Both players will be representing the North squad, which is coached by Minnesota Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier.

The selection is certainly no surprise for Pead who is one of four running backs on the roster and was the Big East offensive player of the year.

Reyes is more of a surprise, particularly because he was taken over fellow defensive tackle Derek Wolfe of Cincinnati.

Wolfe was the Big East co-defensive player of the year and while Reyes was a first-team all-Big East selection, Wolfe was much more productive last season, earning second-team All-American honors for the second consecutive year.

But, Reyes may have more athleticism which translates into success at the next level and that is what the senior bowl is all about.

With most of the major conferences filled with players, the Big East will only have two to show off to the rest of the country.

A number of teams have more players than the eight-team Big East. That certainly says something about the way the conference has shaken out the past few years, but also talks about the youth of the league.

There are a lot of talented underclassmen that will certainly be playing in this game in the coming years, but for now the league will have to rely on their lone two representatives to get a little notoriety.

It could certainly happen. After all, it was only two years ago that Cincinnati wide receiver Mardy Gilyard was named offensive MVP of the game.

It was rumored early in the offseason that the Fighting Illini may be interested in Cincinnati head coach Butch Jones, but instead went in a different direction. They were however interested in Banks.

Before arriving at Cincinnati, Banks served in the same capacity at Central Michigan under Jones. Banks also served three seasons coaching linebackers at Maryland and one year coaching their secondary before arriving at his alma mater Central Michigan.

Losing Banks will be a big blow for Cincinnati as he was in charge of calling plays on defense and will certainly be missed.

Cincinnati can go one of two ways now that Banks is gone. They can either leave all of the duties up to their other defensive coordinator John Jacek who also coached the linebackers last season. They could also hire another co-defensive coordinator.

Banks did a good job of improving on a defense that was dead last in the Big East in 2010. This year Cincinnati was one of the best defenses in the country against the run and led the nation in sacks.

He certainly helped in the development of players like Derek Wolfe and J.K. Schaffer over the past two seasons as well as younger players like Maalik Bomar and Nick Temple.

It is hard to keep a coaching unit intact for an entire offseason, let alone two, particularly with the success Cincinnati had last year.

Either way, Butch Jones will likely figure it out and have Cincinnati clicking on all cylinders next year.

The conference has six teams who have recruiting classes that are a cut above those of other schools, but who will have the best class will not be entirely known until February 1.

As it stands right, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Louisville, Rutgers, South Florida and West Virginia have the six best classes, all ranking in the top 50 according to rivals.com.

West Virginia may have a slight edge on the rest of the conference, but odds are they will not even be a part of the Big East next season.

The Mountaineers have one four-star recruit and 22 that are three-stars.

Of the remaining teams, Rutgers, Pittsburgh and Louisville both have three commitments from four-star recruits. Louisville ranks No. 34 on Rivals.com and with the exception of West Virginia, are the highest rated on the list.

Pittsburgh comes in at No. 40 with Rutgers at No. 45.

South Florida is No. 50 overall and has two four-star recruits to go along with their 11 three-stars.

Cincinnati has the deepest class with one four-star recruit, but 24 three-star commitments. That is more three-star commitments than any other school in the country.

The Bearcats clearly have the deepest class and rank No. 35 on Rivals.com.

If Cincinnati can get one or two top notch recruits, they will likely pass Louisville and have the highest rated class on rivals.com. The depth of the class is unmatched from any other team in the conference and while the other teams may not need as many players, Cincinnati is loading up to have their best recruiting class ever.

While we do not know yet who will have the best class, that question will be answered in two weeks when National Signing Day takes place on February 1.

1. Mohamed Sanu (Rutgers)-Wide Receiver: Sanu is the only Big East player with a shot at being selected in the first round and as it looks right now he is nearly a virtual lock to do so. He is currently in a three-way battle with Michael Floyd from Notre Dame and Alshon Jeffery for the number two wide receiver slot behind Justin Blackmon. With a good combine Sanu could find himself in the mid first round.

2. Brandon Lindsey (Pittsburgh)-Defensive End: Lindsey is a bit undersized at 6’2″ and 250 pounds, but is a fast pass-rushing defensive end who will probably play linebacker at the next level. As of right now, Lindsey has a chance to be selected toward the end of the second-round with a chance to move up if he has a good showing at the East-West Shrine game Saturday.

