expectations for us so we can remain and do a better job during the year. A lot about character is how you respond to that. We have to do a better job, starting with me. Responding to that adversity and being able to move forward.

Ryan Nassib took some steps forward last year. What does he need to do to become an elite quarterback?

DM: I just think we need him to do what we plan on him doing. We don’t need him to go the extra mile and push so hard on himself. He’s a very competitive person. We have to make sure we have the right people in place around him for us to be successful. You look at all the offenses, whether it’s the NFL or college football. There are other people around making plays. For us to succeed offensively, we have to make more plays. We’ve generated more yardage but not at a rate we would probably like to but we haven’t generated more yards per play and that’s what’s keeping us back. We’re hoping with some of the changes we’ve made that we’re able to open it up and do some things where we have from a percentage standpoint the ability to make bigger plays per play. We have to make more plays, whether that’s at the quarterback position, running back position, tight end, receiver. We have to generate more plays.

Two players who arrived at their respective teams as quarterbacks are set to make a bigger impact this season at a different position.

It is time to get to know Syracuse athlete Ashton Broyld and Cincinnati athlete Jordan Luallen. Both players spent the spring making the move to a more hybrid Wildcat/receiver/running back post.

The goal is clear. Both players are too good to keep tied to the bench behind somebody else. Their athleticism must be used for big plays.

"He’s a big, strong, fast, physical athlete," Syracuse coach Doug Marrone said of Broyld after the spring game. "We’re very fortunate to have him. I think he is going to be a great asset to us offensively. We just have to keep bringing him along, because he’s someone who can make a lot of plays."

"He’s one of the best athletes we have on our football team," Cincinnati coach Butch Jones said of Luallen earlier this spring. "We’ve got to find a way to get him on the football field."

Luallen has actual game experience, having played last season when quarterback Zach Collaros got hurt. Jones decided he would play both Munchie Legaux and Luallen at quarterback. Both can run with the football, but Luallen's knack for making big plays was clear. He rarely threw the ball, but had 135 yards on 22 carries. He should have had two touchdowns on runs that ended at the 1 against Syracuse, but alas the turf monster struck. That is probably how most Big East fans remember him.

But Cincinnati coaches just remember his ability to make plays. That led to the decision to move him to receiver, where he is listed right behind Anthony McClung on the second team. Cincinnati struggled at receiver last season, and the Bearcats could no doubt use some big-play ability at the position, particularly because depth remains a concern.

But Luallen won't be limited to just receiver. Watch for him to still be able to run a few plays out of the Wildcat to keep teams off balance, at least. Particularly because the offense is going to have a new look with Isaiah Pead and Collaros gone.

As for Broyld, he arrived as an early enrollee this spring after spending last year at Milford Academy. Though Syracuse closed practices, much has been made about the role Broyld could have in the offense because of his versatility.

Broyld is listed as the No. 3 running back on the post-spring depth chart, but he played receiver and running back in the spring game.

He had some of the only offensive highlights in that game, as the offense fizzled for the most part. He could also be used as a Wildcat quarterback, in addition to his other roles. Syracuse has lacked a big-time playmaker the last several seasons. In fact, the offense has been somewhat predictable. Broyld gives the Orange something they have lacked for quite some time. Syracuse receivers averaged 10.5 yards per catch last season -- second-worst in the Big East behind Pitt (10.4).

That is just a little glimpse of their potential. Now we wait and see what these "slash" players can do.

Tale of the tape

Ashton Broyld, Syracuse

Height: 6-4

Weight: 229

Stats: Threw for 427 yards on 31-of-56 passing and six touchdowns, and ran for 259 yards on 39 carries and six touchdowns in 2011 at Milford Academy. ... Was the 2010 New York State Class AA Player of the Year after leading Rush-Henrietta High to the Class AA State Championship and a 13-0 record. Passed for 1,961 yards and 24 touchdowns and rushed for 1,540 yards and 24 touchdowns.

Jordan Luallen, Cincinnati

Height: 6-3

Weight: 215

Stats: Went 2-for-4 for 10 yards, and rushed for 135 yards on 22 carries last season in a backup role with the Bearcats. He was forced to sit out 2010 after transferring in from Georgia Tech, where he redshirted as a true freshman in 2009. ... Rated the No. 22 quarterback recruit out of high school. Also won a state championship in 2008, Went 46-for-85 for 941 yards, two interceptions, and 14 touchdowns and rushed for 622 yards on 84 carries in the Wing-T offense as a senior.

Syracuse receiver Marcus Sales is back on the football team, coach Doug Marrone said Friday.

Sales was suspended for all of 2011 after he was arrested last summer on multiple drug charges. But those charges were dropped last October, paving the way for his return.

"He's on the football team. He's enrolled in school with no issues in school so there's no issues with being a part of the program," Marrone said.

