Entering the sixth year of the Bowl Championship Series, most college football fans see the Big East as the weakest of the six BCS conferences. But the fact is, the Big East's 11-4 bowl record over the last three seasons is the best in the nation.

And while 2003 may be a lame duck year for the conference -- with Miami and Virginia Tech headed to the ACC next season -- it promises to be an interesting season. The improvement of teams like Boston College, West Virginia and especially Pittsburgh, has made Big East is much deeper than most people realize.

	Larry Fitzgerald and his Pitt teammates are hoping to step in front of Virginia Tech and Miami before both teams leave the Big East.

Most of the intrigue revolves around the Panthers finally giving the Hokies and Hurricanes a challenge at the top of the standings. Walt Harris has brought the Pittsburgh program through a time when winning any game was a big deal to a time when failing to win 10 games might be a disappointment, but to live up to the expectations the Panthers will have to get it done on defense.

They return seven starters on defense and will need that unit to keep up with an offensive attack featuring quarterback Rod Rutherford, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and running back Brandon Miree. If that should happen, Pittsburgh will definitely be in the thick of things.

And as for the motivation of being left high and dry by Miami and Virginia Tech, it's probably not much of a factor. The Panthers likely aren't looking to stick it to a pair of teams that stiffed them. The motivation for Pitt is in proving it has a team which can challenge the best in the nation.

The Panthers' mentality is that they can compete with anyone in the country and they feel they can make a run against anyone, especially the two traditional powers in their conference, and the talent on the roster coupled with a schedule that brings Notre Dame, Virginia Tech and Miami to Pittsburgh will definitely have them in the thick of things.

That said, the championship will be determined when Miami and Virginia Tech meet in Blacksburg on Nov. 1. The players on both teams are ready to get back to business on the field and put to bed the talk of their impending departure.

The issues for the Hurricanes, though, will be how well Brock Berlin will fare as Ken Dorsey's replacement at quarterback and how well the defensive line will recover from huge losses to graduation and the draft. But if Berlin gets in sync with receives like Roscoe Parrish and the d-line steps up, this Miami team will be as good or better as those in the recent past.

As for the Hokies, they played uncharacteristically soft late last year, giving up 50 or more points to Syracuse and Miami, but with nine starters back on defense they will have plenty of chances to avenge those embarrassments. Add in Bryan Randall at quarterback and Kevin Jones at running back, and Virginia Tech should have no problem getting back to form.

With the big guns being challenged and realignment coming, the Big East could be set up for on heck of a send-off.

Kirk Herbstreit is an analyst for ESPN College GameDay and a regular contributor to ESPN.com during the college football season.