After victories by West Virginia and Cincinnati on the season’s final weekend, the Mountaineers, Bearcats and Louisville will share the Big East’s regular season crown at 5-2 in conference play.

Only one of the three teams, however, can receive the conference’s automatic bid to a BCS bowl game, and as the Big East’s conference rules state, the tiebreaker for a three-way tie such as this will be the final BCS standings.

West Virginia, who ranked highest among the three teams last weekend, at No. 23, is likely to win the tiebreaker and make a return trip to the BCS for the first time since the 2008 Fiesta Bowl.

BCS Know How is also projecting the Mountaineers will receive a bid to the Orange Bowl.

Welcome to the 2011 college football season! BCS Know How will be taking you through the six automatic-qualifying BCS conferences and five non-AQ conferences with profiles of each conference. We continue with the Big East. Scroll down to see our profiles of the other 10 conferences.

Conference: Big East Conference (Big East)

Active Since: 1979

Current Member Schools: Cincinnati Bearcats, Connecticut Huskies, Louisville Cardinals, Pittsburgh Panthers, Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Syracuse Orange, South Florida Bulls, West Virginia Mountaineers. (8)

Bowl Affiliations: BCS Bowl Bid, Beef ‘O’ Brady’s St. Petersburg Bowl, Belk Bowl, Champs Sports Bowl, New Era Pinstripe Bowl, BBVA Compass Bowl. (7)

2010 Results:
Conference Champion – Connecticut
Conference Runner-up – West Virginia
BCS Bowl Result – 2010 Fiesta Bowl: Oklahoma 48 vs. Connecticut 20
Overall Bowl Record: 4-2

2011 Outlook: The Big East has taken a back seat to many of the other automatic qualifying conferences these past few years, and with turmoil, overhaul and unpredictability characterizing the Big East’s off-season, we might see more of the same this year.

Last year’s surprise Big East BCS bid went to Connecticut, but after losing their coach and their star players, nothing is guaranteed to the Huskies.

West Virginia saw turmoil matched only by that of Ohio State’s this off-season, and the traditional Big East power might have trouble re-acclimating themselves to the football landscape.

Could all of that open the doors for recently dormant Pittsburgh or Cincinnati? Or could unheralded USF or Syracuse take advantage?

2011 Heisman Hopefuls: West Virginia QB Geno Smith

BCS Know How’s 2011 Predictions:
Conference Champion – South Florida Bulls
Conference Runner-up – West Virginia Mountaineers
BCS bids – One: South Florida Bulls – Orange Bowl
Heisman Finalists – None

Connecticut Huskies (8-4)

How They Got Here: After finishing in a three-way tie for first place in the Big East conference, the Connecticut Huskies were the beneficiaries of the tiebreaker with both West Virginia and Pittsburgh after beating both teams during the regular season. As the winner of the tiebreaker the Huskies were awarded the Big East’s automatic BCS bowl bid.

Connecticut’s 2010 Season: Expectations were high for the Huskies entering the 2010 season, but after starting the season 1-2 against non-conference opposition, people began to rethink their opinion of Connecticut. Then when the Huskies dropped their first two Big East games, there were even doubts about UConn’s bowl eligibility hopes.

But after rolling off four straight victories against Big East conference opponents, the Huskies were in position to win the Big East conference’s BCS bowl bid by virtue of a tiebreaker.

Then on the final day of the 2010 regular season, the Huskies pulled out a last-second victory over South Florida on the strength of a Dave Teggart’s 52-yard field goal with 17 seconds to play — clinching the three-way tie atop the Big East at 5-2 and a BCS bowl bid.

Oklahoma Sooners (11-2)

How They Got Here: Champions of the Big 12 South division on the strength of their finish in the seventh BCS standings of the season, the Oklahoma Sooners clinched another BCS bowl bid with their 23-20 victory over Nebraska in the Big 12 Championship Game in the final week of the season.

Oklahoma’s 2010 Season: The Sooners were among a select group of teams that pundits believed had a chance at a national title in 2010, and the Sooners looked the part, climbing as high as No. 1 in the BCS early in the 2010 season.

However, losses to Missouri and Texas A&M dashed the Sooner’s hopes at another shot at a BCS national title, and instead the Sooners are headed to yet another BCS bowl as champions of the Big 12 in the conference’s final season as a 12-team league.

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Matchup to Watch: The nation as a whole has been well-versed in Bob Stoops offense and defense as the Sooners are seemingly a yearly feature in the Big 12 and BCS races. The real question here is how UConn’s offense and truly the entire team will be able to respond to the spotlight of their first BCS bowl in school history.

