All eyes within the Big East will be on this matchup.

Odd, you might think, considering Louisville is 5-6, while Rutgers is 6-5.

But here’s the deal: If Rutgers wins and picks up its seventh victory, 6-6 Notre Dame, a Big East bowl partner, is shut out of the league’s setup. If there are enough conference teams with seven wins to fill all the bowl slots, the Fighting Irish must sit at .500 or find another suitor.

So the Scarlet Knights have a lot of fans around the league. If the Sun Bowl can’t take Notre Dame, the dominos will start to fall, perhaps with Pitt. The Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte will then look at West Virginia — or maybe Rutgers.

The Scarlet Knights have been on a roll after starting 1-5 and have once again excited their fans. WVU’s fans, meanwhile, have been sulking. So an RU win could pay big dividends.

On the other hand, Louisville needs a victory to move to 6-6 and become bowl eligible. It still might be tough for the Cardinals to find a berth, but they do have a nice reputation for filling seats.

Look for both the players and game to be tight. Not only are the circumstances intense, but the last two games between the teams have been decided by a combined six points.

That said, while Rutgers has been on a five-game winning streak, Louisville has been on a four-game losing skid. Also, RU will be at home in front of what should be a nice crowd.

Watch Rutgers’ run defense and Louisville’s pass defense in this one. Both are ranked seventh among the eight Big East teams and play nicely into the hands of the opposing offenses.

Scarlet Knights quarterback Mike Teel is first in the Big East in passing yards. Louisville, meanwhile, is 36th in the nation rushing the ball, averaging 175 yards a game.

"I think they’ve run the ball real well," said RU coach Greg Schiano.

Redshirt freshman running back Victor Anderson has 1,034 yards and eight touchdowns for the Cardinals.

Notes:

Louisville is 1-2 on the road this season, with the lone victory chalked up at Memphis by 35-28 on Oct. 10.

If Rutgers wins, which assures it of a Big East bowl berth, the Scarlet Knights would become just the seventh team in NCAA history to earn one after a 1-5 start.

Louisville QB Hunter Cantwell is 197-of-343 passing for 2,223 yards, but has 15 interceptions to go with his 15 touchdowns. He’s ranked sixth in the Big East in pass efficiency.

Key Player (Cardinals) — Karldell Dunning, DB

Dunning, a true freshman, will be severely tested by Rutgers’ wideouts Kenny Britt and Tiquan Underwood. He’s filling in for senior Woodny Turenne, who broke a clavicle.

Key Player (Scarlet Knights) — Mike Teel, QB

Teel can be firecracker hot or, well, not. And with much of the Big East counting on him, anything can happen. He’s thrown 16 touchdowns this season, but also 12 interceptions.

Rutgers by 10