THE BIG LEAST -- NO MORE

BY CHRISTOPHER MOGOLLON
BIG EAST INSIDER
As soon as Miami and Virginia Tech headed over to the Atlantic Coast Conference, discussion began around the question: should the Big East remain a BCS conference?

It looked bleak for the conference in 2004, when Boston College was the only team to finish ranked and the Eagles were heading to the ACC the very next year. The winner of the conference, Pittsburgh, was embarrassed by Mountain West champ Utah.

To replace the losses the Big East dipped into Conference USA adding Cincinnati, Louisville and South Florida and the conference has rebounded, with big years from West Virginia and Louisville. The Mountaineers victory over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl solidified their fantastic season in 2005 and last year the conference was ecstatic about the arrival of Rutgers into the national picture finishing the year ranked 12th while conference champ Louisville beating up on the ACC winner Wake Forest in the Orange Bowl for a bit of sweet revenge.

This season the Big East opens up with West Virginia, Louisville and Rutgers all ranked in the top 16 of both the AP Poll and the USA Today Poll, with the Mountaineers reaching as high as high as number three in the AP Poll.

* Check Back Tomorrow to See What Chris Thinks The Big East Needs to do to Take the Next Step