You are just hoping against hope at this point. Pitt and SU leaving was huge blow, you have been downplaying its impact by saying things like it is "Just Pitt and Syracuse". It is not the quality of the football programs that will be missed, it is the illusion of the Big East being a stable, vibrant conference going forward, that other schools WANT to join. The only schools that want to come here are schools currently not in BCS conferences. Even the Big 12, with their exodus of three schools, possibly four, in two years to leave the conference can poach a Big East school to be.
I agree with you, that for the schools left behind they HAVE to make the Big East work, because the BCS bid is tied to that name, but no school currently here is going to make the blood oath you are requiring of them and that frankly, is necessary to make it work, and why I think the Big East basketball schools are going to decide it is in their best interest to NOT have football in the mix.
We/UConn are not in an enviable position right now, but just like you say Herbst's plan of "beg harder" isn't working, neither is the plan to "hope harder" that the remaining schools sign an albatross agreement since they are ALL looking for lifeline.