This is a big boost for the Orange going into spring practice, which begins March 20. Syracuse will be without leading returning receiver Alec Lemon, along with several other key players in the pass game -- Van Chew, Nick Provo and Dorian Graham. It also is important for Sales to start working himself back into game shape, since he has been out for an entire year. The last time we saw him, he had a monster game against Kansas State in the Pinstripe Bowl, where he had five catches for 172 yards and three touchdowns.

Marrone made his comments during a news conference to discuss the addition of Missouri to the 2012 schedule. The biggest reason why the Orange are playing the Tigers is because Marrone refused to play two FCS schools in one season. The first option was to play the best team possible at home. Marrone said discussions with several undisclosed teams broke down because they didn't want to play in the Carrier Dome.

So the next option was to play the best opponent possible, even if it meant traveling.

"What's frustrating about that situation is when you have a team that says we don't want to play you in the Dome," Marrone said. "I can't say for a fact, but I know some of the thought process for two of the schools was it goes back to (last year's Friday night game against) West Virginia. ... Everyone wondering what's the magic dust we sprinkle out for that one night. When I tell you the phone calls and the conversations and the meetings that took place to get the best team we could in here, it took a lot of time. ...

"The philosophy was we're going to go out and get the best team to come in here and if not, then we're going to play the best team we can play. That was our thought process going into it."

Marrone stressed he was involved in the negotiations and endorsed the schedule, even though it makes the challenge of 2012 more difficult. He was asked whether it would have made things easier on him and his team to have a second game against an FCS opponent.

"When you look back and you look at the program, I can only talk about it from a personal standpoint from when I first arrived here and the teams we had to play," Marrone said. "I said, 'Let's get the best team we can to come in here and play.' Strategically, when you look at schedules, could you last longer maybe, can you try to schedule it up and try to match things up where your talent level is better, is that going to make your career last a little longer? I understand, winning is the most important thing and right now that's what our focus is on. We have to win enough games so they don't get tired of the cliches. I don't think I've ever stood up here and made excuses. We have to win. I like the schedule. It forces this program to get better, and to see what the weaknesses are throughout the season."

Here are some news and notes from each Big East team, based on comments from signing day news conferences today.

Cincinnati

The Bearcats signed 16 defensive players and 14 offensive players, and hit areas of need at linebacker and the secondary. This is also shaping up to be the best class in school history.

“The class lends itself to filling many needs within our program,” coach Butch Jones said. “We wanted to put an emphasis on team speed in general while addressing needs at defensive back and linebacker. We feel like we attracted a very high caliber of student-athlete in this class, which will continue to allow us to build a championship culture both on the field and in the classroom.”

UConn

The Huskies might not have the highest-profile class in the Big East, but they were able to fill several need areas. Coach Paul Pasqualoni said he was pleased with the class, but he would have been happy with another interior lineman and defensive back.

Two players committed but didn't sign — one flipped to Memphis and the other — receiver Neally Cunningham is expected to go to junior college.

Louisville

The Cardinals were able to bring in another outstanding class, and this one was led by the linebackers -- three of them are four-star players in James Burgess Jr., Keith Brown and Nick Dawson to specifically address a major need area. Working the state of Florida was huge, too. Ten total players, including transfers, hail from the state.

"We have to continue to move this program forward," coach Charlie Strong said. "You have to have a plan, you have to have a vision. The only way to win championships is bringing in great people."

Pitt

New coach Paul Chryst was also able to keep a strong recruiting class together, and did a great job once again in Western Pennsylvania, a key area for Pitt every year in recruiting.

"There's a group of guys, Pitt was the place for them," Chryst said. "They wanted to be here. They've got a unique bond because of sticking together and going through what they went through."

Rutgers

If there is one area Rutgers wants to dominate during recruiting it is the tri-state area, or the "state of Rutgers." Of the 20-player class, 19 are from the area. ESPNU150 defensive end Darius Hamilton was the big jewel of the class.

"It is the second year in a row now that the top player in the state of New Jersey has committed to Rutgers," coach Kyle Flood said. "But they are not the only great players that committed to Rutgers over the past two years, or the last three or five years. But every year we’ve been able to — more and more — build that wall around the 'State of Rutgers,' so that the players in our area are coming to play for us — the top players. And when a guy like Darius Hamilton does that on TV, what it does is it gives more validity to what we tell the people in this local area."

USF

Cornerback Chris Bivins has a chance to make an immediate impact, coach Skip Holtz said. Though the Bulls hit many of their needs in the secondary and on the offensive line, they did not sign a quarterback. That becomes a priority for the 2013 class.

"We would have liked to have a quarterback," Holtz said. "When you looked at some of the quarterbacks that were available, we were behind, and I did not want to take one just to take one. At that point, I said I'd rather hold onto it. I feel very comfortable with our quarterback situation right now."

