FanHouse HunterCantwell

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Tommie Hill hadn't been in the end zone with a football since his senior year of high school, when he blocked a punt for a touchdown. But with time ticking down in the fourth quarter of a tied preseason game against the Carolina Panthers on Monday night, the Giants' rookie defensive end out of Colorado State found his way back. Hill's fumble recovery and subsequent 18-yard rumble to paydirt as time expired made the Giants winners in their first preseason game of the year and, more importantly, spared everybody from the inexplicably pointless experience that is preseason overtime.

"I ought to be able to get a dinner out of it," Hill joked. "I just happened to be in the right place at the right time."

Big time players often hear the chant, "overrated" when they fail to produce in a game. While other players shine in the shadow of a superstar without every having to carry the load themselves. They step up big on those one or two plays a game and let the big man do most of the heavy lifting. When the big man moves on we expect them to continue the success as if nothing had changed. This is the true test of a player being overrated.

Noel Devine, RB - West Virginia

With the realization that West Virginia doesn't lose many games when Pat White doesn't get injured, the running back position is going to be called on to do more this season. For all his many talents, Noel Devine doesn't strike me as someone that's going to be able to carry the load for West Virginia for a 13 game season.

There's some talent behind Devine at the running back position. But none have spent serious time in the backfield in games that matter. So for now, the only answer is Devine.

From the time he stepped on the field in Morgantown, he's been hailed as the second coming of, or better than Slaton. But for most of his career, Slaton was the every down back you could give the ball to 25-30 times a game. He did this while playing some of the 2005 and all of the 2006 season with a broken bone in his wrist. We haven't seen that kind of toughness and durability out of Devine yet. In fairness to Devine, he hasn't been given that chance. Until we see it on the field, though.....

Picture a team that was one Jeremy Ito field goal away from a shot at the national title in 2006. Most of the major contributors were back on offense in 2007 and expectations were for a similar year. I'm not going to recap the season for you. I will say that I was probably more surprised at the outcome than most of the Cardinal faithful. Seems I have some sort of Brian Brohm flinch reflex.

Fast forward to six months after the season, and I think reality is sinking in on Tom Jurich.

"We're definitely in a rebuilding process," Jurich told the school's Athletic Association's board of directors. "We're very limited from a depth standpoint. The next two years ... I just want to get through them."

The team lost 12 starters and 5 draft picks. But I think this whole rebuilding thing started about the time Middle Tennessee State put up 42. There's no way a 5-7 team from a mid-major conference should be able to do that. It shows how quick your fortunes can change.

Having said that, I don't think the rebuilding process is going to be nearly as painful as Jurich. I think Hunter Cantwell is a fine quarterback that has shown the ability to lead the team. I'm interested to see if Victor Anderson will step up this year at running back. He was good enough for Rich Rodriguez to offer him a scholarship as a junior.

The defense will surely be better with the addition of Ron English as defensive coordinator. There's going to be a lot of youth on both sides of the ball. But that's not always a bad thing. It makes for a short memory. The change in expectations might actually be a good thing for the team. What Louisville truly lacked last year was an identity. The defense was constantly guessing. The offense did put up some big numbers, but the consistency was way off previous years.

Maybe all this bonds the team together, and the coaches learn from their mistakes. Stranger things have happened. Louisville hasn't set the world on fire recruiting over the last three years, but 47th, 26th, and 43rd isn't exactly anything to cry about either. West Virginia has proven that you can win with that kind of recruiting in the Big East. And so has Louisville for that matter.