6th... In football no less!

Here's the full rankings:

1. West Virginia: Coach Bill Stewart wants quarterback Pat White to become more of a passer. We already know how well the senior runs.

2. Pitt: Sophomore LeSean McCoy replaces Ray Rice and Steve Slaton as the hardest runner to tackle in the Big East. Can the Panthers find a passing game to take pressure of him?

3. South Florida: The Bulls struggled down the stretch a year ago, showing they weren't quite ready for prime time. If Jim Leavitt can replace a star middle linebacker and two shut-down cornerbacks, the Bulls might be ready for the big stage in 2008.

4. Rutgers: With Ray Rice leaving for the NFL, the Scarlet Knights might look completely different in 2008. Quarterback Mike Teel leads what might be the Big East's best passing attack.

5. Connecticut: Coach Randy Edsall welcomes back 17 starters from a team that shared the Big East title with West Virginia in 2007.

6. Louisville: Coach Steve Kragthorpe hopes a large infusion of JUCO transfers -- and the hiring of former Michigan defensive coordinator Ron English -- can fix his team's porous defense.

7. Cincinnati: The Bearcats don't figure to fall off the map under coach Brian Kelly, but I'd like their chances a lot more if the NCAA had granted a sixth year of eligibility to quarterback Ben Mauk.

8. Syracuse: Too many concerns across the board, especially after star receiver Mike Williams was suspended for academic reasons. Can coach Greg Robinson survive another losing season?

Top 6. Not too shabby. Go Cards.