in Pitt Football 45 Words

Saturday College Football Thread

Some good games on this weekend. Feel free to discuss

Also three Pitt 2020 recruits were upgraded to four stars this past week. Not that stars matter

146 thoughts on “Saturday College Football Thread”

  1. From the last thread, A few years ago the NFL adjusted their pay scale to first picks so that it is really the second contract where you make the big money. Even more reason to jump early and take your shot.

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    1. That was one of the smartest things they ever did. Untested kids were making more than proven veteran players before stepping out on the field.

      Liked by 1 person

    3. That ended after 2009 I think when Sam Bradford was picked first overall and cashed a $50 million signing bonus. What a stiff he was and with that gangly body had no shot at carrying his team to a Super Bowl. Dude made over $100 million and was terrible.

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  3. FYI, on today’s BB game…

    “The Nicholls Colonels men’s basketball team represents Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana in the sport of basketball. The school’s team currently competes in the Southland Conference. Nicholls’ first men’s basketball team was fielded in 1958.”

    Go Pitt.

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  4. Lookin forward to Alabama vs LSU. Should be a head knocker.

    Would love to see NC State knock off Clem’s Son!

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    2. Not me….that might put the pedos in the playoffs. I want an ACC team in there. The ACC is already taking heat as a garbage conference even though we hold both championship in FB & BB.

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  5. No worries TOSU will beat psux. If not, I would love to see them in the Final 4. They’ll get creamed – One and Done! Embarrassed.

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    1. That goes without saying. Of course they could lose to Minnesota today. They’re down 14-10 right now.

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  8. Hoops are losing big.

    PS who tied with Minnesota look for PS who to win,

    Minnesota played a pretty weak non conference and played mostly Big 10 bottom dwellers and they are vastly overrated.

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  9. Maybe the Minnesota boys give them a game, I could be wrong.

    14 to 7 the golden golfers!

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  14. Guards getting chewed up. Poor d, awful, just awful. Better get it together quickly, have a whole half to go, but honestly, they look terrible.

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    1. Maybe they got big heads with the FSU win. Capel did say Nicholls St. was a good team. They took Illinois to OT. The Illinois coach said they were outplayed.

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  19. Well, if the biggest improvement is between the first and second games we are in for a very,very, long season!

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  21. Pitt hoops is still a work in progress. There will be plenty of ups and downs this season and more talent is needed to win these types of games easily. Kudos to Nicholls for almost beating Illinois and came to the Pete and knocked down 11 threes.

    I am pretty excited about the sophomores but it’s possible they have the Sophomore Slump and this season doesn’t go entirely as planned.

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  22. One early season non-conference game doesn’t mean much. But we looked very, very sloppy. If not for Ryan Murphy, we lose by 20. X man must already thinking about the NBA. When he wasn’t on the bench in foul trouble, he was the worst player on the floor. And I wish someone would teach McGowens to go straight up with his jumper. He’s always falling towards the basket on his three pointers, and alas he never makes them. We’ll be up and down all year. But you shouldn’t lose at home to Nichols State. When your two best players play as poorly as McGowens and Johnson did today, you’d have a hard time beating Carnegie Mellon.

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  24. I said it before and I’ll continue until I see something different, but who are these guys who think Johnson is remotely ready to play in the league!? The 47th best player in the country, really, really!?? He has been reading his clippings and is delusional. Someone better step on him quickly.
    JoeKnew

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    1. JoeK,. .. There’s only one person that thinks Johnson would get drafted into the NBA. His name is Johnson.

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  25. Well, hoops loses a non-con game…..but if the Golden Gophers can hold on, I’d accept that trade-off.

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  26. Pedo goes for the TD on 4th and goal from the 4 yard line, and misses! A Nitters loss would help take the sting out of the Panthers loss. But sadly Pitt BB is basically a poor shooting turnover machine

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  31. Nicholls State shot lights out, but if Pitt doesn’t have 21 turnovers they win the game.

    Unfortunately, it appeared the best two players in the game played for Nicholls…

    Johnson and McGowens played like crap. Coach Capel was not happy for the whole game.

    I pick a bad game to go to.

    Go Pitt.

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      1. Yeah, Coach Capel was unhappy today from the tip-off.

