in ACC, Alumni, Defense, Pat Narduzzi, Pitt Football, Pitt POV 1,875 Words

POV Follow Up: Nate Peterman’s Year

Right after we played the Villanova game in the season opener I wrote an article titled Why Can’t We Get The Good QBs?  In it was this bit about how a commenter saw my continual talking about Peterman as our QB:

“Yesterday a commenter on here made a rather witty remark in saying that when I write about Nate Peterman, who is currently Pitt’s starting QB,  “it’s like a patriot fan talking about Tom Brady and deflate gate.“

Which I suppose is true, so I’ll try to stick with more factual stuff here in this piece. But what transpired over the first four games of this season didn’t make Nate Peterman any new fans, the opposite happened actually – we were wary of Peterman’s slow start.  Even though most Pitt fans kind of knew we’d be 2-2 to start off the year it still was a bit disappointing to really be at an even .500 average.

Especially since we were racking up points like we had never seen before.

To start off the first third of our season Peterman did this:

nps-1st-4

Which in any other Pitt year might have been deemed “OK or fine or whatever… same old Pitt at 2 and 2 though”.  But the truth was that we didn’t seem to win games because of our QB play and in those two losses Peterman missed open receivers on 3rd down conversions way more than he had completions on those critical plays. He missed his targets on other crucial downs also.

Even the fans who appreciated his first year’s work in a Pitt uniform and wanted to see Peterman come out of the gate airing out the ball realized that our Offensive Coordinator  Matt Canada was doing the best he could to cover Peterman’s slow start with his use of our running game to cover for it.

So we had eight more games to play and it looked like the run game, which was going great guns and cruising along at 15th nationally with 250 ypg and 11 TDs, was going to have to carry our Saturday matches to victory.  Luckily that rushing production has kept strong in every game we have played – not an easy thing during this year when our defense is so very, very bad.

You have to wonder is some finger-pointing and ‘us vs them’ popped up in the locker room among the kids back then.  But if it did, and I sort of wonder if it did, Narduzzi and staff kept them focused and together for the long run.

But you can’t expect to win games consistently  with only two of the team’s four main units  making anything happen. Our run defense was stout in giving up only 100 or so yards per game; we also had a great running game as mentioned, but the passing side of the equation was 1) pretty weak on offense and 2) extremely crippling on defense.

So what did happen to make the team come together to finish out the last eight games with a 6-2 record?  Our defense didn’t get all that much better – aside from two crucial stops against Clemson that will go down in Pitt lore as one of the best series of plays we’ll ever have.

We still gave up an average of 37.3 ppg over the rest of the season… but we upped our scoring to 45.5 ppg.  Peterman’s decision-making and arm had a lot to do with that.

We now know that we ripped off a 6-2 finish to get to the 8-4 point where we stand today.  We saw a great upset of a very strong ACC opponent by our kids down in Death Valley that was accomplished on the heels of a complete beat down by Miami just the week before.  That has been the hallmark of this 2016 year, resiliency has been the key for us and our QB has shown that to be true with his play also.

The key when discussing QB play is how efficient one is in throwing the ball.  There are some formulas for passing efficiency that take into account some pretty esoteric  details such as ESPN’s Total QBR.  Here is how that works. 

Peterman shows well in that with a 82.1 mark (don’t ask, I still can’t figure that out) so I look at the gauge the NCAA uses when determining ratings – in that Peterman comes in with a excellent 161.2 over all the games.  That 161.2 is good for 9th in the nation (same as where he stands with the ESPN rating) and is pretty damned amazing given the rather blase’ start to the season Peterman had.

But those last eight games? That is where Peterman really took off and grabbed the offense for his own. Running for 250 yards per game wasn’t the answer with the other three units dragging their feet. It was when Canada started to really integrate the passing game as an (sort of) equal in the offense that things rounded into shape.

In those last games, when we went 6-2 to finish out with an 8-4 regular season record and a good shot at nine wins on the year Peterman had 114 completions out of 194 attempts (59%) for 2153 yards and 20 TDs : 4 INTs. Wow!  And that stretch of play was good for a truly outstanding 181.2 QB rating to close out the home stretch.

To put things in a bit of different light, that 181.2 QB rating, if sustained over the season, would land him at 4th in the country vice the 9th spot he is in now.

I like stats – anyone who reads this blog and my work on the Pitt Blather knows that.  But I also know that stats don’t show the 360 degrees of a kid’s play, his decision-making, ability to think on his feet, pick up yards on the ground when needed and his general bad-assedness.

Palko had bad-assedness coming out his pores it seemed; Dan Marino had bad-assedness galore as we all know. Peterman’s scale on the bad-ass listing? 

Maybe not up there with those guys but he’s knocked the crap out of some cornerbacks trying to tackle him lately, he’s run very hard and dove for that beautiful pylon-tagging TD last week. 

Plus he completely dominated the Nation’s #2 Clemson’s defensive backfield with 308 yards and 5 TDs in a game that I’d put up against Tyler Palko’s 5 TD “I love these f*cking guys” game against Notre Dame any day of the week.

Both were fantastic wins for Pitt weren’t they? Both will be remembered as great wins as long as we talk about Pitt football.

Speaking of that game Palko’s QB rating in that match against unranked ND was 168.0; Peterman’s rating against #2 Clemson was 174.0.  Just saying…, you know what I’m saying….right?

Just kidding, sort of – those two kids are about as opposite as can be in temperament and aggressiveness.  In a grudge cage match I give the money to Palko over Peterman.  However, in a beer drinking and hard boiled egg eating contest I give Peterman the edge.

Peterman has one more game in a Pitt uniform to play us to victory and an elusive nine win season.  I point to that Clemson game a lot because I think it was a real turning point in the season for us.  We went down to Death Valley at 5-4 and having just been pretty much humiliated by Miami the week before.  If we lose that game, and we were huge underdogs, I think the season could have gone down the tubes to a 7 or maybe even a 6 win year.

But we won that game and that slingshot us into the last two games knowing we could beat anyone… and we did in our last two regular season games. Now, holding anyone to under 60 points was a whole different deal apparently.

Here is some historical stats to chew on. As I said above you have to take stats into consideration with many other factors to get a complete picture of how good a college QB really is.  After all – you look at these stats below and you see Sunseri is up there in the Top 5 in QB ratings which makes one shudder – same with his being #3 in passing yardage just 7 yards shy of Marino.  Still, no one is saying he’s been one of our top QBs in the modern era.

But I do think we should consider Nate Peterman to be one.  He came to Pitt with a pretty poor track record at Tennessee and had to work doubly hard to unseat the incumbent QB Chad Voytik, a fan favorite, to get the starting job. He did what was necessary and it turned out well.  He had a decent, I think good, JR year and this season, his SR year, has been one of excellent play over all.

Here is a listing of our best QBs since the 1970 season. You can see that absent his upcoming last bowl game, Peterman not only holds his own against other Pitt QBs but has situated himself near the top in some very important categories – again, the QB rating being one that I think shows us most completely what a player contributes to the offense.

Panther QBs.PNGThere are different teams, times and eras to consider with these numbers I know.  But note that in addition to his #2 QB rating Peterman is also #1 in passing yards per game and 5th in TDs thrown. His TD:INT ratio is tops also at 3.26 TDs to 1 INT. Palko’s is 2.64:1,  Sunseri come is at 2.13:1 and Rutherford’s  is 2.00:1.

Pretty surprising – I didn’t know that until I started researching this article.  That’s heady company and considering he’s done that in only two seasons and with only 24 games played it makes one jumps up and take notice.

We also win games with Peterman at the helm.  He has 14 wins on his belt now with a possible (fingers crossed) 15th in his two years as a starter – not bad considering how many games Pitt has won on average per year since the 70’s.

It is hard to fault Matt Canada for any of his decision-making this season given our huge jump in scoring this year.  His creative use of his personnel is literally what has kept us winning games in what is one of the most bizarre seasons I can remember as a Pitt fan.  To have to carry the load by themselves the offensive players have, in essence, won those eight games for us.

That isn’t a good thing and the burden of that falls directly on the QB’s shoulders because, as much as we may pooh-pooh the idea,  it is still a QB’s game to win or lose as soon as he touches every snap back to him.  Peterman has done well with that so far at Pitt. 

Now go get us that last bowl win Nate and that 9th win.   With the history Pitt has had  your two-year career here has been some of the best QB play we have seen in some time. Keep it going for one more win.

And thanks Nate for making The University of Pittsburgh your alma mater.

Note: Hell, lets watch some more of those Clemson highlights…

 

 

 

 

 

328 thoughts on “POV Follow Up: Nate Peterman’s Year”

  1. Pitt has done very well with the last 2 QBs who transfered in from other programs. Tom Savage showed enough talent that he picked up a Sunday job. Nate is a gritty, cerebral QB who will be a hugh success wherever he goes after his time at Pitt. I don’t know if he’s got what it takes for the next level, but I’m glad and proud he played for the Panthers. I love his style. Boy’s got some onions.

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  2. Micheal Young -dreadful.
    Jeter – useless.
    Luther – terrible.
    Cam Johnson – somewhere else tonight
    Artis – irresponsible
    Jones – Jones.
    Add it up:
    First loss to Duquesne in 15 years.

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  4. One thought about Nate’s slow start to the year. In the first several games, it seemed that we relied so heavily on the run game, that Nate was asked to pass primarily only on obvious passing downs. This kept his completion percentage down and thus led most to believe that he was underperforming. It didn’t help that he was working with a mostly inexperienced group of receivers. I implored Matt Canada to take the training wheels off. The conservative nature of the offense very nearly (and truthfully should have) cost us the win over the nitters. Thank god for James Frankilin and his boneheaded choice to throw a jump ball to Ryan Lewis. Anyway, as the season moved along, it became apparent that Peterman developed more confidence in his receivers, and in turn, Matt Canada turned the offense loose. Peterman may not stack up to Dan Marino, but he’s no Tino Sunseri either. About the only thing good I can say about Jim Chaney is that he delivered Nate Peterman to our doorstep. Thank goodness that he did.

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  5. Ha ha ha ha. Who was the idiot who said Stallings was an in game coaching genius, they don’t know the difference between a BB and an orange. Now you get to see why he should be selling shoes at Payless. Brilliant coaching adjustments. No wonder Vandy was laughing all the way!! He can coach about as well as his kid can hit.

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  6. Dixon recruits guys who can rebound and play D, not shoot. Of course they couldn’t rebound or play D either. I’ll know more in 2-3 years when Dixon’s clowns all graduate and his guys are playing. What a garbage shooting team…

    Not sure if Stallings can recruit though…

    I guess he figured we’d still win tonight without Artis. Ha

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  7. just back from City Game, good attendance. Pitt in two words NO TEAMWORK, Seemed like every time Young got the ball he shot it from every bad position possible, never looked for anyone else. Dont know why Artis didnt play but he wouldnt have changed a thing, he is selfish too. No point guard. Embarrassing. i thought it was time for JD to move on but slogball would have looked better as last year they scored 96. Putrid . Dukes played like a team, Pitt not, Long year in ACC.

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  8. Reed – excellent article. And I watched both videos – tons of fun.

    As you said it’s crazy to fault this offense at all, but in those first 4 games it appeared that Coach Canada just didn’t trust NP enough. I remember several 3rd and 10 situations where we handed the ball to JC up the middle. Very puzzling stuff.

    But I really take my hat off to NP on how smoothly he ran the offense, especially the jet sweeps, where the timing of the snap and hand-off are critical and tricky. I only remember two times the whole season where there was a foul up in that situation. That’s outstanding (and makes me wonder whether next season’s QB will be able to master that skill…).

    Great job by you Reed.

    Hail to Pitt.

    PS: People complain about Billy Hillgrove – and I get that – but his calls on those highlights are just outstanding. Wouldn’t be Pitt highlights without the voice of Billy “Loose Football” Hillgrove.

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  9. Thanks Reed, nice post and really enjoyed watching that highlight film one more time.

    The folks in Knoxville are scratching their heads according to my brother who lives there. They all remember the Nate Peterman who got chewed up and spit out by the Gators. Loved his bootleg run – gritty play. Wish we had him one more year.

    Majors – I love Hilgrove. He’s an institution and really fun to listen to.

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  10. If nate had 1 more year pitt would be 2017 preseason top 20 with a bowl win easy. The guys who do the voting in both polls love them an offense that scores a lot every single game and never stops. Especially when it is shiny and new which canadas pitt offense is.

