Welcome to the Big East, a toss-up like no other

UConn coach Paul Pasqualoni remembers the good old days — when Miami was the dominant team in the Big East and the conference wasn't such a toss-up.

Not anymore.

The Hurricanes are in the Atlantic Coast Conference, soon to be joined by Syracuse and Pittsburgh as the Big East struggles to stay together and keep its automatic BCS bowl bid.

It's kind of a shame, really, because the Big East season is as riveting as a roller-coaster ride.

Preseason favorite West Virginia sits at 2-2, tied with Pasqualoni's Huskies and Pitt. Rutgers is a half-game ahead in third at 3-2, surprising Louisville is second at 3-1, and suddenly resurgent Cincinnati is 3-0.

The Bearcats can swipe that elusive BCS bowl bid by winning out. Nobody's counting on anything, though.