        Nicholls looked really quick and athletic — plus they could shoot. Shows there are players out there…

        Go Pitt.

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  33. Listened to some of the game on the Radio. Three after three going down.

    Like Pitt Football if they don’t come to play hard they will get beat.

    Hopefully a good lesson learned early.

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  38. Nothing close to a PITT win other than a psu loss.

    I don’t know the whole story but did I hear that Micah Parson was sat down for disciplinary reasons? Some sort of behavioral correctional situation? That lasted for ONE SERIES. Ouch! jimmie is a bigger Fraud than the original Fraud.

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  39. Let me first say that I’m very happy to have XJ and TM on the Pitt bball team, they have talent and Pitt would not have some of the wins on the Pitt resume without them. However, you have to accept the good with the bad. They play very aggressively, which leads to (1) fouls by opponents “bigs” and (2) Pitt TOs.

    XJ may have delusions about the NBA but for his sake he better listen to more level-headed advisors. Until he develops an outside shot and manages the offense better, he is kidding himself about the NBA.

    God help me but DairyU’s football team’s loss feels like a Pitt victory. CFPlayoffs my fat, Italian butt. What I would give for PJ Fleck to say it felt the same as a victory over Georgia Southern!!

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  42. Happy for Minnesota, first time they been 9-0 since 1904.

    Their QB and receivers looked really good.

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  43. Doesn’t matter the coach or the year at Pitt. We get beat by great three point shooters and outstanding guard play. Think Pacific, Marquette, ND, etc. until Pitt can shoot 75% from the FT line and make some shots from the 1 and 2 guards, we are very vulnerable. But….none of it matters and I am ecstatic because Penn State lost and Jimmy onefinger got outcoached badly!! H2P

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  44. PS who has to play the Suckeyes, another loss.

    Pitt hoops inconsistency will rule the season, Johnson tries to force way too much.

    Wake Forest is lost in the trees, Pitt can write their own ticket if they win out, maybe not the Coastal division but a better bowl game.

    The fighting Narduzzi’s will exorcise the demons and beat Mac the hac.

    H2P

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  50. Agree, MM. But I hope Clemson wins another National Championship. No classier coach in college football than Dabo. Closest peer is Jay Wright at Villanova.

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  51. —Skippy Murphy was 4 for 7 from 3 today. Everybody else was 0 for 9. Ugh!

    —The three guards, X, Trey, and Skippy, had 14 turnovers! Ugh!

    —Toney played 34 minutes today. He had 9 rebounds but only scored 4 points. What puzzled me was why he was playing on the offensive end at the end of the game when every possession required points. Toney drove to the hoop late when the game was still within reach, but he was called for a travel. Only one play, but stood out due to the circumstances…

    —Also, our Skippy missed both foul shots at a critical time. Ugh!

    Go Pitt.

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      1. Brown played well – ended up 4 for 4, all close in, but he made some nice moves.

        X and Trey had their moments with some impressive drives and finishes, but too often they ran into double teams in the paint, had no answer, and turned the ball over.

        Nicholls was quick and played good defense, at least to my eyes, but lots of sloppy turnovers from Pitt.

        Go Pitt.

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        1. That translates to 4 or 5 ACC wins in my book. One is already penciled in with the sloppy FSU win.

          Next up RMU – could be another embarrassing loss for Capel & company.

          Remember, this is Capel’s team.

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    2. Toney has the worst shooting form of anyone I’ve seen at Pitt in ten years. It’s amazing to me that any go in at all. His foul shooting could be filmed as a “what not to do “at the foul line!

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  52. If you took MD and the 42 points, you lost. Ridiculous.
    Wonder what would happen if colleges were only allowed to give 6 football scholarships a year?

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      1. Actually, Maryland was that bad. OSU played 2nd and 3rd stringers during that wiping.

        You can’t hold players back or injuries occur.

        Look, the B1G Joke conference really is weak – people day the ACC is weak other than Clemson, yet you rarely hear the pundits discuss the B1G and how weak their bottom teams really are.

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  53. Almost fell over to see that Nicholls was an 18.5 pt underdog. How can this Pitt team be so bad? Incredible immaturity as a team, and a big step backward.