    Pitt might be ranked pretty nicely at the start of 2017 anyway. but if nate were coming back I think there’d be a lot fewer people questioning the continued ridiculousness of the offense next year.

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  12. Washington crushing Colorado is the first of 3 nails to keep penn state out of the playoff. The second and third happen today – Clemscum beats VT and wisky pounds the nits.

    The B1G Joke conference is way overrated.

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  13. It’s official.. PITT in now a 🏈 school and no longer a basketball 🏀 School… can’t have it both ways… time to tesr down the Pete and build the new PITT Stadium,,

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  14. Met NP parents at the Birgina game and thanked them for sharing him with our PITT family.. Nate is open with his love for our Lord … Go Nate… Thank you !!!

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  15. After a Duquesne missed shot in the second half Hillgrove described Pitt in a “medium speed” fast break. Couldn’t tell if he was being overly descriptive or sarcastic.

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  16. no passion from this team..little emotion…why is our poorest shooter (guess who) taking a 3 toward the end of the game….somebody please wake up Jeter…to follow up the MD win with such a poor showing
    is puzzling…you would think maybe that the MD win would have lit a fire under this group.

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  17. “Field awareness” is a forte of Nate Peterman’s. He senses pressure in the pocket well and has the ability to know when to throw the ball away or tuck it and run instead.

    Comparing Sunseri to Peterman is unfair because Pitt’s OL this season was top 10 caliber and stayed healthy all season long, an advantage that Toni never had. That being said however, the difference between watching these two QBs decision making on the field is dramatic.

    Nate Peterman might never have “put Pitt on his back” and carried us to victory but he never choked on the opportunity to orchestrate a come from behind Pitt victory in the consistent manner that Tino did during his time behind center. Sunseri’s career stats, although impressive, never adequately conveyed that uncanny ability of his to wilt under the pressure of the “do or die” critical moment in the game.

    Therefore, there is no comparison to be made between them other than in comparing their stats, because when the game is on the line, Nate Peterman has the ability to make it happen. That Clemson video proves that. The moment wasn’t too big for Nate to handle. His offense got us within Blewitt’s range and the rest is now just some more great Pitt football history in the vault!

    That would be another great article BTW Reed, you should review Blewitt’s career stats too. Although he didn’t get it done all the time, he sure came through more often than not in those clutch situations for our boys in Blue & Gold. He definitely NEVER lived up to his name during his time here at Pitt!

    Let’s get one more in the win column at our bowl game to properly send all of these Seniors out on a high note and guarantee ourselves a preseason top 25 ranking for the start of next year’s ACC Championship campaign! The Pursuit!

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  18. People are really surprised? Maryland stinks. Wait till he goes way below .500 in ACC. Next year way worse. No talent. Back to Belks in 2 years fitting old men buying Rockports for Christmas.

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  19. Canada is the MVP of this team, his development of multiple players this season was phenomenal.

    Hopefully they pay this guy and keep him because with him as the OC they will be in every game.

    A 9/4 season would be awesome and a top 20 ranking will help with recruiting and getting the program recognized nationally moving forward.

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  20. Canada has had one coching kob more than 2 years. He is obviously trying to climb the ladder somwouldnt be surprised to see his nae for Top Power OC jobs and or a HC Job.

    One solid year doesnt make him a Top Target for big schools but it could. We should give him a 30% raise though because he will have options as soon as coaches start getting fired. Plus he is from Indiana. Maybe Purdue looks his way.

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  21. Just too bad they didn’t put the game in Nate’s hand in the fourth quarter vs PSU, OKST and UNC.

    Still like to know if that was Canada or Narduzzi’s decision?

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  23. Canada obviously caught lightning in a bottle this year. Had the line with the skill players to make it work.

    All those shifts and motion could not be executed by an inexperienced bunch.

    Hope he realizes what he has here and stays, but the nature of football is that the hot coach gets the big offer. Will it be an offer he can’t refuse?

    He won with Chryst’s players except for Peterman, the one good thing Chaney did.

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  24. The MD game went to our kids heads. One on one BB follows as kids think they are very good. Oh well. PSU BB will be seeking revenge for football loss.

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  25. Have to agree that it is one of the only things Chaney did, but that guy was so lazy and Narduzzi and staff do turn over every rock maybe we still would have got him. Maybe Hendrix had more to do with Peterman than Chaney. Just hate to give Chaney credit for anything.

    With our question marks at WR, I can’t imagine anyone expecting this kind of output. I sure didn’t. With that said, like others have said, with so many question marks at the beginning of the season and Canada feeling everything out we probably left points on the field that we wouldn’t have at the end. To bad, Canada wasn’t the OC a year earlier and new what he had in August instead of the late September.

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  27. Hey, I was just looking at Google News for the first time ever and saw that The Pitt POV is shown under the University of Pittsburgh sports news articles listings…

    Who knew?

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  28. NP is a very very good QB. His streaks of in-game inconsistency can drive me nuts – usually his high/low throws are correlated to his happy feet. As to not using the wide open offense at the beginning part was probably Narduzzi but we must also remember the receivers were very inexperienced and the players were still learning a movement offense compared to that Chaney abomination,
    Dr. Tom – well put on Sunseri, it was his bad decisions that kept him from being a total QB that matched his yardage stats.
    Excellent article Reed – your man crush on Nate is understandable. 🙂 haha just kidding

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  29. Congrats Reed!

    Peterman is not a NFL worthy talent.

    Savage has done nothing but look atrocious when they let him play.

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  30. Reed … great post. I have loved NP since he arrived. We were lucky to have him.

    Joeknew- I was the guy who said Stallings was a great floor coach, not a genius! Still believe that … it’s really easy to criticize a coach after a horrible loss like Duquesne. We were missing our point guard who makes the team function and averages 19 Pt’s a game. No way Pitt loses if he plays! Having said that, I have about had it w Mike Young. He is a selfish lazy jump shooter who hogs the ball and will not get the dirty baskets underneath. Jeter is just not talented enough to also be a gunner but at least he boxes out and mixes it up underneath. The only real basketball player of the bunch is Luther who has great form on his jumper but has to stay underneath and board because of the outside gunnery of others.

    These things happen to almost all teams. As I stated before, if this team goes .500 in ACC play, Stallings should be coach of the year !

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  31. Dan72 – Love you man but this guy has done nothing in a 25+ year career to evoke confidence at all.

    What do you like about him? Hope you are doing great buddy!

    Upitt

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  33. If we lose to the pedos at hoops because Artis is still in the dog house, Stallings will be a stock boy at Zappos in 2 years. In fact if he doesn’t start recruiting…..

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  35. Hard to believe a head basketball coach would be welcome at the same school for 16 straight years. If Stallings had long flowing Holgerson hair, most people wouldn’t be so hard on him. It’s baldness discrimination….. and no, I’m not bald just grey as schitt.

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  36. Yeah Ike, I don’t ever remember the US having a bald president. I did hear our old coach wore a skunk on his head though…but that was just an internet rumor. 😉

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  37. Many times as a basketball coach I’ve disciplined a player early in the season to make a pointb. On 3 occasions it cost the team a game we should have won easily.

    So sorry it had to happen last night.
    UPitt ….Stallings was SEC Coach of the year Twice! He did not get there by being a floor idiot!

    He has less than NO talent after the big 2. That’s on Dixon. He needs to put in one set play a week to get the ball onside.

    Please everyone, give the guy a chance!

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  38. Dixon left the BB program in shambles as to talent. No point guard and center. Stallings is addressing the guard play. He does need a big for the next two years of recruiting. Lets see what he does to send the message to the seniors. Peterman was really good with running the offense. He did what Canada needed. Steady, read the defense and make great decisions.

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  39. Coach of the year in the SEC in Hoops is like being the same in the Mountain West and shit he was there 16 years.

    Vandy kept them because they care about Football, Baseball and Academics. The old Zappos man never got them in trouble so they kept him.

    Huggy Bear would beat him by 30.

    Take PSU and points tonight.

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  43. To bad Clemson was in the ACC champ game, would have liked it to have been a failure in Orlando after moving it from Charlotte over………won’t get into that absurdity.

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  44. Dan, I will strongly disagree with your estimation of Stallings, but couldn’t agree more about MY. What does Stallings do during a game to inspire that confidence?? Had no answers or adjustments. I really think Luther stinks. Terrible footwork, too slow boxing out, and only Artis is worse closing out and switching. Guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. That said, how could the talent level get so bad?
    One other thing, these assistants had reps as good recruiters, well, they got smoked so far.

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  45. Next time we play Navy, coach should watch the Temple/Navy game. The Owls held Navy under 170 yards rushing. Impressive.

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  46. Wrote this over on the Blather. Pitt only had 8 offensive rebounds on 60 shots. That is horrendous,
    And even worse then horrendous considering the opposition.

    Regardless of whether Artis played or not, Pitt should have crushed a team picked to finish near the bottom of the A-10, who had already lose to a bunch of scrub teams, UMBC or whatever for example.

    When Young misses, there is nobody to offensive rebound. He was missing a lot in the 2nd half and Pitt couldn’t score. Young himself had Zero o-rebounds. Kid needs to learn to follow his shot, not watch it.

    Pitt needs a presence in the middle, both on offense (since Young is showing off his mid-range game and outside shooting to the Pro scouts) and defense. I suggest Stallings gets Nix into the mix, at the 5, against some of these scrub rent-a-win games coming up.

    With Nix at the 5, you can then move Jeter to the 3, where he was much better last year and bring Jones off the bench, which needs someone coming off of it who can provide a spark. Bench was horrible again last nite with only 4 points against a scrub team.

    With present lineup Pitt can only win if both Young and Artis are shooting over 50% and even that is far from a given, since they don’t play defense very good and still need a 3rd player to score in double figures
    consistently.

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  47. Nix has been talked about for 9 years and isnt he still out of shape??

    Emel – Morons in ACC moved game because a nathroom law. Idiots. Seriously sickens me.

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  49. Concerning Nix, he played some the other game and grabbed like 4 rebounds, had a blocked shot and altered some other shots. He might not be an option at all, but Pitt has very few options and I’d like to see him get in there with the first teamers against some of these rent-a-wins that are coming up on Pitt’s schedule

    Nothing ventured, nothing gained. At the minimum he’s a space eater in the Middle and a physical presence. McGee and Gray were terrible at first too !

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  51. Potato Sack is rolling!

    Love the fact the Godfather is on the Playoff Board and will not be able to get his Badgers in. They deserve it over OSU in my eyes.

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  53. Potato sack sure recruited some talent on Defense. To me the issue is our system and narduzzi isnt as good as many think.

    Id take Canada and kick Narduzzi to the curb.

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  55. Yep. Paul looks like he honestly isnt all there upstairs. Seriously, dont mean to spund like an asshole. He looks confused like he is working on trig in his head.

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  57. One area where Nate struggled this season was getting the ball to Aaron Mathews. Aaron wasn’t targeted too many times, but I can remember 3 or 4 occasions where AM was wide open and NP threw a poor ball. Aaron ended up with only 4 catches for 16 yards – but he sure showed up well in his blocking and his special teams play.

    NP was way more good than poor, but he did miss on some relatively easy looking passes that made you scratch your head.

    An interesting stat that I noticed when looking up Aaron’s number of catches — our backup running backs had few carries this season. I guess it was because of all the carries that Henderson and others got on the jet sweeps, but Moss, Hall, and Ollison only had 38, 35, and 27 carries, respectively. JC had 208 carries and Henderson had 54…

    How about this stat: Henderson, Ffrench, and Whitehead all averaged over 10 yards per carry! Now that’s a big-play offense – those are high school star numbers. (Trivia question: Who led the Panthers this season in average yard’s gained per carry?)

    Go Pitt.

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  58. Emel do they still have ladies and mens rooms in NC? Today one idiot announcer stated that it is amazing that Ped STate has returned ‘after all they have been through” I thought the 30 plus kids anally violated went through something worse. Is there Ped bathroom in STate College.
    Paulie blowing it

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  60. Screw Ohio State! If PSU wins or Wisconsin wins they deserve it over OSU. My opinion. This is an exciting game.

    Not helping our recruiting I’m sure. Announcers love
    PSU and are creating excitement.

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  61. Wtf , we go out for awhile and now the Pedo’s are winning.

