East Carolina Pirates College Football Predictions: If you go to Sportsbook.com or for that matter any online or Las Vegas sportsbook, you will not find odds on the East Carolina Pirates football team's chances of busting the Bowl Championship Series and winning the 2010 BCS Championship. Of course that doesn't mean East Carolina, of Conference USA, is incapable of busting the BCS, its just that online gamblers  don't put much stock in the thought so sports-books don't oblige backers with betting odds. In reality, East Carolina has demonstrated more than many potential BCS hopefuls, including Boise State, they do have a chance and with some key victories in 2009, a very good chance.
 
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First lets look at the Pirates football schedule for 2009. There are three dates on the ECU schedule where the result will make or break the Pirates. Backers will not be waiting long in finding out what they have with back to back road games at West Virginia and North Carolina - Sept. 9 and Sept. 19. ECU players should have plenty of confidence at Morgantown knowing they can win as demonstrated in the schools 24-3 win a year ago. If ECU can beat the Mountaineers they would go into the next weeks game with the Tar Heels loaded with confidence. While North Carolina is expected to be improving, anything can happen. The third crucial date on ECU's schedule will come Nov. 5 with Virginia Tech at home in Greenville, NC. The bottom line for ECU is, they must win these three games and dominate the C-USA schedule to have a shot at the BCS.

Coach Skip Holtz must be excited the NCAA granted quarterback Patrick Pinkney a sixth year of eligibility. Pinkney has passed for a career-high 2,675 yards and 13 touchdowns. Also returning is his key receiver Alex Taylor.

The bad news for the Holtz and his Pirates is Pinkney and Taylor will need support from about 14 new starters. Only eight starters return for the 2009 season so Holtz will have to craft a team around that small core.