[FreakNasty]

[B][SIZE=4]Projected Order of Finish[/SIZE][/B]

[B][SIZE=3]West Virginia
[/SIZE][/B]Last Season: 11-2 (beat Georgia Tech in Gator Bowl)
Head Coach: Rich Rodriguez (7th season)

[B][I]Returning Leaders:
[/B][/I]Passing: Pat White (118-179, 1655 yards, 13 TD, 7 INT)
Rushing: Steve Slaton (248 att, 1863 yards, 16 TD)
Receiving: Darius Reynaud (39 rec, 520 yards, 2 TD)
Tackles: Quinton Andrews (80)
Sacks: Eric Wicks (7)
Interceptions: Quinton Andrews (5)

[B]Schedule/Projected Results
[/B]Sept. 1 Western Michigan (W)
Sept. 8 at Marshall (W)
Sept. 13 at Maryland (W)
Sept. 22 East Carolina (W)
Sept. 28 at USF (L)
Oct. 6 at Syracuse (W)
Oct. 20 Mississippi State (W)
Oct. 27 at Rutgers (W)
Nov. 8 Louisville (W)
Nov. 17 at Cincinnati (W)
Nov. 24 UCONN (W)
Dec. 1 Pittsburgh (W)

[B]Projected Record[/B]: 11-1 overall (6-1 Big East)
4 “swing” games
Notes: Rodriguez has built an offensive juggernaut with his teams averaging over 30 points per game in four of the past five seasons… Slaton and White give WVU the best QB-RB combo in the country, they rushed for nearly 3,000 yards combined last season… They could go undefeated, but their schedule will make their BCS championship argument weak.

[B][SIZE=3]Louisville
[/SIZE][/B]Last Season: 12-1 (beat Wake Forest in Orange Bowl)
Head Coach: Steve Kragthorpe (1st season)

[B][I]Returning Leaders[/B][/I]:
Passing: Brian Brohm (199-313, 3049 yards, 16 TD, 5 INT)
Rushing: George Stripling (81 att, 475 yards, 5 TD)
Receiving: Harry Douglas (70 rec, 1265 yards, 6 TD)
Tackles: Malik Jackson (57)
Sacks: Malik Jackson (9)
Interceptions: Jon Russell (3)

[B]Schedule/Projected Results
[/B]Aug. 30 Murray State (W)
Sept. 6 Middle Tennessee (W)
Sept. 15 at Kentucky (W)
Sept. 22 Syracuse (W)
Sept. 29 at N.C. State (W)
Oct. 5 Utah (W)
Oct. 13 at Cincinnati (W)
Oct. 19 at UCONN (W)
Oct. 27 Pittsburgh (W)
Nov. 8 at West Virginia (L)
Nov. 17 at USF (W)
Nov. 29 Rutgers (W)

[B]Projected Record[/B]: 11-1 overall (6-1 Big East)
4 “swing” games
Notes: While a lot of people have jumped on the Kragthorpe bandwagon, I am in a wait and see approach… Louisville has two dynamic WR’s and a pro QB, making them one of the top offenses in the country… Defense could be a question mark as they lose four of their five tacklers…

[B][SIZE=3]Rutgers
[/SIZE][/B]Last Season: 11-2 (beat Kansas State in Texas Bowl)
Head Coach: Greg Schiano (7th season)

[B][I]Returning Leaders:
[/B][/I]Passing: Mike Teel (164-296, 2135 yards, 12 TD, 13 INT)
Rushing: Ray Rice (335 att, 1831 yards, 20 TD)
Receiving: Kenny Britt (29 rec, 440 yards, 2 TD)
Tackles: Courtney Greene (82)
Sacks: Jamaal Westerman (8)
Interceptions: Courtney Greene (4)

