Wow, I didn't release you were clueless and need to be explained all. No, that isn't what I'm saying. I'm saying that for years, in large part due to Miami, VT and BC, the Big East was a well respected conference with teams compeating for a national championship. That's why. Not because of the stupid dark room thing you dreamed I implied.
Now, they feature teams like South Florida that just a couple of years ago was a mid-major. A mid-major that couldn't even really hang in CUSA. They didn't go from mid-major to national power. They were put up on the mantel by the name of the Big East.
The computers are horrible and we've seen the mistakes they've made, but the human element is what made the Big Least still considered a power when they are a mere mid-major conference, maybe one of the stronger mid-major conferences, but a mid-major non-the-less.
Also, the BCS itself is a farce. The comish of the Big Least was (might still be) its president. If he hadn't held that position when they lost those teams it might not have stayed in the BCS. The sports writers over hype that conference every year. If you rank an average team, playing in an average conference, in the top ten and they run the table they might be a top team in the computer due to fact they were over-ranked to start.
The Big East is NOT a power conference anymore. Will it be again one day, who knows? But it is a mid-major pretending to be a big boy now.