Two A Days: The Big East

1. Louisville—The unquestioned class of the weakened Big East, Louisville is also ready to make steps on the national scale as well. Sophomore quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (2,129 yards, 14 TDs) is a stud prospect and will lead the Cardinals offense through the weak Big East. Bridgewater will be targeting a trio of talented receivers led by fellow sophomore Eli Rogers (451 yards, 41 catches). On defense the Cardinals ranked 10^th nationally against the run, but must replace their leading tackler from a season ago. Leading the current crop of defenders will be defensive tackle Roy Philion who racked up 35 tackles in 2011. Final Prediction: (11-1, 8-0, Fiesta Bowl)

2. Pittsburgh—Pittsburgh quarterback Tino Sunseri was sacked 60 times last season—an FBS high—and was also very mistake prone, throwing 10 interceptions to his 11 touchdowns. This season Sunseri must make better decisions and hope the line has been shored up for the Panthers to make any significant process. Defensive tackle Aaron Donald (11 sacks) leads a revamped defense that returns only five starters and is making the transition to the 4-3. Donald is a force in the middle of the field and will be counted on by new coach Paul Chryst to lead the unit. Final Prediction: (8-4, 5-2, Russel Athletic Bowl)

3. Rutgers—With coach Greg Schiano now leading the Tampa Bay Buccanneers, the Scarlet Knights are in a bit of a flux. The starting QB job was split between two players last season and there is no clear cut starter yet. Jawan Jamison (897 rushing yards) provides some stability for the Knights. The defense, however, is another story. Khaseem Greene was named co-Defensive Player of the Year after recording 141 tackles last season. To complement Greene, the Scarlet Knights have six other starters returning and field the conference’s best secondary. Final Prediction: (9-3, 5-2, Belk Bowl)

4. South Florida—BJ Daniels is entering his fourth and final season as the Bull’s starting QB and hopes to make an impact in his last year. In 2011 Daniels threw for 2,604 yards and 13 touchdowns, in addition to over 600 yards on the ground. Daniels also has the core of his receivers coming back, a luxury he has not had since his first year under center for the Bulls. A strong linebacking corps leads the Bull’s defense, headed by Sam Barrington (72 tackles, 6.5 for a loss). The secondary is also loaded with experience and should help the Bulls in close games, an area in which they struggled in 2011.  Final Prediction: (7-5, 4-3, Compass Bowl)

5. Syracuse—With the worst defense in the Big East last season, the Orange struggled to stay in games, 2012 will be a bit better however, as the inexperience that dragged the defense down last year is replaced by young players who cut their teeth in game action. Senior Shamarko Thomas is the heart of the secondary and will also be relied on to lead the defense as a whole. On offense the Orange senior wideout Alec Lemon, who set a school record in 2011 for reception, will provide key experience for the unit that is also in a rebuilding phase. Final Prediction: (6-6, 3-4, Pinstripe Bowl)

6. Cincinnati-It seems like the Bearcats must replace everyone of note on offense, including their leading rusher, quarterback, and receiver from a year ago. The running back duties will be split by George Winn (40 carries, 219 yards) and two sophomores. The Bearcats are also lacking on defensive depth, with the exception of safety Drew Frey (73 tackles) who is a sixth year senior and leader on the field. If the team can compensate for the noted lack of depth with excellent starters, 2012 could be better than expected. Final Prediction: (6-6, 2-5, Beef O’ Brady’s Bowl)

7. UConn—The Huskies are in a difficult spot in 2012. The offense must replace or should replace nearly every player, with the exception of freshman All-American tailback Lyle McCombs (1,151 rushing yards). The Huskies remedied their issues by bringing in high numbers of transfers, from both junior college and D-1, but will struggle to gain any traction in the Big East. On the other side of the ball, eight starters return, led by corner Blidi Wreh-Wilson (real name there, folks) who missed a significant chunk of 2011 due to injuries. The Huskies still have a ways to go to match their success under Randy Edsall in which they reached the Orange Bowl. Final Prediction: (3-8, 1-6, no bowl)

8. Temple—An outstanding 2011, left the Owls flying high in their last season in the MAC. Unfortunately for them, the Big East is quite a bit stronger than the MAC. In addition to the improved competition, the backbone of their high powered running attack is gone, with the graduation of four of the five starters from a year ago. The leading rusher from a year ago, Bernard Pierce, now plays for the Ravens. Replacing Pierce will be a combination of Matt Brown (961 yards) and Boston College transfer Montel Harris.  The defense is also missing 4 all-conference performers from last season and will struggle to replace the talent. In short, the Owls can be competitive in the Big East, but 2012 is not the time. Final Predicition: (2-9, 1-6, no bowl)

Offensive Player of the Year: Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville

Defensive Player of the Year: Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh