Checking them out

Butch Jones has already done it once, succeeding Brian Kelly at Central Michigan and producing virtually the same results as his predecessor. Now he gets the chance to do it on a bigger stage, stepping in for the departed Notre Dame coach and taking over a Cincinnati team that has won back-to-back Big East titles.

And the former West Virginia receivers coach (2005-06) certainly has plenty of talent left over from the Kelly regime. True, Tony Pike and Mardy Gilyard are gone, but the offensive talent returning is almost obscene.

It starts with QB Zach Collaros, whose numbers as Pike's fill-in last season were ridiculous - 93-of-124 (75 percent) for 1,434 yards, 10 touchdowns and just two interceptions. His passing efficiency rating was 31 points higher than the national leader last season, although he didn't have enough attempts to qualify. And while the coaching staff is new, the spread systems the two employ are similar, so there won't be much of an adjustment to be made.

And while Gilyard is gone, WRs Armon Binns (61 catches for 888 yards and 11 TDs) and J.D. Woods (51-640-4) are back and joined by USC transfer Vidal Hazleton, along with TE Ben Guidugli. Oh, and Marcus Bennett, who two years ago caught 62 passes for 862 yards and 13 TDs, is back after spending a year on defense. Running back Isaiah Pead ran for 806 yards (175 of them against WVU). There are two second-team All-Big East linemen back, although two other standouts must be replaced.

The defense is a concern, but that was the case last year, too, when only one starter returned. This time six starters are back and the offense can still simply outscore people, which takes some pressure off.  The anchors of the defense will be 6-5, 302-pound end Derek Wolfe and LBs J.K. Schaffer and Walter Stewart, but the secondary must replace two starters.

All-conference candidates

Notes

There are two former West Virginia players on Jones' staff. Jahmile Addae is the running backs coach and Milo Austin is the director of player development . . . Kelly did Jones no favors with the schedule he left, which might be the Big East's most difficult. It starts out with a road game at Fresno State, there's another trip to N.C. State and a home game with Oklahoma, which two years ago walloped the Bearcats in Norman and all but ended QB Dustin Grutza's career with a badly broken leg. There's also a rivalry game with Miami (Ohio) and, while the Bearcats have four Big East home games, two of the road trips are to WVU and Connecticut.

2010 Cincinnati schedule

Date Opponent 2009

Sept. 4 at Fresno State W 28-20

Sept. 11 Indiana State DNP

Sept. 16 at N.C. State (Thur.) DNP

Sept. 25 Oklahoma DNP

Oct. 9 Miami, Ohio W 37-13

Oct. 15 at Louisville* (Fri.) W 41-10

Oct. 22 South Florida* (Fri.) W 34-17

Oct. 30 Syracuse* W 28-7

Nov. 13 at West Virginia* W 24-21

Nov. 20 Rutgers* W 47-15

Nov. 27 at Connecticut* W 47-45

Dec. 4 Pitt* W 45-44

* Big East Conference games