West Virginia finished with a respectable 9-4 record in 2010 but Holgorsen's arrival has raised the expectations. Anything less than 10 wins and a Big East title will be viewed as a disappointment.

Offense: The West Virginia offense was among the best in the Big East in 2010, but it was extremely mediocre by national standards. It ranked second in the conference with 372.7 yards per game but only 67th nationally.

Star running back Noel Devine is gone, but with seven starters back and the addition of Holgorsen, the Mountaineers are expecting to light up the scoreboard like they did during the Rich Rodriguez era.

Geno Smith is among the best signal callers in the Big East. No sophomore in West Virginia history has thrown for more than the 2,763 yards Smith tallied last season.

Smith led the league in pass efficiency (144.7) and finished second in passing yards with 212.5 per game.

Holgorsen is big on the talent in receiving corps, going as far as saying it's probably the best he's had. Tavon Austin is the unit's headliner. He earned a second-team all-conference nod in 2010 on the strength of a 58-catch, eight-touchdown campaign.

Devine, the school's all-time leader in all-purpose yardage, can't be replaced, but Shawne Alston, a 5-foot-11, 219-pound bruiser, should be just fine in Holgorsen's more pass-oriented system.

Defense: The West Virginia stop unit was one of the best in the entire country in 2010. The Mountaineers led the Big East, and ranked third nationally, in both total and scoring defense with 261.1 yards and 13.5 points allowed per game.

It will be very difficult to match those numbers with only four starters back, but something tells me there won't be too big of a drop off. After all, the Mountaineers have ranked No. 8, 11, 31, and 3 in scoring defense the last four years.

A run defense that ranked second in the country with 86.5 yards allowed per game is likely to slip some with the departures of Scooter Berry and Chris Neild, but there is still some nice talent returning up front.

Julian Miller is expected to slide down inside to tackle and third-down pass-rushing specialist Bruce Irvin will take on every-down duties at end. He led the Big East in sacks with 14 in a part-time role in 2010.

Najee Goode is the only returning starter at linebacker, which could be a problem area. This unit will need help from Spur safety Terence Gavin, who led the team with 76 stops last season. Gavin should be able to provide that help.

Joining him in the defensive backfield is cornerback Keith Tandy, who led the Big East in interceptions with six last year.

Prediction: 1st Place Big East - The Mountaineers are one of only four schools to win at least nine games in each of the past six seasons, and I don't believe that streak is in any danger of coming to an end. The defense may take a step back, but it should still be one of the best in the Big East. Plus, the offense should be a lot more explosive. Odds makers have listed West Virginia at 9/5 to win the Big East Conference.