Changing of the Guard

With the emergence of the BCS bowls over the last 10 years the argument over which conference is king has raged on with even more passion than ever. Most would simplify the argument by saying that the, Big 12, the Big Ten and the SEC are in a class of their own, the ACC hot on their tails, and there is nothing more too it.

Five years ago that idea would have held true but not anymore. The Big East was considered to be a dead conference. They lost three of the biggest football teams they had, Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College. The conference was left in the dust with West Virginia and Pittsburgh as their flagship programs. The Big East officials soon raided Conference USA and made a few key additions including Louisville and South Florida.

Fast forward to this upcoming season and the Big East is climbing their way up to super-conference status. West Virginia has been the real deal for the last few years and Rutgers has solidified themselves as a legitimate football program. Two years ago Louisville as ranked #2 in the land and ended the season with a win in the Orange Bowl over ACC foe Wake Forest. Last year South Florida, a team that played its first season in 1997, was ranked #2 at one point last year. Pittsburgh stunned the nation last year with their season ending win over West Virginia, a team bound for the National Championship game until the loss.

Now with this season creeping up and the top-25 lists surfacing around the country the Big-East is finding themselves well represented. West Virginia is sitting in the top-10 on most lists. South Florida, Rutgers, and Pittsburgh are all popping up in or very close to the top 25.Each of these teams has a legitimate chance to shoot up that list. With a couple of early victories you could find two or three of these teams in the top 15.

There is a lot of talent in this league. Pat White is on the very short list of probable Heisman winners. Noel Devine and Shady McCoy are two of the best running backs in the country.

The Big East coaches are also well decorated Greg Schiano and Jim Levitt are considered some of the best coaches around. They are some of the most sought after coaches around and anytime a big job opens up their names are right in the mix. Steve Kragthorpe, while struggling right now with Louisville, built something very special at Tulsa just a few short years ago. Rich Rodriquez, minus his messy divorce, is now established at one of the most storied programs in the country.

It is going to take a couple of national championships to really solidify the Big East with the other super-conferences around the land but they are well on their way. As the Big Ten continues to move backwards the Big East could soon find themselves mixing it up with the SEC.