UConn running back Johnathan Todman is among the best in the country, and at just 5-foot-9 will be a difficult task for the Oklahoma front seven to locate and tackle. Can Todman and quarterback Zach Fazer overcome the perceived mismatch and hand Oklahoma yet another loss in a BCS bowl?

BCS Know How Prediction: Yes, Oklahoma has made a habit of dropping the ball in the biggest situations — namely BCS bowls — but this matchup seems to be more in the Sooners’ favor than ever before. UConn is a better team than their record or rank show, but they’ll be hard pressed to hang with Oklahoma.

Oklahoma 42 vs. Connecticut 17

Discounted and suffering through their early-season schedule, many counted the Connecticut Huskies out.

Now they are BCS bowl bound.

A 52-yard field goal from Dave Teggart gave the Huskies a close, thrilling 19-16 victory over USF late Saturday night to clinch a share of a three-way tie atop the Big East standings. And by the power of the tiebreaker in the Big East, the Huskies will be the conference’s representative in the BCS for the 2010 season.

The Huskies finish 5-2 in the conference, tied with West Virginia and Pittsburgh, but with head-to-head victories over both teams, can claim to be the best team in the conference.

Connecticut now awaits their fate in the BCS bowl selection process, with a Orange or Fiesta Bowl bid likely in their future. However, it likely matters very little to the surprise Big East champions, as few even expected to contend for the conference title this season.

With the season entering its final two weeks, conference races in all six conferences are coming down to the wire.

And although some are clear cut and easy to understand, others are a little bit more messy and may even require some tiebreakers.

Each of the six BCS conferences are listed here, with the teams still vying for a spot, and how each team will need the next two weekends to play out in order to either make their conference title game or win their conference crown.

Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC)

Coastal Division

Virginia Tech has clinched the Coastal Division and will play in the ACC Championship Game.

Atlantic Division

Florida State has clinched the Atlantic Division and will play in the ACC Championship Game.

Big 12

North Division

Nebraska has clinched the North Division and will play in the Big 12 Championship Game.

South Division

Oklahoma has clinched the South Division by the nature of the three-way tiebreaking BCS standings, and will play in the Big 12 Championship Game.

Big East

Connecticut (4-2) will win the conference if they beat South Florida.

West Virginia (5-2) IF Connecticut loses to South Florida.

Big Ten

Wisconsin, Ohio State and Michigan State all finish 7-1 in conference, and the Big Ten’s automatic BCS bid will go to the team ranked highest in the final BCS standings.

Pac-10 Conference

Oregon has clinched the Pac-10 conference championship and will receive a BCS bowl bid.

Southeastern Conference (SEC)

East Division

South Carolina has clinched the East Division and will play in the SEC Championship Game.

West Division

Auburn has clinched the West Division and will play in the SEC Championship Game.

Big Ten

Conference Leader: Wisconsin (10-1, 6-1)

Lurking: Ohio State (10-1, 6-1)

Game of Last Week: Ohio State 20 vs. Iowa 17. The Buckeyes struggled, but they did just enough to stay alive in the three-team Big Ten title race, that will likely come down to positioning in the BCS standings.

Game of Next Week: Ohio State vs. Michigan. Ohio State will need some help to claim the Big Ten title, but a victory in their traditional rivalry game with the Wolverines is as important as ever.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Michigan State Spartans, Ohio State Buckeyes, Wisconsin Badgers, Iowa Hawkeyes, Northwestern Wildcats, Michigan Wolverines, Penn State Nittany Lions, Illinois Fighting Illini.

Big 12

Conference Leaders: Nebraska (9-2, 5-2; North Division) and Oklahoma State (10-1, 6-1; South Division)

Lurking: Missouri (9-2, 5-2; North Division) and Oklahoma (9-2, 5-2; South Division)

Game of Last Week: Texas A&M 9 vs. Nebraska 6. A victory here would have given the Cornhuskers the North title, instead the Aggie victory opened both division races and left it to the final weekend to decide who will fight for the Big 12′s BCS bid.

Game of Next Week: Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State. Bedlam will have an extra important feel this year, as a victory for the Cowboys would give them the Big 12 South title, while an Oklahoma victory would likely give the Sooners that crown — by virtue of a three-way tiebreaker.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Missouri Tigers, Oklahoma Sooners, Oklahoma State Cowboys, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Baylor Bears, Kansas State Wildcats, Texas A&M Aggies, Texas Tech Red Raiders.