Syracuse

Coach Doug Marrone was happy he was able to hit major needs on the defensive line. Though junior college defensive end Mark Garrick didn't sign as expected, Marrone listed Zian Jones and Markus Pierce-Brewster as two players who might be able to contribute immediately. He also said early enrollee Myles Davis, who came in as a linebacker, would start the spring at fullback.

He also mentioned kicker Ryan Norton as having a chance for an immediate impact as well because he is slated to handle kickoff duties.

West Virginia

Coach Dana Holgorsen confirmed what was long expected — the Mountaineers are abandoning the 3-3-5 stack defense they ran under former defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel and will run out of the 3-4 and 4-3. As for the offensive players that were signed, Holgorsen was high on receiver Deontay McManus.

“We’re fired up about getting him over here as soon as we can to teach him what to do and get him out there,” Holgorsen said. “Physically I can tell you right now he’s ready to play at the next level. We’ve got to get him here, teach him what to do and get his skills right to the point where he can get out there and compete at this level. We’re excited about Deontay and can’t wait to get him here.”

When former Syracuse defensive end Chandler Jones sat down to weigh his NFL options, two factors helped him make his decision.

The first was his brother, Arthur. Back when Arthur was playing defensive line for the Orange, he had a similar opportunity to leave school early for the NFL draft. After putting together a season that led him to first-team Big East honors, Arthur Jones decided to stay in school. It was a decision that ended up costing him in the NFL draft, because Jones hurt his pectoral muscle, and then his knee and slid all the way to the Baltimore Ravens in the fifth round.

The second was information he got from the NFL Draft Advisory Board. Chandler Jones knew if he was told he would go anywhere in the first three rounds, he would most likely leave. He was given a second- or third-round grade.

So, with all that information in front of him, Jones decided it would be best for him to forgo his senior season and enter the NFL draft. It was not an easy decision, even though he had those two critical pieces of information. Jones recalled his heart was pounding when he had to deliver the news to coach Doug Marrone. It was that phone call that put the reality of the situation in front of Jones.

He would never suit up for the Orange again.

"Being a 21-year-old making a decision to change my whole life was huge for me," Jones said in a phone interview. "I had a lot of different yeses and nos from a lot of different people. I love Syracuse University, and I can tell you this was definitely not an easy decision."

He said there was a feeling that he was letting the team down because the Orange were not as successful as he wanted them to be this past season. But he also felt it was important to embark on a new chapter in his career, and to take full advantage of a season that also saw him get first-team Big East honors despite missing five games with a knee injury.

So Jones is now set up in Pensacola, Fla., working with Athletes Performance Inc. to help him prepare for the draft. He is expecting an invitation to the NFL combine in February, but will not get official word until after the deadline for underclassmen to declare for the draft passes this Sunday.

Jones is working to get in the best shape possible to wow scouts and improve his draft stock. He also is set to participate in the Syracuse Pro Day in March.

"My biggest strength is speed, but I'm still working on my 40 time, my bench press. I'm decent there, but I can be better. Basically, everything I can work on, I am going to work on," he said.

Because of his size (6-foot-5, 265 pounds), he could conceivably be moved to outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense. Jones said there were a few packages the Syracuse defense ran that had him standing up, and he is perfectly fine with either position.

""I feel like whatever the head coach tells me to play I'm going to play," Jones said. "I feel like I'm athletic enough to play outside linebacker in a 3-4. Coach (Scott) Shafer had a few schemes where I stood up and played outside linebacker. I felt pretty good and pretty fluent at it. I feel like I have good enough hips to play the 3-4, but now have to prove myself at combine day and show I can play either the 3-4 or the 4-3."

The final ballots from the coaches who vote in the USA Today coaches poll have been released. It is always fun to take a look at where coaches vote the teams, not only in their conference, but across the nation. After all, they do have a say in determining who gets to the BCS national title game.

This year that was especially true, with such a slim margin separating Alabama and Oklahoma State for No. 2. Four Big East coaches have votes, so here is how they voted Alabama and Oklahoma State, and how they voted for their fellow Big East teams.

USF coach Skip Holtz: Alabama No. 2, Oklahoma State No. 3, West Virginia No. 18, Cincinnati No. 23.

Syracuse coach Doug Marrone: Alabama No. 2, Stanford No. 3, Oklahoma State No. 4, West Virginia No. 19, Cincinnati No. 25.

Rutgers coach Greg Schiano: Alabama No. 2, Oklahoma State No. 3, West Virginia No. 18, Cincinnati No. 23.

Louisville coach Charlie Strong: Alabama No. 2, Oklahoma State No. 3, West Virginia No. 21, Cincinnati No. 24.

Of the 59 coaches who have a vote, 15 had Oklahoma State No. 2 on their ballots. Marrone was one of six to have Oklahoma State at No. 4 or lower. That includes Alabama coach Nick Sabana, whose team obviously was jockeying with the Cowboys for a spot in the title game. He had Stanford No. 3 and Oklahoma State No. 4.