    What happened to Cheesehead Paulie’s top rated defense ?

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  64. I liked Chryst and sure seems like a nice guy, but that’s a bad loss. It looked to me like they got beat on both sides of the ball in the 2nd half, and Wisconsin isn’t built to win if they can’t do that.

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  65. Potato’s ladies lost 31-3 in the last 40 or so minutes in this game. Terrible…at least Clemson barely won.

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  66. Does this mean the Pedo’s won’t be playing Western Michigan now ? That would be a shame if they didn’t.

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  70. Nick… in the great star of North Carolina men piss in the men’s room and ladies pee in the ladies room (same with showers) although I have seen ladies in the men’s restroom at every Jimmy Buffet concert that I have attended

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  72. You sound like George Wallace assuring everyone that educating black people would destroy Alabama. Good thing for them he was wrong or their football team wouldn’t be destroying everyone.

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  73. Wade to PSU sounds like the likely outcome to me now. Pitt’s future recruiting from western Pa took a hit today IMO.

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  74. http://www.espn.com/college-football/team/_/id/201/oklahoma-sooners

    All but four eliminated on the eve of CFP selection
    Some teams (Wisconsin, Oklahoma State, Colorado) were eliminated because of losses. Others (Penn State, Oklahoma) are out despite wins. No matter how you slice it, only four teams remain.

    Upitt, WTF with that comment above at 11:06 pm. True blue and white colors now paint every one of your a-hole comments. No Pitt man says the Pedos deserve BCS because of this exciting game or to keep out tOSU(who I hate immensely), puhleeze.

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  75. tvax1 … the ultimate NC (theoretical ) match-up for a PITT fan would be a Clemson- PSU matchup with Clemson winning by 4 scores… we beat them both… if we only had a mediocre “D”….

    Liked by 1 person

  77. I heard Herbstreit last night complain that Washington is undeserving to get into the playoff because of their weak schedule … but how ironic that he forgets that Washington scheduled and beat Rutgers as an out-of-conference game. Rutgers is a big 10 team, and Herbstreit thinks the big 10 is the toughest conference. It’s not Washington’s fault that the bottom of the big 10 is so bad.

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  78. Nick…Sam the Bam Cunningham probably did more to bring racial diversification to Alabama’s football program than any after beating the snot out Bama in 1970… Bear new he had to change to compete… funny how far the pendulum has swung in Dixie…
    Hope Clemson gets them and takes them down …I actually believe PITT with a healthy
    D would give Bama fits … I was at the Clemson game and it was no fluke .. we can always dream

    Liked by 1 person

  79. Newbk…those guys seem to always cheerlead for the Big10-SEC…. Turn on any on the ESPN channels including ESPN Classic it’s a steady diet of those 2 conferences and really becoming more and more airtime given to the followers of Sabin, Harbaugh and Myers and to Hell with the rest of college FB

    Like

  80. Am I the only one on this blog that finds it completely ludicrous that Penn State is even in the discussion for the playoff?

    Oh, I just read Upittbaseball’s opinion that PSU is now worthy after beating Wisky for the B1G Championship.

    I rest my case.

    Liked by 1 person

  81. Clemson looked really bad! They are going to get destroyed. In fact, I think they will drop to 4 or, given the power of the Big may drop out of top 4! The Cubs, The Donald, and the Pedos! What a country! Lol.
    UPitt goes from Blue and White to Blue and Old Gold, but is always entertaining! His caustic approach is the gift that keeps on giving!
    For me, I’m just hoping to hit the Pappy lottery for the state stores!

    Like

  82. Dr. Tom – two facts negate the pedo enabler’s thinking on the playoff picture:

    Michigan beat penn state 49 – 10
    Pitt beat penn state

    I’ve used those two lines when a pedo enabler brings up the subject and the response is usually, yea, I hear you, I guess your right…

    But I never feel the pedo enabler truly believes I am right – lol.

    Like

  83. couple things here:

    I hardly ever disagree with our good Doctor but I can actually see reasons for psu to slip into the playoffs simply because of the head to head and conference.
    Ohio State is not very good on offense. How anyone could let JT run with the ball is like not employing to hike and heave against PITT. PITT would kill OSU because they simply cannot pass.
    UPitt is one of the most negative posters on any blog or message board. Except when it comes down to psu…..hmmmm? When it comes to PITT, you are Mr Bumstedt. Got that Dagwood?
    Love this blog. My favorite day is usually Sunday with the Reed podcast, hope they continue. One compliant though is Reed does all the hard work but he rarely participates in the articles. This is understandable because of the time all this takes him to create for all of us.
    I don’t know if this will ever happen again but its got to be rare that a team not in the playoffs already beat two of them that are. If you weren’t already sold on PITT that is pretty impressive. ….ike

    H2P

    Like

  84. Tvax and Tom – You guys are entititled to your opinion just like me.

    My opinion is not PSU related but more conference achanpion related.

    Wisconsin or PSU whoever won the conf should get in. If OSU or Michigan want in win your conference. It is that easy.

    I love how you cherry pick my points to fit your agenda Tom. Earlier I stated either PSU or Wisconsin.

    I’m happy Pitt, PSU and WV as well as Temple are are playing good football. It makes me proud of where I’m from and the area. I don’t hate programs because I’m supposed to hate them. I’m very happy where we are and with better recruiting and securing our OC and finding a QB our future is bright.

    Like

  85. BTW, I had my post numbered and spaced correctly and that’s just how it was posted up. The other typos were all mine.
    About psu making the playoffs, I have one correction. I wouldn’t mind them being left out as long as OSU is denied as well. I can’t see why they should go before psu, and they both are just not that good.

    Like

  86. My parents both went there Ike. I don’t hate them or WVU. I love Pitt through and through and am probably harder on our program because I want us to win and be playing for the Conf Championship.

    There is enough stuff to hate on. Taxes, Stallings Hire, Barnes Hire haha. At least we don’t have PSU’s AD. She give Doris Burke a run. Haha. And I’m happy Narduzzi doesnt have Holgys hair.

    By the way Huggy Bear beat UVA at UVA. All the while we are hoping our Belks Shoeboy can compete in ACC.

    Like

  87. Ike – Exactly. How the world jizzes on itself for OSU makes me sick and Urban Meyer is a piece of scum.

    Like

  88. CFP Top 6

    Alabama
    tOSU
    Clemson
    Washington
    Michigan
    PSwho?

    Can’t see PSwho jumping Michigan or Washington.

    tOSU is a good team they beat Michigan, Colorado, Wisconsin and Oklahoma, their offense is inconsistent yes but they are the 2nd best team right now behind Alabama.

    Like

  89. Pitt and Utah – Sun Bowl!

    Upitt – Will be driving in from Fort Worth and will have plentry of libations. Who is ready to drive across Texas with me??

    Like

  90. UPitt – give me a sales pitch as to why I should fly to the Sun Bowl to watch Pitt, besides the game.

    I hear El Paso has nothing to see and if you cross the boarder into Mexico, you might not come back…Do I fly in the day of the game and fly out that night?

    Like

  91. I know this is a moot point and I am a dumas for bringing it up but it seems to me that OSU should of played for the conference championship instead of PUsu. Even though the pedos beat the bucks. OSU had a better overall record.

    Like

  92. Erie – El Paso isn’t bad. We did a hospital there and it was pretty cool. I mean it isnt DFW or Austin but cool mountains you can drive up and we absolutley should go to Juarez with a big group. As long as our life insurance is paid up! I would say spend 1-2 days here in Fort Worth then we drive across like the Griswalds. I will be here and can entertain.

    Like

  93. imo and many many others, head to head always has and always will hold precedent over all else. Then you begin factoring in the lesser criteria. The weird thing is, it makes sense to me. The selection committee needs to step up.

    Like

  94. Watched a little of the Bama game. Is everyone on that team a world class sprinter? I hesitate to put a question mark after that comment because I don’t think there is any question about it. That team is really good.

    Like

  95. It would be interesting if we play and beat Temple in a bowl. We will have beaten 3 conference champions. That would have to be some kind of record.

    Like

  100. Agree that no one will beat Alabama unless they have 5 turnovers.

    Face it PSU and WV are really good this year.

    I think PSU is our best win this year, they would probably beat Clemson head to head.

    Nice to know that we probably kept them out of the playoff.

    Turns out the loss of Givens was a big one, he would have been great on our D-line.

    Like

  101. Really essential that Narduzzi keeps Canada and somehow gets some elite players to sign with us this year. Still think recruiting is going poorly. We have made a zillion offers with little success.

    Otherwise we are losing the arms race and will return to mediocre.

    Like

  103. http://usatodayhss.com/2016/latest-2017-college-football-recruiting-composite-team-rankings

    PSU is a much better team than when we played them without their middle linebacker and Givens.

    Clemson is not nearly the team they have been for the last few years.

    Happy we got the wins, we beat the odds, but both of those teams would beat us 8 out of ten times.

    For once I am with UPitt on this, I only hate our rivals when we play them. Didn’t care whether PSU or Wisky won. Rooted for Clemson because it was good for the ACC to have a team in the playoffs.

    Like

  104. I agree on Clemson. We won and bever in a million years imagined we would. Taking nothing away from that awesome program changing win. They almost lost it seemed like most weeks. I really don’t think they should be in Top 4 either.

    Our fear is th sexiness of the Big 10 now and the SEC. The media ignores ACC totally. The threat to us is both PSU and WVU getting big boosts and recruiting wins.

    Narduzzi is failing in recruiting. PSU has tons of talent especially on defensive side of ball. You can call me names and I’m not a Pitt fan but it is obvious.

    We need a QB and Defensive Players as well as new Oline guys to replace our losses.

    Next year rookie QB and rookie kicker and I see little to think Defense will be a ton better.

    Like

  105. I think it is funny that tOSU will pass up the B1G Champions to get in the playoffs.

    What is the purpose of a Championship game? Since PSU beat tOSU head to head and then won the championship I think they have a legitimate beef.

    Like I said before, I would like to see a playoff with eight teams, the 5 conference champions and 3 at-large teams. Then the championship games have meaning, and are really the first round of the playoffs.

    Like

  108. It would even be nicer to see tOSU get screwed, but will never happen.

    A little worried that the committee screws either Washington or Clemson to get them both in.

    With and 8 team playoff, only the number 9 team gets screwed, most likely a team that has no chance.

    Like

  109. The playoff committee is looking at the whole body of work and penn state only played one OOC game vs a P5 team and lost (Pitt). In the other three games that mattered on their schedule, they were 2-1 and lost to Michigan 49-10. So, 2-2 in games that mattered.

    OSU played Oklahoma and won handily with their lone OOC game vs a P5 team. They also played Nebraska who penn state did not. So, 4-1 in games that mattered.

    OSU gets in and penn state should NOT!

    Like

  110. Then stop playing conf chamiponships if they carry zero weight. I say Washington is out. Bama, OSU, Clemson and PSU.

    If had it my way OSU would never make it. You lose to PSU and dont win the conf championship you shouldn’t
    go.

    Washington schedule sucks and PAC 12 sucked.

    Like

  111. Canada could go to Cincy or Purdue. All
    While Morman Marty sits on his fat fucking ass with his 11 wives and doesnt give him a 30% to 50% raise. Morons.

    Like

  113. The CFP analysis is a simple one for the committee. Alabama is in, no argument. Number 2 will be Clemson. They will jump OSU because they played an extra game this weekend. Number 3 will be Ohio State and number 4 will be Washington. Michigan will be close.

    The rationale is interesting. It is the Alabama standard. What two teams can play Alabama the best. Using that criteria, Michigan would get in slightly over Washington. Conference championships don’t matter. The big10 is learning that you need to have multiple second layer teams to make a difference or else you have 2 or 3 teams beating up all the Rutgers, Northwesterns, Marylands, Michigan States, Illinois, Indianas. Add that to a weak out of conference and you get 10-2 teams that have a three way tiebreaker. Stupid

    Like

  114. Upitt posted “Then stop playing conf chamiponships if they carry zero weight”

    agreed, but who thought them up in the first place? Hell they hold the big12 responsible for not having one and then hold it against teams that win one. It’s hypocritical to say the least.

    Like

  115. So if they expanded the CFL to 8 teams, the P5 Champs are all in, as it the best of the other conferences, that leaves 2 spots. I think PSU is a given . Is Michigan a given for the last spot? I guess the committee thinks so.

