This is my second conference preview.  I am doing the most underrated conference in all of college sports.  The Big East gets absolutely no respect.  Never mind the 5-0 bowl record last year and the three Heisman contenders (Brian Brohm, Steve Slaton, Pat White) out of this league.  People ignorantly say that they are only good at the top.  They must be getting them confused with the Big XII.  The Big East does have great teams like West Virginia and Louisville at the top, but they also have Rutgers, Pitt, USF, and Cincinnati in the middle.  They are all good teams who will make a bowl game.

Big East Final Standings
1. West Virginia Mountaineers
2. Louisville Cardinals
3. South Florida Bulls
4. Rutgers Scarlet Knights
5. Pittsburgh Panthers
6. Cincinnati Bearcats
7. Syracuse Orange
8. Connecticut Huskies

All-Big East Team
QB-Pat White, WV
RB-Steve Slaton, WV
RB-Ray Rice, RUT
WR-Harry Douglas, LOU
WR-Derek Kinder, PITT
TE-Tom Ferron, CUSE
OT-George Bussey, LOU
OG-Greg Isdaner, RUT
C-Eric Wood, LOU
OG-Joe Thomas, PITT
OT-Pedro Sosa, RUT

DE-Jameel McClain, CUSE
DT-Terrill Byrd, CIN
DT-Tony Jenkins, CUSE
DE-George Selvie, USF
LB-Malik Jackson, LOU
LB-Ben Moffitt, USF
LB-Corey Smith, CIN
CB-Mike Mickens, CIN
CB-Rod Council, LOU
FS-Quinton Andrews, WV
SS-Eric Wicks, WV

K-Jeremy Ito, RUT
P-Scott Kozlowski, WV
RS-Lowell Robinson, PITT

Awards
MVP-Steve Slaton, WV
Off. POY-Steve Slaton, WV
Def. POY-Ben Moffitt, USF
Freshman POY-Noel Devine, WV

Key In-Conference Game: Louisville @ West Virginia, Nov. 8-This is clearly the best game.  Not only could this decide a BCS Bowl bid, it could decide a National Championship bid and a Heisman race.  With the power backfield of West Virginia featuring Pat White, Steve Slaton, Noel Devine, and Own Schmitt facing the aerial attack of Louisville with Brian Brohm, Harry Douglas, and Mario Urrutia.  This game is on a Thursday night, giving it maximum media attention.

Upset Alert: USF @ Auburn, September 8-While this game was scheduled many years in advance, Auburn never would have guessed how good USF would turn out.  SEC teams normally play extremely weak non-conference games before the brutal in-conference schedule.  The Bulls will turn out pumped and go into Auburn and steal a win from them.  USF has great defensive talent that is unheard of in the offensive Big East.  Auburn will overlook them and end up paying the consequences.

This will be a great conference to watch.  It is very, very small with only 8 teams, but the teams are very talented.  With most of their high-profile games being on Thursday, the whole nation can tune in.  This was a great marketing scheme by the Big East.  Now players like Matt Grothe, Mike Teel, Derrick Stewart will be recognized as the great players they are.  This conference is always disrespected.  It is called a basketball conference and top heavy.  Teams like USF, Pitt, and Cincinnati will have something to say about this when the season rolls around.  USF will be a contender for the Big East in 2008, but this year Louisville and West Virginia are the teams to beat.  Syracuse has great young talent that can make them great in a couple of years.  This conference is turning into a powerful conference while taking advantage of the Big XII and ACC's downfall.