The BCS standings also played a role in determining the Big East representative to the BCS. Fourteen coaches did not rank Cincinnati on their final ballots. Boise State coach Chris Petersen had Rutgers No. 25 and no ranking for the Bearcats. Vanderbilt coach James Franklin was the only coach to have Cincinnati ahead of West Virginia. He had the Bearcats at No. 21, and the Mountaineers at No. 22.

The coaches poll is one-third of the formula used to determine the BCS standings. The Harris media poll is another one-third of the formula. In those final rankings, seven voters didn't have Cincinnati in the Top 25. The Bearcats finished ranked No. 24 in the Harris and coaches' polls, but unranked in the final BCS standings.

Pittsburgh and Syracuse will play for the same goal Saturday in Pittsburgh -- bowl eligibility.

It is safe to say nobody expected either team to be in this position. The Panthers were picked to finish No. 2 in the Big East when the season began. Syracuse was 5-2 in the middle of October. Yet neither team has gotten particularly strong play from its offense down the stretch, so both face a must-win just to get to .500 and keep their seasons alive.

"Obviously we didn't want to be in the position where we're fighting to be in a bowl game, but it would be big for us to get to one," Pittsburgh guard Lucas Nix said. "Not only that, it's Senior Day, so we all want to perform well."

Syracuse coach Doug Marrone also has emphasized to his team the meaning and importance of playing for the senior class, a group that worked so hard to help the Orange rebuild their program. He said this week that playing for a bowl game has not been motivation enough, since the Orange have dropped four straight with bowl eligibility on the line.

So he has tried a different tactic.

"He's been harping on doing it for the seniors, playing for those guys next to you, those guys who poured all their blood, sweat and tears into the program the last four years," Syracuse tackle Justin Pugh said.

Since Syracuse's big win against West Virginia, Marrone has said his players are worried about making mistakes and that has impacted the way they have played.

"After the big win against West Virginia, there was added pressure," Pugh said. "It's tough to go out there when you're thinking about not messing up. Coach has really emphasized to us to try to play loose and with a lot of enthusiasm, to play our game. If we do our job, everything should end up OK. Hopefully everyone takes that mindset and all 11 guys have it this week."

Scoring more would certainly help. During this four-game losing streak, Syracuse is averaging 15 points a game. As it stands, the Orange rank No. 89 in the nation in total offense, and No. 79 in scoring offense. Pittsburgh has not lit up the scoreboard, either, ranking No. 83 in total offense and No. 75 in scoring offense.

Those numbers come as more of a surprise, because coach Todd Graham promised a high-octane offense when he got the job. But everybody on offense has been slow to adapt to the new hurry-up spread, from the offensive line, to quarterback Tino Sunseri, to his receivers. Remember, these are pro-style players being asked to run a system that is completely foreign to them.

A learning curve was to be expected. But what has come as a disappointment is that the players have not really grasped the concepts well after 11 games. There has been little to no improvement. Plus, the Panthers have had to deal with the loss of their best player, Ray Graham.

"It's been an experience trying to go through this season and coaching on the fly," Nix said. "All year, we kept saying, 'It's getting close it's getting close.' At points we thought we were there and getting over the hump, but it's just mental mistakes, people not fully buying into the system. I honestly think all these players have tried to buy in, it's just a matter of more time and repetitions."

Adversity has struck both teams. Whoever handles it best Saturday will be going bowling.

"Every season despite the records, there's always ups and downs and some type of adversity you have to deal with," Marrone said. "Has this been a tough year? Does it rank up there with some of the other ones? It has. I'm not going to deny that. Whatever the adversity you're faced with, you refocus everything on the field.

"When you have situations that occur that you can't control, whether it's injuries or suspensions, you need to move on and people need to pick up. The one lesson I always learned: no one ever feels sorry for you. No one's looking across that field saying, 'Gosh I feel bad this player's hurt or this player's out.' Everyone's focused on going out to win a game. Sometimes the greatest lessons in life you learn during this time. Sometimes true character is created, and how you deal with these situations and how you deal with adversity is going to help you later on in life."

Here are the top story lines in the Big East as the regular season comes to a close.

1. Who is going to the BCS? You want to know as badly as I do. So do Louisville, West Virginia and Cincinnati. No matter what happens in the West Virginia game against USF on Thursday night, we will not have our answer until Cincinnati plays UConn on Saturday. Just as a quick refresher: West Virginia needs a win and a Cincinnati win to force a three-way tie atop the Big East standings. Tiebreaker goes to the BCS standings, where the Mountaineers are currently the highest-ranked Big East team at No. 23. Louisville needs Cincinnati to lose. Cincinnati needs a win and a West Virginia loss.

