One major reason why Cincinnati and Pittsburgh are the two teams still playing for the Big East title is that both rarely beat themselves.

Each team has explosive offensive playmakers and solid defenses. But what really separates them is how mistake-free they usually play.

Look at the national statistics, and the Bearcats and Panthers are near the top of every category that indicates a clean game.

Cincinnati is first in the nation in fewest turnovers committed (seven), while Pitt is tied for sixth nationally with 11 turnovers. The Bearcats have only lost two fumbles (tied for first nationally) and thrown five interceptions (11th in the country all year). The Panthers have fumbled the ball away five times (tied for seventh best in the FBS) with six interceptions (tied for 18th).

What's most remarkable about that is both teams take plenty of shots down the field and score in bunches without turning it over. Pitt lost to West Virginia last week in part because quarterback Bill Stull threw two interceptions, which has become a rarity. Cincinnati plays a high-tempo offense with lots of passing yet has rarely given the ball away.

"Veteran players -- I believe that's part of it," Bearcats tight end Ben Guidugli said. "And then coaching. We practice at a fast speed every day, and when players get in the game they're not surprised by the speed of the game.

"Players just hold onto the ball, quarterbacks make good decisions and everybody's on the same page. That doesn't leave a lot of room for error."

Neither team commits many boneheaded errors; Pitt is 17th in the country in fewest penalties, while Cincinnati is 21st. And they don't give up big losses, as Cincinnati is fifth in the country with only 11 pass sacks allowed, and Pitt is ranked 10th with 12 sacks allowed.

"I’ve always believed that teams that don’t give up very many sacks, a lot of that has to do with the quarterback and what you are doing on offense," Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said. "If the quarterback is going to go back there and hold the football, I don’t care who’s blocking for you, you’re going to give up sacks.

"I think that's what they do on offense; it’s a high tempo offense. The ball comes out quickly. I think that’s what has helped us a lot this year."

Like every other team, Pitt and Cincinnati put heavy emphasis during practice on ball security and avoiding penalties. Earlier in the year, the Panthers were struggling with dumb penalties; Wannstedt brought in officials to call fouls during practice.

"We talk about not getting penalties, mental mistakes and holding onto the ball," Pitt running back Dion Lewis said. "That's what we preach every day."

These two teams practice what they preach, and Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly says it becomes contagious.

"It really comes down to players being cognizant of the fact they don't want to let anybody down," Kelly said. "They don't want to be the guy that's singled out that's not helping the ball club. There's a lot of pride in both locker rooms. There's a lot of very good morale. And when you have that bond in your locker room, you don't want to let your teammates down. When teams are winning, I really believe that carries the day."

Pitt and Cincinnati have won a lot this year, and a big reason why is because they haven't beaten themselves.