[B]Schedule/Projected Results
[/B]Aug. 30 Buffalo (W)
Sept. 7 Navy (W)
Sept. 15 Norfolk State (W)
Sept. 29 Maryland (L)
Oct. 6 Cincinnati (W)
Oct. 13 at Syracuse (W)
Oct. 18 USF (W)
Oct. 27 West Virginia (L)
Nov. 3 at UCONN (W)
Nov. 9 at Army (W)
Nov. 17 Pittsburgh (W)
Nov. 29 at Louisville (L)

[B]Projected Record[/B]: 9-3 overall (5-2 Big East)
7 “swing” games
Notes: Rutgers stood at 9-0 at one point last season, but lost two of their last three regular season games to miss out on a BCS bowl…. Schiano has built the program and could have left for Miami in the off season, but decided to stay. The only way I see him leaving is for Penn State or a possible head coaching job in the NFL (former assistant).

[B][SIZE=3]USF
[/SIZE][/B]Last Season: 9-4 (beat ECU in papajohns.com bowl)
Head Coach: Jim Leavitt (11th season)

[B][I]Returning Leaders:
[/B][/I]Passing: Matt Grothe (202-317, 2576 yards, 15 TD, 14 INT)
Rushing: Matt Grothe (178 att, 802 yards, 9 TD)
Receiving: Taurus Johnson (37 rec, 494 yards, 2 TD)
Tackles: Ben Moffitt (112)
Sacks: Chris Robinson (7)
Interceptions: Trae Williams (7)

[B]Schedule/Projected Results
[/B]Sept. 1 Elon (W)
Sept. 8 at Auburn (L)
Sept. 22 North Carolina (W)
Sept. 28 West Virginia (W)
Oct. 6 at Florida Atlantic (W)
Oct. 13 UCF (W)
Oct. 18 at Rutgers (L)
Oct. 27 at UCONN (W)
Nov. 3 Cincinnati (W)
Nov. 10 at Syracuse (W)
Nov. 17 Louisville (L)
Nov. 24 at Pitt (W)

[B]Projected Record[/B]: 9-3 overall (5-2 Big East)
7 “swing” games
Notes: Leavitt has built a competitive program from scratch. He was courted by Bama in the off season, but it’s hard to see him ever leaving… Grothe was injured on and off last season, and should be better in his second season… Some are calling USF a darkhorse to win the Big East, and while they do get WVU and Louisville at home, I don think they have enough overall offensive talent to win the league.

[B][SIZE=3]Pittsburgh
[/SIZE][/B]Last Season: 6-6 (no bowl)
Head Coach: Dave Wannstedt

[B][I]Returning Leaders[/B][/I]:
Passing: Bill Stull (6-8, 69 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT)
Rushing: LaRod Stephens-Howling (178 att, 921 yards, 9 TD)
Receiving: Derek Kinder (57 rec, 847 yards, 6 TD)
Tackles: Kennard Cox (51)
Sacks: Clermond/McKillop (5.5)
Interceptions: Cox/Mustakas/Thatcher (1)

[B]Schedule/Projected Results
[/B]Sept. 1 Eastern Michigan (W)
Sept. 8 Grambling State (W)
Sept. 15 at Michigan State (W)
Sept. 22 UCONN (L)
Sept. 29 at Virginia (W)
Oct. 10 Navy (W)
Oct. 20 Cincinnati (W)
Oct. 27 at Louisville (L)
Nov. 3 Syracuse (W)
Nov. 17 at Rutgers (L)
Nov. 24 USF (L)
Dec. 1 at West Virginia (L)

[B]Projected Record[/B]: 7-5 overall (2-5 Big East)
7 “swing” games
Notes: Pitt has been disappointing the last two years, going 5-6 and 6-6. Wannstedt needs a better third year…. Palko was great in his three years as starter, and will be sorely missed. Pat Bostick (who left the program in early August) and Bill Stull will battle for the position…

[B][SIZE=3]Cincinnati
[/SIZE][/B]Last Season: 8-5 (beat Western Michigan in International Bowl)
Head Coach: Brian Kelly (1st season)

