Poor Big East. Can’t catch a break. Both of its conference championship hopefuls get through tough games, but each comes with an officiating asterisk.

(I watched the Notre Dame-Pitt finish from a bar and the sound was off and the game was on one of five televisions in the room and I was frantically spinning around going, “Did anyone else see that? Isn’t that an awful call? Does Notre Dame get the timeout back? Is this happening? Are the announcers saying anything?”)

Now, no matter what happens these next two weeks, Pitt and The U.C. will play Dec. 5 for the Big East title. But, oh, what can happen these next two weeks.

WVU can beat Pitt. The Bearcats, who could really stand to get away from home and all the cozy reminders of how good they are, could lose at Nippert to Illinois. Both teams could come into Dec. 5 with blemishes. One might have a shiner and one might be shining. Both might be streaking.

Yet these next two weeks are overall irrelevant and if one- or two-loss Pitt beats unbeaten or one-loss Cincinnati — and vice versa — that team takes the league title. Amazing. Not unprecedented, though. WVU pounded UConn after Thanksgiving in 2007 to win the Big East title and then … never mind.

Onto the rankings.

1. Cincinnati (10-0, 6-0 Big East, LW No. 1) — I’m sticking with them. I’m not sure they can beat Pitt — I think they can, I’m not sure they will — but this isn’t based on projections. It’s based on what’s happened and not what’s going to happen. Overall, this team has had the best season in the Big East despite a lot of things that could and maybe should have interrupted that success. For a team getting as much recognition as are the Bearcats, do they get enough for the transition from one quarterback to another and, apparently, back? What about the running game, the depth at receiver, the really good offensive line and the overachieving defense?  They’re just so well-coached in every area and they have a plan for every situation, but it starts at the top. Brian Kelly has his hands on everything and the fact he stuck Tony Pike in the red zone because WVU blitzed “three to four percent” of the time opened my eyes. He’s the coach of the year, right? Up next: 11/27 vs Illinois (noon, ABC) 

2. Pittsburgh (9-1, 5-0 Big East, LW No. 2) — The Panthers could run for 300 yards against the Bearcats and if they can just play their game with a lead and don’t have to come from behind at home, they’ll probably win the Big East. Of course, they have to play WVU, which has also had a surprising amount of trouble against the run all of a sudden. Dion Lewis could make a huge, huge statement about the Heisman Trophy if he stars these next two games and Pitt goes 2-0. There’s nothing very appealing or exciting about the offense — no shotgun, no motion, no reverses, no trickery — but the line dominates, Bill Stull intangibles opponents, Lewis runs by and over defenders, Jonathan Baldwin defies coverage and Dorin Dickerson defies matchups. So a plain offense has five scary weapons. How did this happen? Up next: 11/27 at WVU (7 p.m., ESPN2)

3. Rutgers (7-2, 2-2 Big East, LW No. 6) — This is where it gets tough and I don’t believe there’s much difference among Nos. 3, 4, and 5. That said, Rutgers smoked South Florida, which bullied WVU. Rutgers is playing better than all three and has done the most among the three within the season. Say what you will about the weak, weak schedule, but a young team learned to win and found a few things it could do well. A good coach built upon those and Rutgers is socking teams. Now the Scarlet Knights play at Syracuse (W), at Louisville (W) and play host to WVU. Think a 9-2 team might have a bit of momentum and a good bit to play for when it returns home that day? Also, I don’t think people realize how good Devin McCourty is.

4. West Virginia (7-3, 3-2 Big East, LW No. 4) — I know USF beat WVU, but what USF did at Rutgers was a disgrace. I can’t reward that. I won’t. Also, the Mountaineers again did well to contain Cincinnati’s offense and I do believe the fumble/touchdown was linked to the outcome. That said, this team just isn’t much better than it was before Big East play and what it could get away with then it cannot get away with now. How much does WVU need to beat Pitt?  

5. South Florida (6-3, 2-3 Big East, LW No. 3) — Home against Louisville, home against Miami, at UConn. Three-game season, Bulls. Who are you?  Up next: 11/21 vs. Louisville (noon, Big East Network)

6. UConn (4-5, 1-4 Big East, LW No. 5) — Has anyone, perhaps in the history of college football, needed a bye week more than the Huskies? Finally able to take a step back and take a breath, UConn now readies for Notre Dame in what is a rather significant game for the Big East as it relates to the Gator Bowl. A Fighting Irish win makes them a likely pick for the Gator over the Cincinnati/Pitt loser. So, once again, everyone’s pulling for the Huskies, who have to get one. Right? Up next: 11/21 at Notre Dame (2:30 p.m., NBC)

7. Louisville (4-6, 1-4 LW No. 7) — The Cardinals were one point better than Syracuse. They are one slot higher in the ranking. That is not a coincidence. The Cardinals can still finish .500, which seems absurd, by finally beating a good team — USF and Rutgers, respectively.