Big East
Are West Virginia and Louisville national contenders this season? Can Rutgers have another dream season or will the slipper be worn by another school in its conference; (paging Matt Grothe).

West Virginia
2006 Record- 11-2
2006 ATS Record- 5-6-1

Offense: 7 Returning Starters
Pat White and Steve Slaton are the best QB-RB duo in the nation and both are Heisman hopefuls come 2007. White has shown that he can be very accurate throwing the ball when needed and that will help as the Mountaineers break in some new O-linemen. Slaton is one of the best backs in the land and, along with newcomer Noel Devine and FB Owen Schmitt; WVU will have one of the best backfields in the nation.

Defense: 8 Returning Starters
West Virginia is one of the few teams that runs a 3-3-5 defense. In 2006, they were very good against the run, however, gave up the big play through the air way too often. With four starters back in the secondary, look for WVU to have a very good, but not great defense.

Schedule:
The schedule has all the makings of a National Title run. Their biggest tests are at Rutgers, at South Florida and a home date with Louisville. South Florida and Louisville are revenge games, while they won’t overlook Rutgers with their open date the following week.
2007 Predicted Record: 12-0 (7-0)

Louisville
2006 Record- 12-1
2006 ATS Record- 9-4

Offense: 8 Returning Starters
Senior QB Brian Brohm will run an offense that can only be considered lethal. The Cardinals have a great backfield with George Stripling and Kolby Smith and great wide-outs with Mario Urrutia, Harry Douglas. This offense should explode in 2007.

Defense: 6 Returning Starters
The Cardinals defense was pretty solid last year, finishing #2 in the Big East in Scoring Defense. Just more than half of its starters return, but they lose 4 of their top 5 tacklers, including Amobi Okoye and Zach Anderson.

Schedule:
The first 9 games are pretty easy, which should lead to a 9-0 mark when the Cardinals take on West Virginia in Morgantown. Following that game, Louisville plays at South Florida before ending the year verse Rutgers. Tough way to end the season, but still good enough for a BCS berth.
2007 Predicted Record: 11-1 (6-1)

Rutgers
2006 Record- 11-2
2006 ATS Record- 8-3-1

Offense: 7 Returning Starters
After a miraculous 2006 season, the Rutgers offense looks to keep it going in 2007. Heisman candidate Ray Rice will be the workhorse for the Scarlet Knights as he should touch the ball close to 30 times per game. Losing FB Brian Leonard hurts, not just because of his ability, but his leadership on the field and off. Quarterback Mike Teel has to be more consistent as he struggled at times to find a rhythm.

Defense: 6 Returning Starters
This defense was the main reason Rutgers has such a great season. They finished in the top 20 in rush defense in the nation last year and should be strong again. Three starters return in the secondary, which should help improve their pass defense.

Schedule:
This Rutgers team might not be as good as last year’s, but their schedule could lead to a better record. They get South Florida and West Virginia at home and end the year coming off a bye at Louisville. A New Year’s Day bowl is certainly not out of the question.
2007 Predicted Record: 10-2 (5-2)

South Florida
2006 Record- 9-4
2006 ATS Record- 8-4

Offense: 9 Returning Starters
Freshman Matt Grothe surprised the nation last year by being one of the best passers in the land. Well, he, along with 8 other starters, return and expectations are high. The entire offensive line returns, which will allow Grothe to be patient in the pocket.

Defense: 7 Returning Starters
This Bulls defense was very good last year and returns the majority of starters this season. Replacing linebackers Stephen Nicholas and Pat Green is no easy task, but there’s enough depth on this Bulls team to work through it and produce another great defensive year.

Schedule:
A week two showdown at Auburn will show the nation if this USF team is for real. Getting WVU and Louisville at home is a plus, and the rest of the schedule is pretty simple. The Bulls aren’t going to sneak up on anyone this year, so beating the teams they should is a necessity if they want to improve on last year’s 9-4 mark.
2007 Predicted Record: 8-4 (4-3)

Pittsburgh
2006 Record- 6-6
2006 ATS Record- 5-6

Offense: 8 Returning Starters
This offense returns a slew of starters at every position but QB. Losing a leader like QB Tyler Palko was definitely is a huge loss. You cannot replace a Tyler Palko with a new, inexperienced quarterback and expect the same type of results.

Defense: 6 Returning Starters
If Palko made the offense go, H.B. Blades was the face of the defense. He’s one of four leaders on this Pitt defense that are no longer available. Stopping the run is a necessity as opponents ran wild on Pitt’s D last year.

Schedule:
If Pitt wants to go bowling this season, it better get the required 6 wins before November 10. Their last 3 games are at Rutgers, verse USF and at West Virginia. Their non-conference games aren’t a breeze either with games at Michigan St and at Virginia.
2007 Predicted Record: 6-6 (3-4)

Cincinnati
2006 Record- 8-5
2006 ATS Record- 7-4-1

Offense: 8 Returning Starters
With new head coach Brian Kelly taking over; this Bearcats team should be just as good, if not better, than the 2006 squad. QB Dustin Grutza has problems with his accuracy and decision making, but Kelly should be able to “coach” him into a good playmaker. With most key players back from a year ago, look for Cincinnati to make some noise offensively.

Defense: 8 Returning Starters
The defense was stellar in 2006 and should be just as good in 2007. Eight starters return, including key members up front, so this unit should be very good.

Schedule:
If the schedule was easier, the Bearcats could have a 9-10 win season. However, their schedule is just too tough with road games at Rutgers, at Pitt and at South Florida; not to mention WVU, Louisville and Oregon St in a non-conference match-up. A repeat of last season’s success is likely, which means they should, again, go bowling.
2007 Predicted Record: 6-6 (2-5)


Syracuse
2006 Record- 4-8
2006 ATS Record- 8-4

Offense: 7 Returning Starters
It seems that every year is a rebuilding one for the Orange and that looks to be the case again in 2007. QB Perry Paterson is gone, which means an inexperienced hurler will now take over. Their top two WR’s are back as well as both backs, so not all is lost.

Defense: 5 Returning Starters
Only five starters return on a woeful defense. The Cuse allowed almost 200 rushing yards per game last season, and with their top tacklers gone, don’t be surprised if offenses surpass that 200 yard mark this year. Both corners are also gone, meaning quarterbacks will have the option to burn the Orange deep or beat them with the ground game.

Schedule:
The beginning schedule is brutal and it’s realistic to think the Orange will open up 0-7. They end the season with winnable games at UCONN and Cincy at home, so getting to 2 conference wins is a possibility.
2007 Predicted Record: 2-10 (1-6)

UCONN
2006 Record- 4-8
2006 ATS Record- 5-6

Offense: 8 Returning Starters
The offense showed a few signs of life towards the end of the year, and with most of the O-line returning along with RB Donald Brown, this UCONN offense could put some points up this year. But let’s not get carried away. They have no quarterback and very little depth at receiver.

Defense: 6 Returning Starters
This was the main issue for the Huskies in 2006: Defense; or lack there of. This unit gave up way too many points, running yards and passing yards. Overall, this unit just isn’t very good and shouldn’t be in 2007.

Schedule:
The good news is the Huskies could start the season 3-0 with games at Duke, verse Maine and verse Temple. The bad news is they won’t win another game after that. The schedule is just too tough.
2007 Predicted Record: 2-10 (0-7)

 

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