Pitt is set for a prime time showdown against Notre Dame

by Jonathan Etkowicz on November 12, 2009

Pitt enters Saturday's nationally televised game against Notre Dame in the top ten for the first time this season. The Panthers find themselves at number eight in the AP poll and ninth in the coaches poll. This is Pitt's best ranking since an AP ranking of seventh on October 24, 1989. It's also the first time Pitt has been ranked in the top ten of both national polls since November 1982.

Pitt ran for 247 yards against the Big East's best rush defense, beating Syracuse 37-10. The Panthers gave another solid team effort. A slow start gave way to victory. Dion Lewis ran for his sixth 100-yard game, Greg Williams sparked the defense with a 51-yard interception returned for a touchdown, and Dorin Dickerson caught his tenth touchdown pass of the season. The win kept Pitt in the hunt for its first outright Big East title and let the team shake off any bye week rust before Saturday's game against Notre Dame. Earlier this week, Paul Zeise questioned how big this Saturday's game is saying WVU-Cincinnati is far more meaningful to Pitt. Yes, if Cincinnati beats WVU, it sures up the December 5 Cincinnati-Pitt game as the de facto Big East championship. This Saturday's game against the Fighting Irish may lack the circumstance and Big East implications, but it is just as important to Pitt.

Pitt-Notre Dame may lack the grandeur of Pitt-WVU or Pitt-Penn State, but it is still a rivalry. If Adam Gunn is a representation of his team, the players feel there's a rivalry.
The Pitt-Notre Dame rivalry is big. Coach Wannstedt always talks about tradition here, and Pitt-Notre Dame is a chance for us to represent our university and really continue our drive to the successful season that we're after. Notre Dame, that's Rudy, they are college football. But we are, too. We have a great football tradition here at Pitt. So, this is a big game. When you beat them, that gives you a chance to say that you beat Notre Dame that year. They are college football. They're the leaders of college football, so this is a chance for us to show that we are, too, now.
A victory over Notre Dame gives Pitt's players the opportunity to continue their successful season at the expense of a rival. Notre Dame may be a non-conference game, but Pitt can ill-afford the loss at a time they're hunting for the Big East title. Coach Wannstedt has turned his team into a top ten program. It's a position Pitt's players feel they belong in. Take it from defensive lineman Gus Mustakas. "We're a top-10 program now, and that's where we should be. Pitt should always been ranked this high, and I feel like this isn't the only year. I feel like we've built something here that can continue for a long time. We got it started, and this success is just the beginning for the Pitt football program.'' Beating Notre Dame keeps Pitt in the top ten. A victory proves Pitt is no fluke.

The Panthers need to beat the Irish. Notre Dame is a team in turmoil after losing 23-21 to Navy. Notre Dame had the Gator Bowl there for the taking (because they're Notre Dame, not because they're good) and now must win out against Pitt, UConn, and Stanford to assure it takes the Big East's at-large BCS bid. They must play spoiler to do so. A victory over the Irish keeps Pitt on course to get to the Gator Bowl or the BCS.

A win would give Pitt two straight over the Irish. If Pitt wins, this will be the program's first back-to-back victories over Notre Dame since 1986 and 1987. A win is good for Pitt's season, its program, and recruiting. Notre Dame recruits in Pennsylvania. A second straight win against the Golden Domers hurts their recruiting in the Commonwealth. A win speaks volumes about Dave Wannstedt and the way he's remade the Pitt football program.

Pitt matches up well against Notre Dame. Both teams have suspect secondaries and good receivers. The edge goes to an injury-free Pitt receiving corps. They have a better offensive line. Bill Stull will get more time to make passes to Dickerson, Jonathan Baldwin, Mike Shanahan, Nate Byham, and company. Pitt's defensive line has the advantage over Notre Dame's offensive line. Pitt has the advantage on both sides of the running game. Jimmy Clausen doesn't like to get hit and Pitt has the nation's best pass rush. The schematic advantage goes to Pitt.

A victory against Notre Dame would be a big step in the right direction for the Panthers.

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Mike Shanahan brings a new dimension to Pitt’s offense

by Jonathan Etkowicz on November 6, 2009

As I've repeatedly mentioned in this space, Pitt has a diverse and balanced offense thanks to a bevy of playmakers at running back, receiver, and tight end. Thanks to a solid season thus far, wide receiver Mike Shanahan became the most recent addition to that group. Shanahan has received a bit of publicity this week, and for good reason.