2. Bowl hopes in the air. USF, UConn, Pitt and Syracuse all have a chance to become bowl-eligible with victories. Only three of them have a shot, as Pitt and Syracuse play each other. USF has made it to six consecutive bowl games; UConn to four in a row; and Pitt to three. Syracuse broke its long bowl drought last season. USF and UConn are underdogs; Pitt is favored to beat the Orange. An upset or two will have to happen for the Big East to get more than five bowl-eligible teams this season. The last time the Big East did not have six bowl-eligible teams was 2007.

3. USF magic. In all three USF wins over West Virginia, the Bulls have pulled an upset on a ranked Mountaineers team. Will it happen a fourth time? West Virginia has not won in Tampa since 2005, but USF does not exactly play well on Thursday nights. Shall we hearken back to Week 5, when USF got beaten badly at Pitt? USF is now 0-7 in Thursday night games as a member of the Big East.

4. B.J. Daniels' status. That leads to the next story line. Will the USF quarterback be able to play? Daniels missed last week's game against Louisville with a bruised sternum, and his status is questionable for Thursday. Backup Bobby Eveld has lost both games he has started in his career. The last time West Virginia visited Tampa, Daniels threw for three touchdowns and ran for 100 yards in a 30-19 win. He didn't fare as well last year, throwing three interceptions in a 20-6 loss in Morgantown.

5. Isaiah Pead vs. UConn D. Pead had 246 all-purpose yards in a win over Syracuse last week, and has proven to be the best player on the Bearcats offense. You can bet Cincinnati will try to get him the ball as frequently as possible, but he will be facing one of the better run defenses in the league and the nation. UConn ranks third nationally against the run, allowing 2.7 yards per carry. On the season, no running back has gone over 100 yards on this defense. That's because teams have had much better luck passing on what has been a lackluster secondary.

6. Best QB combos. Which team has the best dual-threat quarterback situation: Cincinnati with Munchie Legaux and Jordan Luallen, or UConn with Johnny McEntee and Scott McCummings? The Huskies have used both for nearly the entire season, and have been most effective of late -- McCummings has four of his five touchdown runs in the past three games. The Bearcats used Luallen for the first time in a win over Syracuse last week, and he ran for 77 yards. On two of his runs, he came up just short of the goal line.

7. Does the losing streak end? Syracuse has lost four straight, and coach Doug Marrone said he wanted to make sure his players stopped pressing and starting having more fun on the football field. Perhaps a more carefree attitude will help a team that has had a tough time scoring — and stopping opponents. Syracuse ranks No. 89 in the nation in total offense, and No. 71 in total defense. The Orange face another tough challenge against an active Pitt defensive front, which has 36 sacks on the season.

8. Sunseri rebound? Tino Sunseri had a rough outing in a 21-20 loss to West Virginia last week in the Backyard Brawl. He was sacked 10 times -- nine on the final 25 plays of the game. Many were his fault because he held onto the football too long. Sunseri has followed up his subpar performances with good ones of late. After a bad game against Utah, he threw for 419 yards against UConn. After two turnovers in a loss to Cincinnati, he managed the game effectively in a victory over Louisville. So which Sunseri shows up Saturday?

Who needs to win more -- USF or Syracuse?

The Bulls (4-4, 0-4) have not won a game since Sept. 24. Syracuse (5-4, 1-3) has dropped two straight after blowing out West Virginia last month. The two teams face each other Friday at 8 p.m. on ESPN2 with an air of desperation hanging between them. For USF, the season began with a victory over Notre Dame and so much promise.

But in Big East play, breakdowns across all three phases of the game have hurt them. So have untimely penalties and an inability to hold onto second-half leads. USF has started off fast, but finished slowly. So now it is a matter of trying to put everything together to get a badly needed win.

"It's tough. We're trying hard and playing hard, but we're not getting the results we want," USF safety Jerrell Young said in a phone interview. "When you look at it, we could be 7-1 right now, but we're 4-4. We're just not getting the ball to bounce our way. Some weeks the offense doesn't show up, some weeks the defense doesn't show up. We haven't been able to put it all together yet. That's the thing that hurts the most. We're not doing the little things right."

USF has held second-half leads in its past three Big East contests. Particularly galling was what happened last week against Rutgers. The Bulls allowed the Scarlet Knights to rally with seven minutes remaining after holding a 17-3 lead. Rutgers scored on a kickoff return for a touchdown, and Maikon Bonani missed a short field goal that would have won it for the Bulls at the end of regulation. USF played inspired on defense, holding Rutgers to minus-7 yards.

The current four-game skid led center Chaz Hine to call a players-only meeting earlier this week, in which he told his teammates it was time to put an entire game together. USF needs to win two of its final four to become bowl eligible, but already it has guaranteed itself a losing conference record for the fourth straight season.

