College Football Odds to Win the 2008 Big East
Jimmy Boyd takes a look at why West Virginia is the favorite with the college football odds to win the Big East football conference. The Big East has quietly become a solid conference from top to bottom. South Florida, Pitt, Cincinnati, Rutgers, Connecticut and Louisville are all bowl teams that have the ability to make a run at the Big East title. However, West Virginia and its speed-filled backfield is my pick to win the Big East with our NCAA football predictions.
Even though Rich Rodriquez has moved onto Michigan, new head coach Bill Stewart will still run the spread offense. This year it looks to be faster than ever. Noel Devine showed sparks of greatness in his freshman season. He averaged 8.6 yards per carry and showed that he could go all the way every time he touches the ball. Against a great Oklahoma defense in the Fiesta Bowl, Devine rushed for over 100 yards on just 13 carries and scored two touchdowns. Devine is also an outstanding pass-catcher out of the backfield. Look for Jeff Mullen to design many plays revolving around Devine, not just running the ball but catching it as well. Devine will also return punts for WVU and there is no doubt that he will help set his team up with great field position.
Alongside Devine remains senior quarterback Pat White. White is coming off a year in which he recorded 28 touchdowns and over 3,000 total yards. In his fourth year at starting quarterback White will have a lot of experience to add to his playmaking ability. Look for White to cut way down on his interceptions this year.
The Mountaineers also look improved at the wide receiver position. Tito Gonzales and Dorrell Jalloh along with junior college transfer Alric Arnett and Ohio State transfer Devon Lyons look to be solid weapons for Pat White. All four wide receivers have great speed and it will be hard to focus on only one.
The final piece to the Mountaineers offense is the line. They return all five starters from a year ago. This group is led by All-American Ryan Stancheck and they look to open huge holes for Devine and White.
West Virginia’s unique 3-3-5 defense will look to cause a lot of turnovers. This defense is loaded with strength and speed. Steward was quoted saying that he loves his linebackers and considers them the strength of the D. The group of backers is led by Reed Williams who is coming off a team-leading 107 tackles in 2007. Also in the group is Mortty Ivy. Ivy is a smart player, as he was a quarterback in high school. He knows the game and can react to almost anything an offense throws at him. The secondary will be led by Quinton Andrews, who could be the best defensive back in the Big East. He will be joined by many talented defensive backs that will cause many turnovers.
West Virginia won’t run through the Big East with ease. However, their team contains many speedsters and playmakers and that will be enough to win the Big East. They have Rutgers, Cincinnati and South Florida at home and they travel to Pitt, Louisville, and Connecticut. Look for the Mountaineers to separate themselves from the rest of the Big East. West Virginia will win the Big East in 2008.
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