We might be able to make a guess about where the shambolic, zombie football portion of the Big East is headed, thanks to a new report from USA Today that the entity formerly known as the Big East football playing schools will retain an automatic bid to next year's BCS. What's that worth? Well money for one thing, because it locks the twelve schools in the league (which might be eleven if Louisville bolts early) into a $20 million payday.

More importantly though, I think that could act as an anchor to keep these schools together long enough to figure out what to do next (in UConn's case that means pray for more shakeups in the big five conferences). Like I said this morning, I have a hard time picturing a scenario where the departing basketball-only schools invite UConn to their party, so sticking with its new football playmates is probably UConn's best -- and only -- option for now.

But make no mistake, this would only be a temporary move. The BCS ends after 2013, and UConn and Cincinnati (and South Florida and Boise St. and SDSU and.....) would obviously bolt if they were given a better offer. The bid could keep everyone together for 2013, but after that things get very, very murky.