Since his two reception, 35 yards receiving performance against UConn, Shanahan has become a more prevalent part of the Panthers offense. He's caught 5 receptions for 53 yards in games against Rutgers and South Florida for a total of 7 receptions and 88 receiving yards. Having rebounded nicely from a training camp injury to his hand, Shanahan ostensibly replaced Oderick Turner in the Panthers offense. Shanahan has demonstrated an ability to catch the ball. Those catches, it seems, come in key situations. He can also do the little things at wide receiver that can get overlooked. "I like getting first downs," Shanahan said. "And being physical in the blocking and running game is definitely something I try to do." Shanahan has become a bigger part of the offense each week as the coaches trust him more. That trust has led to increased playing time.

At 6'5'', Shanahan has size to go along with his good hands. He gives Bill Stull a second 6'5'' target to go with Jonathan Baldwin. "There is no substitute for his height, and you combine that with a guy who has good hands," Dave Wannstedt said. "He is a smart guy, too, so he is a fast learner. So, even though he is a redshirt freshman, he understands what we're trying to do and, when his number has been called, he has responded." Shanahan's good hands and route running ability make him Pitt's top possession receiver. Shanahan and Cedric McGee give Pitt a viable possession receiver tandem. But Shanahan also has speed, which makes him wary of the "possession receiver" label.

With more experience, Shanahan will play a more prominent role in the Panthers offense. It could happen later this season. Panthers fans will see it in 2010 for sure when Shanahan might takeover the H-Back role from Dorin Dickerson. The ability is clearly there. The experience will come with more playing time. Expect him to get more starts in the near future after his first career start against South Florida. Shanahan has become a valuable part of Pitt's dynamic offense at a crucial time. In turn, he's helping make Pitt's offense harder for opponents to plan for.

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Pitt goes for win number eight against lowly Syracuse

by Jonathan Etkowicz on November 5, 2009

Syracuse (3-5, 0-3) is a lowly team, but they're the gateway to an important final stretch for the Panthers. A win over the Orange guarantees Pitt a Big East finish of no worse than third. Even then, a win does not mean the pressure is off. How Pitt handles games against Syracuse, Notre Dame, (at) West Virginia, and Cincinnati determines if they finish as a 10- or 11-win New Year's bowl team, collapse after a promising start, or fall somewhere in between.

Even though Syracuse is struggling this season, they are always a tricky opponent for the Panthers. Pitt is 4-0 against Syracuse in the Dave Wannstedt era, but Syracuse always plays tough against Pitt. In both 2007 and 2008, despite being at the bottom of the Big East, Syracuse made Pitt earn its victories. Pitt can't afford to overlook the Orange. Doug Marrone's work ethic and attitude have the Orange playing harder. Wannstedt has kept his players focused on Syracuse. "It's a conference game and it's Pitt-Syracuse. And we better be ready to play better than we have."

Pitt needs to play the way it did against South Florida by controlling all three phases of the game rather than the sluggish way it's played for the majority of the season. Pitt looked like the team everyone expected it to be. Pitt can't revert to games where it plays only one good half and expect to win. Nor can Pitt get caught up in the Mike Williams mess Syracuse is dealing with and lower their guard.

Pitt is averaging 34.3 points per game this season. Syracuse has given up 20 or more points in all but one game this season. That one game was a win over Akron. Pitt has the Big East's leading passer in Bill Stull and the leading rusher and league scoring leader in Dion Lewis. Pitt balances its offense with a talented receiving corps who are a big part of Pitt's success this season. Jonathan Baldwin is the home run threat. Dorin Dickerson is the touchdown-catching tight end, and Mike Shanahan has become the possession receiver. Four of Shanahan's seven catches have come on third downs and kept a drive going. Cedric McGee and Nate Byham are outstanding blockers.

Syracuse will expect Lewis to carry the load in the early going. The Orange have the top run defense in the Big East. They allow only 88.9 rushing yards per game. It's strength against strength and Lewis will get his carries. He's too good to not be integral to the game plan. Expect Pitt to go to the air early, using its playmakers to exploit Syracuse's suspect passing defense. Syracuse allows 275 passing yards per game. The offensive line has done a great job giving Stull time to pass. He'll make the most of that against the Orange.

Syracuse must also contend with a Pitt defense leading the nation in sacks with 33. Pitt used a nickel/bandit package against South Florida. It appears they'll employ it throughout the remainder of the season. Syracuse is a spread offense team, meaning the nickel package may be used more than Pitt's base defense. Syracuse should expect to see plenty of Elijah Fields as the bandit.

Pitt is also benefiting from an improved pass defense. In the first four games of the season, Pitt surrendered 957 passing yards and eight passing touchdowns. In the second four, Pitt has allowed 739 passing yards and three passing touchdowns. Pitt's banged up secondary is catching up to its front seven thanks to the play of Fields, Jarred Holley, Ricky Gary, and Jovani Chappel. Pitt is coming off its most impressive defensive effort of the season and should continue that momentum against the Orange.

Syracuse may play Pitt tough, but this game will end the same as the last four, with a Pitt victory.