Big East

Conference Leader: Pittsburgh (6-4, 4-1)

Lurking: Connecticut (6-4, 3-2)

Game of Last Week: Pittsburgh 17 vs. South Florida 10. If the Bulls could have won on Saturday, they would have had a surprisingly good shot at the Big East title, but a Panther victory ended most of those hopes while keeping Pitt a game clear of the rest of the Big East race.

Game of Next Week: West Virginia vs. Pittsburgh. The Backyard Brawl has added meaning as a victory for Pittsburgh would help them get to the BCS, while a West Virginia victory could spell a variety of possible Big East conference champions.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Syracuse Orange, South Florida Bulls, West Virginia Mountaineers, Connecticut Huskies, Pittsburgh Panthers.

Big Ten

Conference Leader: Wisconsin (9-1, 5-1)

Lurking: Michigan State (9-1, 5-1)

Game of Last Week: Northwestern 21 vs. Iowa 17. A last minute drive — which would prove to be his last of the season — engineered by Wildcat quarterback Dan Persa gave Northwestern the upset victory, their fifth win over Iowa in six tries.

Game of Next Week: Ohio State vs. Iowa. The game has slightly less importance after Iowa’s loss to Northwestern, but the test will be just as still for the Buckeyes in Iowa City.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Michigan State Spartans, Ohio State Buckeyes, Wisconsin Badgers, Iowa Hawkeyes, Northwestern Wildcats, Michigan Wolverines, Penn State Nittany Lions.

Big 12

Conference Leaders: Nebraska (9-1, 5-1; North Division) and Oklahoma State (9-1, 5-1; South Division)

Lurking: Missouri (8-2, 4-2; North Division) and Texas A&M (7-3, 4-2; South Division)

Game of Last Week: Texas A&M 42 vs. Baylor 30. A meeting between two surprise contenders in the Big 12 conference proved to be an affirmation of the Aggies victory over Oklahoma the week before.

Game of Next Week: Nebraska vs. Texas A&M. A victory here would assure Nebraska of the Big 12 North title and a berth in the Big 12 Championship Game, while a victory for the Aggies would keep them in the race for the South.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Missouri Tigers, Oklahoma Sooners, Oklahoma State Cowboys, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Baylor Bears, Kansas State Wildcats, Texas A&M Aggies.

Big East

Conference Leader: Pittsburgh (5-4, 3-1)

Lurking: Syracuse (7-3, 4-2)

Game of Last Week: Connecticut 30 vs. Pittsburgh 28. UConn running back Johnathan Todman ran for 222 yards and the Huskies converted a fourth down in their own territory to give the Panthers their first Big East loss and reopen the Big East title race.

Game of Next Week: Connecticut vs. Syracuse. Although no game seems to be a “knockout game” in the Big East race this year, victories by either team would certainly help their aspirations for a Big East conference title.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Syracuse Orange, South Florida Bulls, West Virginia Mountaineers.

Big Ten

Conference Leader: Michigan State (9-1, 5-1)

Lurking: Wisconsin (8-1, 4-1)

Game of Last Week: Michigan 67 vs. Illinois 65. In a game that made the schools’ basketball game score from last season look paltry, Michigan outlasted the Illini in three overtimes.

Game of Next Week: Ohio State vs. Penn State. The Buckeyes will have to pass the test of a suddenly rejuvenated Nittany Lions team if they want to stay alive in the crowded Big Ten race.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Michigan State Spartans, Ohio State Buckeyes, Wisconsin Badgers, Iowa Hawkeyes, Northwestern Wildcats, Michigan Wolverines, Penn State Nittany Lions.

Big 12

Conference Leaders: Nebraska (8-1, 4-1; North Division) and Oklahoma State (8-1, 4-1; South Division)

Lurking: Missouri (7-2, 3-2; North Division) and Missouri (7-2, 3-2; South Division)

Game of Last Week: Texas A&M 33 vs. Oklahoma 19. The Sooners suffer a crushing second loss in Big 12 play while the Aggies impress enough to get a spot in this week’s BCS standings.

Game of Next Week: Oklahoma State vs. Texas. On the road in Austin, the South Division-leading Cowboys will again be put to the test against a team that is usually in their spot.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Missouri Tigers, Oklahoma Sooners, Oklahoma State Cowboys, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Baylor Bears, Kansas State Wildcats, Texas A&M Aggies.

