ESPN College Football

1. Cincinnati (10-0, 6-0 Big East): The Bearcats have had to sweat out their last two games at home, but they were also playing teams desperate for a win for bowl eligibility (UConn) and to stay alive in the conference title mix (West Virginia). Cincinnati can use this bye week to heal up some players and take a break from the mental pressure of trying to stay unbeaten

2. Pittsburgh (9-1, 5-0): This is nearly a 1 and 1A situation between the Panthers and Bearcats. And each week, it becomes more and more baffling how Pitt could have lost at NC State.

3. Rutgers (7-2, 2-2): Welcome back to the upper echelon of the power rankings, Scarlet Knights. Of course, I had them at the top before the 47-15 opening thrashing by Cincinnati. Since then, Rutgers' only loss was by a touchdown to Pitt, and it finally got a signature win with a 31-0 blowout of South Florida. The Scarlet Knights are also ranked in the Associated Press poll this week for the first time since Oct. 21, 2007.

4. West Virginia (7-3, 3-2): You get the feeling that this team can beat anybody when it's clicking on all cylinders. Yet, the Mountaineers' best win is over a 4-5 UConn team. They have one of the weakest résumés, so far, in recent West Virginia history.

5. Connecticut (4-5, 1-4): Forget the record. The Huskies have been far more competitive against Cincinnati (lost by two), Pitt (lost by three) and Rutgers (lost by four) than the No. 6 team on this list.

6. South Florida (6-3, 2-3): The Bulls have lost to Cincinnati by 17, Pitt by 27 and Rutgers by 31. Just when you think this program is getting closer to contending for a Big East title, it goes out and proves that it's actually getting farther away.

7. Louisville (4-6, 1-4): The Cardinals won the Big East Basement Bowl over Syracuse thanks to a missed Orange extra point, a touchdown with 1:24 left and an interception in the final minute. The fight for seventh has never been fiercer.

8. Syracuse (3-7, 0-5): Go ahead and get comfortable here, Orange. You could be living in the basement for a while.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

You know it's a good week when No. 1 vs. 2 is on the schedule.

1. Cincinnati (8-2, 4-1): Are the Bearcats the team of destiny in this league or what? They've used five different quarterbacks and forced two large monkeys (West Virginia and Louisville) to dismount off their spinal columns. Now comes another team they've never beaten in league play, Pittsburgh, for a high-stakes showdown.

2. Pittsburgh (7-2, 3-1): There's no doubt which side should be fresher this week at Nippert Stadium. Panthers used the bye week to get some extra preparation time, while Cincinnati has played three straight emotional games.

3. West Virginia (6-3, 3-1): Last time the Mountaineers had a week off, they responded with a big performance in beating Auburn. If they come anywhere near that level of play this time, they should win at Louisville. That would move them into a two-way tie for first place after the weekend is over. West Virginia fans will have to hold their nose and root for Pitt this weekend.

4. Rutgers (5-5, 4-2): No one in the league is playing better than Rutgers right now. The Scarlet Knights have won their last three games by an average score of 46-22. Big East teams that got to play them early in the schedule must be feeling pretty thankful.

5. Connecticut (7-3, 3-2): The most welcome stat for Randy Edsall on Saturday was this: zero turnovers by the Huskies. With Tyler Lorenzen back, UConn could finish strong if it keeps avoiding mistakes.

6. Louisville (5-5, 1-4): Speaking of mistakes, the Cardinals have been their own worst enemy most of this season. Bad penalties, missed field goals, failed fourth down plays, and untimely turnovers have been the norm. Their only Big East win came against ...

7. South Florida (6-4, 1-4): The Bulls were the trendy pick to win the Big East championship this summer, but they aren't even going to finish with a winning record in the conference. They have to be ranked this low, because the only team they've beaten is ...

8. Syracuse (2-8, 1-5): I've run out of words to describe Syracuse, so I'll just steal a line from Tracy Morgan on last week's "30 Rock." Orange football is "like an owl without a graduation cap ... heartbreaking."