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Brad’s Week 10 College Football Upsets to Watch Out For

by deaconcat08 on November 3, 2009

I wasn't exactly on fire in my picking of upsets last week, as only 2 of 6 hit.  However, last week was a miserable week for underdogs, and unfortunately for this column and all those who like watching upsets, this week looks to be more the same.  There a 2 or 3 dogs I really like this week, but after that I'm not really sure.  In all, I've got 6 potential upsets for you to consider, along with my weekly longshot pick, where once again my choices were severely limited.  These are ordered from smallest underdog to largest, and the value in each parentheses represents the number of points by which each team is currently an underdog according to the World Sports Exchange. Houston (+1.0) vs. Tulsa- I'm absolutely baffled that after Keenum's amazing performance last week and Tulsa's miserable home loss to SMU that Houston has gone from a point and half favorite here to a 1-point dog.  Bet the house on the Cougars this week! UL-Monroe (+1.0) vs. North Texas-  See analysis of this game in my "picks of the week" entry below. Bowling Green (+3.5) vs. Buffalo- Both of these teams are in the midst of hugely disappointing seasons, as I imagine ESPN did not expect these teams to come into this game with a combined 6-10 record when they scheduled it for a Tuesday night national TV game.  Nevertheless, someone has to win tonight, and since I had such poor early success picking Buffalo this year that I thought that it wouldn't hurt to see what happens if I picked against them.  Bowling Green has actually played somewhat well on the road this season going 2-2, and Buffalo is only 1-2 at home against 1-A opponents. Ohio State (+4.0) vs. Penn State- You might as well flip a coin to pick the winner of this battle between Big 10 heavyweights, but here are just a few things to consider.  OSU has more to play for, as they control their own conference title/Rose Bowl destiny.  Penn State, on the other hand, has its sights set on the Outback or Capital One bowl barring a late-season collapse by Iowa.  Also, the Buckeyes have won 2 out of their last 3 of in State College, so they clearly aren't afraid to play there.  South Carolina (+7.0) vs. Arkansas- I'm not giving up on the Gamecocks just yet, as I think this team still has some life let in it and will avoid its typical late season collapse that has become a trademark of the Spurrier era.  They have looked bad the last couple of weeks, but but don't count on SC to give Arkansas 4 first half turnovers like they did against Tenneessee.  The Cocks have had trouble playing the Hogs over the years, losing 4 of the past 7,  however, if the defense can keep the Razorback offense in check and Garcia and company don't turn the ball over, then they have a shot at winning this one. Oregon State (+7.0) vs. California- People are declaring that the Bears are back after their humiliating early season losses to USC and Oregon, but I'm not so sure.  Cal needed a last-minute miracle drive to beat Arizona State last week, and all of the Bears' wins this year have come against teams with less talent than the Beavers.  Oregon State has a real shot to win this one I think.  Longshot of the Week: Navy (+11.0) vs. Notre Dame- The Midshipmen are coming off a horrible home loss to Temple, but I'm not sure if the Irish are capable of soundly beating anyone (except of course Wazzou), and if you let Navy and its triple-option attack hang around long enough, then you might just get beat (ask Wake the last two years).
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Brad’s Week 10 College Football Picks of the Week