3. Chandler Jones (Syracuse)-Defensive End: At 6’5″ and 265 pounds, Jones is an early entry into the draft and is likely a late second or early third round selection. He has the size to play at the next level and he has the bloodlines. His older brother Arthur plays defensive tackle for the Ravens.

4. Bruce Irvin (West Virginia)-Linebacker: Irvin is also likely to be slotted in the third round, probably somewhere in the middle. He was a second-team all-Big East selection in 2010 and a first team selection last season. At 6’2″ and 245 pounds he played some defensive end in college, but will be an outside linebacker at the next level.

5. Isaiah Pead (Cincinnati)-Running Back: Isaiah Pead was the Big East offensive player of the year and one of the most explosive players in the country. He has excellent vision and is a mixture of speed and power. The combine will be huge for Pead as he could go anywhere from the middle of the third round to the end of the fourth.

The move is certain to be a good one for a player who had one of the best seasons for a receiver in Big East history.

Sanu finished the 2011 campaign with a Big East record 115 catches and 1,206 yards to go along with seven touchdowns.

After a rocky sophomore year where he only caught 44 passes for 418 yards and two touchdowns, he rebounded nicely and certainly helped his draft stock.

The only thing that plagued Sanu during his three years at Rutgers was the lack of a talented quarterback throwing him the ball.

He certainly won’t have that problem at the next level and at 6’2″ and 215 pounds he has the size to play in the NFL.

Where he will go still remains up in the air, but with a good combine he certainly has a nice shot to slide into the first round.

Best case scenario for Sanu could see him being selected by a good team in need of a receiver toward the end of the first round.

As always though, it will come down to the combine and whether or not he has the times be a first round selection.

One thing is certain however, whoever gets this player will be getting one of the best talents in the draft and a player who has excellent hands.

Sanu is experienced enough to step into a starting role next year and contribute immediately.

One thing is sure, whoever gets this talented receiver will be getting one of the steals of the draft.

The Mountaineers return 15 starters next season and all of their skill players so needless to say, they will be the preseason pick if they are in the league next year.

But, what if the Mountaineers win their battle in the courts and move on to the Big 12? Who then takes the reigns as the conference’s elite?

Two teams come to mind immediately.

As of right now, the frontrunner may be Louisville. The Cardinals only finished the season 7-6 last year, but came on strong at the end of the year and were one of the youngest teams in the league.

True freshman quarterback Teddy Bridgewater showed some of his true potential by the end of the year and is certain to develop into one of the most dynamic players in the conference over the next three years.

The Cardinals finished with a share of the Big East title this season and will get to play both Cincinnati and West Virginia at home in 2012.

That bodes well for a team that is one of the best coached teams in the country.

Another contender will be the Cincinnati Bearcats. Cincinnati loses a lot on both sides of the ball, but quarterback Munchie Legaux proved he can handle the starting role as he stepped in for the injured Zach Collaros late in the year.

The Bearcats will be deep at wide receiver and in the secondary.

While there are certainly other teams who will be better, including Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and Louisville are the early favorites to fight for the league crown next fall.

Stay tuned, because in the ever-evolving Big East things could change very quickly.

A status conference has been scheduled on February 9 by Providence County Superior Court Judge Michael Silverstein. The judge also filed an order for the Big East to answer the West Virginia filings by Wednesday.

It is looking more and more likely that the judge will not dismiss the lawsuits and this thing could be dragged out well into the spring. That does not bode well for both the Big East and Big 12 conferences as these two leagues are going to be making their football schedules more than likely before a resolution is found.

The individual conferences will probably make a schedule with West Virginia included and without them.

While it is probably more likely that West Virginia will be allowed to leave, it is not a certainty and the fact that the Big East bylaws state they have to wait the mandatory 27-month waiting period, there is still a chance they will be stuck in the Big East for two more years.

They clearly do not want to be there and have expressed that in more ways than one.

Now this is just turning into an ugly mess that will not end well for either conference.

Stay tuned for what should be an interesting couple of months in Morgantown.

The league finished 3-2 in bowl games, but some positives can be taken from the loss by the Panthers.

One of those positives is the fact that the Panthers lost to a future Big East member in SMU.

SMU was not the only future member of the Big East to win a bowl game. Houston and Boise St. also dominated their bowl games, which is something positive that can be taken from bowl season.

The Panthers had a transition year and with the loss are one of four Big East teams to finish the season with a losing record.

Those numbers are not something to be proud of as half of the league finished under .500.

