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Posts tagged WVU
Tournament Update: Semifinals
Mar 12th
So yesterday the quarterfinal round turned out to be a day of upsets in the Big East. Top seed Syracuse lost to Georgetown, Villanova lost to Marquette, and Pitt lost to Notre Dame. WVU was the only top seed team to win yesterday with their buzzer-beater win over Cincinnati.
Pitt’s game against Notre Dame was a defensive battle as Notre Dame did their best to keep the score low all game. The Irish used the shot clock to play to their advantage all game. In the end it payed off as their defense held the Panthers to just 45 points. Notre Dame has now defeated Pitt in two games this season. The Panthers will try to move on from this loss and prepare for the NCAA tournament.
The semifinal games will take place tonight in the Garden. Georgetown vs. Marquette will be on ESPN at 7 PM and Notre Dame will take on WVU at 9 PM also on ESPN.
Here’s a look at the brackets:
The Big East Bowl Recap
Jan 6th
Well the 2009-2010 bowl season is just about over. Only the BCS National Championship between Texas and Alabama remains. The Big East finished its bowl season with a postseason record of 4-2. We’re going to recap the Big East’s bowl season starting with the scoreboard, followed by our commentary on the results.
| Meineke Car Care Bowl | |
|---|---|
| Pitt UNC |
19 (10-3, 5-2 Big East) 17 (8-5, 4-4 ACC) |
| AllState Sugar Bowl | |
|---|---|
| Cincinnati Florida |
24 (12-1, 7-0 Big East) 51 (13-1, 8-0 SEC) |
| Konica Minolta Gator Bowl | |
|---|---|
| WVU Florida State |
21 (9-4, 5-2 Big East) 33 (7-6, 4-4 ACC) |
| PapaJohns.com Bowl | |
|---|---|
| South Carolina UConn |
7 (7-6, 3-5 SEC) 20 (8-5, 3-4 Big East) |
| International Bowl | |
|---|---|
| USF N. Illinois |
27 (8-5, 3-4 Big East) 3 (7-6, 5-3 MAC) |
| St. Petersburg Bowl by Beef ‘O’ Brady’s | |
|---|---|
| UCF Rutgers |
24 (8-5, 6-2 C-USA) 45 (9-4, 3-4 Big East) |
Dan:
A 4-2 bowl season record might appear pretty good at first glance. But some people would have you think that it’s actually a poor record for the Big East this year. I’ve seen a few articles that pointed out that Cincy was blown out by Florida and WVU lost to a 6-6 FSU team, turning the Big East’s two losses into pretty awful losses.I don’t buy it though. Sure, Cincy did get blown out by Florida. But you have to attribute some of that poor play to Brian Kelly leaving the Bearcats without their head coach for the bowl game. He did make a lot of the offensive calls, afterall. At any rate, Cincy lost to a great Florida team. They were a team that was ranked first in the nation for most of the season. Florida was the better team. But the play of a single team certainly doesn’t reflect the overall strength or performance of the entire conference.
As for WVU, I feel like they deserve a little more criticism than Cincy. WVU played a pretty bad FSU team. Granted, the fact that it was Bobby Bowden’s final game probably fueled FSU, and it was a virtual road game for WVU. They still shouldn’t have lost that game. Where was Devine late in that game? Come on WVU. Still, the circumstances just seemed to favor FSU.
On the other hand, there were four other games that turned out pretty well for the Big East. Pitt’s win over UNC is my pick for top Big East bowl win. That’s not a homer pick. UNC may have had a mediocre season by the record, but they had a top ranked defense and a home crowd in Charlotte. Pitt went in and let Dion Lewis rack up another 100+ yard game on that 6th ranked defense. The Panthers outplayed UNC despite making a few mistakes and came away with a win. UConn’s win is my pick for the second best win. As much as the SEC will want to point to the Sugar Bowl outcome, Big East fans can point to this one. UConn, after overcoming tragedy this season, pulled out a decisive victory over South Carolina, an SEC opponent.
And what about the other two wins? Well USF blew out Northern Illinois, a MAC opponent. Rutgers rolled right over UCF from C-USA. Isn’t that enough to silence the Big East haters that claim we’re a mid-major conference? The Big East simply plays at a higher level than those conferences and it showed in these two wins.
