There was a lot of hubbub about Pitt's season football game opener against Utah being a "must win" game for the program. I for one bought into this hysteria. After all, was it not several seasons ago that coming off the heels of a major upset of West Virginia, one in which Pitt was a double digit underdog, the Panthers opened the next season with high expectations, only to flounder to lowly Bowling Green? Ouch. Surely we cannot tolerate another miserable effort to start this year when the expectations are high for Pitt - way high, maybe too high.

Nothing short of winning the Big East championship will placate those expectations this year. Yes, losing your opener is not good. Nonetheless, a loss to Utah is merely a spilt glass of milk in the making of that elusive breakfast called a Big East Championship. We can still feast on those BCS pancakes my Panther friends.

One caveat: I will concede a loss does not help. One spilt glass of milk does not a breakfast ruin, but two of them... Well, they will throw your ass out of the Eat N' Park Midnight Breakfast Buffet For Drunken Louts for doing that (Shamefully, I know this first hand).

Utah may be unranked, but a loss to them is surely no Bowling Green loss. In fact, there is much I came away with from yesterday’s loss to Utah that gave me much hope. Specifically, QB Tino Sunseri seemed to gain his "sea legs" (as the broadcaster put it). Sunseri seemed to take command in the second half as he was given more latitude to drop back and play his game.

Yes, he threw the pick in OT, but darn if he didn't seem to have a certain confidence in the second half. The kid will only get better as the season goes along. For now, we just need to clean up the spilt milk and get the pancake batter ready. This can still be a great breakfast. I'm still hungry. How about you?

Team to Beat:  Pitt

Cincinnati may be the two time defending league champions and WVU arguably has the most talent among its starting 22, but Pitt is the early season favorite to win the Big East title in 2010. The Panthers were the near unanimous choice in the preseason media poll to win the league and with returning star power like RB Dion Lewis, WR Jonathan Baldwin, OT Jason Pinkston and DE Greg Romeus it is hard to argue that Pitt shouldn’t be the early favorites.

Team that will Surprise: Connecticut

The Huskies are everyone’s sexy pick for the surprise team of 2010 and count me in for a trip on the band wagon.  Uconn has the perfect schedule to emerge as the league’s BCS representative with Cincinnati, Pitt and WVU all at home.  However, this is still Uconn and there are still plenty of folks in and out of Big East circles that can’t come to grips with the Huskies as a BCS caliber program.  Don’t be shocked if the Huskies stand alone atop the league standings in early December.

Team that will Disappoint: USF

There are a few candidates for this title but USF appears poised for a season of struggles.  QB B.J. Daniels could emerge as a future superstar but expect a few more bumps in the road for the sophomore QB.  The schedule is brutal with out of conference road trips to Florida and Miami and league visits to Rutgers, WVU and Cincinnati.  6-6 is a distinct possibility for the Bulls.

Last season was a mixed bag for the Hutch.  After a bumpy start to 2009 the Hutch got on a serious mid season roll only to see it all fall apart late in the bowl season.  But Hutch is back for a second season looking to start 2010 in his midseason form from a year ago.  This week Hutch takes peak at a few big out of conference tests for the Big East and the SEC's annual ass kicking of the ACC in Atlanta. 

Pitt at Utah (-2)

Brutal opener for the Panthers.  Not only are the Utes a perennial Top 20 program, but they have remarkably not lost at Rice-Eccles Stadium since 2007.  Utah has an outstanding young QB in Jordan Wynn, a deep stable of running backs, and return multiple starters on the offensive and defensive lines.  Pitt is breaking in three new starters on their interior offensive line, two cornerbacks making their first starts, and a young and inexperienced QB in a hostile environment.  Not exactly a recipe for success.

Utah minus the 2

UConn at Michigan (-3.5)

The third edition of Rich Rod's squad should show some improvement over the first two years, particularly on offense.  The maize and blue have playmakers at the skilled positions, and the offense is always where Rodriquez focuses his attention.  But the defense just plain stinks.  Expect the physical Huskies to dominate the time of possession with their big physical offensive line and RB Jordan Todman.  This is the beginning of the end for Rodriquez in Ann Arbor.

UConn plus the 3 1/2.

