Cincinnati Bearcats The ironic thing about the three teams that are in the projected top 3 in the Big East is that each team lost their starting quarterback from a year ago. So, to me, it makes more sense to trust Zach Collaros to lead the Bearcats this year. Collaros led Cincinnati while Tony Pike was injured. His running ability makes him and current running back Isaiah Pead a problem for defenses. Returning receiver Armon Binns is looking to prove his talents after a successful year last year, hiding under the shadow of star receiver Mardy Gilyard who was selected in the NFL draft. Cincinnati was one of the most successful teams in the league last year and Collaros will continue that trend. New head coach Butch Jones will try to lead this team to first place in the Big East. Prediction: 1st Big East Pittsburgh Panthers Although Pittsburgh brings back Dion Lewis along with many of their starters from last year, quarterback Tino Sunseri remains uncertain. Pitt's potential is great this year and their defense can lead them to first place. Dion Lewis is ideal for another great season, but if they become dependent on him, Cincinnati will be a better team. The December 4 game against the Bearcats is shaping up to be a big game as it will be reminiscent of last year's game which also took place in freezing cold. Unless Sunseri can consistently play well, Cincinnati will edge out the Panthers for the first time. Prediction: 2nd Big EastWest Virginia Mountaineers While the Mountaineers return several players on both sides of the ball, they lost quarterback Jarrett Brown and receiver Alric Arnett during the offseason. Quarterback Geno Smith will like...... middle of paper ...... continue his positive efforts in run defense, as they were one of the best teams in the country last year in terms of run defense. They haven't named their starting quarterback for this year, and Doug Marrone doesn't have the experience to lead this team to a positive season this year. Prediction: 7th Big EastLouisville Cardinals While the Cardinals bring back their starting quarterback Adam Froman and their two primaries Powell and Anderson, they won't improve much from last year under new head coach Charlie Strong . Adam Froman didn't have a great year last year and there won't be much room for improvement. The Cardinals defense wasn't terrible last year, but it wasn't great either. Losing 5 of their starters won't help much. The Cardinals are rebuilding right now, so don't expect to see a big year from them. Prediction: 8th Big East