West Virginia
Coach: Rich Rodriguez (4th year, 20-17)

2003 result: 8-5 (6-1 Big East)

Key players: WR Chris Henry; OG Dan Mozes; CB Adam "Pac-Man" Jones; QB Rasheed Marshall

Hype game: Sept. 18 vs. Maryland; Nov. 25 at Pitt

The skinny: Expectations are sky high in Morgantown and rightfully so. The Mountaineers have the talent and experience (17 returning starters) to dominate the rest of the conference as they have the past two seasons. West Virginia is 10-0 in the past two years against teams currently in the Big East. Combine that with a very manageable non-conference schedule (Maryland is the only preseason Top 25 team the Mountaineers face), and there is reason to believe West Virginia can run the table. But, as Pitt found out last year, that's why they play the games. The Mountaineers have some holes to fill. The biggest is at running back, where Kay-Jay Harris will try to fill the considerable shoes of graduated Quincy Wilson. Defensive backs Lance Frazier and Brian King also have departed, so there is some rebuilding to do in the secondary, as well.

Boston College
Coach: Tom O'Brien (7th year, 48-36)

2003 result: 8-5 (3-4 Big East)

Key players: WR Grant Adams; CB Will Blackmon; DE Mathias Kiwanuka; DE Phillip Mettling

Hype game: Sept. 17 vs. Connecticut; Oct. 23 at Notre Dame.

The skinny: The Eagles must find a running back to replace their all-time leading rusher Derrick Knight, who graduated, but they should be one of the better defensive teams in the conference. The offensive line has more questions than answers, but given coach Tom O'Brien's history there is no reason to believe it won't be strong again. Defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka could be the best pure pass rusher in the conference, if not the NCAA. And with a veteran secondary locking down receivers, this could be one of the better pass defenses in Division I-A. On offense, quarterback Paul Peterson finished last year strong and the Eagles have excellent receivers, including senior Grant Adams. If one of three freshmen tailbacks develop, the Eagles could easily win the Big East this season, their final in the league.

Pitt
Coach: Walt Harris (8th year, 44-40)

2003 result: 8-5 (5-2 Big East)

Key players: QB Tyler Palko; LB Clint Session; LT Rob Petitti; RB Tim Murphy

Hype game: Sept. 18 vs. Nebraska; Nov. 25 vs. West Virginia

The skinny: The pressure is on Walt Harris to win, but this year's team lacks experience, especially on offense. If the Panthers are successful this season, they will do it with defense. Eight new starters will line up on offense, including at quarterback and three positions along the line. Redshirt sophomore Tyler Palko is finally ready and will lead the Panthers' attack, but his receiving corps is loaded with freshmen. The leading healthy receiver with experience is Joe Stephens, who caught one pass last season. The defense is deep and talented and appears to have a lot more speed than last year's group. Talented freshman Darrelle Revis leads a group of athletic corners. If the offense develops early, Pitt could find its stride in time for the conference season. If not, this could be a very long season in the Steel City as well as the end of the line for Harris.

Connecticut
Coach: Randy Edsall (6th year, 24-33)

2003 result: 9-3

Key players: QB Dan Orlovsky; OT Ryan Krug; DE Tyler King; LB Alfred Fincher

Hype game: Sept. 17 at Boston College; Sept. 30 vs. Pitt

The skinny: The Huskies are stepping into the big time as they will compete in the Big East for the first time after several years as an independent. But don't think for a minute that Connecticut is a pushover, as the Huskies have 17 returning starters and feature the league's top quarterback in Dan Orlovsky, who threw for 3,485 yards and 33 touchdowns last season. Senior tailback Chris Bellamy averaged 5.4 yards per carry last year and will take some pressure off Orlovsky's shoulders. The defense should be solid, led by three experienced linebackers. The Huskies may not be ready to win the conference, but they will upset some teams and be competitive in other games. Connecticut was 9-3 last year with wins against Indiana and Wake Forest. The Huskies could have beaten North Carolina State, losing on a last-second touchdown.

Rutgers
Coach: Greg Schiano (4th year, 8-27)

2003 result: 5-7 (2-5 Big East)

Key players: QB Ryan Hart; DB Jarvis Johnson; WR Tres Moses; RB Brian Leonard

Hype game: Oct. 16 vs. Temple

The skinny: Don't look now but Schiano is making the Scarlet Knights' program respectable. A former Miami assistant under Butch Davis, Schiano has used his Florida connections to build up the Scarlet Knights' talent base. There are 26 players from the Sunshine state on the roster and most of them are impact players. Last season, the Scarlet Knights finished one win away from bowl eligibility and had three narrow losses. With an experienced quarterback (Ryan Hart) flanked by an experienced backfield and dangerous receivers, the Scarlet Knights will be a potent offense. Add a defense that now has as much speed as any other defense in the conference and it is clear this team should make a lot of noise in the conference. Senior Jarvis Johnson, who is from Miami, is one of the top cornerbacks in the Big East and defensive end Piana Lukabu is on the verge of becoming a big-time pass rusher. A bowl game is certainly not out of the question.

Syracuse
Coach: Paul Pasqualoni (14th year, 101-53-1)

2003 result: 6-6 (2-5 Big East)

Key players: SS Diamond Ferri; LB Kellen Pruitt; RB Walter Reyes; OT Adam Terry

Hype game: Oct. 9 vs. Florida State; Nov. 27 at Boston College.

The skinny: There is no seat hotter in the Big East than the one Paul Pasqualoni sits on. The Orangemen have not been to a bowl game in each of the past two seasons and the faithful are getting restless. Unfortunately for Pasqualoni, this doesn't appear to be a very strong team. There are only 11 returning starters from a team that wasn't good last year. Tailback Walter Reyes returns and is being hyped as a Heisman hopeful but he'll certainly find yards tougher to come by as the Orangemen are breaking in a new quarterback and a slew of new receivers. The defense, led by strong safety Diamond Ferri, has a chance to be better than last year's, but the defense line lacks experience. Complicating matters for the Orangemen and their quest to return to a bowl is a schedule that includes trips to Purdue and Virginia and a home date against Florida State.

Temple
Coach: Bobby Wallace (7th year, 17-51)

2003 result: 1-11 (0-7 Big East)

Key players: QB Walter Washington; LB Rian Wallace; WR Phil Goodman; DT Antwon Burton

Hype game: Oct. 16 at Rutgers

The skinny: The Owls are making their final run through the Big East before they float off into the land of the independents. And while they have far more questions than answers -- as is usually the case with this perennial doormat -- they do boast two players that could be the league's best on offense and defense. Quarterback Walter Washington is a one-man show who can run and pass. He is strong like a fullback, fast like a tailback but can throw like a quarterback. On defense, linebacker Rian Wallace is the top returning tackler in the conference; he recorded 148 stops last year. Some believe Wallace, not Connecticut's Orlovsky, is the conference's top NFL prospect. The Owls non-conference schedule isn't easy, but nothing seems to be for this embattled program. However, given their playmakers on both sides of the ball, Temple could be dangerous if some of their several junior college transfers turn out to be good players. Don't bet on it.