Are the Houston Cougars and Conference USA Better Than the Big East?

Case Keenum and the Houston Cougars are on fire and will look to extend their unbeaten start to the 2011 season with a victory against UAB tonight.

While the Cougars running the table likely won't get them into the BCS title picture, it could do something positive for their conference.

With Houston currently ranked No. 13 in the BCS Standings and Southern Miss sitting at No. 25, as it stands right now, Conference USA is better than the Big East Conference, which receives an automatic bid to the BCS.

Comparing the two conferences, the most notable thing that C-USA has that the Big East doesn't is a dominant team.

I'm not going to make the case that Houston could run the table in the SEC or Big 12 Conference, but the Cougars can, right now, line up and beat every team in the Big East—including West Virginia, who was beaten again this afternoon by Louisville.

The Cougars aren't just a good C-USA team. They are good, period.

Southern Miss would also certainly compete for a Big East title this season.

Top to bottom, C-USA is just as good—if not better.

The middle of the pack C-USA teams that include East Carolina, Tulsa, SMU, Marshall, and UTEP, would likely be exactly that in the Big East and would still become bowl eligible at the end of the day.

The middle of the pack in the Big East, which right now includes the entire conference, may have more individual talent top to bottom—but have proven over the past couple of seasons that they simply aren't very good football teams as of late.

Any of the mentioned C-USA teams could lineup and beat any of the Big East teams on any given day and vice versa. It's sad for the Big East that they have sunk this low as to where this has become a debate.

Over the next few months, the Big East will be looking to add several C-USA schools in order to continue playing football under the Big East name.

While right now it looks like Cincinnati is the best of the Big East teams this season, that could change just as quickly with a loss to Pittsburgh.

Parity is not good for the Big East Conference right now.

At the end of the day, you can look for many reasons as to why the Big East is better than C-USA. West Virginia's loss will drop them out of the BCS standings, which means tomorrow night, C-USA will likely have two teams ranked and the Big East may have none.

That's proof enough.