So about that 4-2 record? Well let’s put aside the fact that it’s better than the SEC, Big 12, ACC, Big Ten, and Pac-10 this year (and yes, that will stand despite the outcome of the BCS National Championship). We can even forget for a minute that the Big East sends a larger percentage of teams to bowls consistently. What’s most impressive to me is that since 2006, the Big East now has gone 17-6 in bowl games. Until people start respecting this conference, the best thing the teams of the Big East can do is keep posting records like this.
Mike:
The Big East went 4-2 this bowl season, not too shabby if you think about it. I predicted 5-1. Looking back though, how impressive is that 4-2 record? Rutgers and USF were expected to win their games against weak opponents, Cincinnati and West Virginia laid eggs in their games, Pitt beat a decent North Carolina team in what was a practical road game for them, and Connecticut had the most impressive win by beating South Carolina. I give the nod to UConn because of the tragedy they went through this year and the fact that South Carolina is a team from a dominate SEC. They barely edged Pitt in my opinion. As the record shows, the ACC had another terrible bowl year, so how great is that win for Pitt?Looking back at my predictions, I wasn’t too far off on some. I really thought the Rutgers game would be closer and more of a defensive game then what it was. I figured UConn and USF would run away with their games. I honestly thought Pitt would just run up and down and all around on North Carolina and that game ended up being much closer than expected. West Virginia, I have no idea what happened there, being up 14-3 and then just not using Noel Devine. That would be like Pitt not using Dion Lewis or Jonathan Baldwin. Uh, what? Looking back, I wasn’t even that far off with the Cincinnati game, I figured they would lose and by double digits, but I didn’t think it would be that ugly.
All in all, it was a good year for Big East football. They had 0 teams ranked in the Top 25 to begin the year, but should end up with 2, maybe 3, teams ranked: Pitt, Cincy, maybe WVU. It was supposed to be a down year for talent and the teams in general, yet we saw the birth of new stars. Next year should be another fun year for Big East football. You have to figure Pitt and UConn are the two front runners. WVU and Cincy are next depending on players going to the pros and coaching transition for Cincy. Rutgers could easily be around the top next year, while USF is still a question mark, and Louisville and Syracuse are still rebuilding. It’s been a year full of memories, some good, some bad. But in the end, it was another successful Big East football season.
We’re not finished with our coverage of the 2009-2010 football season just yet. Look for a BCS National Championship preview tomorrow morning. Plus, we’re going to recap the Panthers successful 10-3 season in detail as soon as the final BCS rankings are released.
Also, don’t forget that Pitt basketball is in full swing now as they’ve entered into the Big East portion of the schedule. Look for an increase in our coverage of men’s basketball now that football season is over and basketball season is heating up.
Big East Bowl Preview
Dec 19th
We are less then 24 hours away from the first bowl game of the college bowl season. I’m not calling it the Capital One Bowl Week, because A. we are not sponsored through Capitol One and B. a week is 7 days, not 20 days. So we will be discussing it as the College Bowl Season. I plan on previewing every Big East team bowl game and what to expect. We will go more in depth for the Pitt-North Carolina game next week.
St. Petersburg Bowl – Rutgers vs UCF
This is the first bowl game that a Big East team plays in. It is also one of the first games to kick off the College Bowl Season, kickoff is at 8:00 PM on December 19, on ESPN.
Both teams are 8-4, with UCF representing C-USA. This game will pretty much be a road game for the Scarlet Knights with it being in St. Petersburg. Rutgers looks to extend their bowl win streak to 4 games, while UCF is just happy to be bowling.
Neither team has a high powered offense and neither team has allowed many points against them. Rutgers is led by freshman QB Tom Savage and sophomore RB Joe Martinek who will be running against the number 4 rush defense. UCF is led by senior QB Brett Hodges.
I don’t expect a high scoring affair, and quite frankly there is not much interest in this game.
Prediction: 24-10 Rutgers
Meineke Car Care Bowl – Pitt vs North Carolina
This is the game every Pitt fan cares about. We all know the game time, 4:30 PM, December 26, on ESPN. This game is all about redemption for Pitt, redemption after losing a shot at the Sugar Bowl or even the Gator Bowl. North Carolina is happy to be there thanks to Florida St. going to the Gator Bowl. We will discuss this game more in depth next week.