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      1. The Panthers gave up 19 offensive rebounds to Nick State, were inconsistent on both ends of the floor, careless with the ball, started slow, couldn’t defend the perimeter, and made key mistakes at several critical moments of the game.

        Pitt as favored by 18 points.

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  54. Pitt FB has an elite defense this year, they can hang with anyone but unfortunately we have a disadvantaged offense.

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    1. Pitt had an elite offense not long ago and decided to not pay Canada the highest assistant salary in football. Pitt fans don’t want the school to get into spending wars for some odd reason but want loads of money found to buy out bad coaches (Stallings).

      This is why Pitt is always mediocre. Imagine if a high-powered offense with the defense Narduzzi has built. Last year and especially this year could have been so much better. It’s all about operating the same and hoping luck goes their way for a big season. It’s not happening that way.

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    1. If Ohio State loses a game the talking heads on ESPN will make a case the Bucknuts should be in the playoffs just like the will do for Bama starting today… one of the reasons to go to the field to see games
      Live- don’t have to listen to those buttheads!!!

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  58. Anybody else think that if Narduzzi had lost a game he was favorite to win by 18 1/2 points(last vegas line) we would see the return of a lot of our former POV posters?

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  59. OT: Looks like our last 3 games in FB are going to be almost as difficult as last years last 3. VT has come of age and their win yesterday may have lost us the potential QB commit Rodemaker from Georgia.

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    1. Not even close. Remember Clemson? Are you serious?

      You are a Pitt fan in denial.

      But I will give you this, Pitt could end the season the same way- with 3 straight losses.

      If that happens, please turn down a bowl invite.

      Liked by 1 person

  60. It’s a good morning waking up to that fresh feeling of a psuX loss. My coffee tastes better, the cold weather seems refreshing and the leaves covering my yard look awesome.

    The Pitt basketball loss was disappointing when I heard the news, but since it wasn’t on TV, it wasn’t on my agenda for the day. I am having a hard time getting excited about Capel ball. It does nothing for me, although I’m glad he is the coach and not Rockports.

    Back to FB – Pitt hosts NC State today in the 2nd round of the ACC soccer tournament. The victor plays the winner of the Clemson vs nd game with a chance to play for the ACC championship.

    Back to real FB (sorry Tex) – Mack is back this Thursday with UNC, who has an explosive offense facing Pitt’s relentless D. The UNC defense can’t stop the run and Pitt can’t run the football. So, it all comes down to special teams – does anyone give Pitt an edge in this area?

    Be honest…

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    2. Hi Rick!

      Honestly?…. I have no idea what to expect Thurs night.

      Lets hope the defensive scheme can neutralize the UNC pass offense.

      BTW – Hokie folks down here are talking about how the VT-UVA game could be for the the Coastal title. Makes me a tad bit ill and winning this game Thursday keeps us in the conversation.

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  61. I think I’m getting soft in my old age. This morning I woke up and did not take great joy and satisfaction in the Nitters lose. I was much more concerned with the BB team and their poor overall play.
    These guards last year were able to stop penetration, keep the other guys in front of them and play solid defense. I’m not sure what’s going on this year, but I’m starting to get a queasy, unsettling feeling surrounding the program. Does anyone else feel it? I’m hoping it’s just the quesadillas from last night talking back, but I am troubled.
    As far as the Nitters, well, they finally played a team with a good offense, and that fabled d got exposed, especially on the back end. Anyone think Lamont Wade is all that now?? Hey, don’t worry though, the same 4 teams will get in the playoffs. Alabama is in, and won’t have conference championship game to worry about. Power of SEC and TV.
    Also, while the top teams have really good QBs, it’s the quality of the wideouts that’s impresses me. They make a good QB look great. Talent is amazing.

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    1. The BB bad news is that Nicholls players made Pitt’s players look slow…

      Hopefully, Nicholls has put together a collection of exceptionally quick players…. Or our guys all had the sniffles…😊

      Go Pitt.

      Liked by 1 person

  62. — Pitt FB can win the last 3 or lose them, or any combination (2-1, 1-2) … that’s how unpredictable the entire ACC is (except for Clemson). In fact, if you do an analysis on the entire league this year, Pitt has probably been the most stable team … AND I CANNOT BE MORE SERIOUS.

