While TCU, Boise State and Utah — all in the top five in the BCS standings — have been scrutinized for their inclusion in the national championship discussion, one conference that owns a BCS berth doesn’t have a single team in the Top 25: the Big East.
Since the inception of the BCS in 1998, no unranked team has played in the five featured games. But could that streak end this year?
Pittsburgh leads the Big East with an undefeated league record, but three nonconference losses to Utah, Miami and Notre Dame hardly makes it seem like the 5-3 Panthers are worthy of a BCS bid.
Syracuse has raced to a 3-1 conference record after winning only four league games in the past five years. The Orange may have the softest 6-2 record in college football with two wins over FCS schools (Maine and Colgate).
After a 5-1 start and breaking into the top 25, West Virginia has lost two straight to conference foes to drop out of the rankings. The Mountaineers may have the most impressive nonconference performance though — a 20-14 loss to LSU.
The Big East has no signature wins and it’s one of only two BCS conferences without a bowl eligible team yet. But unlike TCU, Boise State and Utah, one lucky Big East team is guaranteed a trip to a BCS bowl.
