The stories started this past Monday about Pitt having a shot at winning the Big East. This despite their well documented 1-4 start, and only being 4-4 at this point. The meme has continued into the weekend. Such talk has of course offended non-Big East college football columnists who can’t stand seeing the, uh, sanctity of the BCS denigrated by the continued presence of the Big East. In a fit of originality he takes to calling the conference the “Big Deceased.” Whatever. (I’m guessing, though, this columnist for the Orlando Sentinel wasn’t quite so offended at a 4-loss Florida St. team in the BCS in 2002)
At this point, there are 3 teams with legitimate shots at winning the Big East: WVU, Pitt and Rutgers. Louisville is pretty much out of it, but I’ll throw them in for fun. Best record is the winner. If the records are tied between 2 teams it is how they did in head-to-head as the tie-breaker. If 3 (or more, god forbid) teams are tied with the same records and same head-to-head records then it is BCS ranking to decide.
Pitt has lost to Rutgers already this season, so RU has the tie-breaker if they finish with the same record. WVU has beaten both RU and Louisville to hold the tie-breaker over each of them.
Big East Games Remaining
WVU (3-0): UConn, @ Cinci, Pitt, @ USF
Pitt (3-1): @ Louisville, UConn, @ WVU
Rutgers (3-1): USF, @ Louisville, Cinci
Louisville (1-2): Pitt, Rutgers, Syracuse, @ UConn
Scenarios for Winning the Big East
WVU: Win out; win 3 of 4 including the Backyard Brawl; lose to Pitt, but win other 3, and Pitt loses one more game; lose to Pitt, but win other 3, Pitt wins other 2 and Rutgers wins out — WVU would win BCS tie-breaker based on BCS rankings (beating Maryland and losing to VT would almost assuredly trump Pitt and RU); or win 2 of 4 including the Backyard Brawl and Rutgers loses 1 more game.
(Potentially bizarre scenarios for WVU winning would also include: losing 2 of last 4, including the Backyard Brawl, but RU losing 1 more and Pitt losing twice or losing 3 of last 4, but winning the Backyard Brawl, Pitt losing 1 additional game, Rutgers losing twice and Louisville losing 1 more game.)
Pitt: Win out and Rutgers losing 1 more game; or winning 2 of 3 including the Backyard Brawl and Louisville, WVU losing 1 additional game, and Rutgers losing 2 of last 3.
Rutgers: Win out and WVU loses 2 of last 4; win 2 of 3 including Louisville while WVU loses 3 of 4 and Pitt loses at least 1 more game.
Louisville: Win final 4 games (which would include beating Pitt and RU) and WVU loses 3 of last 4.
