2011 BCS Predictions: The Big East Conference opens play on Thursday, September 2nd with a powerhouse meeting between the Pittsburgh Panthers and Mountain West contender Utah. The Rutgers Scarlet Knights also kick things off on the same night with a meeting against Division II squad Norfolk State. 2011 BCS Predictions at online sportsbook BetUS.com have the aforementioned Panthers, along with West Virginia and Connecticut, listed at +250 moneyline odds to win the Big East this season.
Pittsburgh Panthers (+250): Pittsburgh finished the regular season last year with a 9-3 record and a 5-2 mark in conference
play. The Panthers brought their season win total to 10, though, with a 19-17 victory over North Carolina in the Car Care Bowl. Dave Wannstedt welcomes back 11 starters and 49 lettermen from 2009's stellar squad, including running back Dion Lewis, who rushed for 1799 yards and 17 touchdowns as a true freshman. The defense, which held teams to 19.8 per game last year, retains its top two tacklers as well as five players that recorded four or more sacks.
West Virginia Mountaineers (+250): The Mountaineers produced their second straight 9-4 season in 2009, bringing third year Head Coach Bill Stewart's career record to 19-8 (coached 2007 squad to a 48-28 victory over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl). West Virginia missed out on a fifth straight bowl win, though, as the Seminoles of Florida State beat the Mountaineers 33-21 in the Gator Bowl. Stewart will oversee largely the same unit this year with 16 starters and 31 lettermen back on campus. The offense, which averaged 26.2 points per game, and the defense, which allowed 21.7 points per game, should both improve, signaling trouble to the other seven teams in the conference.
Connecticut Huskies (+250): The Huskies finished fifth in the Big East last year with a 3-4 conference tally; however, the team went 8-5 overall after getting a 20-7 win against South Carolina in PapaJohns.com Bowl. Sixteen starters and 39 lettermen are back from that solid group, including starting quaterback Zach Frazer, top running back Jordan Todman (1188 yards, 14 touchdowns) and linebacker Lawrence Wilson (140 tackles, five sacks). Expect Randy Edsall's squad to contend for the conference title as they host both Pittsburgh and West Virginia this season.
BetUS.com 2011 BCS Predictions: Odds to Win the Big East Conference
West Virginia Mountaineers +250
Pittsburgh Panthers +250
Connecticut Huskies +250
Cincinnati Bearcats +500
Rutgers Scarlet Knights +500
South Florida Bulls +500
Louisville Cardinals +800
Syracuse Orange +1500
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