https://twitter.com/ahmadblack35/status/1551221939552882690Pages:
158 – 175Big East Preview:
158: Conference Rankings:
1. Miami
2. Virginia Tech
3. Pittsburgh
4. Syracuse
5. Boston College
6. Temple
7. West Virginia
8. Rutgers
159:
All Big East Team:
Recognizable names: QB Ken Dorsey, Miami: TE Jeremy Shockey, Miami; DL Dwight Freeney, Syracuse; DB Edward Reed, Miami; WR Andre Johnson, Miami
Big East Top Ten Projected NFL Talent:
1. Bryant McKinnie OT Miami
2. Ken Dorsey QB Miami
3. Antonio Bryant WR Pittsburgh
4. Edward Reed SS Miami
5. Lee Suggs RB Virginia Tech
6. Dwight Freeney DE Syracuse
7. Clifton Smith LB Syracuse
8. Ramon Walker S Pittsburgh
9. Jeremy Shockey TE Miami
10. Bryan Knight DE Pittsburgh
160 – 165: Individual Team Previews:
1. (#2 Nationally) Miami – “From coach
Larry Coker’s calming influence to a deep collection of talent, this team dares to dream big. As they did during the 1980s and early 1990s, that old championship feeling is as much a part of their preseason program as two-a-day practices – even if they must open at Penn State and also play Florida State and Virginia Tech on the road.”
(The Hurricanes would go on to win the national title, beating Nebraska is the Rose Bowl.)
2. (#14) Virginia Tech – “No Vick, but lots of victories. That’s a likely scenario for Virginia Tech, which saw do-it-all quarterback
Michael Vick forfeit his final two seasons of eligibility, but returns 17 starters – including nine defensively – from an 11-win team that spanked Clemson 41-20 in the Gator Bowl.”
3. (#37) Pittsburgh – “
Walt Harris has the program headed in the right direction, and should have the Panthers making consecutive bowl appearances for the first time since 1975-83, when Pitt was a national power.”
4. (#41) Syracuse – “Syracuse, which along with Michigan, Nebraska, and Florida State is the only 1-A school to post a winning record each of the past 14 seasons…This could be a critical year for Syracuse, which is 13-10 overall the past two seasons and in danger of losing its status as one of the league’s perennial powers.”
(After losing their first two outings to #10 Georgia Tech and #8 Tennessee, the Orangeman would win 10 of their next 11 games, to include a blowout over Kansas State in the Insight Bowl, finishing the season 10-3, ranked #14. Their only loss during that stretch was 59-0 to Miami. 2001 was the last of 7 ranked finishes for coach Paul Pasqualoni – people probably forget how consistently good Syracuse football was through the 1990s.)5. (#51) Boston College – “After gaining 1,164 yards and scoring 15 touchdowns as a sophomore – in a backup role –
William Green was forced to learn a couple of lessons on perspective. First, he had to watch the Eagles’ Aloha Bowl victory over Arizona State on TV from his home in New Jersey after being suspended for violating an unspecified team rule.”
6. (#59) Temple – “In what looks like Temple’s last season in the Big East, the Owls would love to make it a big one. Basically, the Owls were tossed out of the league on their ear in the offseason – effective June 30, 2002 – for not meeting the league’s ‘minimum criteria’ although the school hopes to awaken this season as a success on the field and at the box office, perhaps re-opening some eyes.”
7. (#64) West Virginia – “New West Virginia coach
Rich Rodriguez is a no-nonsense kind of guy, so let’s get right to the point: “Everyone knows I was hired because people want to see this offense,” he said. It’s an offense that allowed him and head coach Tommy Bowden to jump from Tulane to Clemson after the Green Wave’s undefeated season in 1998. An offense that’s so…so not
Don Nehlen. Nehlen was all about old-school power running. And it worked. For 21 seasons before his retirement, West Virginia fans had little to complain about, other than the boring offense and the fact that the boring offense was a big reason why the Mountaineers never got much national respect. Under Rodriguez, these sleeker Mountaineers – good or bad – will be exciting.”
8. (#92) Rutgers – “It didn’t take new head coach
Greg Schiano long to make an immediate impact. Within weeks of his Dec. 1 hiring, the 34-year-old New Jersey native had somehow gotten the state’s top football talent to respond to Rutgers in a way it never had before…And so it went, with Rutgers landing 13 New Jersey prep stars among its 21 recruits – arguably the best class in school history…This might help: Sopranos star and Rutgers grad James Gandolfini appeared in a TV commercial for the Scarlet Knights.”
(Man I miss the old Big East.)Conference USA Preview:
166: Conference Rankings:
1. Louisville
2. East Carolina
3. Southern Miss
4. UAB
5. Tulane
6. TCU
7. Cincinnati
8. Houston
9. Memphis
10. Army
167: Conference USA Top Ten Projected NFL Talent:
1. Dave Ragone QB Louisville
2. David Garrard QB East Carolina
3. Pernell Griffin LB East Carolina
4. Derrick Nix RM Southern Miss
5. Anthony Floyd DB Louisville
6. Chad Williams DB Southern Miss
7. Rod Davis LB Southern Miss
8. Michael Josiah DE Louisville
9. Bryan Thomas DE UAB
10. Mewelde Moore RB Tulane
168 – 175: Individual Team Previews:
1. (#28 Nationally) Louisville
2. (#33) East Carolina – “In David Garrard, a senior quarterback, and Pernell Griffin, a senior linebacker, the Pirates have legitimate contenders for the C-USA offensive and defensive players of the year award.”
3. (#38) Southern Miss
4. (#47) UAB
5. (#61) Tulane
6. (#66) TCU – “The 2001 season is all about starting over for TCU. Starting over without All-American running back LaDainian Tomlinson; starting over in a new league (Conference USA); and starting over with new coach, Gary Patterson, after the departure of Dennis Franchione to Alabama.”
7. (#69) Cincinnati
8. (#81) Houston
9. (#90) Memphis
10. (#103) Army