    Like

  116. Anonymous was huff!!! couldn’t fill out the email addy and name before the selection happened. Wanted to get it in beforehand!

    Lets see if we get a couple bumps because of navy loss and vt

    Like

  117. The best 4 teams got in the CFP.

    PSU will play USC in the 🌹 bowl and LOSE.

    Just think the PSU loss to Pitt cost them big time 😂😂😂

    Like

  119. Conference winners get in as long as they have a conference championship game. Then take the teams you worship or get a brown paper bag at your back door that show their appreciation for your favoritism.

    The selection committee changes their minds to suit their bias. Just a few years ago Delaney was complaining about conference champions not getting into the playoffs. Faaking double standards abound.

    Like

  120. a BTW. A horrible spot by the official has caused all this. If they spot the ball correctly for Michigan this never would have happened.

    Like

  121. Agree pretty much with Upitt at 1209, Not disappointed Ped State didnt make it (karma) but why have conference championship if they mean nothing – money is the only reason. What I disagree on is tOSU being in – they didnt win the conference championship – they are only in because of what is perceived as the talent level which should not be a consideration. 5 conference champs and 3 P5 at large, otherwise get rid of conference championships. I’m sure you all know but HC Chris Peterson was on Pitt;s staff for one year during Majors 2.0.
    I dont know if it is due to my hate of State but it seemed they got a few calls last night. The referee’s IMO are calling way too close on pass interference leading to the passing attacks. Not suprising but Whisky DB werent exactly looking back on pass plays.
    HAIL TO PITT

    Liked by 1 person

  123. Understand that Saban is hosting some recruits at his house today for dinner. I’m guessing today is the day he doles out the Escalade keys? Merry Christmas boys.

    Like

  124. This from ESPN staff writer Matt Fortuna – “A non-champion makes the College Football Playoff for the first time, and while few would argue against the Ohio State’s inclusion, you have to wonder what it will take for there ever to be two teams from one conference in the final top-four, as the Big Joke had three of the final top six. The pedo enablers (my edit) won the Big Joke and beat the Ohio State, but two early losses did the nittany lions in, including a three-point loss at non-rival (my edit) Pitt, which can forever take pleasure in keeping its arch non-rival (my edit) out of the Playoff in their first meeting in 16 years.”

    We are…PATHETIC (because WE enabled 30 young boys to be abused)…

    Like

  125. You guys crack me up. PSU might be better now’ but let me tell you, they played us with a 2/3 ready James Conner and a NP who was now where near as good as he is now. Bell didn’t look all that yesterday, they just love to use that excuse. Just wonder why they are the only team that gets better?
    You can play the what if game forever. The ONLY fact is, that when the game was played, we won. We are much better offensively now, we’d just beat them worse. You guys sound like my brother “game didn’t mean anything, we’d kill you now, we’d win 8 of 10, blah blah blah.” Very, very, cult like! ‘Bout the only thing I can see changing is us not taking the peddle off and James using Bell for a speed bump!

    Liked by 1 person

  126. JoeKnew – (love the sarcastic name by the way) – I have several friends who went to the B1G Joke championship game – they claim it was the greatest championship comeback ever and they would beat Pitt if we played today and 9 of 10.

    My response is similar to yours except I ask “why aren’t you playing us past year four in the current series?” The cult is alive and not well…

    Like

  128. JoeKnew maybe, but Cabinda and Givens didn’t play, and we barely squeaked out a win.

    Plus we gave up 61 points last week. We lost Jarrett and Whitehead. Yes our offense got stronger, but our

    defense did not.

    Our win was great and that is what counts most, but we did lose 4 this year, and at best are going to the Sun Bowl.

    PSU is going to the freaking Rose Bowl. So let’s not lose our heads.

    Like

  129. Pitt beat number 3 and number 5 and the coaches don’t have us in the top 25. WTF
    As I said before hard schedules don’t help, Pedersen screwed us again scheduling OKST, the same year we play PSU.

    Like

  130. I agree with JoeKnew…..we are better now too by a long shot than we were when we played the pedos. Canada wouldn’t even let Nate pass the ball when we played them. How can you compare Givens & Cabinda to Peterman and Conner? We also lost Hendricks and Zeise going into the game.

    We’ll never know though for sure because both teams will be different next season.

    I’m guess that Wade should be a lot more impressed with the pedos now than us based on the fans and B1G title. Of course this is the first time (and last) that the 3 & 4th best teams play for a conference title.

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  131. So we finish at number 23 in the CFB Rankings. Win the bowl game and we should end in the top 20 with some luck……Now that would be big and give us a push.

    As a 4 star recruit uttered just a month ago… “I ain’t gonna play for no team that is .500”. It was an obvious dig at our team, but I would send a note back that reads “SCOREBOARD”.

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  132. gc – tOSU will get beat by Clemscum. USC beats penn state, FL State beats Michigan and W.Michigan beats Wisconsin. If and when that happens, does anyone acknowledge the Big Joke for the weak conference they are or do they start 2017 with four teams in the top 10?

    Pitt in at #23 – for the CFB playoff poll.

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  133. EE I hope you are right, but I kind of doubt it. I do agree that overall the B1G is weak, but not at the top.

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  134. GC, they played yesterday, and unless you are an unabashed PSU homer you saw them get run over. They couldn’t stop the run yesterday, or in fact against any decent running team. That, my man is a fact, and they ALL played! Somehow you seem more like a cultist, unwilling to look at the truth. You can’t handle the truth! Lol

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  136. Against a team with a defense that is lightyears ahead of ours.

    Don’t love PSU, but my Pitt rose colered glasses are busted.

    Like

  137. Gc — I’m sorry, but I disagree. If Pitt played PSU now instead of September for a 10 game series, Pitt would win 6-7 out of 10. PSU has improved, but our offense was a shell of what it is now. We’d probably score 55 this time. And I’m not sure our defense gives up much more than 39. If you remember, we completely beat them upfront — on both sides of the ball. We got a bunch of pressure on McSoreley, and Narduzzi’s defense works a lot better when that happens.

    Liked by 1 person

  140. The Pinstripe and the Motor City bowls were the two my wife refuses to attend. Anyone from Central PA that wants to venture to Yankee Stadium for this middling bowl against an unbranded B1G Joke team, let me know…

    Puke! Sorry…

    Like

  142. Knew somehow the Pedo’s would wriggle out of having to play Western Michigan.

    Wisconsin gets stuck playing in a ‘no-win’ situation.

    Like

  143. The Tarholes got the Sun Bowl and GT got the Gator Bowl.

    So I think we got hosed again. Herman doing an excellent job !

    Like

  144. The Pinstripe Bowl generally is for teams that finished around .500. The Pedo’s were in this 2 years ago as a 6-6 team against 7-5 BC.

    Like

  145. The Gator Bowl and the ACC agreed to place GT over a ranked Pitt team that beat the yellow jackets head to head. Sounds about right…

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  146. Ridiculous bowl for Pitt. No way I want to go to freezing Yankee Stadium and play NW. Thanks bowl committee. Guess that’s all Pitt deserves with a waste of an AD!!!

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  148. GC, thought you were talking about PSUs d. We’d just out score them, but again that’s pure speculation. Woulda, shoulda, couda. The question remains the same, and if you can’t answer it without a buuuutttttt attached, you are indeed a cultist——- WHO WON THE GAME?

    Like

  151. Pinstripe Bowl is on Monday, December 26th at 2pm – the day after Christmas.

    Barney is struggling as the Pitt AD. I’m not impressed…

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  152. gc, the pedos didn’t look to be light ears ahead of our D in the first half last night against a back up QB who can’t throw and hadn’t played since September. And don’t forget Potato Paul was running the offense in the 2nd half. The deer in the headlights Kid…

    Don’t forget, it was Paulie boy who stocked both our D and his own hapless D. Gee….didn’t the secondaries look similar? I wonder why…

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  154. Yeah, and Wisky’s ranked D is inflated by playing such a weak schedule. LSU’s O was a joke for most of this year, the badgers barely beat a D2 team and the run through their weak conference…

    Like

  155. We beat two top 5 teams, 8/4 record and ranked 22 the pinstripe bowl are you kidding me??

    The ACC sucks, doing us like that, Barney isn’t struggling he’s inept. I’m pissed aren’t you?

    Like

  156. I can see the Tarholes getting the Sun, but not GT beating us out for the Gator. But the ACC has to deal with bowl committees and they think (wisely) that GT’ll take the short trip south in numbers instead of our 4-5K fans from here. It will have better local interest too. That’s what happened when you join a Southern conference.

    Until our fans decide to travel to bowl games, we’ll get hosed every year until we win the ACC or at least play in the championship game. Oh….and it would help if the players actually show up for a game too for a change.

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  157. Jackagain, I was talking about Wisky’s D being better.

    Seriously did you miss our last defensive performance?

    Like

  158. NW is a 6-6 team from the B1G Joke conference. Let’s lay loss #7 on the wildcats.

    Our defense should match up well – let’s get some bodies healthy and show up ready to play.

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  159. Although our resume is more impressive than Georgia Tech, they did finish 8-4. They are a good team. I can’t gripe that much about them getting a better bowl. Everyone knew geography has been a factor for ACC bowl selections, it’s been that way the past few years.

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  160. Our Barney and/or the ACC can’t dissuade the Gator Bowl Committee from knowing how we travel as fans unfortunately. Or how disinterested the locals would be witha Pittsburgh team playing. They would rather have a local southern team I guess….

    Problem is GT will be in over their head and get waxed, and look boring while doing it with that ’60’s era offense. You diverse it Gator Bowl! I hope the game truly sucks and the TV numbers are in the toilet. This is the Gator Bowl committees fault, not the ACC or sleepy Barney’s fault.

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  161. I will let Upitt and Dan echo my feelings as they are much better than I. Sick, want to puke. Call him Herrman or whatever, you guys are absolutely correct. I have already expressed my feelings to the athletic dept.

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  163. Joe, it’s not Herman….it’s the Gator Bowl comm. They don’t want us…..Herman would need the full force of the mafia to dissuade them. Anyone know where I can get a nice ripe horse head?

    Like

  164. GT’s victories:

    BC (blah)
    Mercer (blah)
    Vanderbilt (blah)
    Georgia Southern (blah)
    Duke (meh)
    VT (good) (only win over a ranked team )
    UVa (blah)
    UGA (good)

    You get a better Bowl than Pitt, a team you lost to…..for that.

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  165. If Pitt was 10-2 and didn’t win the conference, the ACC would send us to the Music City Bowl as a reward.

    Like

  166. I do kinda like the idea of beating the crap out of Ron Cook’s alma mater and getting a decisive win against a B1G team….lol. Continue our ACC/B1G challenge success if you will.

    As I said earlier in the Blather though….we HAVE to win this game and be ranked going into the LOI day. Both Franklinstein & hoopieville will be trying to poach out recruits and they both will be ranked even if they lose. Especially important if by some miracle we get Wade to come here. We can’t afford to play Stanford or Utah 2 time zones removed right now. Let’s try that next year or the year after….

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  167. I’m bitching because Georgia Tech doesn’t travel well and we got screwed, screw the ACC we are higher ranked than GT we should get the better bowl. Name one team that got jobbed in the bowl selection? Pinstripe is a shit tier bowl we had a good season reward the kids with a better bowl. This sucks

    Like

  170. This is the dilemma of a northern team playing in a southern conference with an ineffective AD. You must be able to sell your product. To be effective you must sell it, even if they don’t want it. Until you get that type of leader you are doomed to be mediocre. This has always been Pitts problem, they only get part of the puzzle, never the whole. Get the coach and chancellor but not AD. Get offense but no d. Need it all to get to next level. For the first time I don’t think it will happen in my lifetime. I am depressed.

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  171. Pitt took about 10,000 to Bowl game last year, maybe more. This is a self-fulfilling type of situation, if you keep putting us in shit bowls against shit opponents, of course Pitt isn’t going to travel well.

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  172. This is on Barnes and no respect Pitt. Probably because we deserve very little for years of being a joke on the national stage. Who in their right mind the day after a Christmas wants to be in NY or sitting outside in 25 degree weather. What a joke. El Paso is like SouthBeach compared to tat shithole. Herman is a joke people. A 11 wife SOB with a head bigger than a Georgia Watermelon.