    — since Miami eked out a win vs Pitt, it has dominated FSU and Louisville (scoring 52 pts yesterday)

    — Rebounding is often an indicator of effort, and Pitt outrebounding the taller FSU but losing badly in this stat vs Nicholls is all you need to know

    — IMO Pitt fans need to forget about PSU especially when this series appears to be over for the foreseeable future. Yes, you can certainly take satisfaction when they lose but constantly posting about it is not a good look. (Constantly is the key word here) And that certainly goes for Dokish also. Pitt is a good program in a P5 league and the focus should be primarily on the league

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    1. I totally agree in theory, but the hatred for PSU Football won’t die until us boomers are gone.

      Definitely until real rivalries exist within our new conference.

      We have had a lot of important games this year but UNC is the biggest. We haven’t been able to beat them when they were down and now they are very good again. Our O-line needs to have the best game of the year and the D needs to win the turnover battle.

      A win this week gives us the chance for a 10 win season, still not likely, but a loss could start a downward spiral.

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      1. I guess as a non-alum, I don’t fully share the hatred although Franklin definitely rubs me the wrong way. Plus, after spending the last 8 years in Cleveland, I found even a bigger B1G snob nation than the Nitters.

        And I guess, I also don’t have the high standards for Pitt as you alums. I think 8 regular season wins is a pretty darn good year, and 9 is really good

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  63. Minnesota should be no lower than 5.
    People like us that root for teams outside of the top tier should demand at least some equality from mid tier p 5 teams.
    KMan

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  64. Clemson had all day to throw yesterday. It must be nice for a QB and WR’s to have that much time to do their thing.

    The Alabama – LSU game made me realize how much fun it is to watch that much talent go after each other, and how rare it is. Although they said that was the 4th top ten team LSU played, probably why they won, when teams like Clemson, Ohio State and Alabama get to romp over average teams every week. Football factories that get the majority of the 4 and 5 star guys.

    It is nice to see Maryland enjoying the B1G though, money can’t buy respect.

    Speaking of respect, ND needs to get off it’s high horse and become a full member of the ACC. As a member of the Coastal, they would have a much greater chance at the playoffs every year.

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  65. Pitt’s football Recruiting ranking dropped to 42nd after losing a low rated (5.5 Rivals) 3 star from Georgia.

    Pitt’s current FB team is ranked somewhere close to 40th in both polls.

    Seems about right.

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    1. both of these are as much based on opinion as on fact. The fact that all of a sudden a 5.5 has become the focus of many teams is pretty much all you need to know …. and it is even more so for 5.5 RB Henry Parrish, who is now wanted by everyone from Florida to PSU to Utah

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  66. Recruiting is the most frustrating aspect of both Football and Basketball.

    While the big boys pick and choose, Pitt has to scratch and claw to get marginally better players.

    We can complain about in game coaching but the real limit is set before the season starts.

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  67. While Pitt plucks a few above average players out of the south, the big boys cherry pick the best out of the WPIAL every year.

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  68. First off, I acknowledge that 4 and 5 star players give a team the best chance to compete. At the same time this fuss about lowly 3 star players debate has always been way subjective and used against Narduzzi for instance because so and so doesn’t like his personality. It pretty much goes this way…. 5* players grow mustaches in 8th grade and 3* players grow mustaches in their jr year in college. Other than that little tidbit, there is not much difference. Generally speaking.

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    2. Ike: I don’t dislike his personality (actually sometimes I do, although it doesn’t influence how I judge him). I just think he needs to become a better coach on game day. His players would run through a brick wall for him, and his recruiting is acceptable given the limitations he’s presented with. But he just needs to be better for 60 minutes, 12 weeks a year.

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  71. Good 3 star players make you competitive in the ACC Coastal, but you need the 4’s and 5’s to compete with the big boys.

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    1. I agree gc but what does it mean to be a good 3* player? I’ve always said it is the recruiters eye for talent when it comes to a team like PITT. There is no science determining the difference between a 5.5 and 5.7 player. It’s a crap shoot.

