AP, USA Today Coaches Polls: Louisville Rises, Rutgers Ranked For The FIrst Time

For the first time this season, the Big East has two football teams ranked in the AP Top 25. Louisville, which has been ranked since its opening week win over rival Kentucky, moved up to #19 in the latest rankings after sleepwalking to a 28-21 road win at FIU. The Cardinals had been ranked #20 the week before. Louisville will travel to Southern Mississippi this weekend with a chance to improve to 5-0 for the first time since 2006. In the USA Today Coaches Poll, Louisville moved up to #17.

Rutgers moved into the top 25 for the first time this season after quarterback Gary Nova threw for nearly 400 yards in a 35-26 road win at Arkansas. The Scarlet Knights trailed 10-0 early in the game before Nova heated up, the Scarlet Knights pulled off a fake punt to keep a crucial second quarter drive alive, and the defense forced a critical red zone interception off of Arkansas quarterback Tyler Wilson in the fourth quarter to put the game away. Rutgers checks into the AP Poll at #23 and was tied for #25 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.

The good news for fans of the Big East, especially after a dismal performance by the bottom and middle of the conference on Saturday, is that Louisville, Rutgers, and Boise State are all ranked in at least one of the polls and Cincinnati received votes with a game against Virginia Tech on deck. You can view the Coaches Poll here and the AP Poll here.