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  174. We all know that the ACC considers bowl attendance to be a paramount consideration. Do you guys honestly think Pitt would put more butts in the seats for a bowl game in Jacksonville than NYC?

    Yes, our resume is better than GT, and we beat them head to head, we are the better team. But in the ACC, the bowl selections aren’t based on who is necessarily the next best available team.

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  175. That Shithole bowl is for 6 win teams. That bowl does way more harm especially everyone else WVzu and PSU and Temple are playing in better bowls.

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  176. Call me crazy but NYC at Xmas is probably the second to last place I’d rather be. Actually 3rd. Dead is 1 and Barnes living e
    Room with his 11 wives and fat head trying to sell Pappy Stallings on why the Brussels is the better vacuum.

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  177. Herman is a worthless clod. Pitt is ranked #22. Pitt has the 10th highest scoring offense in the country at 42.3 ppg. coming off a NCAA record setting game for points scored, the best punt-kick return player in the Nation and a great human interest story in James Conner, along with being a 1000 yard rusher.

    And he can’t outsell two unranked schools with nowhere near the pizzazz as Pitt.

    Like

  178. Yep, this is really crappy. I don’t want to hear the PITT fans being blamed either. We are the ones who get no respect. Of course there was a lot of complaining last year when Barnes accepted the Military Bowl invite and not the pinstripe. But this year is different. Can’t wait to see how the AD spins this one.

    Like

  180. I like that your best argument is that I am a cultist because I think PSU is pretty good.

    They are #5 and Wisky #9, while I agree the B1G may be overated and I think we are a worthy top 25, it is nonsense to say that we are now as good as a top ten team.

    Our own conference doesn’t think enough of us to give us a decent bowl game, knowing our fans won’t show up.

    Two years in a row with second rate bowls in harsher climates.

    At least NYC is pretty cool around Christmas.

    Like

  181. The ACC just stuck teams as close to home as possible forgetting about who deserved what and getting great matchups. Pitt should try to open talks with the Big 12. Pitt and Houston make that a much better conference and we have a real rivalry. Okla/Okie St and Pitt/Wvu Thanksgiving wknd would be great for everybody. Screw the ACC!!

    Like

  182. Strange but true, we use to get better bowl venues in the BIg East.

    So far in ACC we’ve gotten the lovely holiday places of :

    Detroit (always charming)
    Ft. Worth (naturally there was a blizzard)
    Annapolis (wasn’t even an ACC bowl)

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  183. Most bowls are not full. ACC is concerned with protecting their own.
    We are the only team in the country to beat two top 5 teams. And if you really think Penn State is the fifth best team , well. And yes, I think we are better than them now, but again, you cannot prove they are currently better, can’t do it unless they play, sooooo once again, answer the basic question– who won the game? You really do sound like a woulda,coulda, shoulda Nitter. Those bowl statements were exactly my brothers reply. Are they good, yep, but we proved we were better ON THE FIELD, not in a poll.

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  187. Two undenialable FACTS:
    1. We played PSU this season, gave them a shellacking, let them back into the game and when the final whistle blew we BEAT them fair and square.
    2. The Pinstripe Bowl is a slap in the face for James Conner and these Panthers.

    Liked by 1 person

  188. Herman collecting a paycheck qualifies as theft.
    Rewarding an eight win team, one that beat the ACC champ and the Big 10 champ, with a trip to icy New York, speaks to his inability to sell the program.
    Maybe he used the same selection committee that plucked Stallings to sell us to the Pinstripe

    Like

  189. Let’s see for football, Big 12 teams that would give you a sellout at Heinz.

    1) West Virginia
    2) Oklahoma
    3) Texas

    ACC teams that you play yearly that give you a sellout at Heinz.

    None

    ACC teams that you play once every 14 years that would sellout Heinz.

    1) FSU
    2) Clemson

    For Basketball, Big 12 teams who you would play yearly who would sellout the Pete.
    (all guaranteed yearly Home games *)

    1) Kansas
    2) West Virginia
    3) Oklahoma
    4) TCU
    5) Baylor (providing their ranked)
    6) Iowa State (providing their ranked)
    7) Okla. State (ditto)

    Acc teams who you might play yearly who would sellout the Pete.

    1) Syracuse
    2) Duke (not a guaranteed yearly home game)
    3) UNC (not a guaranteed yearly home game)
    4) ND (not a guaranteed yearly home game)
    5) L-Ville (ditto)

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  191. And then on top of all that, we gave up a bunch of guaranteed games with Notre Dame in football, all of which would be sellouts at Heinz.

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  192. And this is HOW THE ACC treats Pitt for handing them a bunch of soldout nationally televised home football games for schools that would NEVER get the chance to play Notre Dame. For example this year, first time EVER NC State got a chance to play Notre Dame.

    Like

  193. Guys—we can’t fill our own stadium for home games so how in the world would the Gator Bowl think they can get 20,000 Pitt fans to Jacksonville?? Until we can sell our own home tickets to our own fans DEAL with local bowl trips.

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  195. It really is a ripoff by the our conference that is run by North Carolina schools.

    UNC gets to play Stanford and we get Northwestern, a total no win situation, if we beat them who cares, if we lose we drop out of the polls.

    We have two top ten wins,The only win vs Clemson this year and at their house in years, the former ACC player of the year and all-around great James Conner, and the best kick/punt return guy in college football.

    Still pisses me off that Narduzzi took the pedal off the metal vs them when we should have blown them out.

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  196. Come on John…..Georgia TEch isn’t going to take 20,000 people to Jacksonville. They don’t travel well. It’s an urban school like Pitt.

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  197. And I would imagine a lot of the GT people that do go, will drive down and drive back the same day.

    So no money spent on Jax hotels and restaurants, that Pitt people would have spent.

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  199. No this is protecting the good ole boy network in the ACC. Pitt is the red-headed step child. Same with unranked UNC going to the Sun Bowl to get #16 Stanford. There will NOT be many people from UNC going way out to El Paso to watch a 8-4 Tarheel team who ended their season losing to both of their rivals, neither of whom were very good….Duke and NC State.

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  200. That’s right gc. And if we lose to Northwestern some how, we get bounced right out of the Top 25.

    Had we played #16 Stanford, it was a win/win. Win you move up, lose you stay about the same.

    Now UNC can slither back into the Top 25 with a win. And Stanford at #16 even with a loss will probably still stay in. And that’s probably what’s going to happen.

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  201. So JoeKnew, PSU gets USC in the Rose Bowl and we get Northwestern in the the Bronx.

    Remind we how we are better off.

    You can hang your hat on our great victory, but somehow we end up in the toilet bowl.

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  203. GT alum with money will fly down to Jax in a 40 minute flight, and fly right back home. Again no added revenue for Jacksonville.

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  204. Take a nap on Sunday and wake up to this. The Pinstripe is a joke, a bowl for .500 teams such as Northwestern. We are consistently being screwed by the ACC which is still fighting the Civil War – southern rubes (no offense to you southern POVrs). Christ I’m not sure i want to watch this game on TV . It is 28th -three days after Xmas,. F@ck f4UCK. Barnes has to go – a real AD would blast this but I guess I m just noise huh Herman Cowhead. Guess to prepare I should watch jJack Lemmon in the Out of Towners and watch Christmas in Hollis.. Querry this – what team beat the number 2 and 6 teams and went to a toilet bowl? Frack the ACC.
    Emel – I am watching Steelers on TV at Ketchup Bowl – clear mid field logo, crisp loud writing in both end zones. Until we get respect in our “own” stadium I guess we will be bullied everywhere.
    BARNES AND ACC YOU GUYS SUCK!!!!!
    Well i guess I could visit my new Mecca -President-Elect Trump Tower,
    Havent gone to NYC since 1969, havent missed it one bit – an overpriced dirty city.
    Reed – you were looking at an idea for articles, Cowhead gave it to you.

    Liked by 1 person

  205. Emel your right were screwed we’re Yankees, 😂 and we’re playing in the Yankee bowl how appropriate.

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  207. Big will always get better bowls. But what does that arguement mean. Sort of pointing out our attendance vs theirs, that’s another Niter arguement. Thought we were talking about who is better. More you bring up stupid More you sound like a true Nitter, just sayin!

    Liked by 1 person

  208. Right rkb

    They can make everything look very good at Ketchup Bottle for Steelers. Because they WANT too !
    No respect from them or the local media. So why would the national media or the ACC respect us ?

    All goes hand in hand.

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  209. This isn’t 1950 anymore. Bowls and all conferences couldn’t care less about deserving and on the field match ups. It’s who brings in the $$$ and we suck at that.

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  211. Made an argument, on last page on how the Big 12 would be better for Pitt in both football (no brainer) and surprisingly basketball as well.

    As the ACC is killing our basketball program. As other when just a few teams comes to town, every other year or so….the rest of the schools nobody really wants to see.

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  212. Don’t think I would want to spend my holiday season time in La Guardia or JFK. With the TSA jerkoffs. lol

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  213. Listen, before this deteriorates,
    1) there is no way Pitt can ever compete attendance wise
    2) there is no way the ACC bowls can compare to the Bigs
    3) the only way to compete is to win on the field
    4) who would win now is like asking how many angels can fit on the head of a pin, no way to prove it.
    5) polls are popularity contests and don’t mean much,as the recent election shows!
    6) prove me wrong, just say it, Pitt won the game, no buts, no what ifs, no things that can’t be proved. We were favored, we won, better luck next year you loooosers.

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  214. So your argument is that PSU is going to the Rose and we to the toilet, because the B1G gets better bowls.

    But we are really the better team, and I’m stupid and a cultist.

    Like

  215. Wow, no, I changed my mind. PSU is much better. They beat us fair and square, and in the alternate reality would do so 7 of 10 at least. They would hold Conner to negative yardage, fill 90 percent of Heinz field, and were unfairly penalized by the NCAA. And of course if Joe Knew, he would have reported it, and he fulfilled all his required duties. I am very, very sorry.

    Liked by 1 person

  217. I’m with you Joeknew, gc with all due respect you have gone off the rails on poor Ped State whom the announcers yesterday said they have had to go through so much to return to the top – poor poor Ped State – they shouldnt even have a team so no pity here and they dont figure in my thoughts period, ;They forfeited the right to complain by building their program on the back ends of little boys for forty years and 30 plus little boys,
    Ironic – in 1976 USC wanted the NC with a loss and bitched and moaned because their tie-in with the Rose Bowl kept them from playing PItt – boo hoo, The team we beat is going to the Rose Bowl and we to the Pinstripe played by Ped State when they were in disgrace. FUCK PENN STATE!! We were without several players in the early season win, offense vanilla and Frankinliar said the game was not important – guess it was. Money is all that counts, it trumps the worst most heinous scandal in the history of any American University.

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  218. Joeknew, I am a Pitt fan, I just don’t live in a reality where I can’t admit that PSU finished stronger than us had a better season and is going to a better bowl.

    It is just my opinion that they have improved more than us during the course of the season. I love our guys and our team but it doesn’t mean I can’t respect the accomplishments of our opponents.

    Our offense got way better this year and finished with a 70 point game, but our defense had one great game all year and finished poorly.

    I am not so much of a homer that I can’t admit our teams deficiencies.

    No we will never know how another game would turn out, I am still happy with our victory, but not delusional enough to think it was more than a hard fought extremely close game with a lucky finish. Not a fact of our long term superiority.

    What I don’t respect is our own conference screwing us and giving the Sun Bowl to their golden boys.

    This is why Maryland left the ACC (the money helped), but they got tired of getting screwed by the Carolinians.

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  219. This is why Maryland left the ACC.
    Every year they got screwed in the ACC basketball tourney always played in the south, save for once every 15 years. This is totally on Barnes. Can we just turn down the bowl?

    I have to go to NYC once a month on business. What a craphole it has become under deblasio! People crapping and urinating in the streets, beggars on every block. The smell alone can kill you. And that’s where Barnes wants us to take our wives for a bowl???

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  221. Don’t let your hatred for Paterno, Sandusky, and the coverup, blur your vision of reality.

    It has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not PSU has a good football team or could beat us right now, JoeKnew is right we won this year, and that is what matters most to us.

    As far as comparing football polls to political polls, that is laughable, everyone knows football polls are more important.

    We get another crack at them next year and I don’t like our chances. I would love to be wrong.

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  224. I take great joy in the fact, that Pitt’s win over the Pedo’s ended up keeping them out of the College Playoff for the NC.

