Lieberman: Six Big East teams still in running for a bowl

There are six Big East teams vying for a possible bowl berth. While many other conferences… There are six Big East teams vying for a possible bowl berth. While many other conferences don’t have this number of teams in the running, their dominant competitors are certainly much more clearly established than the Big East’s.

And Big East fans shouldn’t expect much more clarity until Sunday.

Cincinnati, Pitt, West Virginia, Rutgers, Connecticut and South Florida are all playing this Saturday. It’s almost like the Big East planned this out. Its the best team vs. the second best team, three vs. four and so on.

But two factors complicate things. One, the Gator Bowl has a dilemma.

The Gator Bowl is nearly the highest-paying bowl for a Big East team, second only to a BCS game. It is in its last year of alliance with the Big East, meaning the Gator Bowl committee probably won’t be cutting anyone any favors and will take the most profitable matchup.

That could mean West Virginia, with its history of having a large fan base, could represent the Big East in Jacksonville, Fla.. This could set up a situation where Cincinnati, should it lose to Pitt, could fall past the Gator Bowl.

Then there’s Pitt, which seemingly would be a good fit for the Meineke Car Care Bowl. But the bowl committee isn’t showing much interest in Pitt. Instead, the Panthers could find themselves in the Papajohns.com or St. Petersburg Bowl.

Connecticut and South Florida play this weekend to settle their bowl disputes on the field.

With all that said, here’s how I see the bowl picture playing out for the Big East this season:

Sugar Bowl – Cincinnati

Gator Bowl – West Virginia

Meineke Car Care Bowl – Rutgers

Papajohns.com Bowl – Pitt

St. Petersburg Bowl – Connecticut

International Bowl – South Florida

Pitt Football Question of the Week:

Who leads the all-time series between Pitt and Cincinnati?

Last Week’s Answer: Thanks to senior Sean Morgan, who answered correctly that Latef Grim is Pitt’s all-time leader in receptions, with 178 from 1998-2000.

Big East player of the week (offensive):

Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati – Gilyard had three touchdowns, one on a 96-yard kickoff return and two through the air. He collected 102 receiving yards on seven catches.

Big East player of the week (defensive):

Robert Sands, West Virginia – Sands made a huge interception in the fourth quarter against Pitt, allowing West Virginia to take the lead, while making seven tackles and breaking up three passes in the win.

Rankings of Power – Through Week 13

1. Cincinnati (11-0, 6-0) – The Bearcats defense looked a little suspect against an Illinois offense that has struggled all year.

2. Pitt (9-2, 5-1) – Pitt has to solve the offensive ineptitude it demonstrated against West Virginia, and fast.

3. West Virginia (8-3, 4-2) – What a win for the Mountaineers who, with a Pitt loss, could finish second in the Big East this year.

4. Rutgers (8-3, 3-3) – The Scarlet Knights beat Connecticut this year and thus top the Huskies in this ranking.

5. Connecticut (6-5, 2-4) – The Huskies bombed Syracuse 56-31 at home last week, proving they are not a mediocre team this year, despite what their record may suggest.

6. South Florida (7-4, 3-3) – On the flip side, South Florida was shelled in its own stadium 31-10 by Miami, proving it still isn’t among the elite programs in the state of Florida.

7. Louisville (4-8, 1-6) – Another coaching change as Steve Kragthorpe exits with a 15-21 career record over six years.

8. Syracuse (4-8, 1-6) – It says something about your team when losing to Louisville and finishing with the same record is labeled an “improvement.”

Week 14 Preview

No. 5 Cincinnati (11-0, 6-0 Big East) at No. 15 Pittsburgh (9-2, 5-1) : You probably already know this, but this game is huge. To the winner, a BCS berth and a sweet-looking trophy that looks like the throttle of a boat.

No. 23 West Virginia (8-3, 4-2) at Rutgers (8-3, 3-3): The Scarlet Knights’ last win in the series came in 1994. There are rumors that the Mountaineers are heading to the Gator Bowl with a win in this game.

South Florida (7-4, 3-3) at Connecticut (6-5, 2-4): The Huskies can match their record from last season with a win.