Is the Big East Title On the Line Tonight?

(8)Cincinnati meets the (21)USF Bulls at Raymond James Stadium tonight in Tampa. This may be the game of the year in the Big East as these are the conference's only ranked teams mid way through the season. Bearcats quarterback Tony Pike is also holding on to a fledgeling Heisman campaign that can only be justified by an undefeated season. This Bulls team may be more impressive than the 2007 team that rose to number two in the BCS polls, because they have been winning games with their backup quarterback BJ Daniels. Starter Matt Grothe has been the only Bulls quarterback that Big East fans have ever known (he's a four year starter), but the emergence of Daniels proves that head coach Jim Leavitt is stockpiling talent in Tampa, maybe even more than in-state rival Florida State. Where would the Seminoles be if they lost their starting QB, Christian Ponder? Look where they are with him for that matter. Even though Cincinnati is getting most of the hype surrounding a possible BCS title berth, USF has a very manageable schedule and still has an out of conference statement game against another in-state power, (9)Miami. The Bearcats already have some impressive non-conference wins, most notably a road win against Oregon State in Corvallis. Thus, their candidacy for the BCS title has been slightly more legitimized than USF (as exemplified by their top ten ranking). One thing is certain, there will not be a one loss Big East team in the National Championship, so that dream will end tonight for one of these teams, but the Big East title will still be a possibility for the loser. There is also the possibility that neither of these teams wins the conference, as no one knows whether 4-1 West Virginia is an actual contender. Most likely the Mountaineers will be 6-1 when they see USF in Tampa the day before Halloween in their second test of the season (they failed their first one by losing to Auburn). Rutgers can also get back into the hunt, especially if USF hangs a loss on Cincinnati tonight. In conclusion, the Big East is preparing for another exciting finish to the season. Electrifying conference races are becoming a staple of the new Big East.