    It took awhile, but we got revenge for 1981. How sweet it is ! Joy Joy !

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  225. Did some local sportswriter float the idea of playing in Orlando against the Hoopies ?

    Cause that was just priming Pitt people for a letdown, as that WAS NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN.

    This priming Pitt people for a letdown is a known trick of the local Pedo dominated media.

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  227. What is the rate of missing children in the Pittsburgh area compared to the national avg ? State College area ?

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  229. Ha ha ha @dan 72 Are you sure you go to NYC? I go to there 4-5 times a year for work and don’t experience any of those things you do. Best restaurants, musuems, shopping in the world. My wife goes with whenever her job allows. We had a blast for the 2KSports Tourney last month. “People crapping and urinating in the streets..” Really? Let me know if you need a hotel recommendation, brother!!!

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  230. Good bowl for Pitt. Yes – not a good team we’re playing against so that means we should blow them away. Showcase the Offense and The D wont be embarrassed. Pitt 89, Northwestern 24. I’m so glad Pitt was THE Reason the Nitters didnt make the playoffs. The Pedos will say but we’re going to the Rose and I will say you aint going to a meaningful bowl game…just like us. 42-39! Poopy Pants must be turning over in his shallow grave. The Pitt torture is worse than the Devil he serves. Oh yes, the Rose will help the Cult heal.

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  231. Continue taking shots at my Athletic Director’s physical appearance, if it makes you feel better. It is 5% his fault we are going to the Pinstripe Bowl and 95% the fault of Conklin, and Hill, and YES Narduzzi. That was borderline criminal the defensive coaching effort we Pitt fans, who religiously attended Pitt games were exposed to. And don’t tell me about talent; the players were beat at the pre-snap line-up by being out of position and for all 4 or 8 of them to not turn their heads; when they all don’t do it that’s a pattern Pitt fans. Behind closed doors, if Matt Canada with only Narduzzi and Conklin present, didn’t throw some chairs and scream, “We could have been 11-1 or 12-0; you don’t get this many chances in a career,” I would be amazed.

    Sorry, but I do feel better now.

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  232. Well this game is actually in the Bronx, which ain’t Manhattan. A far cry from the Upper East Side or Central Park West.

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  234. ~ Tony

    I wrote this before but here goes again. Even had Pitt been 10-2 and not won the Conference the ACC would have still put Pitt in some shit bowl, probably the Music City Bowl. They can do whatever they want.

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  235. Tony +1

    I als think it was poor coaching to not put the game in Peterman’s hands in the fourth quarter vs PSU, OKST and UNC.

    Barely got away with it vs PSU, did not learn from it and kept doing it, until Marshall.

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  236. They owed us from last year, and not putting us in a Tier 1 Bowl last year. Pitt finished 2nd in the Coastal last year and ends up in a Tier 2 Bowl. So what do they do, they dick us again.

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  237. Geesze, Let’s dispel the myth of PSU finishing strong. Yep, they won those games in a row, but against who? PU, Rutgers, Iowa(good team) ,Indiana, Mich. St. I mean there is a reason their schedule is ranked between 40-50! This isn’t hatred, it’s reality. They got better beating up the cupcakes. Any team with a rushing offense gave them fits. I don’t think them running it up to make the final score bigger means they improved.
    Never, and I repeat, NEVER, has one team benefited so much from one play! OSU dominated that game and a blocked FG got a 5-2 team who did not get a single vote the week before into the top 20. Now that shows vast improvement? Or does it show something else. I will say they improved, but much,much had to do with the quality of opposition.

    Liked by 1 person

  241. ~ Joeknew. Exactly the bump they got in the polls from #24 to #12 by beating pathetic Purdue & middling unranked Iowa(5-3 at that point and hadn’t played Michigan yet), showed how rigged the polls truly are. For those that didn’t already know.

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  242. Joe Knew, I actually agree with you about the schedule, but you only get to play those scheduled teams.

    You also forgot to mention Wisky, a pretty strong team. If Chryst would have had a better QB, a very strong team.

    Pitt’s schedule was much stronger, a competitive game almost every week.

    But Pitt was also Jekyl and Hyde, the offense being Jekyl and the defense being Hyde.

    The UNC game crushed us one that got away because of no faith in the forward pass. A real shame.

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  243. GC a good point, remember when Pitt ripped off 3 11/1 seasons?

    They were jobbed then

    They went to the Fiesta bowl (against a 6/4/1 Arizona team)

    They went to the Gator Bowl against South Carolina

    They went to the Sugar Bowl, finally a really good bowl versus Georgia

    Pitt has been screwed through the years

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  244. With who they had remaining on the schedule(after Osu win), there was no way they could have even climbed into the Top 15, let alone the Top 10. The stiffs included :
    Purdue
    Iowa
    Indiana
    Buttgers
    Mich. State

    That 12 place bump WAS THE ONLY WAY. They could even sniff the Top 10 if things were legit.

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  245. On the Pinnstripe Bowl — YOWZA — some of you do not like the NYC????!

    I Get it though for sure — especially with penn state getting so insanely hyped up right now. Yesss — what many don’t realize is that is makes is SO MUCH WORSE for Pitt fans that they are so Freakin’ Culty About It — Jerry Sandusky WHO???? — is all of them. I think many here live around or near Central PA because many seem uspet lol — I can ASSURE you NO ONE besides penn state alums and the YOKEL band wagon PA fans give a $ht about that land grant school lol* — If than is any consolation at all.

    The USC Trojans are HOT — and since they put in their RS Frosh QB a third-way into the season they have since Steam-Rolled the PAC 12. They are going to smash some Nittany Lion -teeth in, rest assured.

    —> Pitt right now would beat Wisconsin on a Neutral Field by 2 Touchdowns. Only non-Wisconsin fans are going-on still about their defense being so elite, because all Wisconsin diehards are furioius about their horrific defensive backfield talent and play and they are saying objectively only their front 7 is talented. Just for those angry at psu’s success right now — Our Pitt Panthers would have put 50 on Wisconsin if we played last night in Indianapolis and Paul’s Chryst’s Child lost in the airport who can’t find their parents look would have been 1,000X more intense.

    Hey, c’mon, Pitt is ranked #22!! — And Northwestern is still a D-1, Big-10 team, yet not only beatable — but they’re a team that Pitt honestly can Dominate and Smash up in Yankee Statdium!! At this point in #ThePursuit ( #HailToPitt!!! ), getting a solid, resounding Bowl Win to finish 9-4, and ranked in the top 20 (guaranteed with a New Era Pinnstripe Bowl Win) is better for the program than anything else, PERIOD .

    Win this Bowl Game and Pitt is top 20 to end the season at 9-4. And without a doubt (if that really matters to anyone) Pitt again will start next season ranked as well. Patience guys, PATIENCE!!! Even looking at pswho is is YEAR 3 for Franklin!!! 7-6, 6-7 his first two years before THIS YEAR!! **AND before this year-3 “arrival” for James Franklin, pswho was all-worried because they had to break in this brand-new, shrimpy, 5’11”, 185 pound not strong-armed QB ……… but look how it turned out for them!!! — Pitt has a 6’5”, 230 pound, 4.5 speed, rocket-armed QB in the wings — Young Legend Thomas MacVittie!!

    I get and have “empathy” with the frustration —- but dang don’t get all jealous about pswho when they were 6-6 the last two seasons and achieved success in Franklin’s 3rd year — be POSTIVE and be excited about just what Pat Narduzzi can do in HIS YEAR THREE!!

    #HailToPitt !!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 –> no more frowns — let’s all turn those frowns upside down lol. 9-4, final #18-20 overall ranking, and start next season ranked as well!! 🙂

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  247. If, and I say if we beat NW, anyone want to bet we DROP in the polls? I say if just because their O can cause awkward D lapses.

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  248. ^^ Northwestern’s offense if Borderline Anemic –** I want to see all the Seniors on Defense step it the HE*L UP for their last game and just Snuff-Out Northwestern’s weak Run game, and Smother their slow, unathletic recievers.**

    I want to see the offense Go Freakin’ WILD up in the BIG APPLE, At the New Yankee Stadium — I want Nathan Peterman to Light It Up through the air and throw Dimes in his Final Game, and I want to see the Senior offensive lineman Blow-Up the small, unathletic front 7 for Northwestern — with James Conner Ripping and Slicing for 200+ yards on the ground before he graduates-off to his Stellar NFL Career.

    This game is exactly the matchup Pitt wants right now in the #Ascension Period for the Football Program. Time to stop the silly dreams that Pitt would be in the playoff because they beat penn state and Clemson lol that’s all gotta stop.

    Dominate the Wildcats — Snuff out their O, and Rip Apart their Defense in the Final College game for Natie P, Scott Orndoff, Bisnowatty, D. Johnson…..and if James Conner is leaving, I want him to Destroy Northwestern’s Slow and Smallish Defense on a NYC late afternoon at Yankee Stadium.

    #HailToEffinPitt — Let’s Finish It Strong in three-odd weeks.

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  253. @ gc — I agree — BUT!!!!

    Pitt is ranked 22 (yay! 🙂 lol) and with a win will at least end up at #19 because of other ranked teams ahead losing their bowl game. If Pitt Wins Big and Bangs-On the Wildcats , then Pitt may get all the way up to #15-16 and make sure to pass-over other ranked teams who lose their Bowl Games.

    That would still be cool!!! — and With a Big Win — a CONVINCING two-touchdown plus win over Northwestern in at 🙂 Yankee Stadium 🙂 (only I think the Venue is Super-Cool???? Yeah it seems lol) Pitt not only finishes at #15-17 This Year, but also will start next season Ranked for sure as well!!

    Pitt has 10X more to gain This Season by playing an opponent they should Beat (Handily I might Add) — and ending the season ranked quite-high and sending off all the seniors strong.

    Remember this is year 2 for Pat Narduzzi — ranked #22, 8-4, with a Really Strong Chance to finish 9-4 and ranked way-inisde the top 20 — Last year, James Franklin’s year 2, they finished 6-7 and everyone was worried about if this shrimpy weak-armed kid trace mcsorley could be their qb! And heck, he had to fight for the job vs a garbage other QB to even start the season starter in Franklin’s year 3 —– The way I see it Pitt Football — with Narduzzi transitioning from Paul Chryst’s no ranked and 2 star defense, but solid offense —- is looking way ahead!!!

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  255. And about Pitt’s recruiting — Again — All of the good, Promising defensive players — ALL OF THEM — are already Narduzzi recruits . Don’t fret about Narduzzi 3 stars vs. Chryst 3 stars, etc. because that is a total insult to Pat Narduzzi’s ability to, ya know, actually see if a Kid is talented and fast enough for Big-Time ball lol . Saleem Brightwell was ranked the same or lower than Matt Galambos out of high school. One has blazing speed and talent, the other wears shoes with concrete soles. Dane Jackson was a very-low 3 star — and at the very least he’s already way more talented than Ryan Lewis and is as fast and at least 5 inches taller than Avonte Maddox. Just making the point that these players are all totally different people — this isn’t a video game where one guy is 4-star with 10 offers, so he is 10 points better overall than that 3 star with 4 offers, etc.!!!! 🙂 lol I Know Narduzzi is gonna dig-and-dig-and-dig and find Diamonds and Gold no matter WHAT 🙂 .

    Quadree Henderson, Aaron Mathews, — low three stars — I have faith in this staff to bring in Fast, Tough, Explosive and talented Players into the program .

    My Point is that Pat Narduzzi just finds talent and you’re just being a MASOCHIST if your waiting for Pat Narduzzi to recruit classes based on high star averages. — Pat Narduzzi is going to find talent his way, and he’s going to recruit Full-Classes and build depth at Pitt and build a PANTHER POWERHOUSE — And PLEASE STOP WITH THE MICHIGAN STATE comparisons — this Evolving Pitt Football Program is going to be something totally New and Unique — Pittsburgh is not East Lansing, the ACC is not the Big 10…Narduzzi is doing he absolute best to Build Pitt in his own way into something great. My honest recommendation: JUST BELIEVE!!! LOL

    #HailToPitt 🙂 !!!! #SMASHTheCats !!!!

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  257. The only good thing with the Pinstripe Bowl, it’s not the Military Bowl vs Temple.

    Oh and there are quite a number of good bars in Central Park South/Times Square area, pricey but good.

