I think some one will dethrone West Virginia this year, due to a reduce offensive threat and a very small defensive unit. Out scoring everybody will no longer work and the defense will have to make stops, and they are under sized. Rod knew this year was coming, so he opted out for Big Bucks at Michigan.

I think USF or Cincinnati will win the Big East this year.

As much as I say Pitt will have a breakout year and could dominate the league for years to come. I have to say it will be WVU or USF. Pitt'll come 2nd or 3rd as the media predicts.

I see the upper half of the conference this year being USF, UC, WVA and Pitt.

I've been waffling between WVU and UC. I'll put USF in the mix when I'm convinced they can handle the cold.

The cold is indeed a Big Issue. Who does USF have to play away in the cold months of October and November?

First, I don't think that WVU will surrender the title this year. But if that is to happen and as much as I hate to say this, I believe the only team that can do it is Pitt. That is if Coach Wanny can get out of his players way. Cincy is solid and could do well and they would be a distant second choice. USF, they just don't have consistancy, they win big games, but then lose games they shouldn't. I don't think their coach can keep that team playing consistantly.

Being the :homer: that I am, Louisville

I will go with a small surprise in Cincinnati followed by USF, WVU and Pitt. It could end up being a 4 team tie for the title.

Cincinnati has a good QB core of Jones and Grutza. But if Ben Mauk is declared eligible I think Cincinnati could have a Top 10 team this year. And if we upset Oklahoma we could be in the running for a national title. But that is thinking WAY ahead.

Wilkie01 Wrote:The cold is indeed a Big Issue. Who does USF have to play away in the cold months of October and November?

WVU for one. They play us on Oct 31. Who knows, if it's reasonably warm that late in Oct, it won't have an effect there.

But, the WVU game is on Dec. 6.

Jose_Jalapeno_on_a_Stick Wrote:I've been waffling between WVU and UC. I'll put USF in the mix when I'm convinced they can handle the cold.

USF beat Pitt last year at Pitt on a 32F day, the week prior to the WVU-Pitt game. Beat them pretty good too.

MountaineerMan Wrote:First, I don't think that WVU will surrender the title this year. But if that is to happen and as much as I hate to say this, I believe the only team that can do it is Pitt. That is if Coach Wanny can get out of his players way. Cincy is solid and could do well and they would be a distant second choice. USF, they just don't have consistancy, they win big games, but then lose games they shouldn't. I don't think their coach can keep that team playing consistantly.

I do agree that WVU is the favorite, but don't agree that Pitt is the one to be able to knock them off. Let's see them go better than 5-7 first. USF and UC are more likely. USF has defeated Pitt handily the last 2 years and gets them at home this year. While i definitely agree with you, USF needs to be more consistent, this is the year it gets done. USF is loaded and brings back the ENTIRE offense from a team that averaged 35 pts a game. last yr. There are no excuses for USF not to get it done this year.

BullsFanInTX Wrote:

Jose_Jalapeno_on_a_Stick Wrote:I've been waffling between WV and CU. I'll put USF in the mix when I'm convinced they can handle the cold.

USF beat Pitt last year at Pitt on a 32F day, the week prior to the WV-Pitt game. Beat them pretty good too.

But 32 and sunny is not cold, during the day as it is night. Also, maybe it will be in the teens or twenty's with 30 mph winds and sleeting. It can even get to zero at WV in December. You just prove our point when you thing 32 is cols, that just another average winter day, dude, not a cold one !

Levitt is a good coach, but the guy sure can act like an idiot on the sidelines during a game. I wonder if his emotions hurt USF's consistency. With that being said, I think USF wins the Big East this year.

Wilkie01 Wrote:

BullsFanInTX Wrote:

Jose_Jalapeno_on_a_Stick Wrote:I've been waffling between WV and CU. I'll put USF in the mix when I'm convinced they can handle the cold.

USF beat Pitt last year at Pitt on a 32F day, the week prior to the WV-Pitt game. Beat them pretty good too.

But 32 and sunny is not cold, during the day as it is night. Also, maybe it will be in the teens or twenty's with 30 mph winds and sleeting. It can even get to zero at WV in December. You just prove our point when you thing 32 is cols, that just another average winter day, dude, not a cold one !

Well to me (and USF) 32F is cold! But I really can't see WVU being down to 0 in early Dec, 20's maybe.

I set though a late November game against Southern Miss in Louisville that was -3. It can happen and Morgantown is way colder than Louisville in December.

Here's the skinny on Morgantown's weather in December. The monthly average for December a high of 47 degrees and a low of 27 degrees. At first glance that does not seem to be very cold. But that is averages.

Here are some statistics on December 6.

Record low is 14 degrees

Record high 70 degrees

Mean temperature is 29 degrees

Average temperature is 38 degrees.

You will say, ole Wilkie is wrong about the cold, but look what the record lows are for the first 15 days of December in Morgantown:

12/1 5 degrees in 1978.
12/2 14 degrees in 1964.
12/3 -1 degrees in 1976.
12/4 6 degrees in 1966.
12/5 13 degrees in 1978.
12/6 14 degrees in 1958.
12/7 7 degrees in 1977.
12/8 7 degrees in 1977.
12/9 9 degrees in 1960.
12/10 -2 degrees in 1958.
12/11 -1 degrees in 1950.
12/12 2 degrees in 1962.
12/13 -2 degrees in 1962
12/14 4 degrees in 1958.
12/15 5 degrees in 1958.

Dude half of the days or colder than median of 29 degrees. You better pray for Global Warming!

So as you can see Morgantown will probably not be warm and can often be like playing in a freezer.

It's a good thing I've finished moving all the stuff out of my old place. Now all I need to do is put it all away in the new digs. But my absence has given you guys an unreal sense of your teams' chances. WVU wins 'em all this year. No longer will the Mountaineers be the winningest Division 1 BCS program without a national championship.

You guys get to fight it out for second. I figure it's between UC and USF. Pitt, Rutgers, and UConn will fight it out for 4th, unless Pitt decides to bail on the battle due to Wanny's coaching.

It won't be long before the fun starts. I can't wait...

That's why we play the games in order to see who can win them.

bitcruncher Wrote:It's a good thing I've finished moving all the stuff out of my old place. Now all I need to do is put it all away in the new digs. But my absence has given you guys an unreal sense of your teams' chances. WVU wins 'em all this year. No longer will the Mountaineers be the winningest Division 1 BCS program without a national championship.

You guys get to fight it out for second. I figure it's between UC and USF. Pitt, Rutgers, and UConn will fight it out for 4th, unless Pitt decides to bail on the battle due to Wanny's coaching.

It won't be long before the fun starts. I can't wait...

Bit, WVU has to find a way to beat USF first. They own you right now.

I'm not sold on Grutza leading UC to a BE title....could happen but just not sold on it. I think WVA is still team to beat with USF right there.