Big East Football Preview '07: Key Position Battles

It's well over a week and a half into training camp. Many expected key position battles have sorted themselves or been quickly resolved (QB for Pitt and UConn and RB at Louisville). There are still plenty of questions remaining.

1. South Florida Running Back

The Bulls need an another offensive weapon to take some of the pressure off of QB Matt Grothe who was also the leading rusher last season. Last year, the team could not find a replacement for Andre Hall. Injuries and suspension put Ben Williams -- a walk-on as the starter last year.

Former Alabama recruit Mike Ford sat out last year, after not qualifying academically at Alabama. He was presumed to win the job. Williams, to his credit, has worked hard and is still the incumbent. Add in Moise Plancher -- who is coming back from an ACL tear in his right knee -- and Ricky Ponton who was suspended half of last season. Suddenly it is a crowded backfield and no RB has shined over the others so far in training camp.

USF is a popular pick to make the leap this season into being a regular feature in the top-25, but if they can't figure out the depth chart for running back quickly it will quickly revert back to the Matt Grothe show on offense. This year, though, there is no surprise and an early game at Auburn could become a painful night for Grothe.

2. Cincinnati Quarterback

This is just a toss-up. You have an inconsistent but experienced QB in Dustin Grutza. A senior transfer with talent, but coming off of an injury and not 100% in Ben Mauk. You have complete inexperience, but potential in Tony Pike and Craig Carey. Oh, and a new head coach with no ties or loyalties to any of them in Brian Kelly. That just keeps everything, um, flexible.

Heck, Kelly admits to not having a real idea about the starter at this point. This should come down to Grutza and Mauk, but new Coach Brian Kelly runs a variation on the spread offense. Pike has surprised, in part, because he has some knowledge of the style from his high school offense.

3. West Virginia Cornerbacks

The Mountaineers had the 109th rated pass defense last season. Think they'd like to improve that? Especially since their inability to cover anyone really hurt them in Louisville and nearly cost them the Gator Bowl against Georgia Tech trying to stop Calvin Johnson. West Virginia couldn't blame it on inexperience at the corners as the starters were upper-classmen. In fact, they return this year for their senior year claiming experience, but bad results.

So three seniors -- Vaughn Rivers, Antonio Lewis (both starters last year) and Larry Williams are trying to keep their spots on the depth chart against Ellis Lankster -- a top ranked JUCO cornerback -- and sophomore Guesly Dervil. If Lankster can't wrest one of the starting jobs, then it could be another long season for the Mountaineer secondary.

4. Pitt Center

This position battle determines just how much depth the team will have on the O-line. The battle was supposed to be between senior Chris Vangas and sophomore John Bachman. Bachman was moved from tackle to center in the spring, but proved in the first week of training camp that he could not handle snapping the ball. Bachman is again playing tackle.

Vangas would be assumed to have the job, but just has not done very well at this point in blocking. If Vangas can't get the job done, it would appear, the still recovering from shoulder surgery, Mike McGlynn would be shifted from right tackle to center. Pitt coaches would be willing to do that because Jason Pinkston has emerged as a capable starter in that spot.

The problem would be that there would be a noticeable and severe drop-off on the depth chart in terms of talent. The offensive line could not absorb any injury to a starter without a severe difference. A shaky O-line with a new QB generally doesn't work out well for the offense.

5. Syracuse Offensive Line

Other than QB the entire offense is a jumbled question mark. That is straight from Offensive Line Coach Chris Wiesehan who has "said the only starting position on the offense determined is quarterback Andrew Robinson." There's a reason every preseason mag has Syracuse tabbed for a 3d straight year at the bottom of the Big East.