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  258. Kapernick got clobbered in Chicago today, sacked 5 times, was 1 of 5 for 4 yards. Got booed and jeered everytime he touched the ball. Couldn’t happen to a nicer punk.

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  259. gc, it works like this….8-4 teams who are barley ranked and win against anyone, including Buttgers, stays ranked at 9-4. A #23 ranked team who loses any bowl game, even against Alabama, drops to 8-5 and is out of the rankings. Very simple….

    If we’re unranked going into LOI day, Pitt’s staff is putting out recruiting fires for a month and will get to poach exactly zero players from other teams, especially our 2 ranked local teams. This recruiting year is so much more important than 3 1/2 hours of entertainment it isn’t even funny. The bowl game for us isn’t just fun entertainment like it is for established schools who have that luxury. This re-build of ours is in it’s infancy.

    Fact is we’re playing a B1G team instead of a BE or MAC team this time and every FB expert (read, idiot) thinks the B1G is better than the SEC. This will not be a clown win. The spread will be interesting in this one.

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  260. The bowls are businesses. They and their business sponsors want to make money just like other businesses such as the networks, colleges, etc. Some bowls have gone out of business when they were unsustainable in making money. Some bowls seem to have the same schools every year or because they have friends at a particular school or group of schools. Of course Pitt deserves better this year. But the bowls or conferences seem to care less. The ACC does have its tiers but they also have various excuses build in so that the selection process can be turned upside down. At least the ACC spreads the bowl money evenly to all its members. We need to win something to be treated somewhat fairly. Unfortunately it is what it is and we have little choice.

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  263. I’m more interested in ending 9-4, an improvement over last year, which is a big sell for recruits. LOI day is our next big day, not the bowl game…and it’s going to be huge for us if we get to 9 wins. Next year we win 10 and we’re almost Clemson…..and I’m not joking. Another 8-5 season and we’re spinning out wheels ala Wanny years….

    Yeah, let’s play freakin’ Stanford on the left coast in front of 600 screaming Pitt fans….

    Like

  264. You guys are thinking about this all wrong. The bowl game in new York is a good thing. New York always gets good air time so that is good. From a competition standpoint, the most important thing is to win the game. We win, we could be in the top 20.

    Top 20 keeps the program momentum heading in the right direction. Lose and we are out of the top 25. I prefer NW to Navy for sure. Would be great to put a big hurt on NW and show the big10 that we can play against anyone in that league. There is plenty to play for. Do we have a large alumni base in NY, even better.

    Most everybody jumped off the bus when we were 5-4. Only a few of us picked our own team to win game 6 and many on here predicted no bowl, just to be pleasantly surprised. Let’s go kick NW in the nuts and then punch them in the nuts as a chaser! Practice hard all you freshmen!!! Your time is nearer than you think!

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  266. Huff – NW is a beliw avg Big 10 Team. Win means nothing. Loss means not much either. No one watches this bowl on TV or in person nationally minus Chicago
    tV’s and Heidelberg Donna Iris Fans.

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  267. ^^^ Whoa, @emel1981 — I am starting to feel uncomfortable, as I felt “Age Discrimination” in that previous post. I hope my discomfort and is Noted — as this should be a Safe Place here on the Pit POV. I am starting a brand-new movement here: #MillenialOpinionsMatter

    🙂 🙂 LOL– big time ‘JK’ —- Hey I’m just a passionate guy…and I love The University of Pittsburgh and I definitely want our Biggest (a la Scott Barnes of course) “Front Porch” Asset to succeed at the Brightest level! 🙂

    The Football Program for Power 5 Universities is like who has the best Jack O’Lantern on Halloween, or who has the best Nativity Display /+ The Biggest and Baddest Tree on Christmas!!! (I’m feeling Festive!!) hahaha — *”WHY NOT PITT???” —Rhetorical, No Reason Why-Not!! 🙂

    #HailToPitt

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  270. CNorwood. I stay at the Marriot Times Square or nearby at a compnay condo. I walk to our office on 42nd street during a normal workday. Let me know when you and the Misses are in NYC next and we can walk together. I will buy you both dinner at the restaurant of your choice if we find no one urinating on the street in public! ( be glad to buy dinner no matter!)

    On another subject, don’t know if any of you know this but PSU Basketball recruited an entire (very good) AAU team in tact. Artis better be ready to play this week!

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  271. I agree with Huff and have been arguing that all day….and a loss keeping us at a mediocre 8-5 would be a huge against us. Of course if our local rivals were Buttgers and Mary Land, then a loss wouldn’t matter.

    But our 2 local rivals are in the top 10 and top 20 before their big bowl games. We HAVE to stay in the top 25 to show recruits real improvement and a right direction with Narduzz inc.

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  272. Frank, the money doesn’t matter….the ACC divides all the bowl money up equally from a pot. That’s one thing I like about the ACC (for now) 😉

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  275. Clemson just played Ohio Fake in 2014 in the Orange Bowl I believe, winning 40-35. So those two are matched up again.

    Thx for the link Jack. didn’t realize Pitt could be making approx. 30% more money in the Big 12.

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  276. Dan, I saw those psu freshmen ,throttle Duquesne a couple of weeks ago, and we know how good t.he dukes are.

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  277. I’m thinking with all the shenanigans(rigging) that the pollsters have done with BigJoke teams this year and the fact that many are decrying the fact that Ohio Fake didn’t win a Conf. Championship, but got a bid.
    They are most probably going to beat Clemson. Plus all these talking heads have been proclaiming all year that the BigJoke is the toughest conf.

    Sort of reminds me of the other year, when many thought Ohio Fake didn’t belong in the 4…and they ended up winning the whole thing.

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  278. Hey one last thing Narduzzi is familiar with Northwestern from his MSU days.

    We will roll over these guys bet the 🏡 on this one.

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  279. Am I the right only one who thinks NW is atrocious???? Werent they 3-6 at one point this season.

    They should be in the WD40
    bowl in Flint Michigan.

    Good Lord did we get the worst Bowl the ACC gets???

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  280. I think Dark Knight escapes from his room, finds a computer, and a flurry of Internet activity follows until the men in white scrubs can fit him back into his restraints.
    As for Northwestern, would love for Pitt to schedule them -home and home – so I could make the journey out there.

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  284. LOL UPitt….I think their worst Bowl is the Blubber Bowl in Nome. Buttgers vs BC on ESPNU Christmas night.

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  285. I would rather see PITT play in a better bowl with against a ranked opponent, but its 40 mins from my house. I”ll be there. H2P

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  287. Northwestern 6-6 and they play in the Big-Sham. In what way and who’s imagination is PITT related to this setup? While Miami get the Russell Athletic Bowl? Isn’t PITT ranked ahead of the those thugs?

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  288. Last year NW was a 10 win team and they have the best receiver in the B1G in Austin Carr…..and you know what that means….

    http://www.espn.com/college-football/player/_/id/533308/austin-carr

    http://www.espn.com/blog/ncfnation/post/_/id/134066/pinstripe-bowl-pittsburgh-panthers-vs-northwestern-wildcats

    Motivation level: High. Why wouldn’t it be? A win would make Pitt 9-4, a one-game improvement on Pat Narduzzi’s debut 2015 campaign. And it would likely ensure the Panthers finish 2016 ranked in the top 25. — Matt Fortuna

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  289. I’ll probably get lambasted here, but I’m cool with the Pinstripe Bowl. Pitt made gains this year, and I think the Pinstripe Bowl in NYC is an improvement over the Motor City Bowl in Detroit 2 years ago and the Military Bowl in Annapolis last year (which I went to with my dad and had a great time). NC is a thoroughly beatable Big 10 school which could get us to 9-4 and end the season on a good note and ranked going into 2017. But, the team has to show up ready to play and I pray that there aren’t any coaching changes that distract the team as they prepare..hopefully Pitt brings a nice crowd like last year, which could help our case for añ even better bowl next year. Life is good..H2P!

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  292. @Anonymous December 4, 2016 at 10:22 pm

    Let me start….every coach with a last name beginning with a “B” is an a-hole.

    ….more comments coming soon.

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  297. Every ACC coach with a vote has Pitt in their Top 25, except the little runt up at Syracuse. Did someone else score 76 points on Cuse this year ?

    Other coaches of note, Paulie had Pitt in, as did Brian Kelly, Suburban Urban did not, must not be a fan of Nard Dog. Terry Bowden, did not, even though Pitt gave the Zipper Heads 2 paydays, fook him. Same with Doc Holliday of Marshall.

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  298. At lot of these coaches out west had Temple in their Top 25, but not Pitt and that show’s how Pitt’s image nationally isn’t too hot, if Temple is getting votes instead of you, even though we beat #2 Clemson and #5 Pedo State. Pitt is the ONLY team in America that beat BOTH the ACC champion and the Bigjoke champion.

    Some of these coaches are a-holes like Mike Riley of Nebraska (must have been his years at Oregon State), as he has the gall to vote his Cornholes #15 on his own poll. After getting mauled by any ranked team they played.

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  299. Temple got twice as many votes as Pitt in the Coaches Poll(126 to 61), good thing it’s 3rd in the pecking order of polls. Pitt getting no respect from these jackass coaches, especially west of the Mississippi and in Ohio where 3 of them, didn’t vote for Pitt (urban, bowden and tubberville). And Pitt put that jagoff Tubberville’s team back on the schedule down the road.

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  300. @Dan72 You are on sir!! I usually try to stay as far away from Times Square as possible but occasionally have to make it over to the BofA Tower at Bryant Park. I know the perfect spot for dinner and drinks.

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  301. Bad weekend, bball team plays like St. Francis vs scrub Duquesne. Pedo’s get Roses laid at their feet for being a perv pedo cult, while Pitt gets a 6-6 team in NY Toilet Bowl. Hard being a Pitt fan 😦

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  302. UPitt and EMel – you guys are still pissed at being denied lovely Shreveport and the drive thru daiquiri places.

    Jackagain and Huff – excellent, rational POVs today.

    I’m delighted to being going to NYC and play a B1G team. It’s gonna be a little harder for Pitt fans to take the town over like last year. But we will certainly have a lot of fun. And so will the team.

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  303. The Bowl Selection Committee ranked Pitt 23, a better system than the AP or UPI polls. PSU got the Pinstripe at 6/6 against BC the bottom of the ACC the year before last and Syracuse got it last year. Agree we are screwed by this bowl again if we lose.But agree most important step is to put a whuppin on whoever we play and go gangbusters on recruiting.A fact is that our history as bowl fans is not great and it is a business, that hurts us, so if we become a top 10 team the fans become less important as when we played Georgia in the Sugar Bowl in 82. Shore up the D and give it to NW 99/ 21.H2p

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  304. If you read AD Barnes’ quote on the Pitt website, he congratulates the Panthers for going to the ( drum roll please)……..wait for it…….”Tier 1 New Era Pinstripe Bowl.”
    Huh? Tier One? Really? Tier 1, did he say Tier one? Huh????

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  305. Pulled this from PSN article yesterday –

    “So the reality of the situation is this: penn state had a great season and is going to a far better bowl game than Pitt. But another part of that reality is that the Nittany Lions aren’t going to the playoff because they lost to the Panthers.

    So the Penn State faithful need to admit one of two things:

    1) Pitt is indeed a rival. The rivalry is back. And your rival cost you a chance at a national title.

    Or

    2) Your national championship hopes were dashed by a team you deem to be too inferior to acknowledge as a rival in the first place.”

    I also believe that HCPN was in Barney’s ear to get a bowl game with Stanford (Sun Bowl) or a B1G Joke team anywhere. HCPN knows this team better than anyone and he wants to win this bowl game. This team (right now) struggles mightily vs pass heavy teams and probably can’t beat many “other” teams on the bowl circuit other than B1G Joke teams. Just so happens we get NW who has the best receiver in the B1G Joke – ikr –

    Challenges – you either meet them and defeat them,

    Or

    You cower and the challenges devour you.

    By the way, I’m not looking past NW, but HCPN already has the formula to beat penn state next season at creepy valley. Rerun the Death Valley film and you’ll know what I mean…

    HTP!

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  306. Frank MD’s post with the chart comparing the power 5 conferences against each other is an interesting read. What stood out to me is that the ACC played 15 out of conference games against other power 5 schools, while the big 10 played only 11. I guess they have the extra conference game? But then this list doesn’t include the games against ND that are connected to the ACC. It looks like Pitt and FSU are the only 2 ACC schools that played multiple non-conference power 5 opponents this year (but like I said, it doesn’t show ACC schools that played ND).