"We're trying to figure out how we're at this point," Young said. "We're talented, but that doesn't mean we're going to win games. Nobody is putting their head down, though. We can't just say this season's over. We still have four games to play. That's a lot of football. One thing I always say: It's November. How do you want to be remembered?"

Syracuse has had its own issues in its two-game losing streak. The offense has been inconsistent, particularly because the ground game has come to a halt. Quarterback Ryan Nassib has not been as accurate with his passes, either, and teams are teeing off on him. Nassib has been sacked seven times in the past two games, compared with 12 in the first seven.

Though both teams have struggled of late, coach Doug Marrone says he does not think either team is desperate.

"We're going to work, putting our heads down and we're going," Marrone said. "The kids are doing a good job of working and practicing. We can't have one loss leading to another. We've already had two straight."

At least Syracuse is playing at home, where it is 3-1 this season. Plus it is on a weeknight. Syracuse is 2-0 in weeknight games this season, including its impressive romp over West Virginia.

"I think the spotlight is cool and all but we've got to go out and play the game no matter if the game is on Oxygen," running back Antwon Bailey said. "But Friday night definitely brings a different electricity to the team and the Dome. The Dome is usually packed and loud, and I think we tend to feed off that at times."

The chance to be a driving force in the Big East race was right there for Syracuse.

The Orange had big-time momentum after an upset win over West Virginia. They had confidence. They finally were healthy. With just one conference loss, they were bunched among several teams with an opportunity to climb ahead.

But rather than building on that win, Syracuse took a step back in a 27-10 loss at Louisville.

Ryan Nassib went from one of his best games of the season to one of his worst. The team had trouble picking up varied blitzes. The run game slowed down. Defensively, the Orange were unable to generate much of a pass rush up front. Penalties were an absolute killer, with an uncharacteristic 12 thrown on the day.

Instead of being in the top part of the conference race, the Orange will need major help to win a championship. So as Syracuse (5-3, 1-2) prepares to play at UConn (3-5, 1-2) on Saturday, one of the big questions has been this: How does this team work on being more consistent?

"It’s very difficult to answer these types of questions because it starts to sound like you’re making excuses," coach Doug Marrone said at his weekly news conference. "But there is no doubt that we want to be a consistent football team. And we’re working. It’s a work in progress, and it’s never going to get there as fast as I want it to, or the players, or the coaches, or the media, or the fans want it to. But as long as we keep working and we keep our heads down and keep going, we’ll fight through that."

What is important to remember is that Marrone is in Year 3 of a major rebuilding project, after taking on one of the worst teams in the nation. What he has done in such a short period of time is remarkable.

Consider that Syracuse is one win away from becoming bowl eligible for the second straight year. The last time the Orange reached bowl games in consecutive years was 1998 (Orange Bowl against Florida) and 1999 (Music City Bowl against Kentucky).

But getting to bowl games ratchets up expectations. The natural next step is for Syracuse to begin competing for conference championships. Playing consistently is a huge factor.

Players understand this. Nassib in particular. There is no denying all the strides he has made this season -- Nassib is completing a career-high 65 percent of his passes and on pace to shatter multiple school passing records.

But he went from throwing for 229 yards and four touchdown passes against West Virginia to throwing for a season-low 162 yards and a score against Louisville, missing plenty of open receivers.

That inconsistency has lived with him this season. Nassib has three games where he has thrown three touchdowns or more; he also has had a three-interception game in a loss to Rutgers this season.

"There are a lot of areas to improve on," Nassib said in a phone interview earlier this week. "I am not quite where I want to be yet, and like the rest of the team, something I want to improve on is consistency game in and game out. To go from one game playing well to the next game laying an egg -- that's something I need to start improving on."

Nassib said he needs to do a better job of making quicker reads, trusting his first option, trusting himself and playing fast. That is a direct reflection of what happened last week, when he was sacked four times and taken out of his game because of all the pressure. Nassib said the Cardinals sent looks that were difficult to pick up, and everybody has to do a better job of responding.

"After a tough loss, you can’t wait to get back out there," Nassib said. "That’s what everybody on the offense is feeling right now."

Here are the top storylines to watch in the Big East in Week 10.

1. Separation. The top four teams in the league play each other, as Cincinnati travels to Pitt and Louisville plays at West Virginia. The Bearcats are 2-0 in the Big East; the other three each have one loss. If Cincinnati and West Virginia win, they would set up a huge conference showdown next week with Big East championship hopes on the line. Cincinnati, West Virginia and Pitt control their own destiny. If one of those teams wins out, it wins the conference.

2. Fast start? Cincinnati has won five consecutive games, but the Bearcats have scored just 23 first-half points in their past three. That is a trend coach Butch Jones wants reversed. While it says plenty about the ability of this team to be able to bounce back after falling behind in its past two games, there also is a sense that it has to start putting together complete games with the toughest part of their schedule ahead.

