Big East Football Power Rankings after Week #8

Despite six conference teams in play this weekend, little has changed atop the Big East conference rankings. Pittsburgh has still maintained the top spot, while Cincinnati has broken into the Top 3 for the first time all year. Teams and rankings are listed below and make sure to take a look at our Week 8 football recap. For more Big East football coverage be sure to check the Big East football standings & weekly Big East scores.

1. Pittsburgh 5-1, (2-0): It’s hard to argue the Panthers place atop the polls after going on the road and beating a pesky Navy team. If this team continues to click the way they have, Pittsburgh might not lose another game all season.
2. South Florida 6-1, (2-1): The Bulls got exactly what they needed on Saturday- a dominating win. We’ll see just how tough South Florida is, as they face their first true road test of the season at Louisville on Saturday.
3. Cincinnati 5-1, (1-0): A bye week allowed the Bearcats to get healthy- as they welcome back quarterback Tony Pike this weekend. For a team clamoring for respect both within the conference and nationally, the opportunity comes Saturday when Cincinnati travels to Connecticut.
4. Connecticut 5-2, (1-1): Is it unfair to drop a team after losing a road game in which all it took was making one of three missed field goals to win the game? Probably. But if the Huskies think that they can beat Cincinnati, South Florida or Pittsburgh without at least the threat of a vertical passing game, more losses will be in store.
5. West Virginia 4-2, (2-0): Although it is probably unfair to have the Mountaineers this low, look at the facts. They have yet to beat an FBS school with a winning record, and struggled against the Big East’s two worst teams- Rutgers and Syracuse. Even though Auburn is down this season, West Virginia will have another national stage on Thursday to show that they are legit.
6. Louisville 4-2, (0-1): The 42-23 score may have looked pretty against Middle Tennessee State, but remember that the Cardinals were losing at halftime. Hunter Cantwell can’t afford another shaky start when South Florida comes to Papa Johns Stadium this weekend.
7. Rutgers 2-5, (1-2): Welcome to the win column Rutgers (if you exclude the victory over FCS opponent Morgan State)! But it’s hard to get the warm and fuzzies over an offense which has scored two touchdowns in the last two games. The defense however is playing its best ball of the season.
8. Syracuse 1-6, 0-3): Try as they might, Syracuse just isn’t good enough to stay competitive for a full 60 minutes. The Greg Robinson farewell tour has a week off before hosting Louisville on November 1.