Konica Minolta Gator Bowl – WVU vs Florida St.
This may be one of the most interesting bowls this year. Bobby Bowden’s last game, a game he weaseled himself into, against the team he coached against for 10 years. This game is at 1:00 PM on CBS on January 1. Bowden weaseled his way into this game by saying he wants his last bowl game in Florida, and naturally the Gator Bowl is quick to snatch FSU up. I can’t blame them though. If you aren’t a BCS game, it’s all about the money and hoping you can make an interesting game. My problem is, what stops other coaches from doing this? What stops Joe Paterno from saying in his last year he wants to play in the Rose Bowl even if PSU doesn’t qualify in the BCS?
Logic says WVU should run away with this game behind star running back Noel Devine, but the heart says FSU pulls out an upset to send Bowden off in the sunset. WVU is 8-4, while FSU is 6-6. FSU was a weird team this year, they looked great at times, and other times completely awful. But then again that can be said about WVU as well.
FSU has a high powered offense, but who can forget the WVU defense who shut down Pitt and Cincinnati this year? I have to go with logic over heart.
Prediction: 24-21 WVU
Sugar Bowl – Florida vs Cincinnati
Cincinnati was 1 second away from a National Title game against Alabama, but now they have to take on Florida in the Sugar Bowl on January 1 at 8:30 on FOX.
This game will be very interesting, no Brian Kelly for Cincinnati, how will the seniors react and lead the team against Florida? For Florida, how will they bounce back from the ugly defeat against Alabama? How will Tim Tebow end his historic college career?
This game has all the storylines for an instant classic. Florida can put up the points with anyone, but they can play defense as well. Cincinnati, as Pitt fans well know, can put up the points in no time at all. Cincinnati doesn’t really play defense, lets be honest, they don’t. They are on the field for so long and they allow so many points. I look forward to seeing Tony Pike and Mardy Gilyard try to figure out the Florida defense. And lets not forget Florida lost their defensive coordinator to Louisville, how will this affect them in this game?
I look for a high scoring affair in this game, and it should be a lot of fun to watch. I just wish, and I’m sure every Pitt fan wishes, it was Pitt playing Florida and not Cincinnati.
Prediction: 45-31 Florida
International Bowl – Northern Illinois vs South Florida
This game takes place on January 2 at 12 on ESPN2, and honestly this may be one of the worst bowl games out there. I’m sure USF is not too pleased in going up to Canada, and who knows what is going on with Jim Levitt’s investigation right now.
Both teams are 7-5 and honestly I don’t know much more about Northern Illinois. South Florida is a weird team, they looked amazing at home, but on the road, they looked terrible.
Prediction: 24-7 USF
PapaJohns.com Bowl – UConn vs South Carolina
It’s a great story seeing UConn in a bowl game after the tragic death of Jasper Howard. They get to play South Carolina on January 2 at 2:00 on ESPN.
You know everyone is going to be pulling for UConn, except maybe people from South Carolina, but you have to love the story of seeing UConn here. But you can never discount a team coached by Steve Spurrier. Both teams finished the year 7-5, but UConn could have finished so much better. There were plenty of close losses for this team.
UConn has a much higher powered offense and defense then South Carolina and I see UConn’s up and down year to end on an up and they can truly remember Jasper Howard.
Prediction: 31-14 UConn
Overall Record for the Big East: 5-1.
So now I have a major gripe. Remember back when it actually meant something to play in a January bowl? When playing in a BCS bowl game or one of the other major bowls meant something? Where is the prestige in a January bowl now?
Simply put, there is no prestige in playing in a January bowl any more. There are simply too many January bowl games. There are 34 bowl games, too many to begin with but that’s a subject for another time. Of those 34 games, 14 are in January. That’s 41% of the games. 28 teams playing a game in January, some of those games are just: the 5 BCS games and a couple of the other major, classic, January 1 games. But seriously, the International Bowl, Liberty Bowl, PapaJohns.com Bowl, and the GMAC Bowl, that’s four games right there that have no purpose being in January. Simply put there are too many January bowl games that are meaningless and hold no tradition, why give them the prestige and honor of being in January?
I’d love to hear others opinions on this, leave us some comments to discuss.