Quarterback

1. UConn – I’m sure this pick surprises some people but I picked Uconn simply because they have two proven QBs in a league filled with unproven underclassmen behind center.  I think Rutgers’ Tom Savage may be the best QB by December but I am picking who I think has the best situation at QB to open the year.  Therefore, Uconn gets the nod.  
2. Cincinnati
3. Rutgers
4. USF
5. WVU
6. Pitt
7. Louisville
8. Syracuse

Running Backs

1. WVU – This is a judgment call and I wouldn’t argue with anyone who picks Pitt as having the best RBs in the league.  But I’ll take Noel Devine, Jock Sanders, Ryan Clarke and Tavon Austin over the dual threat of Dion Lewis and Ray Graham. 
2. Pitt
3. Uconn
4. Rutgers
5. Cincinnati
6. Louisville
7. Syracuse
8. USF

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1. Is two-time defending Conference Champ Cincinnati reloading or rebuilding under new Head Coach Butch Jones?

Sam A.  – Rebuilding.  The loss of head coach Brian Kelly is a major blow but so too is the loss of star playmakers like QB Tony Pike and WR Mardy Gilyard.  To further add to new head coach Butch Jones’ problems, the Bearcats will be breaking in five new defensive starters making it 15 lost defensive starters in two years for UC.  Yikes!  That’s too much experience to lose on one side of the ball for nearly any team, especially one with a new QB and Head Coach.

Hutch - Rebuilding, based upon Cincinnati’s recent success.  The Bearcats won’t be winning a 3rd consecutive league championship, but should finish in the top half of the conference.  The offense will be terrific with QB Zach Collaros and a number of skilled players returning, but the defense just plain stinks, and new HC Butch Jones isn’t exactly a defensive guru.  The St. Petersburgh Bowl sounds about right.

Stork - Reloading.  Cincy may have just become that much better with the hiring of Butch Jones.    So yes they can three-peat due to the fact that preseason favorite is Pitt (who we all know will choke it up)!  Sorry Pitt Fans it looks like another disappointing year! Cincy still has the QB and offensive playmakers to win a BSC spot!

2. Can UConn parlay its favorable home league schedule into its first league title and BCS appearance?

Sam A. - Absolutely!  This is without question Randy Edsall’s best team since joining the Big East in 2004.  UConn returns nine starters on offense, including one of the nation’s best kept secrets in RB Jordan Todman.  Scott Lutrus and Lawrence Wilson are back to lead the always physical defense and the Huskies pulled an amazing scheduling draw.  Cincinnati, Pitt and West Virginia will visit Rentschler Field and all three games will be nationally televised prime-time events.  The cards are aligned for a special season to unfold in Connecticut.

Hutch - No.  The Huskies are the darkhorse of the conference, and have a schedule to die for with Pitt, Cincinnati, and WVU all at home.  However, Rentshler Field can’t be confused with a hostile environment, and a conference championship is just too much to ask for.  UConn may win 2 out of 3 against the conference heavyweights, but will lose at least one home game.

Stork - No way!  Sorry there are three much better teams in the Big East that will not let this happen (WVU, Pitt & Cincy).  If UConn somehow does pull out the BCS bid, the NCAA should revoke the BCS bid for the Big East immediately.  This will only fuel the cries of how terrible the Big East is.

3. Will near unanimous pre-season favorite Pitt finally pull it all together or can we expect another late season collapse?

Sam A. – No.  Pitt has loads of talent in place on both sides of the ball including three of the top five players in the league: RB Dion Lewis, WR Jonathan Baldwin and DE Greg Romeus.  But Pitt has a mine field of a schedule to navigate through in 2010.  The Panthers have as difficult a four-game stretch to close the season as any team in recent memory: at Uconn, at USF, home vs. WVU and at Cincinnati.   Couple that late season stretch with non conference road tests at Utah and Notre Dame and a home date with Miami (FL), and Pitt has the league’s toughest schedule.  My gut says the Panthers run out of gas and Pitt’s BCS dreams are dashed before they even reach Nippert Stadium for its season finale. 

Hutch - Yes.  Pitt returns the reigning Big East offensive and defensive players of the year, and is loaded with talent on both sides of the ball with five potential NFL first round draft picks.  Sure, Wanny is the worst game day coach in the business, but Pitt has too much talent for even him to screw it up.  Pitt finishes strong and seals the deal.

Stork - No.  Dwayne Schneider finds a way to f*** it up!  People please!  Do you realize that Davey boy hasn’t won anything on any level as a head coach?  Pitt fans should just get use to 9-3 and 8-4 while he is there.  Is the talent there to compete for a National Championship?  Yes.  But it takes a great coach to win the title and you my friends DO NOT have one!