by deaconcat08 on November 3, 2009

First of all, can you believe we are already in Week 10 of the college football season?   This year has really flown by.  At any rate, I was bound to have one mediocre/bad week picking games and on Saturday it finally happened.  Even though 4-6 isn't that bad of a week, it was the first time this year I finished under .500 on a particular Saturday.  I'll try to regain my old form this week with another 10 picks for you  to look at.  Here are some quick thoughts about this week's lines: there are a lot of games I like, but nothing I truly love.  I especially like an unsually high number of home teams.  One drawback, however, is that a lot of these lines are at 14 points or more (aka blowout spreads), which are always difficult to predict.  The spreads are based on the current lines according to the World Sports Exchange, and they are ordered from most confident to least confident. Pick # 1:  Houston (-1.5) vs. Tulsa- I'm still red-hot with my C-USA picks this year (though I needed a Houston miracle to preserve my unbeaten record  in one of my pools), so I'll stick with it.  Tulsa is playing horribly right now, so I don't see them beating the class of the conference, even if the game is at home. Pick # 2: UCLA (-4.5) vs. Washington- As has been chronicled on this blog throughout the season, Washington has showed promise at home but has played dreadfully on the road.  UCLA is winless in conference, but has looked decent in their last few games and has appeared to found a capable quarterback in Kevin Prince after last week's 4th quarter comeback against Oregon State.  I think the Bruins breakthrough here and get their first conference win of the season by a comfortable margin. Pick # 3: Miami-FL (-13.5) vs. Virginia- I know the Canes' didn't cover last week after I called them the lock of the week, but now they are back at home and should roll over a struggling Cavs team. Pick # 4: Michigan (-3.5) vs. Purdue- Both of these teams looked absolutely horrible last week and have struggled in general for most of the season.  However, I don't see Purdue, with their 0-3 road record this year, coming into the Big House and challenging Michigan.  Pick # 5: Oregon (-5.0) vs. Stanford- The Ducks have been rolling over over their opposition, on the road and at home, ever since their domination of Cal in late September.  Stanford is much improved this season and has played well at home, but I have no reason to believe they will be the first team in 2 months to give the Ducks a game.  Pick # 6: Minnesota (-6.5) vs. Illinois- Illinois proved me wrong last week by getting a big win against Michigan.  However, I don't see this being the sign of a miraculous last season turnaround for the Ilini like some are talking about.  I think it is more likely than not that we see Illinois' struggles continue this week when considering they have dropped all 4 of their road games this year by double-digits, including embarrasing losses to Indiana and Purdue.   Minnesota, on the other hand, has responded very well to the loss of Decker and has looked very good at home all season.  Pick # 7: Oklahoma State (-7.5) vs. Iowa State- With the exception of Baylor and maybe Texas A & M, all of the Big 12 South teams should beat their North counterparts by double-digits for the remainder of the season.  I expect no different in this game, as the Cowboys come in to Ames fired up after being demolished by Texas last Saturday.  The Cyclones, on the other hand, are a good story this year, but when push comes to shove, their best win in a game where they weren't handed 1,000 turnovers  (like vs. Nebraska) was against Baylor. Pick # 8: UL-Monroe (+1.0) vs. North Texas- This is now my underdog pick of the week, as Monroe somehow went from a point and a half favorite to a 1-point dog here.  Since their season-opening shocker over Ball State,  North Texas has been winless, with the exception of last week's triumph over lowly Western Kentucky.  Now Monroe comes to town with its sights on its first ever bowl bid.  I expect the Warhawks to take care of business in this one. Pick # 9: SMU (-17.0) vs. Rice- Rice has been the "go to" team to bet against all year, as they have failed to cover the spread in their last five games.  I don't see that trend changing in this one, as the Mustangs have the offensive power to romp the Owls, just like everyone else has been doing.  Pick # 10: Kent State (-3.0) vs. Akron- I underestimated the Flashes last week,  as they pulled out a big victory over Western Michigan and have now become my most impressive preseason surprise pick.  They need just two more wins to be guaranteed their  first bowl bid since their 1972 Tangerine Bowl loss to a team that no longer plays Division 1 football (University of Tampa???).  With those kind of stakes hanging in the balance, I don't see the Flashes dropping this road game against the struggling Zips.
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Week 10 College Football Researchers Association Poll

by deaconcat08 on November 2, 2009

 

It looks like the CFRA was correct in its lack of respect for USC.  While all other major rankings systems had USC in the top 5, ranked ahead many of the current unbeatens, the CFRA kept them below Boise, Cincy, and TCU.  The association should feel vindicated this weekend, as Southern Cal got tore up by Oregon.  The top 3 here are the same as the other major polls, but Boise continues to hold on to the CFRA 4-spot, despite falling to # 7 in the BCS.  In addition to Boise, this poll continues to have a great deal of love for non-BCS schools, as you will notice in the “teams ranked higher in CFRA poll” stat on the bottom of the entry.  Also, for the fourth straight week, there is a tie in the poll, as both Oklahoma and Wisconsin share the 22 spot.  Here are this week’s rankings: 1.  Florida (6)- 246 points  2.  Texas (3)- 241 points 3.  Alabama (1)- 233 points 4.  Boise State- 212 points 5.  Cincinnati- 208 points 6.  TCU- 201 points 7.  Iowa- 198 points 8.  Oregon- 174 points 9.  LSU- 168 points 10.  Georgia Tech- 161 points 11.  Penn State- 140 points 12.  Houston- 132 points 13.  Pittsburgh- 119 points 14.  Ohio State- 112 points 15.  Southern Cal- 111 points 16.  Utah- 98 points 17.  Oklahoma State- 89 points 18.  Miami (FL)- 69 points 19.  Notre Dame- 51 points 20.  Arizona- 48 points 21.  Virginia Tech- 44 points 22.  Oklahoma- 40 points 22.  Wisconsin- 40 points 24.  Brigham Young- 29 points 25.  California- 22 points Others Receiving Votes: South Florida 20, West Virginia 17, Central Michigan 6, Clemson 6, Idaho 3, Texas Tech 2, Temple 2, Auburn 2, Ole Miss 1 Dropped Out: West Virginia 18, South Carolina 21, Ole Miss 22, Central Michigan 24 Teams Ranked Higher in CFRA than BCS, AP, and Coaches: Boise State (4), Houston (12), Oklahoma State (17), Virginia Tech (21), BYU (24). Teams Ranked Lower in CFRA than BCS, AP, and Coaches: Southern Cal (15), Miami-FL (18), Cal (25) . Teams Ranked Exactly the Same in All 3 Major Human Polls (AP, CFRA, and Coaches): Florida (1), Texas (2), Alabama (3), LSU (9).
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Good Thoughts/Bad Thoughts from College Football Week 9

by deaconcat08 on November 1, 2009

Good Thoughts:

