College Football 2006: The Big East

Last season, West Virginia was the surprise team of college football. The Mountaineers, led by two freshman, went 11-1 on the season, culminating in a 38-35 victory over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl.

Fast forward to 2006 and WVU under the direction of head coach Rich Rodriguez is the favorite to capture back-to-back Big East championships and many consider the Mountaineers a legitimate national championship contender.

With sophomore quarterback Pat White and sophomore tailback Steve Slaton back leading the way, West Virginia is definitely a top contender for the national championship. The offense is loaded and Rodriguez's 3-3-5 stack defense was rated 19th against the run last season.

Another key factor in having a championship team is a favorable schedule. And no one has a schedule more in tune for a title run than the Mountaineers. Key contests with Marshall, Maryland and Rutgers are at home. The only possible stumbling blocks to an undefeated season is a contest with Louisville on the road November 2 and one with Pittsburgh on November 16.

The Big East should come down to that battle between the Mountaineers and the Cardinals. Here's a look at the Big East for 2006.

Big East Standings:

1. West Virginia - White (828 yards passing, 900 yards rushing) and Slaton (1,128 yards, seven touchdowns) lead a Mountaineer squad that's a legitimate national championship contender. All-American center Dan Mozes and all conference guard Jeremy Sheffey will lead the way for White and Slaton.

2. Louisville - Preseason All-America QB Brian Brohm (2,883 yards, 19 TDs) and running back Michael Bush (1,143 yards, 23 touchdowns) return to lead a squad that is a solid top ten team and the best head coach Bobby Petrino has put on the field to date. Middle linebacker Nate Harris is the leader on the defense.

3. Pittsburgh - Senior signal caller Tyler Palko (2,392 yards, 17 TDs), along with sophomore tailback LaRod Stephens look to lead Pittsburgh back to a bowl game in head coach Dave Wannstedt's second season. Linebackers H.B. Blades (121 tackles) and Clint Session lead a defense that returns seven starters.

4. Rutgers - Head coach Greg Schiano leads a Scarlet Knight club that had its first winning season since 1992 and went to its first bowl game since 1979. Ray Rice (1,120 yards) and Brian Leonard (740 yards rushing , 55 receptions, 17 total TDs) lead the way on offense, while eight starters return on defense.

5. South Florida - Senior quarterback Pat Julmiste will have to step up after the departure of running back Andre Hall (1,374 yards, 13 scores). Eight starters return on defense to lead the Bulls.

6. Connecticut - The Huskies return 16 starters from a 5-6 squad a year ago and head coach Randy Edsell hopes that either Matt Bonislawski and D.J. Hernandez will emerge as the leader of the team at quarterback. Eight starters return from a defensive unit that lead the Big East in total defense last season.

7. Cincinnati- It's going to take third-year coach Mark Dantonio some more time to rebuild the Bearcats.

8. Syracuse - It's going to be a long, long process for Greg Robinson converting to a West Coast offense. Before that, Robinson will have to improve his specialty -- defense.


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