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The Daily OrangeFB | Plenty of optimism for rising Big East
But Syracuse picked last for second-straight year
By Zach Schonbrun
Posted: 7/18/07, 1:25 AM EST Section: Sports
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The football conference almost everyone seemed to write off just a few years ago was brimming with enthusiasm on Tuesday at the conference's annual media day in Newport, R.I. After one of the greatest seasons in its history, the Big East has every right to feel proud. And with four Heisman Trophy candidates, the best days may even be yet to come.
Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese spoke about last year as a Cinderella season in his opening remarks, but added he is tired of calling his conference a flash in the pan. He wants the legitimacy many thought was taken away from it with the departures of Miami (Fla.), Virginia Tech and Boston College.
After a 5-0 record in bowl games and 11-7 record against BCS Conference opponents, it seems there's nothing illegitimate about Big East football anymore.
"The demise of the Big East football conference was greatly over-exaggerated," WVU head coach Rich Rodriguez said. "But I said at that time, in order for Big East football to get back into national prominence, every institution has to take care of themselves. If they do that, we'll get better as a league. And I think that's what's happened."
West Virginia, Rutgers and Louisville all finished ranked in the top 12 in the nation in 2006, and South Florida is expected to jump into the preseason top 25 this year. What's more, Louisville's Brian Brohm, Rutgers' Ray Rice, and West Virginia's Pat White and Steve Slaton are all listed as legitimate candidates to take home college football's top individual prize - the Heisman Trophy - an award only one other Big East player has ever won (Gino Torretta, Miami 1992).
WVU was picked by the media to win its fourth conference title in five years, ahead of Louisville and Rutgers. Syracuse, for the second-straight year, was picked to finish last.
"Every year is a new year," SU head coach Greg Robinson said. "For me, it's just day to day. I have to just get our team better."
While media may have been able to list the teams in order of expectations, other coaches see no weak spots in a conference that has grown stronger and stronger over the past few seasons.
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