Big East

Conference Leader: Pittsburgh (5-3, 3-0)

Lurking: Syracuse (6-3, 3-2)

Game of Last Week: South Florida 28 vs. Rutgers 27. The matchup did not disappoint, as the Bulls captured their first victory over the Scarlet Knights in five tries.

Game of Next Week: Pittsburgh vs. Connecticut. The Huskies have a chance to derail the seemingly easy road ahead of the Panthers for the Big East crown with this Thursday night showdown.

Bowl Eligible Teams: None yet.

Big Ten

Conference Leader: Michigan State (8-1, 4-1)

Lurking: Ohio State (8-1, 4-1)

Game of Last Week: Iowa 37 vs. Michigan State 6. The Spartans were looking to use a road win at Iowa to propel them to an undefeated season and a Big Ten crown. The Hawkeyes had other ideas — knocking Michigan State out of the BCS title race, and reinserting themselves into the Big Ten race.

Game of Next Week: Illinois vs. Michigan. The Illini’s only two conference losses have come against the cream of the Big Ten crop, can Michigan and Denard Robinson hang with them at home?

Bowl Eligible Teams: Michigan State Spartans, Ohio State Buckeyes, Wisconsin Badgers, Iowa Hawkeyes, Northwestern Wildcats.

Big 12

Conference Leaders: Nebraska (7-1, 3-1; North Division) and Baylor (7-2, 4-1; South Division)

Lurking: Missouri (7-1, 3-1; North Division) and Oklahoma State (7-1, 3-1; South Division)

Game of Last Week: Nebraska 31 vs. Missouri 17. Missouri looked to keep its undefeated season alive against Nebraska after toppling former BCS No. 1 Oklahoma last weekend. The Cornhuskers instead ran all over the Tigers and gave Missouri its first loss.

Game of Next Week: Oklahoma State vs. Baylor. Two surprise contenders for the South Division lead will play the equivalent of a knockout game for a chance at the South crown.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Missouri Tigers, Oklahoma Sooners, Oklahoma State Cowboys, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Baylor Bears.

Big East

Conference Leader: Pittsburgh (5-3, 3-0)

Lurking: Syracuse (6-2, 3-1)

Game of Last Week: Connecticut 16 vs. West Virginia 13. The Huskies needed overtime, but they were finally able to defeat West Virginia — a first in the team’s time in the Big East.

Game of Next Week: Rutgers vs. South Florida. Its hard to stress enough — every team in the Big East can still take the conference title and BCS bid, but if either of these teams want a shot, they’ll have to come out of this matchup with a win.

Bowl Eligible Teams: None yet.

Big Ten

Conference Leader: Michigan State (8-0, 4-0)

Lurking: Wisconsin (7-1, 3-1)

Game of Last Week: Wisconsin 31 vs. Iowa 30. In what might end up being a Big Ten championship knockout game, the Badgers didn’t fall victim to the letdown after upsetting Ohio State last weekend and held off Iowa’s last-minute comeback.

Game of Next Week: Michigan State vs. Iowa. If the Spartans can survive their trip into Iowa City, they have an easy path to an undefeated season and a Big Ten conference championship awaiting them

Bowl Eligible Teams: Michigan State Spartans, Ohio State Buckeyes, Wisconsin Badgers.

Big 12

Conference Leaders: Missouri (7-0, 3-0; North Division) and Baylor (6-2, 3-1; South Division)

Lurking: Nebraska (6-1, 2-1; North Division) and Oklahoma State (6-1, 2-1; South Division)

Game of Last Week: Missouri 36 vs. Oklahoma 27. Yet another upset as Missouri knocks off the then-No. 1 Oklahoma Sooners at home and sends the Big 12 title chase and BCS standings into complete chaos.

Game of Next Week: Missouri vs. Nebraska. The Tigers will hope to avoid the expected letdown after beating Oklahoma when they travel into Lincoln to take on the Cornhuskers — who despite falling to Texas two weekends ago, continue to look strong.

Bowl Eligible Teams: Missouri Tigers, Oklahoma Sooners, Oklahoma State Cowboys, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Baylor Bears.

Big East

Conference Leader: Pittsburgh (4-3, 2-0)

Lurking: Syracuse (5-2, 2-1)

Game of Last Week: Syracuse 19 vs. West Virginia 14. An upset in the completely unpredictable Big East reveals the Orange to be legitimate conference title contenders.

Game of Next Week: Louisville vs. Pittsburgh. With literally every team still alive in the Big East title chase, the current leader Panthers will look to avoid the upset to a good Cardinals team.

Bowl Eligible Teams: None yet.