We’re looking back at the decade that was in the Big East. We started with The Big East’s Top Five Teams of the 2000s. We’ll bring you the Five Most Major Off-Field Moments and the All-Decade team in a little while. But now, The Big East’s Five Greatest Conference Games of the 2000s.

In chronological order…

Oct. 15, 2005 – West Virginia 46, Louisville 44 (3 OT)

Louisville had Heisman candidates Brian Brohm and Michael Bush, and a 17-point lead at the start of the fourth quarter. West Virginia had Steve Slaton. The freshman ran for a league record six post-halftime touchdowns, the Mountaineers pushed the game to overtime and in the third extra session, Eric Wicks’ tackle kept Brohm from a two-point conversion. West Virginia went on to an 11-1 year and an upset of SEC-champ Georgia in a Georgia Dome Sugar Bowl. 

Nov. 9, 2006 – Rutgers 28, Louisville 25

West Virginia, Louisville and Rutgers all opened this November undefeated. Louisville took care of West Virginia, 44-34, on the month’s first Thursday. The following Thursday, with Rutgers’ administration having erected temporary bleachers to give Rutgers Stadium its largest-ever crowd, the third-ranked Cardinals came to Piscataway. They went up 18, Rutgers’ then-receivers coach John McNulty ripped into his corps for its dozen dropped passes and the Scarlet Knights stormed back.  An early Louisville jump gave Jeremy Ito a second shot at a 28-yard field goal with 13 seconds left. He coolly nailed it, even more coolly looked up at ESPN’s skycam and there was “Pandemonium in Piscataway.”

Dec. 2, 2006 – West Virginia 41, Rutgers 39

Rutgers was playing for the Orange Bowl and with Pat White nursing a sore ankle, West Virginia didn’t have its starting quarterback. Sophomore Jarrett Brown still managed to put the home team up 10 in the third quarter; Rutgers’ Mike Teel rallied his team back. After James Townsend dropped a perfect touchdown pass, Rutgers settled for a Jeremy Ito field goal, to go up 23-20 with 3:55 to play. Pat McAfee responded with a 30-yarder with 53 seconds left, the teams traded touchdowns through three overtimes until the final two-point conversion, when West Virginia corner Vaughn Rivers batted down Teel’s pass to Ray Rice. Rutgers ended up in the Texas Bowl.

Dec. 1, 2007 – Pittsburgh 13, West Virginia 9

ESPNU named this 100^th edition of the Backyard Brawl its Game of the Year. West Virginia was 10-1, ranked second and a 28-point favorite over the 4-7 Panthers. With a win over a team the Mountaineers had hung 45 points on in each of the previous two seasons, West Virginia would be in the BCS title game. Then Pat White spent most of the game on the sidelines with a dislocated thumb, West Virginia missed two field goals and the Mountaineers twice in the fourth quarter couldn’t convert from Pitt territory. Fifteen days later, West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez left his alma mater to coach at Michigan.

Dec. 5, 2009 – Cincinnati 45, Pittsburgh 44

Cincinnati went on the road, amidst a storm of rumors coach Brian Kelly was leaving – and a literal snow storm too. The Panthers went up three touchdowns, a packed Heinz Field started shaking and then Mardy Gilyard returned a kick 99 yards into the end zone, and took a pass 68 yards into the end zone too. With 5:46 left, things were knotted at 38 and 4:10 after that, Pitt freshman Dion Lewis took the last of his 47 carries and put Pitt up. The Panthers bobbled the PAT snap, Cincinnati’s Tony Pike caught a streaking Armon Binns in stride with :33 left and Jake Rogers’ kick secured the Bearcats’ undefeated regular season. And yes, Kelly did indeed leave for Notre Dame afterwards.

Honorable Mention: Oct. 24, 2009 – West Virginia 28, UConn 24. Seven lead changes, three touchdown-scoring 50-yard plays and a final minute decision made for plenty of on-field theatrics. But a week after Jasper Howard’s stabbing, this game was about more. Kashif Moore, who cradled a dying Howard, carried the corner’s jersey on the field, the Mountaineers wore Howard’s number on their helmets and the West Virginia fans fiercely and consistently applauded the Huskies.