3. Life without Ray Graham. Pitt embarks on life without its best player Saturday. How will Wisconsin transfer Zach Brown do in his place? Will Tino Sunseri be able to shoulder increasing responsibility without the best player on offense? The Panthers did just fine without him last week against UConn, but they are playing a much better team Saturday. The Bearcats have the No. 1 run defense in the league, and no doubt will try to make Sunseri beat them.

4. Which West Virginia D shows up? The one that played against Syracuse and the first half against Rutgers? Or the one that dominated in the second half of a comeback victory against the Scarlet Knights? Even defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel has been puzzled by the inconsistent personality of his unit. One player to watch has got to be Louisville tight end Josh Chichester. The Mountaineers could not cover the tight ends in a loss to Syracuse a few weeks ago; Chichester presents major matchup problems.

5. Hostile environment? The West Virginia game provides a crucial challenge for Louisville, winners of two straight. Not only are the Mountaineers one of the best teams they have faced, but the environment may also be extra hostile because of the way both schools fought to get into the Big 12. Louisville reportedly threw a last-minute wrench into the plan for West Virginia to join the new conference, delaying the move a few days. The Cardinals remain in the Big East.

6. Coach P reunion. UConn coach Paul Pasqualoni might be downplaying it, but the fact remains that his first game against his old team is one of the biggest stories going into this game. Pasqualoni took Syracuse to BCS games and a string of success before a downward spiral ended up dooming him. There is one other important connection in this game -- UConn offensive coordinator George DeLeone has served as a mentor to current Syracuse coach Doug Marrone, and the two remain close.

7. Bounce-back Syracuse? The Orange have been a hard team to figure out because they have been so inconsistent. It is hard to think about BCS games when they missed a chance to build momentum off an important win over West Virginia. The offense really struggled in the face of the Louisville pressure last week, while the defense came out flat and allowed Louisville to score 14 first-quarter points. It was the first time all season Louisville scored that many points in the first quarter against an FBS opponent. How do the Orange respond against a team they should beat? Hint: Throw the ball. A lot.

8. UConn desperation? The Huskies (3-5) are on the verge of being in a BCS game one season and on the couch the next, a similar fate to that which befell Cincinnati in 2010. There is a variety of reasons why this season has not gone well for UConn, and now fans are wondering why Pasqualoni insists on sticking with Johnny McEntee as his starter. McEntee has shown little since being named to the job, but Pasqualoni could not keep going rotating three quarterbacks. He did say this week that freshman Michael Nebrich would not redshirt, so he could get more playing time down the stretch.

9. Gary Nova improvement. You wonder how much longer Rutgers coach Greg Schiano will stick with true freshman Nova, who has had a hand in nine turnovers over the past three games. Schiano still believes Nova gives his team the best chance to win, but also admitted the mistakes have got to stop. Will they against a USF defense that has been shaky at times? If Nova throws more interceptions, how would Schiano handle it during the game?

10. USF oh-fer? It is possible that a team most pegged as being in the top tier of the conference could begin conference play 0-4. USF needs the ship righted, and fast, to stop its three-game slide. The Bulls are coming off a bye, but is that a good thing? The last time they played after a bye, they lost 16-10 to UConn in a game riddled with missed opportunities inside UConn territory, turnovers and penalties. The Bulls are not playing disciplined right now (23 penalties in three losses) and that has to change.

For Louisville, it was an inspired win. For Syracuse, it was a blown chance at building momentum.

The Cardinals (4-4, 2-1) absolutely dominated from start to finish in a 27-10 win Saturday, playing on behalf of injured teammate Anthony Conner. They put major pressure on Ryan Nassib, sacking him four times and flustering him for most of the game. They got another good performance from the offensive line and the run game. For the first time all season, they had over 100 yards rushing in back-to-back games. They got another solid performance from true freshman quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who was 17-of-24 for 198 yards and two touchdowns. And they hit a season-high for points.

All week, players said they would play for Conner, who broke his neck last week against Rutgers. When Conner showed up in the locker room before the game wearing a neck brace, the players went wild. And don't look now, but Louisville is right there in the middle of the conference race with wins over Rutgers and Syracuse -- two winning teams in the Big East.

Louisville has now won back-to-back conference games for the first time under coach Charlie Strong. Meanwhile, Syracuse (5-3, 1-2) went from putting up 49 points last week in a stunning upset over West Virginia to scoring just a field goal until 1:31 remained in the game. Antwon Bailey had his streak of consecutive 100-yard rushing games end at four, and Nassib missed way too many wide open receivers. Perhaps the pressure rattled him and got him out of rhythm because he was not the same quarterback today as he was last week, when he got no pressure at all from West Virginia.

Syracuse also had a season-high 12 penalties for 99 yards -- including a whopping five personal fouls. Inexcusable to be sure. But this was a major letdown for a team that beat then-No. 15 West Virginia 49-23 last week.