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      1. AD was a 5.7 rated star
        There is a strong correlation between star ratings and All American status and going pro
        So there is science
        A higher percentage of 5.7 rated recruits make an impact than the 5.5 ones…there are just far, far more 5.5 players out there
        Ratings have evolved into a science but I understand they are not perfect
        Players win you games
        Coaches often just get in the way (bad lineups, bad practice and development, bad leadership)
        Speaking as a former player and coach across multiple rec leagues across multiple sports

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        1. If there is a science to the ratings Tx, why do the ratings change when a kid commits to a certain school? There is no science.

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          1. ike- I think thats less often the case than you think. Whats more likely the case is that a kid blows up his senior year, gets noticed by the big boys and then gets offered. We joke all the time about 3 stars becoming 4 stars once they pick up that Nitter offer, but its more the exception than the rule.

            And the Pedos can pull all the 4 stars in a 500 mile area for all I care. With Franklin as coach, their talents are being wasted.

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  72. Nichols State had 5 guys make three point shots, we had 1 guy.

    We shot threes at 25%, they shot them at almost 50%.

    Not a formula for winning.

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    1. Pitt won every important matchup early and had a big reversal to a pin early at #141 with Cole Matthews. My kid’s travel team teammate did not wrestle but watching things, I bet he is close to being the starter.

      Campbell is very good but looked less conditioned which surprised me.

      Pitt looked very good. My kid need not apply.

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    1. If you have it, so I’m SOL
      But I have other ways to follow
      How dare the Steelers have a game at nearly the same time as a Pitt playoff game

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  76. The star system is just a way to quantify talent. On an individual level it can be very wrong but in the aggregate it is pretty strong.

    When you look at the teams that are predominantly 4 and 5 star guys you can see the difference in size, strength and athleticism. It is why the same small group of teams are in the playoff hunt each year. They have significantly more talent throughout their lineups.

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  77. I don’t know but I’m starting to get this small sense of anticipation buildup feeling for this UNC game. Seems like for the past 40 games and again…… this is the biggest game since Narduzzi arrived at PITT. The pressure is never off ….. for me! … and maybe Narduzzi as well 🙂

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  78. Given the fact that the blue chip kids are not dying to come to Pitt, I would say that Narduzzi has done a fine job of analyzing talent with potential, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Guys like Weaver, Jones, Alexander and Baldonado prove the point.

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  79. It’s been 8 weeks since the arrival of “Eli The Lucky” and PITT has only lost one game…… He sure as hell has a better record than I do! He’s feeling confident about this upcoming game with UNC. He’s telling me that PITT’s defense is > than UNC’s offense.

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  80. You should bring Eli to the tailgate Ike…haha.
    More importantly, thanks to all the veterans for their service as we celebrate Veterans Day tomorrow.

    Liked by 2 people

  81. Anyone watching the Alabama-LSU game could see the top level of talent there. These star ratings may be gods for fan interest, but I think the P5 coaches know the good players out there and the offers from the top schools is to me always the best indicator. Occasionally a player like Baldonado with little high school experience slips past the top programs, but the coaches know the best players and the proof is in the win-loss columns

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    1. Does Alabama even have any 3 star players and below on their roster? If they do it was probably some kid that walked onto the team that doesn’t even have a scholarship,

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      1. Don’t know if they are still on the roster but from 2016 – 2019, Alabama recruited 17 3 stars & 2 2 stars. They also got 18 5 stars & 63 4 stars. 100 total recruits. (Rivals rankings.)

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  82. For schools like Alabama it’s not just about the 4 and 5 star players its about the amount of star players they accumulate. They have more 4 star players sitting on their bench than teams like PITT have in their starting lineup. Thus avoiding a mistake in recruiting an over-rated star player.

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    1. GC. Larry is probably my all-time favorite professional athlete of any sport. Total gentleman, all class, amazing athlete, and last but not least, a Pitt man (with an assist from Phoenix University).

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  87. Soccer is a funny sport, Pitt controlled most of the match but couldn’t get the winning goal till overtime.

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  89. Was the fix in for yesterday’s Steeler’s game?

    I can’t remember a Steeler game where they got so many calls and so many “breaks.”

    Washington’s TD catch was suspect, as was the recovered “fumble” that the Steelers ran in for a TD.

    We need the Panthers to get some “breaks” like that this Thursday!

    Go Pitt.

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