1.  Coaches Poll- Finally, we see some common sense at the top of both the Coaches’ Poll this week.  This has got to be the first time in several years, if not ever, that five or more unbeaten teams all ranked consecutively at the top of the poll.  There is not the usual overrated 1-loss team that the pollsters put ahead of one or two unbeatens, even though they’ve dropped a game.  For the last few weeks, that team was Southern Cal, and obviously, the CFRA was right in ranking them lower than everyone else for the past few weeks.  The AP still has Oregon ranked ahead of Iowa, but I imagine if the Hawkeyes’ beat OSU in Columbus in a few weeks, they’ll move ahead of the Ducks if not higher.

2.  Coach of the year candidates- Here are 7 names to throw out there (in order of current worthiness): Robb Akey (Idaho), Brian Kelly (Cincinnati), Gary Patterson (TCU), Chip Kelly (Oregon), Kirk Ferentz (Iowa- almost makes up for his team’s 10-year run as annual underachievers),  Al Golden (Temple), Paul Johnson (Georgia Tech).

3.  Good Side of the Bowl Bubble: Teams closing in on bowl bids-

  • Michigan- Record: 5-4; Odds of bowl eligibility: 66%; Remaining Schedule: Purdue, at Wisconsin, Ohio State
  • Michigan State- Record: 4-5; Odds of bowl eligibility: 66%; Remaining Schedule: Western Michigan, at Purdue, Penn State
  • Western Michigan- Record: 4-5; Odds of bowl eligibility: 66%; Remaining Schedule: at Michigan State, at Eastern Michigan, Ball State
  • Ole Miss- Record: 5-3 (need 7 wins); Odds of bowl eligibility: 65%; Remaining Schedule: Northern Arizona, Tennessee, LSU, at Miss. State (can you really believe this team is on the bubble?!?!)
  • SMU- Record: 4-4; Odds of bowl eligibility: 63%; Remaining Schedule: Rice, UTEP, at Marshall, Tulane
  • Kentucky-Record: 4-4; Odds of bowl eligibility: 60%; Remaining Schedule: EKU, at Vandy, at Georgia, Tennessee (can this please be the year they beat Tennessee!)
  • Texas A & M- Record: 5-3; Odds of bowl eligibility: 59%; Remaining Schedule: at Colorado, at Oklahoma, Baylor, Texas
  • Arkansas- Record: 4-4; Odds of bowl eligibility: 58%; Remaining Schedule: South Carolina, Troy, Miss. State, at LSU
  • Kent State- Record: 5-4; Odds of bowl eligibility: 57%; Remaining Schedule: at Akron, at Temple, Buffalo
  • Florida State- Record: 4-4;  Odds of bowl eligibility: 56%; Remaining Schedule: at Clemson,  at Wake, Maryland, at Florida (note: there may end up being only 2 bowl eligible teams from the ACC Atlantic- BC and Clemson)
  • Central Florida- Record: 4-3; Odds of bowl eligibility: 55%; Remaining Schedule: Marshall, at Texas, Houston, Tulane, at UAB
  • Iowa State- Record: 5-4; Odds of bowl eligibility: 54%; Remaining Schedule: Oklahoma State, Colorado, at Missouri
  • North Carolina- Record: 5-3 (needs 7 wins); Odds of bowl eligibility: 53%; Remaining Schedule: Duke, at Miami-FL , at BC, at NC State
  • Southern Miss- Record: 5-4; Odds of bowl eligibility: 52%; Remaining Schedule: at Marshall, Tulsa, at ECU
  • Kansas State- Record: 5-4; Odds of bowl eligibility: 51%; Remaining Schedule: Kansas, Mizzou, at Nebraska (note: the fact that the Big 12 North may very well get 5 bowl bids is a crime against humanity, especially against human football fans who like good bowl games)
  • Toledo- Record: 4-5; Odds of bowl eligibility: 51%; Remaining Schedule: at Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan, at Bowling Green

    • Bad Thoughts:

    1.  Bad Side of the Bowl Bubble: Teams who may be home for the holidays-

  • Northwestern- Record: 5-4; Odds of bowl eligibility: 49%; Remaining Schedule: at Iowa, at Illinois, Wisconsin
  • UCLA- Record: 3-5; Odds of bowl eligibility: 48%; Remaining Schedule: Washington, at Wazzou, Arizona State, at USC
  • Tulsa- Record: 4-4; Odds of bowl eligibility: 47%; Remaining Schedule: Houston, ECU, at Southern Miss, Memphis (hard to believe this team is on the wrong side of the bubble right now)
  • San Diego State- Record: 4-4; Odds of bowl eligibility: 45%; Remaining Schedule: TCU, Wyoming, at Utah, at UNLV
  • UAB- Record: 3-5; Odds of bowl eligibility: 44%; Remaining Schedule: FAU, at Memphis, at ECU, Central Florida
  • Wake Forest- Record: 4-5; Odds of bowl eligibility: 40%; Remaining Schedule: at Georgia Tech, FSU, at Duke
  • Stanford- Record: 5-3; Odds of bowl eligibility: 40%; Remaining Schedule: Oregon, at USC, Cal, Notre Dame
  • Wyoming- Record: 4-4; Odds of bowl eligibility: 38%; Remaining Schedule: BYU, at San Diego State, TCU, at Colorado State
  • Duke- Record: 5-3 (needs 7 wins); Odds of bowl eligibility: 37%; Remaining Schedule: at UNC, GT, at Miami-FL, Wake Forest
  • Arizona State- Record: 4-4; Odds of bowl eligibility: 35%; Remaining Schedule: USC, at Oregon, at UCLA, Arizona
  • UTEP- Record: 3-5; Odds of bowl eligibility: 34%; Remaining Schedule: at Tulane, at SMU, at Rice, Marshall
  • Indiana- Record: 4-5; Odds of bowl eligibility: 33%; Remaining Schedule: Wisconsin, at Penn State, Purdue

    • 2.  Looking too far ahead- I know the Longhorns appear to be on their way to the BCS Title Game, as they will be double, if not triple-digit, favorites in the rest of their games.  However, they at least have to act like they’re preparing for each of their opponents.  The quote of the year in college football may have been given last night by Roddrick Muckelroy, the Longhorns’ star linebacker.  When asked about his team’s ability to focus on its upcoming games, he said ”The Big Prize is next week– Florida Atlantic”.   This would have been a very admirable answer, if not for the fact that Texas plays Central Florida next week, not Florida Atlantic.   Oops…  The Longhorns opened with FAU in 2008, which is probably why Muckelroy got the two mixed up.  Regardless, it will definitely be used as billboard material by O’Leary and his Knights this week in practice.  Unfortunately, Texas will still roll on Saturday no matter who they think they are playing. 

    3.  Gameday location decision- Another head-scratcher by the ESPN Gameday producers.  Next Saturday Gameday will be in Colorado Springs for Air Force and Army, instead of in Tuscaloosa for LSU-Bama.  For some reason, this year, television’s most adored pregame show has been choosing to visit locations of novelty games instead of the best game of the week.  It is one thing to do that during a week when there aren’t any blockbuster matchups, but Saturday’s clash in Tuscaloosa has huge national title implications.  Don’t get me wrong,, I’m all about supporting the troops and the service academies, but this isn’t the week for Gameday to do something like this, especially since the Falcons-Knights game will be a total blowout.

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    Renewing the Keystone State Rivalry

    by Jonathan Etkowicz on October 31, 2009

    For those readers who don't know, that's one of the names given to the Pitt-Penn State rivalry. The football portion of said rivalry began in 1896. Ninety-six games took place between 1896 and the final year of the rivalry in 2000 when Pitt won 12-0.

    Over the last week, much buzz has been generated over renewing this storied rivalry. The possibility of the teams meeting in the Fiesta Bowl has been bandied about. It's also been quickly dismissed by writers, mostly because of the gymnastics that would have to occur for both teams to meet in the Fiesta Bowl. Talk of renewing the rivalry during the regular season has received much more discussion time from bloggers, writers, and fans. You can chalk it up to bye week boredom or the fact that fans want the Keystone State Rivalry to resume. There is no good reason for this series not to resume.

    Renewing this rivalry is a great idea. By not playing since 2000, both schools have lost a tradition and recruiting tool. Pitt-Penn State belongs in the pantheon of great in-state rivalries along with Colorado-Colorado State, Florida-Florida State-Miami, Georgia-Georgia Tech, Texas-Texas A&M, USC-UCLA, and many more in-state rivalry games. The continuation of Pitt-Penn State allows college football to regain a storied rivalry that guarantees people will watch. Renewing the rivalry does not mean scheduling a 1-for-1 or 2-for-1 with a "promise" to add more games in the future or any other hair-brained, arrogant proposal from Joe Paterno. Renewing the rivalry means bringing it back with a 10, 15, or 20 year home-and-home agreement. If that doesn't work, how about a 12-year agreement wherein the teams play five years of home-and-home games and whichever team wins that best-of-five gets to host the sixth game? This must be a long-term rivalry again.