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  307. Guys – thanks for carrying on the blog in my absence.

    I’m doing a article today about the bowl selection.

    I’ve been scrambling around the past three days trying to get people out of the camps in the woods and into semi-permanent housing before winter blows in for my volunteer work. Something to think about if you have an extra buck or three laying around you might be able to donate.

    Thanks again…

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  308. Reading comments here it seems that Penn State is quite the double edged sword. Penn State and their conference are undeserving of their rankings but Pitt should be ranked higher because they beat Penn State.

    @gc for what it’s worth I fully agree with your points regarding Penn State. Outside of Iowa, who finished strongly, they didn’t really play anybody down the stretch but they beat the hell out of most of those teams including Iowa (who later beat Michigan). PSU then beat Wisconsin who gave Ohio State all it could handle in Madison (21-14) and lost to Michigan by 7 at Ann Arbor (14-7). Also saw some discussion that Wisconsin has a poor defense because of the Big 10 Championship result. Wisconsin surrendered a total of 38 points to OSU and Michigan. Pitt surrendered 40 points (2 missed XPs) in the second half to Syracuse which played with a backup quarterback.

    I thought only WVU fans felt this persecuted by the world….

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  309. Seems like last year we were 8-4 and people on here were hoping for an invite to the Pinstripe. This year we are 8-4 and we get the Pinstripe and now it is a toilet bowl. Go figure.

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  310. Looks like our traveling so well to Annapolis got us the Pinstripe .

    Don’t see the same numbers happening this year.

    Pitt- Stanford would have been a great TV draw, Pitt- Northwestern not so much.

    Miami gets West Virginia. Pitt-West Virginia mad too much sense.

    The non-Carolina schools need to vote these bums out of power.

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  311. Funny when I made the argument that we didn’t need OKST on the schedule, some said they like the tougher schedule. Fine, but it cost us a higher ranking and better bowl. Now some say playing a 6-6 team is better because we can win the bowl game. Maybe but remember that beating Bowling Green did little to help our rep. I would rather play the ranked team in the Bowl Game, and play one non-com rival, early on.

    Thanks for the vote of confidence Barvo. It’s good to know someone shares an opinion.

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  312. GC – I was with you and started the whole good for WVU and PSU and Temple and of course Pitt. Glad the schools are all doing well. Sick of that area shitting bed for so long. All programs will
    Make each other better.

    PSU is very Strong and has talent all over. Pitt also very strong but new recruiting is shitting the bed. I agree we gave up 60 points to Syracuse with a backup.

    No offense but no one Nationally will watch more than 5 mins of the Pinstripe Bowl with us and NW.

    They would of watched Pitt vs. Stanford. Bowl Sucks but when you are led by Jimm Swaggert of Mormon U what do you expect. No offense to Mormons out there.

    Reed – I’d like to give. Please message me who and where to send money so it goes to righh place even if it is you and you buy stuff for the homeless.

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  313. So let me get this straight. We crybaby Pitt fans are indignant that we get placed in a middling tier one ACC bowl game because we deserve better as a middling also ran in the Coastal Division of the ACC?

    Yeah, a Backyard Brawl in Orlando would have been ideal but that was a long shot to begin with when all of the politics of the Bowl selection committees is considered up front.

    So here is the “reality check” for all you guys who constantly insist on “keeping it real”.
    First, us and Syracuse are just seen as the newest adopted red headed stepchildren north of the Mason-Dixon Line in the ACC, right along with BC, until further, notice by the powers to be Tobacco Road good old boys in the ACC leadership.
    Second, historically, Pitt travels like $hit to our bowl games.
    Third, Pitt attendance sucks even for it’s own home games.
    Fourth, the ACC owes us NOTHING. Until we bust down the door with an outstanding record for the season &/or an outright championship, Pitt will continue to be relegated the leftovers in the top bowl picks by these good old boys who are in charge of those ACC politics.
    Fifth, the bowl selection people don’t consider Pitt as a big time national program, YET.

    So for all of those reasons we end up in the Pinstripe Bowl against Northwestern as our reward for beating two top five teams & a 8-4 record.

    Talk to VT fans who also got screwed with the Belk Bowl, (even a bigger screw job IMO) if you want some more “we got dissed” company.

    What’s the solution to this problem? Win, as fans, show up for games in person, and make Pitt the undeniable front runner for the prestigious bowls on the ACC’s slate.

    Is this system fair and equitable for Pitt? Absolutely not! Will it change before the reputation of Pitt’s lack of a traveling fan base is changed for the better? No it won’t.

    The only other alternative is for Pitt dominate the conference outright!

    I live in Savannah and attended three Pitt games in person this season. And I would have attended any Bowl game that I could have driven to easily like Charlotte, Orlando, or Jacksonville. Sure I would have loved to see Pitt vs the Hoopies in an Orlando Backyard Brawl, but get the !#*!?! over it.

    Most ironic thing about all of the whining, are those protesting the most probably haven’t attended a Pitt game in person in recent memory.

    BTW, you all do realize that every ACC member shares equally in the Conference’s post season revenues, right? Would you rather be Temple, the 10-3 AAC Champs who are playing in the Military Bowl against a 6-6 Wake Forest. Yeah, count our blessings that we ended up in a Power 5 conference to start with. We could of just as easily be still rubbing elbows with UCONN, Cindy and Temple in the AAC as our alternative.

    So just take care of business Panthers. Fans, show up in NYC, put a whammy on the Wildcats & end the season with a 9-4 record. Period

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  314. Doc – You make a few good points most Notable is that PSU and WVU and Temple and many other local schools should be in the same confereance vs playing all over hells half acre. When we joined ACC most of us knew the A south runs it and NC.

    Same as Big 12 run out of Texas.

    Imagine a PSU, WVU, Temple, Pitt, OSU, Michigan and Michigan State, Maryland and Cincinnati Conf. Made and Decided by people in our area.

    If we did exactly what Clemson did this year do you honestly think we are in the playoff?

    My answer is no. We would be ranked 7-10 and playing in a Warm Weather Bowl.

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  315. Dr Tom

    Well said. SOP fans! If Pitt keeps winning and showing up in the top 20, they will start getting respected.

    New York during Christmas is freaking awesome.

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  316. Dr Tom,
    Good perspective!
    While we’re not thrilled with where we are going for the bowl, we should win the game which will give us 9 wins.
    Hence, starting in the spring we will be deemed “the 9 win, top 20 Pitt Panthers” and no one but us will remember where and who we played in this years bowl! Which is a good thing!

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  318. Dr Tom, last year they gave Duke the Pinstripe, this year UNC gets the Sun.

    It is just wrong. That had nothing to do with who travels better. Just plain southern favoritism.

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  319. Some great posts above and something my mind is no longer capable of doing. but here goes:

    There are more then two trains of thoughts here. Not just did or didn’t PITT get ripped of but the double standard that’s so prevalent in the Bowl Selection theories. I posted before that AD Jim Delaney of OSU just a few short years ago sent a loud message to the BSC whining about how Conference Champions should be given a high priority in the criteria for the playoffs. Funny I don’t hear him whining that psu did not get in this year. (Not many dislike that psu as much as me) Funny thing is, OSU got an invite on both occasions. All this business about how most can just tell that OSU is the better team. Bullschitt. A terrible officials call on a spot save their season. How do I know this? I can just tell. See how this works. The changing of the goal posts during the game is what is happening constantly with the NCAA.

    Back to PITT and why the OSU/psu story is elated. Seems the exact opposite happened to PITT. Yes they lost to Miami but who was the higher rated team season end? I asked why didn’t PITT go to the RAB instead and the answer was, well PITT lost to Miami and VT. Wait…I was told this didn’t matter. it was who had the best record and ranking? WTF…

    Now I can see the ACC made a very concerted effort to keep teams closer to their campuses but no thanks. I’m tired of PITT working hard all year to play a team of lesser quality for their reward for having a great season.

    VT didn’t receive the hardest screwing in the rear door for sure

    PITT traveled really well last year but it will take a few years of doing that to change popular opinion.

    If anyone cares that’s in charge, shouldn’t they want hard facts to make decisions? What one thinks is not necessarily the gospel. Take away the subjectivity and please come up with a way better system so I don’t have to cry and whine like Jim Delaney……ike

    H2P

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  322. I was hoping for a Pitt v WVU match-up but that was never going to happen. I went to grad school at U of Colorado and was hoping for a CU v PSU match-up. Would have been cool to beat PSU twice in one season! CU’s strength is the defensive backs and linebackers and they would have matched up well against PSU. Pitt’s senior leadership (and last year’s blowout against Navy) should help to get us ready to play NW. Nine wins would be nice!

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  323. BTW, glad Paul Chryst lost and PSU got screwed on the playoffs!

    Conference champs should automatically go to the final four. Why even have the conference championship games?

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  324. I’d take El Paso over NYC anyday of the week but that doesnt say much.

    Only city worse in San Francisco.

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  325. Chryst went 3-3 against the good teams on his schedule. Wins against LSU, Iowa and Nebraska. Losses to Mich, Ohio St. and PSU. I like the guy, but he oozes 6-6…

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  326. Barvo – @ 8:49am – I have not read one posting in the last two days that has a Pitt fan complaining about a higher ranking? Did you make that up? If anything Pitt should not be higher than UNC and Miami (same records and Pitt lost to both).

    Regarding Wisconsin’s D – rocky @ 10:27am makes a great point and here is another:

    The badger DB’s are coached by a guy who NEVER coached before this season. Sounds like a Paul Chryst hire, doesn’t it. The DB’s of Wisconsin got torched by penn state and 54th ranked QB McSwirly.

    The Wisconsin wins are against poor passing teams – LSU, Iowa and Nebraska were ranked (but still poor passing teams). Then there is Akron (zip), Georgia State (D2), MSU (down year with no QB), NW (6-6 who averages 25 per game), Illinois, Purdue and Minnesota.

    On a lighter penn state note: several of my co-workers made the trip to Indy – they have all complained this morning how they (pedo enablers) got sc#w#d by the selection committee. I wore a Pitt shirt and my production mgr wore his Michigan shirt – we both smiled and reminded them they should have won one more game – the committee got it right. Three (1) loss teams and one no loss team.

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  327. Those who feel lukewarm to the NYC venue & feel that Pitt won’t travel well there are sorely mistaken.

    This will be a sellout Bowl and Panther Nation will be represented better than many anticipate. Two reasons for this, 1) there are a lot of Panther Alumni in the tristate area of eastern PA, NJ & NY that will show for the game, even without the help of a convoy of Yinzers showing up from western PA. 2) The Conner Factor! James Conner has become a driving force for the program this year, just as I anticipated during my preseason speculation. His leadership difinitely contributed to our sugnature wins for this season and his story has reached a national audience through the media, not only in the sports media but also on shows like Ellen DeGeneres and in social media as well. His is a feel good story of victory over life endangering illness. Not only did Conner conduct himself personally in the appropriate manner to deserve the attention that he has subsequently received but he unselfishly took his unfortunate curcumstances and turned that situation on it’s own head by becoming an inspiration to others battling their own cancer challenges.

    I showed up for the Villanova game simply to pay my respects to the guy’s perseverance to overcome the huge encumbrances that were thrown in his path over the previous year & I was not disappointed. There will be many a ticket purchased for the Pinstripe Bowl by those fans of Conner who just want to see him perform in person too, while concluding his comeback fairly tail story from cancer, in what most likely will be his final collegiate game. Oh, & BTW, the guy is a Beast Mode RB to begin with, so who doesn’t want to see a guy like that in the 1st. place?

    I’ve been carrying Coach Narduzzi’s water ever since he went on his Panther Prowl Tour immediately after his hiring. This guy is bringing Pitt back to national prominence soon enough. News coverage in the big Apple for this Bowl will be good PR for the program IF, IF, IF we take care of business and beat Norhwestern. Time to focus on our biggest game of the season, our next one.

    & @ Upittbaseball, you’re way off base (pun intended) because if/when Pitt duplicates what Clemson has accomplished over the last two 2015/16 seasons, capturing the ACC Championship two years straight with two seasons of top tier elite season records, then just like Clemson, Pitt WILL BE in the CFP looking for their 10th National Championship, guaranteed!

    The Pursuit! H2P!

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