Offensive player of the year: Pat White, WVU
The West Virginia senior is to the spread-option what Evelyn Wood was to literacy.

Defensive player of the year: Scott McKillop, Pitt
The Panthers' Mike linebacker led the nation in tackles (151) last season while anchoring the nation's fifth-best defense. Playing behind one of the nation's top front fours this season (keep an eye on DE Greg Romeus), McKillop may even improve on that total.

Speed may be an issue, however. While interning with the Pittsburgh Pirates in the summer of '07, the Steeltown area native dressed up as Sauerkraut Saul in the Great Pittsburgh Pierogi Race and finished last.

Special teams player of the year: Kevin Huber, Cincinnati
The Bearcat punter led the nation last year with a 46.9-yard average. He also had four punts downed inside the one-yard line.

Pitt stopped … momentarily
Last August Pittsburgh lost its top receiver, Biletnikoff Award semifinalist Derek Kinder, to a torn ACL. Then the Panthers lost starting quarterback Bill Stull to torn thumb ligaments in its season opener. After that even Syracuse realized that the Pittsburgh offense was freshman tailback LeSean McCoy, but no one was able to stop No. 25. McCoy set a Big East frosh rushing record with 1,328 yards and was the nation's leading rusher among freshman at 110.7 yards per game.

This year Kinder and Stull return, as do five other offensive starters besides McCoy for the Panthers. The feeling around the conference is that the Panthers could just finish in the Top 20 for the first time in 20 years.

Remedial English
Lost in the chaos of the Rich Rodriguez-WVU divorce was the fallout in Ann Arbor that allowed Louisville to lasso Michigan defensive coordinator Ron English. One of the nation's top young assistant coaches, English inherits a unit that allowed at least 38 points in half the Cardinals' 12 games in 2007.

All-Aptly Named Team
Rob Long, punter, Syracuse Orange

Taurus Johnson, wide receiver, South Florida Bulls

Mr. Robinson's Neighborhood
Only one offensive line — Notre Dame's — allowed more sacks last year than did that of Syracuse. The Irish surrendered the pocket 58 times last season, while the Orange did so 54. Notre Dame, shared the pain amongst two quarterbacks while Syracuse passer Andrew Robinson absorbed most of the blows for the Orange (Robinson's backup, by the way, is Cameron Dantley, son of NBA — and Irish — legend Adrian Dantley).

The O-line is a woe line in central New York, as the 'Cuse also finished next-to-last in rushing yardage in '07. Only Texas Tech was less proficient on the ground, but at least the Red Raiders had the nation's best passing offense.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Cincinnati
Demetrius Jones could be first QB since BCS inception to start consecutive season-openers at different BCS schools (Notre Dame in '07).

Connecticut
Huskies' first appearance in AP poll last season, at No. 16, was highest such debut in 43 seasons (Florida State, No. 10, 1964)

Louisville
Fifth-year senior and former walk-on Hunter Cantwell has made just four starts at QB, but Mel Kiper projects him as the top QB in the 2009 NFL draft.

Season previews NBCSports.com is ready for the 2008-09 season. Check out our conference previews as part of our expanded coverage. Non-BCS teams, Ind. ACC Big East Big Ten Big 12 Pac-10 SEC

Pittsburgh
Linebacker Scott McKillop led the nation in tackles (151) in '07.

Rutgers
Scarlet Knights pulled out of a 6-year series with Notre Dame that was to begin in 2010 when Irish insisted RU play its "home" games at Giants Stadium.

South Florida
No Ford gets better mileage than USF tailback Mike Ford, who rushed for a Florida prep single-season record 2,836 yards at Sarasota H.S.

Syracuse
The good news: True frosh Max Suter set an NCAA record last year with 1,299 kickoff return yards. The bad: He returned 51 kickoffs.

West Virginia
Mountaineers return entire O-line on a team that finished third in the nation in rushing in '07.

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