That said, here's the FanHouse view of the five best players in the Big East for 2008.
| 1. Pat White, QB, WVU |
 There was no doubt who would be at the top of the list. Pat White is the most important Mountaineer. You could argue his total numbers don't look particularly amazing for a QB. His 3059 total yards and had him 5th among QBs in the Big East. His 28 total TDs was only 3d in the conference. He was, however, the leading rusher in the Big East.That's deceptive as the head of the top offense in the Big East. In the spread, White would read the defenses on the fly. Determining whether to keep it, pass, or hand off. More often than not, White was making the right calls and not making mistakes. No one caused more sleepless nights for defensive coordinators in the Big East. White is something of an underrated passer. His arm isn't the strongest, but he is accurate when he did throw. While only passing for 1724 yards, but he completed over 66% of the passes and only had 4 INTs to 14 TD passes. He was one of the most efficient QBs in the country. |
| 2. George Selvie, DE, USF |
 The most disruptive defensive end in the Big East. There may be (possibly) a better defensive end against the run, but Selvie is the most complete DE in the conference against the run and the pass. And to think he started as a minor recruit playing on the offensive line when he arrived at USF.He led the country in tackles for losses with 31.5 and was second with 14.5 sacks. This despite facing more double-teams as the season wore on and teams realized how dangerous he was. Selvie took home Big East Defensive Player of the Year honors. Selvie has great speed that allows him to penetrate quickly into the backfield. What is most noticeable is how fundamentally sound he is when he goes for a tackle. He wraps up the ball carrier, rather than just try to hit them. |
| 3. LeSean McCoy, RB, Pitt |
 Meet the tailback that Tony Dorsett says reminds him of Tony Dorsett. Freshman LeSean McCoy ran for 1328 yards to be Pitt's first 1000 yard rusher since Kevan Barlow in 2000. This despite running behind one of the worst offensive lines in the Big East. This despite Pitt having a very limited passing attack after the starter went down for the year in the first game, and teams knowing he was going to run the ball. They still couldn't stop him. McCoy capped off the season where he broke most freshman running back records at Pitt by adding 148 yards at West Virginia as Pitt upset the Mountaineers 13-9 in the 100th Backyard Brawl. This year, McCoy comes in as one of the top RBs in the country and a pre-season All-American. He's had a full year of college conditioning, and with the starting QB healthy. |
| 4. Eric Wood, C, Louisville |
| Eric Wood is one of the best centers in the country. He has started in every game for Louisville since his freshman year. He has been durable and the best center in the conference for the past two years. He has a nasty streak along with being an excellent blocker, that helps him get under the skin of opposing defensive linemen. He's exactly the kind of player you love having on your team, but hate when he's lining up against your program. |
| 5. Matt Grothe, QB, USF |
| It's scary to think that now that Matt Grothe is laying off the Chik-Fil-a, that he could be more dangerous in the spread. Grothe may not be Pat White in terms of running, but he has a stronger arm. Grothe had more total yards than any QB returning from last season. He was also the Bulls leading rusher. Grothe is more of the Tim Tebow style of QB in the spread than Pat White. Big and strong, Grothe can shake off pass rushers rather than simply evading them. His downside is that he takes more chances with his throws. He led the Big East with 14 interceptions, which was also the same number of TD passes. He did have 10 rushing TDs, though. |
