Rutgers, Louisville favorited to win Big East football championship in 2012

Another season of Big East football is nearly upon us, and the battle for the conference title…Another season of Big East football is nearly upon us, and the battle for the conference title is as open as it ever has been.

The defending champions, the West Virginia Mountaineers, bolted for the Big 12 this summer, meaning a new team will raise the Big East Championship trophy this year.

With all eight teams entering the 2012 campaign with legitimate hopes of beaming a contender for the conference’s automatic berth to a Bowl Championship Series game, here’s how I think the standings will shake out when another hectic season in the Big East comes to an end.

1. Rutgers

The Scarlet Knights enter 2012 with the reigning Big East co-Defensive Player of the Year, Khaseem Greene, anchoring a defense returning eight starters from a 2011 campaign that saw Rutgers finish with the conference’s best defense. Five-star recruit Darius Hamilton will also bolster first-year head coach Kyle Flood’s defensive unit.

On offense, Rutgers returns seven starters with Jawan Jamison, Jeremy Deering and Savon Huggins anchoring a solid rushing attack for the Scarlet Knights, who finished last season with a surprising 9-4 record.

Even with a rookie head coach in Flood, who succeeds the NFL-bound Greg Schiano, and a quarterback battle between Gary Nova and Chas Dodd, Rutgers still has a great opportunity to win the conference this season. In the mediocre Big East, even major flaws like the lack of a set quarterback and a new coach shouldn’t rule out a trip to a BCS game.

2. Louisville

The Cardinals return 17 total starters (eight on offense, nine on defense) in 2012 — the most of any team in the conference — and star sophomore quarterback Teddy Bridgewater will look to build on an impressive freshman season after he won the Big East Newcomer of the Year Award in 2011.

The second-best defense in the conference last season belonged to Coach Charlie Strong’s group, and Louisville’s defense was ranked 10th in the nation against the run. In a conference full of strong rushing attacks, the Cardinals will need a similarly stingy rush defense this season to compete for the Big East title.

Despite being chosen as the preseason conference favorite by the media, the Cardinals may struggle to win the Big East in 2012 because the schedule does them no favors. Louisville must travel to Pitt in mid-October before finishing the regular season at Rutgers.

3. Pittsburgh

The Pitt Panthers enter this season to very little hype.

Following Todd Graham’s one-and-done season, new head coach Paul Chryst has brought a mellow approach that’s kept the Panthers out of the summer headlines.

Pitt only returns 12 starters from last year’s 6-6 team, but the Panthers still have plenty of talent. Defensive tackle Aaron Donald will anchor the defensive line and, if healthy, star running back Ray Graham, who led the nation in rushing before his season-ending injury in Week 8 last season, will be the top returning player in the conference.

With Graham, sophomore Isaac Bennett and freshman Rushel Shell composing one of the most talented groups of running backs in the country, Chryst’s offense will focus on the run and try to take some heat off senior quarterback Tino Sunseri.

But the Panthers’ downfall in 2012 may be a lack of depth, and barring a season with very few injuries, the team will struggle to keep up with the Big East’s top two teams.

4. Cincinnati

The Bearcats turn to Munchie Legaux, an athletic quarterback who saw play due to injuries last season, to lead an offense that only returns four starters. With last year’s star running back Isaiah Pead now in the NFL, the Cincinnati offense loses a lot of its firepower.

However, Legaux showed flashes of brilliance during his limited playing time last season, and he could develop into a great dual-threat quarterback this season.

But if Cincinnati hopes to compete for a championship, the defense will need to carry the team. Seniors Drew Frey and Maalik Bomar, who had 73 and 60 tackles, respectively, in 2011, should be the primary stoppers for the defense.

5. South Florida

Despite low expectations, the Bulls will have an early chance to shoot up on everyone’s list when they meet Rutgers on Sept. 13.

Talented quarterback B.J. Daniels returns to lead the Bulls after he averaged 236.7 yards passing per game in 2011 — a number that was good enough to rank him second best in the Big East last season.

South Florida got out to a hot start in 2011 at 4-0, but Coach Skip Holtz’s team faltered down the stretch, finishing with a record of 5-7. With an aggressive linebacker corps of DeDe Lattimore, Sam Barrington and Michael Lanaris keying the defense, the Bulls will hope to start and finish strong in 2012.

6. Syracuse

In its final year in the Big East before moving to the ACC along with Pitt in 2013, the Orange will look to return to the top of the conference.

Unlike many Big East teams, Syracuse can boast a solid and experienced offensive line, but this season, Coach Doug Marrone loses his 1,000 yard rusher from last season, Antwon Bailey. Returning quarterback Ryan Nassib and his top two targets, seniors Alec Lemon and Marcus Sales, provide some stability, but with Syracuse’s youthful defense, expect teams to put up big points against the Orange.

While the offense is decent, it won’t be enough to keep up with its below-average defense, and Syracuse may miss a bowl game for the second consecutive season.

7. Temple

Led by second-year head coach Steve Addazio, the Owls rejoin the Big East after being kicked out of the conference in 2004. And with only nine returning starters — the lowest of any Big East team — don’t expect much out of Temple this season.

Although the roster is comprised of mostly mid-major talent, the Owls’ running back combination of Matt Brown and Boston College-transfer Montel Harris will be the team’s strength. This team will frequently run the ball to try and scrap out a few conference victories. And if Temple can keep Addazio around and lure some New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania recruits to Philadelphia, the Owls could develop into a competitive Big East team in the near future.

8. Connecticut

Just two years removed from winning the conference, the Huskies will likely finish as the last-placed team in the Big East this season.

The defense returns every linebacker and secondary starter, but opposing rushing attacks will beat up the defensive line before the back seven can make an impact. On offense, Lyle McCombs will give second-year Coach Paul Pasqualoni a legitimate starting running back, while Chandler Whitmer, a junior college transfer, has been named the team’s starting quarterback heading into fall camp. He can only improve upon Conneticut’s passing offense that finished last in the conference in 2011.

An unfavorable schedule highlighted by facing Rutgers and Louisville on the road adds to the Huskies’ problems, so this season will focus on building the program’s future around the talented sophomore offensive duo of McCombs and Whitmer.