[B][I]Returning Leaders:
[/B][/I]Passing: Dustin Grutza (137-225, 1625 yards, 9 TD, 13 INT)
Rushing: Greg Moore (162 att, 727 yards, 4 TD)
Receiving: Derrick Stewart (33 rec, 675 yards, 5 TD)
Tackles: Daruki Nakamura (66)
Sacks: Trevor Anderson (6)
Interceptions: Mike Mickens (3)

[B]Schedule/Projected Results
[/B]Aug. 30 SE Missouri State (W)
Oct. 6 Oregon State (L)
Sept. 15 at Miami (OH) (W)
Sept. 22 Marshall (W)
Sept. 29 at San Diego State (W)
Oct. 6 at Rutgers (L)
Oct. 13 Louisville (L)
Oct. 20 at Pitt (L)
Nov. 3 at USF (L)
Nov. 10 UCONN (W)
Nov. 17 West Virginia (L)
Nov. 24 at Syracuse (W)

[B]Projected Record[/B]: 6-6 overall (2-5 Big East)
8 “swing” games
Notes: The Bearcats fired Rick Minter in 2003 and Mark Dantonio did a good job getting Cincy to bowl games in two of his three years… Brian Kelly likewise did a solid job at Central Michigan, and his teams should play more “fan-friendly” (only averaged 20,000 per home game last season).

[B][SIZE=3]UCONN
[/SIZE][/B]Last Season: 4-8 (no bowl)
Head Coach: Randy Edsall (9th season)

[B][I]Returning Leaders:
[/B][/I]Passing: DJ Hernandez (86-147, 849 yards, 9 TD, 9 INT)
Rushing: Donald Brown (161 att, 950 yards, 7 TD)
Receiving: Brad Kanuch (13 rec, 288 yards, 1 TD)
Tackles: Danny Lansanah (99)
Sacks: Cody Brown (4.5)
Interceptions: Lansanah/Butler (4)

[B]Schedule/Projected Results
[/B]Sept. 1 at Duke (W)
Sept. 8 Maine (W)
Sept. 15 Temple (W)
Sept. 22 at Pitt (W)
Sept. 29 Akron (W)
Oct. 13 at Virginia (L)
Oct. 19 Louisville (L)
Oct. 27 USF (L)
Nov. 3 Rutgers (L)
Nov. 10 at Cincinnati (L)
Nov. 17 Syracuse (W)
Nov. 24 at West Virginia (L)

[B]Projected Record[/B]: 6-6 overall (2-5 Big East)
5 “swing” games
Notes: While Hernandez is listed as the returning leader in passing, he was moved to WR and Tyler Lorenzen (JUCO transfer) should be the starter… UCONN did a decent job on the ground last year with Donald Brown, who finished second team Big East…

[B][SIZE=3]Syracuse
[/SIZE][/B]Last Season: 4-8 (no bowl)
Head Coach: Greg Robinson (3rd season)

[B][I]Returning Leaders[/B][/I]:
Passing: Andrew Robinson (3-8, 20 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT)
Rushing: Delone Carter (156 att, 767 yards, 4 TD)
Receiving: Mike Williams (24 rec, 461 yards, 4 TD)
Tackles: Joe Fields (76)
Sacks: Jameel McClain (9.5)
Interceptions: Joe Fields (4)

[B]Schedule/Projected Results
[/B]Aug. 31 Washington (L)
Sept. 8 at Iowa (L)
Sept. 15 Illinois (L)
Sept. 22 at Louisville (L)
Sept. 29 at Miami (OH) (W)
Oct. 6 West Virginia (L)
Oct. 13 Rutgers (L)
Oct. 20 Buffalo (W)
Nov. 3 at Pitt (L)
Nov.10 USF (L)
Nov. 17 at UCONN (L)
Nov. 24 Cincinnati (L)

[B]Projected Record[/B]: 2-10 overall (0-7 Big East)
4 “swing” games
Notes: Greg Robinson took over for the very successful Paul Pasqualoni in 2005 and it will be a slow process to transform from the option to the west coast…. For Syracuse to regain it’s previous prestige, it must be able to recruit the northeast like it once did….