Recap: The Brawl Gets Ugly
Nov 29th
Well the 102nd edition of the Backyard Brawl is in the books. Unfortunately, it’s not going in the way Panthers fans would have liked. WVU upset our Panthers 19-16 in Morgantown Friday night. It was a close game, as the Backyard Brawl tends to be, with the Mountaineers kicking a field goal with no time left to win the game.
The first half was relatively quiet. WVU seemed to stall on offense and was only able to put up a single field goal in the first half. Pitt’s offense was equally unimpressive, missing a field goal and also only putting up three points in the first half.
In the third quarter, WVU’s Noel Devine broke through the Pitt defense and ran 88 yards for the game’s first touchdown. Pitt was unable to score their first touchdown until late in the fourth quarter when Bill Stull found Jonathan Baldwin deep for 6. That touchdown tied the game at 16 points each with 2:54 left in the game.
In the end, WVU got the ball off of the kickoff and was able to drive 42 yards into field goal position with a drive that included a fourth down conversion. The Mountaineers’ freshman kicker, Tyler Bitancurt, made his fourth field goal of the game to take the win.
The game had a completely different look than what was expected. Pitt’s dynamic offense was nowhere to be found for most of the game. Dion Lewis was one of only a few bright spots for Pitt as he racked up another game with over 100 yards rushing. Lewis ran for 155 yards on 26 carries. Ray Graham only got the ball once for a loss of one yard. Baldwin seemed well covered, but was able to somehow rack up 127 yards and Pitt’s only touchdown. Dorin Dickerson was fairly quiet aside from dropping a few passes that should have been caught. Cedric McGee had only one catch, as did Hynoski. Mike Shanahan was Pitt’s second leading receiver in the game, yet he only managed 17 yards on 2 receptions. Stull threw two interceptions and looked unsettled all game.
Pitt’s defense was actually quite strong. In the first quarter, it looked like WVU was going to struggle to go anywhere with Pitt’s defense. On the Mountaineers’ first two drives, they actually lost yardage. When they finally drove down the field on Pitt, the defense stuffed them on fourth and goal. Overall, the defense was able to manage Devine and stop the Mountaineers from putting up big yardage. Unfortunately, they got no help from the offense. Their few mistakes, allowing Devine’s 88 yard touchdown and allowing the final drive, cost the Panthers more than they should have.
In the end, the loss means nothing to the Big East race. Pitt hosts Cincinnati next weekend at Heinz Field for what is essentially the Big East Championship game. If Pitt wins, they take the Big East BCS bowl bid. However, Pitt now needs Rutgers to beat WVU next week to ensure that the Panthers take second place in the Big East if they lose to Cincinnati. The second place Big East team will now go to the Gator Bowl since Notre Dame is ineligible after losing to Stanford and dropping to 6-6. If WVU were to beat Rutgers and Pitt were to lose to Cincinnati, Pitt would tie for second place with WVU. As the head-to-head tiebreaker winner, WVU would get the Gator Bowl invitation leaving the Panthers to a less attractive bowl game.
Pitt wasn’t the only ranked team to fall to their rival. Georgia beat #7 Georgia Tech (30-24). Oklahoma shut down #12 Oklahoma State (27-0). South Carolina beat #18 Clemson (34-17). NC State edged out #24 North Carolina (28-27). And Mississippi State crushed #25 Ole Miss (41-27).
But that’s how rivalries go. It wouldn’t be a brawl if each team didn’t wreak havoc for the other. This year isn’t exactly payback for the 2007 loss that Pitt handed a #2 National Championship-bound WVU, but it’s a bit of relief for WVU fans. For Pitt fans, it’s just another reason to hate WVU.
Game Preview: 102nd Backyard Brawl – Pitt vs. WVU
Nov 25th
In just two days, Pitt travels to Morgantown for the 102nd edition of the Backyard Brawl. Pitt leads the series 61-37-3 and has won the last two. You might remember one of the more famous meetings between these two as the 2007 Brawl. That year, WVU was ranked 2nd in the nation and only had to win against a 4-7 Panthers team to visit the National Championship game. Pitt won the game 13-9.
Last year, the Brawl came back to Pittsburgh and the Panthers won 19-15. Can Pitt make it three straight this year? While they’re not quite in contention for a National Championship this season, they are undefeated in the Big East with only WVU and Cincinnati left to play. The Cincinnati at Pitt game on December 5th will decide the Big East Champion no matter what the outcome of this Friday’s game is, but a Pitt victory against WVU will secure at least second place in the Big East.