Syracuse coach Doug Marrone is now 0-3 against Louisville. When asked earlier this week what the Cardinals did that made them effective against his team, he said, "Pressure, man-to-man, running the football, pounding it. It's not a secret," Marrone said. "Those guys have done a good job of that and they've been able to beat us."

Louisville followed the same blueprint to win again Saturday.

Here are five storylines to watch in the Big East on Saturday.

1. Moving on. Putting a big win behind you is just as important as putting a tough loss behind you. All four teams playing Saturday are going to have to move on, so to speak. For Syracuse, that means managing the success of a 49-23 win over West Virginia and breaking a two-game losing streak to Louisville. For the Cardinals, that means trying to win back-to-back games in league play for the first time under Charlie Strong. For Rutgers and West Virginia, that means trying to stay alive in what is a wide-open league race right now. How each team responds from last week will be a huge key to watch.

2. Can Louisville make it three straight? Syracuse coach Doug Marrone has not beaten the Cardinals in his previous two games against them. What have they done right? "Pressure, man-to-man, running the football, pounding it. It's not a secret," Marrone said. "Those guys have done a good job of that and they've been able to beat us. We've been inconsistent in handling those things, so those are the challenges that we're faced with. I don't think it's a matter of giving away a game plan or not, so that's exactly what it is. Defensively, it's almost the same type of approach as Rutgers." If that is the case, Syracuse better hope it took some valuable lessons from its double-overtime loss to the Scarlet Knights earlier this year.

3. Let's get physical. One of the big reasons West Virginia lost to Syracuse is because the Mountaineers got pushed around on the offensive and defensive lines. That cannot happen again. Rutgers is not as good as Syracuse on the offensive line and with its run game, so there could be opportunities to pressure true freshman quarterback Gary Nova. But the West Virginia offensive line is going to have to find a way to push back against a pressure-loving Rutgers defense that is much more aggressive with Greg Schiano calling the plays. The Mountaineers cannot afford to have Geno Smith constantly hitting the turf.

4. Will Rutgers try to follow Syracuse's plan? One of the big parts of the Orange game plan against West Virginia was to get the tight end involved. Rutgers has been fighting some major inconsistency from D.C. Jefferson, but he has all the talent and potential to start being a force in the pass game. What Syracuse did last week could spur Rutgers to try to get him and Paul Carrezola going. The two have 13 catches between them this season.

5. Can Antwon Bailey make it five straight 100-yard games? The Orange run game has really picked things up of late, and that means Syracuse has picked things up. This team is best when the run is able to set up the pass. But it now faces a Louisville defense that has allowed just one 100-yard rusher all season -- from FCS Murray State. Louisville ranks No. 14 in the nation in run defense and is quite capable of shutting down the Orange.

After what happened last weekend, the race for offensive and defensive player of the year and coach of the year is really wide open in the Big East. Here are some of my early candidates.

Offensive Player of the Year

1. Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia. Smith had a rough outing against Syracuse on Saturday. Although he did throw for more than 300 yards, he had two critical interceptions and was constantly under siege. He still ranks in the top 10 in the nation in passing, but the mark of a true champion is how you respond to adversity. So let's see how Smith responds.

2. Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers. Sanu had his fourth double-digit reception game last week in a loss to Louisville. He ranks No. 4 in the nation in receptions per game (9.29) and already has 65 catches for 683 yards and six touchdowns.

3. Ryan Nassib, QB, Syracuse. How about a little love for Nassib, who is having his best season yet? Nassib threw four touchdown passes and no interceptions last week against West Virginia. Aside from his poor performance against Rutgers (three interceptions), he has been solid all season. His 15 touchdown passes rank second in the league.

4. Isaiah Pead, RB, Cincinnati. He and Zach Collaros have been good for the Bearcats, though Pead probably has been more consistent. His 6.2-yard average ranks No. 1 in the Big East and he has scored eight rushing touchdowns.

Defensive Player of the Year

1. Khaseem Greene, LB, Rutgers. Greene leads the league in tackles with 66 and has been a big reason why the Scarlet Knights are much improved on defense.

2. JK Schaffer, LB, Cincinnati. Schaffer has 54 tackles on the season, along with three interceptions and seven passes defended.

3. Kendall Reyes, DT, UConn. Reyes leads the league with 11 tackles for loss, including four sacks, as the Huskies have been strong up front this season.

4. Phillip Thomas, S, Syracuse. You could make a case for Thomas, who has been the stabilizing force on an up-and-down defense this season. He has 53 tackles, four interceptions and seven passes defended.

Coach of the Year

1. Butch Jones, Cincinnati. Going from 4-8 to 6-1 atop the Big East is worthy of consideration.

2. Greg Schiano, Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights also are in the midst of a turnaround season.

3. Doug Marrone, Syracuse. If the Orange can build off their win over West Virginia, watch out.