    We're at a time where both schools are playing high quality football. Renewing the Keystone State Rivalry makes sense in every aspect. Doing so is a good for both schools and for college football. Pitt is an improved program and Penn State is always at the top of the Big 10. At the very least, it would be a great annual game between the premier programs in Pennsylvania.

    Playing the game on Thanksgiving on national TV, where it should be played, gives both schools instant national exposure. I don't buy the notion that there is little interest for this game outside of Pennsylvania. If both programs have good teams, the game will sell itself. Both gain exposure for their athletic programs and for their scholarship. The game helps both schools recruit athletes and students. A yearly game also keeps Pennsylvania talent in Pennsylvania and out of Ohio, Michigan, Notre Dame, etc. High school rivals get the chance to become college teammates or remain in-state rivals with the continuation of this historic game.

    Both schools would create in-state buzz again. Sure, Penn State played Temple, but that's hardly a rivalry grudge match. Pitt's biggest rival in West Virginia, which is close in proximity but not in-state. Penn State has no natural, in-state rival and Pitt would benefit from reintroducing a long-time rival back into its schedule. Creating buzz and restoring the tradition would keep kids in Pennsylvania.

    Yes, Pitt has more to gain from this than Penn State does. Penn State can play the local high school team and sell out its stadium and they already have a recruiting foothold in western Pennsylvania. Pitt gains the exposure, recruiting tool, and sells out a game when Penn State comes to Heinz Field. That doesn't prevent Penn State from doing the right thing. This game is good for college football.

    Without the rivalry, the schools and their fans, students, and alumni all lose out on a great rivalry. It no longer matters who is at fault or how much fault any party has for this rivalry ending. Renewal can't wait for Joe Paterno, a great coach who is surprisingly petty when it comes to dealing with Pitt, to finish coaching. It's time to put that aside and reintroduce the Keystone State Rivalry. This rivalry has been dormant enough.

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    Brad’s Week 9 College Football Picks

    by deaconcat08 on October 28, 2009

    After another impressive week 7-3, Ive extended my record to 48-32 on the season.  Barring a late-season collapse, I will likely finish ahead of any "betting service" that you might go to for advice on weekly picks.  Still  haven't had a bad week, and here's hoping that this isn't the first.  The spreads are based on the current lines according to the Worst Sports Exchange, and they are ordered from most confident to least confident. Pick # 1:  Miami-FL (-7.0) vs. Wake Forest- I hate to do this against my alma mater, but judging by how bad Wake has played in the last few weeks, it's hard not to think they will get blown out here, even at home.  Don't get me wrong, I'll be dressed in my black and gold on Saturday cheeering my heart out for the Deacs, but this Canes team reminds me of Clemson in terms of their athleticism, and the Clemson/Wake game two weeks ago was probably the biggest beatdown this year in the ACC. Pick # 2: Houston (-6.5) vs. Southern Miss- When I see a line that seems lopsided, I usually try to figure out a reason why.  A lot of times there will be a key injury.  Sometimes it's because a team is getting way too much hype.  Frequently, it will be based on an overabundance of respect for home field advantage.  This, however, is one line that I don't get at all.  Houston is a top-15 team that is only one horrible road loss away from being in the thick of the BCS discussion.  They are heavily favored to roll to the C-USA championship and haven't lost at home since 2007.  The Golden Eagles, on the other hand, have already dropped 3 games and got beat by UAB the last time they played outside of Hattiesburg.  There are also no major suspensions or injuries that I know of.  Therefore, why is this line only 6.5 points?  Is there some kind of fix going on?  Pick # 3: Air Force (-5.5) vs. Colorado State- This line has soared from 3.5 to 5.5 in the past couple of days, and it's pretty obvious why.  The Falcons are by far the best MWC team outside of the big 3 (TCU, BYU, and Utah), and have already given two of those teams a run for their money (lost to TCU by 3, lost in OT at Utah).  Colorado State, on the other hand, is in the midst of a crash and burn type of season losing 5 in a row, including an embarrasing 2 TD home loss to San Diego State last week.  The Falcons should roll in this one. Pick # 4: West Virginia (-3.0) vs. South Florida- I used to love picking weekday games, but unfortuately I haven't found a lot of weekday spreads I've liked this year.  This week, however, I like the road teams in both Thursday and Friday's games.  West Virginia is a strong contender to win the Big East this year, and USF appeards to be in the middle of one of their typical late-season collapses. Pick # 5: North Carolina (+16.5) vs. Virginia Tech- I know the Heels are struggling this season, but this is a ton of points to give Butch Davis' team.  UNC is still fighting for a bowl bid, so they come in with plenty to play for.  Virginia Tech has looked very good at home this season, but UNC has played the Hokies close the past 2 years.  I just don't see VT winning this one by more than 2 TDs.  Pick # 6: UTEP (-7.0) vs. UAB- Just going to give you a couple of tidbits for you to consider here. (1) I've been red-hot picking C-USA games this year (going 6-0 in one of my pools).  (1) The last two times UTEP has played at home they beat Houston and Tulsa (arguably C-USA's two best teams) , and (3) UAB is 0-4 this year on the road, with all losses coming by 13 points or more.  The Miners should win big here. Pick # 7: Florida State (-9.0) vs. NC State- This is another line that has gone up throughout the week, as many bettors are seeing this game exactly as I do.  FSU may be in the midst of a late season resurgence as a result of last week's comeback win over UNC.  The Wolfpack, on the other hand, are one of the disappointment stories of the year, as they come into this one with a 3-game losing streak including back-to-back double digit losses to Duke and BC.  This should be a comfortable victory for the Noles. Pick # 8: Michigan (-7.0) vs. Illinois- Quite simply, the Illini are 1-6 this season will all 6 losses coming by double-digits.  Why then would I have any reason to belive they'll play Michigan (an upper-echelon Big 10 team) any closer than cream puff opponents like Indiana and Purdue? Pick # 9: Eastern Michigan (+38.0) vs. Arkansas- General rule: With a few exceptions, an unranked team should never be favored by more than 35 points against any other 1-A opponent.  I do realize EMU is winless, but they've been competitive in a majority of their games.  The bigger question here, however, is why the heck is this game being televisioned nationally in prime-time on ESPN U.  I think a strong case could be made that this is the worst nationally televised Saturday night college football game ever.  Pick # 10: Western Michigan (+2.5) vs. Kent State-  Kent State is all of a sudden one of the surprise teams of the year in the MAC, but I think its because they've been overlooked by many of their opponents, including Ohio lask week.  A solid Western Michigan team, coming in as a surprise underdog, should be focused and motivated enough to beat them. Last Week's Record: 7-3, Overall Record: 48-32 (Magial year in the making!)
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    Week 8 College Football Researchers Association Rankings