We’re giving you our predictions one day early this week. Enjoy!
Mike_B:
Sorry Pitt fans, I have to keep my post short today as I am getting ready to board a plane to Orlando for Thanksgiving. Here are my quick thoughts on the game though.
WVU’s running back Noel Devine may not play, and if he does, he probably won’t be 100% which is huge for Pitt. Jarrett Brown isn’t the best quarterback to light up the Panthers secondary.
Shady McCoy never understood the rivalry until his trip down to West Virginia. As soon as the bus stopped, it was pelted by rocks. He then understood and made it personal. I’m not sure if Dion Lewis needs this kind of motivation or not, but Pitt needs a big game from him. Cincinnati torched WVU for 175 yards on 18 carries in their game, Dion Lewis needs to do the same. WVU doesn’t have the greatest defense, so look for Lewis to carry the load, while Bill Stull manages the game using Dorin Dickerson and Jonathan Baldwin.
This may be a rivalry game, and WVU wants revenge for the past two years, but this is the best Pitt team in a long time in this rivalry and I feel that WVU is not up to Pitt’s level. The line maybe Pitt giving 1, but I feel a blowout is in store.
Prediction: 34-17 Panthers
Dan_P:
You have the honor this year of watching the best Pitt football team of modern times. Pitt hasn’t been this good since the early 80′s. The talent is abundant across the board. This is a Pitt team unlike any that WVU has seen in recent years.
Sure, this is a rivalry. Sure, WVU is going to try to turn this into revenge for 2007. But a few things are worthy of noting here. First, this isn’t the same WVU team that played that game in 2007. There’s a new coach, a lot of new players, and it’s just not the same team. The fanbase will remember and want to make it about revenge, but the team is going to make this game about this year, not 2007. Second, no matter how much anyone tries to point out the similarities, Pitt is simply not in the same position that WVU was in 2007. Pitt is not fighting for a National Championship game. Pitt isn’t even fighting for a chance at the Big East Championship. They’ve already secured a shot at it. All they have to do is beat Cincinnati for the Big East BCS bid. So really, Pitt has very little at stake in this game other than pride.
But make no mistake, that’s enough for Pitt. Pride is everything. A rivalry is unlike any other competition. You want it bad. You want it at all costs. And even though Pitt has virtually nothing to lose in this game, they’re going to come out with intensity. They want to make a statement. They know this game is a chance to make a statement. A big win against a formidable Big East opponent will go a long way with the national audience.
Look for Pitt’s defense to step up in this game once again. The defense against Notre Dame for the first three quarters was outstanding. They shut down the Irish. That’s the defense that you’re going to see this week, but not until they get a kick start. Look for WVU to put up some points early, but for Pitt to respond and shut them down after with maybe just a field goal later on in the game. I predict Pitt holds WVU to their lowest point total of the season.
As for offense, you’re going to see another outstanding game from Dion Lewis. He’ll go for 100+ yards yet again. Stull should come out comfortable and under control. He’s been here before. Look for him to lead the offense with some good play from his receivers to back him up.
I’m calling a fairly easy Pitt victory in this one.
Prediction: 28-17 Pitt
Pitt upset #2 WVU in 2007, the last time the Panthers were in that pile of dung that they call Morgantown, WV.
Bye Week Blues: What We’re Watching this Weekend
Nov 20th
With our #8 ranked Panthers in their second bye week of the season, there’s no Pitt football game to get hyped up about this weekend. The Men’s Basketball team doesn’t play again until Monday. But that doesn’t mean it’ll be a boring weekend. There’s plenty of stuff to entertain yourself with this weekend and we’ll be taking advantage of quite a bit of it. We’re going to fill you in on what The Pitt Blog writers will be entertaining themselves with this weekend in the absence of a Pitt football matchup.
Mike_B:
Friday:
#24 Syracuse at #4 North Carolina in the Coaches vs. Cancer Championship game, 7:00 PM ESPN2. – A great early season game seeing two ranked teams play against each other. Syracuse just beat California handedly and North Carolina just narrowly escaped Ohio State.The League (DVR) – This FX show shows what really happens in fantasy football and provides great humor to both those who play fantasy football and those who have no idea what fantasy football is.