Like many other games for the Panthers, this one started off rather slowly.

SMU jumped all over Pittsburgh en route to a 21-0 lead by the end of the first quarter.

Quarterback Tino Sunseri struggled like he has for most of the season and completed 19-28 passes for 183 yards and an interception.

While Sunseri did not have a good game, the lack of rushing attack was what doomed the Panthers. Pittsburgh only totaled 10 yards on the ground on 30 carries.

The future however, is looking brighter for a Pittsburgh team that returns most of its skill players.

Running back Ray Graham will be back from injury for his senior season next year. Quarterback Tino Sunseri also will be entering his final year in Pittsburgh.

Leading wide receiver Devin Street who caught 53 balls for 754 yards will only be a junior next year and second-leading receiver Mike Shanahan will return for his senior season.

Tight end Hubie Graham will also be back for his senior year.

The key to the offense, however for Pittsburgh will be how well Sunseri can develop. If he can not improve dramatically, then the rest of the offense will certainly struggle.

The Panthers still have two years remaining in the Big East, so it would be beneficial for the conference if the Panthers had some success.

As it looks right now, the 2012 Panthers are looking much better than the 2011 version.

But, only time will tell if that will be the case when they take the field in 2012.

A win by Pittsburgh will give the Big East a 4-1 record in bowl games and help the league earn a little more respect.

Pittsburgh will be looking to finish the regular season with a winning record.

They will be coached by interim head coach Keith Patterson who is filling in for Todd Graham. Graham bolted for Arizona St. and will be replaced for former Wisconsin offensive coordinator Paul Chryst once the game is over.

The Panthers have had an up and down season all year, due in part to the season ending knee injury to star running back Ray Graham midway through the year.

A lot more has been asked of Tino Sunseri who has shown signs, but also struggled during parts of the season.

The quarterback has passed for 2,433 yards with 10 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

The struggles of Sunseri have shown for the Panthers when it comes to scoring points. Pittsburgh has only averaged 25.8 points a game all season, good for 69th in the country.

The defense has held its own, allowing 22.4 points a game, ranking them in the top 35 in the country.

SMU is coached by June Jones and has improved drastically this season. The Mustangs are going to be a huge challenge for the Panthers due in part to their passing attack that ranked in the top 25 in the country, averaging nearly 280 yards a game.

Quaterback J.J. McDermott has passed for 3,182 yards to go with 16 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.

His two favorite targets are receivers Darius Johnson and Cole Beasley. Both have over 950 yards on the season and are threats to score any time they touch the ball.

Running back Zach Line is one of the best kept secrets in the entire country. He has rushed for 1,224 yards and 17 touchdowns, while avergaing nearly six yards a carry on the season.

Pittsburgh will have to try and slow down the SMU attack and force a few turnovers in the process. If they can do that, they will have a chance to be successful.

This game is likely to be close, but with the way the season has gone for the Panthers, finishing with a win will be tough.

Prediction: SMU 34, Pittsburgh 28

After what seemed like it would be close throughout, the Mountaineers scored 21 points in just over two minutes toward the end of the second quarter to put the game out of reach en route to a 70-33 annihilation of the Clemson Tigers.

No. 23 West Virginia (10-3) were unstoppable when they had the ball and Clemson (10-4) had no answer for the speed and elusiveness of the Mountaineers playmakers on offense.

West Virginia set a record for most points in a bowl game and quarterback Geno Smith passed for an Orange Bowl record six touchdowns. He finished the game 31-42 for 401 yards.

For the Mountaineers, receiver/kick returner Tavon Austin did the rest.

The little man who ranks in the top five in the country in yards from scrimmage and was a third-team all-American on special teams had 11 receptions for 117 yards and four touchdown,s with over 100 of his yards coming after the catch. He also carried the ball four times for 46 yards.

After a game that started out relatively close, a 99-yard fumble returned for a West Virginia touchdown by Darwin Cook was the difference as Clemson was heading in to reclaim the lead at 24-21.

After that the route was on for the Mountaineers.

Even though West Virginia is headed to the Big 12 at some point or another, the win was still significant for a Big East conference looking not only to retain their AQ status, but also for a little respect.

The Big East is now 7-7 in BCS bowl games with the ACC falling to 2-14.

Whether or not that will be the last game West Virginia plays as a member of the Big East remains to be seen, but either way they put on quite a show last night and exposed a relatively weak ACC.