Now that we know for sure which underclassmen are leaving for the NFL, it's time to declare winners and losers from the Big East:

Winners

West Virginia: Getting both Noel Devine and Jock Sanders back was a big, and somewhat unexpected, boost. The Mountaineers suddenly went from having some major questions on offense to having a strong returning nucleus to surround sophomore quarterback Geno Smith.

Pittsburgh: Greg Romeus had indicated all along he'd come back for his senior year, but Pitt fans heard a similar story last year from LeSean McCoy. After winning Big East co-defensive player of the year honors, Romeus could have bolted and become a first-day pick. Instead, he'll be back to form the most fearsome defensive end duo in the league with fellow senior Jabaal Sheard.

Syracuse: Delone Carter toyed with the idea of going pro, but the Orange's leading rusher in 2009 will be back to help Doug Marrone's offense. (I don't count Mike Williams as an early entry since he wasn't coming back to the program anyway.)

Push

Rutgers: Star left tackle Anthony Davis left for the NFL, but the Scarlet Knights had been prepared for that from basically the time he signed a letter of intent. They had planned accordingly.

Loser

South Florida: The Bulls lost defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul after just one season out of junior college, and receiver Carlton Mitchell -- their best deep threat -- declared for the draft as well. Neither one seemed like an early-entry candidate at the beginning of the season.