The Office (DVR) – Where will Dunder Mifflin go after the rumors of bankruptcy?
Pittsburgh Light Up Night (Live In Person) – Events start at 5:45 PM tonight and go until 10:00 PM. There are various events including concerts, tree lighting, and a firework display.
Saturday:
#10 Ohio State at Michigan, 12:00 PM ABC – This classic college football rivalry is the last game either one of these Big Ten teams will see until the bowl games. Michigan needs a win and a miracle to make a bowl. Ohio State just wants to beat their rival, as they’ve already clinched their BCS Bowl berth.UConn at Notre Dame, 2:30 PM NBC – This is a game that every Big East fan should be watching. If UConn wins, it might just be enough to eliminate Notre Dame from the Gator Bowl and just might allow UConn to get into a bowl game. Notre Dame is reeling after two straight losses and Charlie Weis’ job is on the line.
Pittsburgh Penguins at Atlanta Thrashers, 7:00 PM FSN Pittsburgh – The Pens take back to the ice against the Thrashers. Can they rebound after the disappointment against Ottawa? Brooks Orpik is due to return during this road trip.
Ortiz-Griffin 2, 10 PM PPV – This rematch was supposed to be on the same card as Lesnar-Carwin, but due to Lesnar’s illness this fight was moved to the main event. The first fight between the two was a classic with Ortiz dealing Griffin his first UFC loss. Griffin looks to get back in the title picture by ruining The Huntington Beach Bad Boy’s return to the octagon.
Sunday:
Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs, 1:00 PM CBS – The Steelers look to rebound after the loss to the Bengals against the Chiefs. The Chiefs have a new running back in Jamaal Charles and is coached by Todd Haley, Arizona’s Offensive Coordinator last year.New York Jets at New England Patriots, 4:15 PM CBS – Can the Jets complete the sweep of the Patriots or will Bill Belicheat find his way to gamble and win unlike last week against the Colts? Pitt alum Darrelle Revis covers Randy Moss.
WWE Survivor Series, 8:00 PM PPV – One of the original WWE PPVs, a classic amongst fans will be the team elimination matches.
Dan_P:
Friday:
#24 Syracuse at #4 North Carolina in the Coaches vs. Cancer Championship game, 7:00 PM ESPN2. – See above.Nash Bridges (DVD) – Yeah you read that correctly. You don’t like Don Johnson and Cheech Marin? What’s wrong with you? I know it’s been off the air since 2001. I’ve just made it my personal mission to eventually watch the entire series from start to finish. Seeing as I have bronchitis and won’t be out this weekend, it’s a perfect chance to make up on some lost episodes.
Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360) – Ok so I’ll be playing it rather than “watching” it, but it still counts. I’ll be on Xbox Live for anyone that wants a lesson in the art of Modern Warfare. Gamertag: PpAzZ
Saturday:
Louisville at USF, 12:00 PM ESPN360.com – As weak as it may be, I can’t resist a Big East game. It’s just too bad that I’ll have to watch it on a computer screen, which means the Ohio State-Michigan game will be on the big TV in the background.UConn at Notre Dame, 2:30 PM NBC – See above. Go Huskies!
Pittsburgh Penguins at Atlanta Thrashers, 7:00 PM FSN Pittsburgh – See above.
Assasin’s Creed 2 and Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360) – I’ll be catching up on some gaming throughout the day. See above for my gamertag.
Sunday:
Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs, 1:00 PM CBS – Here we go Steelers, here we go!New York Jets at New England Patriots, 4:15 PM CBS – See above.
Philadelphia Eagles at Chicago Bears, 8:20 PM ABC – While it’s not a particularly interesting game as far as I’m concerned, it’s football. Plus, it’s always nice to see former Panthers in the NFL. We get to see LeSean McCoy doing his thing for the Eagles. I’ll take it.
There you have it Panther fans. Feel free to let us know what you’re doing with the bye week.
Of course, we’re still getting hyped up for next week’s game in Morgantown. We’re just seven days away from the Backyard Brawl with WVU. Tickets are still available! Get a move on it!
Countdown: Backyard Brawl
Nov 17th
Just 10 days left until the Backyard Brawl with WVU. Mark your calendars: November 27, 2009 – 7:00 PM.
