ESPN College Football

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

For the first time in a few weeks, ESPN.com's Heisman Watch does not include any Big East players.

Cincinnati quarterback Tony Pike was a mainstay on the Heisman Watch early in the season and was becoming a legitimate contender with the numbers he posted. But Pike has now missed two full games and most of the second half against South Florida and may or may not play against UConn. He's not going to have a chance because of the missed time.

Noel Devine popped up on the Heisman radar last week. But the West Virginia tailback had just 42 yards on 17 carries in a nationally televised game Friday night at South Florida. That performance, along with the Mountaineers' 6-2 record, essentially eliminates Devine's chances of getting to New York.

Dion Lewis was counted among the contenders a couple of weeks ago but has curiously disappeared from ballots of late. The Pitt freshman ranks fourth in the country in rushing and has 11 touchdowns. He'll get some major showcase opportunities coming up against Notre Dame, West Virginia and Cincinnati. Still, it's going to be awfully tough for a true freshman to garner serious consideration, and Alabama's Mark Ingram has become the flavor of the month among tailbacks -- even though Lewis has 25 more yards and three more rushing touchdowns than Ingram in the same number of games.

Some other players, like Pitt's Bill Stull and Cincinnati's Mardy Gilyard, are having outstanding seasons but aren't anywhere near the Heisman radar. Even though this year's Heisman race looks as wide open as it's ever been, there appears to be little chance that a Big East player will work his way into the mix.