    by deaconcat08 on October 26, 2009

    As it did in the early 1900s, the CFRA is serving as the voice of reason in college football by being the only major poll in country to rank Boise State, TCU, and Cincinnati ahead of Southern Cal.   The CFRA's consistent respect for these mid-majors and Cincy becomes more and more legitimate each week, as all three had  impressive victories on Saturday to further validate their lofty rankings in this poll.  Additional mid-major adoration is seen towards the bottom of these rankings, as Central Michigan sneaks into the poll for the first time.  This marks the first-time in the history of the College Football Researchers Association that a team from the MAC has made its top 25.  Also, for the third straight week, there is a tie in the poll, as both Pitt and Ohio State share the 16 spot.  Here are this week's rankings:  1.  Florida (7)- 223 points 2.  Alabama (1)- 213 points 3.  Texas (1)- 212 points 4.  Boise State- 190 points 5.  Cincinnati- 182 points 6.  TCU- 174 points 7.  Southern Cal- 171 points 8.  Iowa- 169 points 9.  LSU- 153 points 10.  Oregon- 133 points 11.  Oklahoma State- 131 points 12.  Penn State- 129 points 13.  Georgia Tech- 125 points 14.  Virginia Tech- 104 points 15.  Houston- 96 points 16.  Ohio State- 87 points 16.  Pittsburgh- 87 points 18.  West Virginia- 69 points 19.  Utah- 65 points 20.  Miami- 48 points 21.  South Carolina- 39 points 22.  Ole Miss- 33 points 23.  Oklahoma- 27 points 24.  Central Michigan- 20 points 25.  Notre Dame- 16 points Others Receiving Votes: Arizona 15, Clemson 4, Navy 4, Brigham Young 3, Wisconsin 2, Georgia 1 Dropped Out: Brigham Young 17, Kansas 21, Texas Tech 23, South Florida 25, Teams Ranked Higher in CFRA than BCS, AP, and Coaches: Boise State (4), Oklahoma State (11), West Virginia (18), Central Michigan (24). Teams Ranked Lower in CFRA than BCS, AP, and Coaches: Southern Cal (7), Georgia Tech (13), Miami-FL (20), Arizona (NR). Teams Ranked Exactly the Same in All 3 Major Human Polls (AP, CFRA, and Coaches): Florida (1), Alabama (2), Texas (3), LSU (9), Virginia Tech (14), Utah (19), South Carolina (21), Notre Dame (25).
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