This is just a reminder to Pitt fans that tickets are available through the Panthers Ticket Office at $50 per seat. Don’t miss out on a great game in a great season for Pitt. For those fans that absolutely can’t make it to Morgantown, the game will be televised on ESPN2.
This will be the 102nd annual Backyard Brawl. Pitt leads the series 61-37-3, and is on a two game winning streak in the Brawl. The Panthers will look to make it 3 straight on “Black Friday” this year.
Pitt upset #2 WVU by a score of 13-9 in 2007, the last time the Panthers were in that pile of dung that they call Morgantown, WV.
Backyard Brawl Kickoff Announced
Nov 16th
The kickoff time for the Backyard Brawl, Pitt vs. WVU, has been announced. The game will kickoff at 7:00 PM on ESPN2 on November 27. This year’s Brawl is in Morgantown, WV. Tickets for Pitt fans are still available through the Panthers ticket office.
Pitt and the Rankings
Nov 9th
So my guess is that there are a lot of upset Pitt fans this Monday morning. The BCS Rankings came out yesterday and, even with all of the upsets this weekend, Pitt only moved up one spot to 12th. The Panthers did, however, move up a bit more in the AP Poll and ESPN/USA Today Poll. They are 8th and 9th, respectively, in those polls.
Before you Pitt Blog fans get too upset, remember that the BCS Rankings mean nothing to Pitt at this point. There are three things for upset fans to consider right now. First off, there’s no way that Pitt is getting into a National Championship game this year with the NC State loss on the record. Second, if Pitt wins the Big East, they’ll get the automatic BCS Bowl bid anyway. And finally, if the Panthers finish second or third in the Big East, there’s virtually no chance that they’ll get an at-large bid. Right now, all that should concern Panther fans is the possibility of winning the Big East.
That brings us to an interesting scenario. Pitt has a good chance at the Big East title this year. The Panthers have three games left: Notre Dame, WVU, and Cincinnati. The Notre Dame game could have implications when it comes to the Gator Bowl. Notre Dame’s contract with the Gator Bowl requires the Irish to finish within 2 wins of the second place Big East team to get invited. If Pitt finishes in second place in the Big East and wants to avoid going to the Meineke Car Care Bowl, they need to beat both Notre Dame and WVU, as well as have Notre Dame drop at least one more game (to either UConn or Stanford). That would put Pitt at 10-2 and Notre Dame at 7-5. Pitt would then get an invite to the Gator Bowl.
But that doesn’t mean that Pitt must win against Notre Dame. In fact, Pitt could lose both the Notre Dame game and the WVU game and still win the Big East, thereby getting an automatic bid to a BCS Bowl Game. As long as Cincinnati beats WVU, the Cincinnati vs. Pitt game on December 5th will decide the Big East Champion.
It gets a bit more confusing when you try to map out all of the possible scenarios, but the bottom line is clear: Pitt needs to beat Cincinnati. That’s what Panther fans should be most concerned with right now. A win against Notre Dame will help Pitt, but only if Pitt loses to Cincy and Notre Dame drops another game after Pitt. Even then, it only helps the Panthers get into the Gator Bowl in an unlikely scenario. Pitt’s best shot at an exciting bowl game lies in winning the Big East.
Pitt Men’s Basketball Unranked in AP Preseason Poll
Oct 30th
After the ESPN/USA Today Coach’s Poll was released yesterday leaving Pitt off the list, the AP Preseason Poll was released today.
Unfortunately for Panther fans, Pitt is unranked in the AP Preseason Poll as well. Pitt received only 4 votes and was listed by ESPN in the “Others Receiving Votes” category. That unofficially puts the Panthers at 47th place in the poll.
The Big East was again well represented with 5 teams making the top 25 cut in this poll as well: Villanova (5), WVU (8), UConn (12), Louisville (19), and Georgetown (20).
AP Preseason Poll:
1. Kansas
2. Michigan State
3. Texas
4. Kentucky
5. Villanova
6. North Carolina
7. Purdue
8. West Virginia
9. Duke
10. Tennessee
11. Butler
12. Connecticut
13. California
14. Washington
15. Michigan
16. Ohio State
17. Oklahoma
18. Mississippi State
19. Louisville
20. Georgetown
21. Dayton
22. Georgia Tech
23. Illinois
24. Clemson
25. MinnesotaSource: ESPN.com
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