in Pitt Football 1,687 Words

Panthers vs Jayhawks; Women’s Volleyball

Welcome to Pitt volleyball’s way ahead courtesy of our POV resident VB expert John Demko. This is a long piece but is a good lead-in to the 2021-22 tournament. John will keep us informed throughout the games. Read it and get ready for Pitt to put out a championship team that is not named “Football”, hard as that is to believe. Thanks John!

For the second year in a row our #3 seed Pitt Women’s volleyball team has made it to the Sweet Sixteen. This time they are hosting the regional at the Fitzgerald Field House. They will play unseeded Kansas at 1:00 PM on Thursday, December 9th. The match is televised on ESPN+. Prior to that match #11 seed BYU will be playing #6 seed Purdue at 11:00 AM. The winners of both matches will meet at 4:00 PM on Saturday, December 11th.

Here is recap of how Pitt got here. Pitt played a tough out-of-conference schedule which they aced. Pitt entered conference play with a somewhat healthy lineup. Vazquez Gomez was the only player injured and unavailable. Pitt suffered three losses in conference play. Two of the losses came at the hands of undefeated and #1 seed Louisville. The third loss was to #8 seed Georgia Tech at home.

Due to these losses Pitt finished tied for second with Miami in the ACC standings. Pitt got the #3 seed in the tournament due to their #2 RPI ranking as well as their schedule both in and out of conference. This year the ACC was the strongest it has ever been in women’s volleyball.

With the #3 seed Pitt was guaranteed hosting the first four rounds of the tournament assuming they won the first two round matches. In the first round of the tournament Pitt played UMBC. While UMBC gave the Panthers a battle in the first set, the rest of the match was very one-sided in favor of Pitt. An important part of Pitt’s lineup was missing for most of the match, Kayla Lund. Kayla Lund had/has some sort of abdominal injury. She did not play at all in the last two matches of the season against Clemson and Louisville.

Pitt’s 2nd round opponent was our nemesis from State College, Penn State. In the three prior meetings with PSU in the NCAA tournament, Penn State had emerged victorious every single time. PSU is also the only team in the nation that has appeared in all the NCAA Women’s Volleyball tournaments. They had made it to the Sweet Sixteen in the tournament every year since 2002 and have won the tournament seven times. All of the previous statement was done under their current coach Russ Rose.

Based on the previous match against UMBC it did not appear that Kayla Lund would be up to her usual self for the match with Penn State. Fortunately, this turned out not to be the case. Kayla played her best match of the season if not her career. Kayla led the team with 21 kills and hit 0.421. She also had 10 digs and 4 block assists. Leketor Member-Meneh was right behind Kayla with 19 kills. Leketor carried us to the win in the first set while Kayla was warming up.

The entire match with Penn State was as close as volleyball match can be. There were multitudes of ties and lead changes in all four sets of the match. The first set was tied at 22 before Pitt reeled of three straight points to win it 25-22. The second set was also tied at 22 before Penn State won it 23-25. In the third set Penn State held a 15-18 lead. Pitt came back to tie it at 20-20. Penn State then took a 20-22 lead. Pitt tied it again at 22.

Valeria Vazquez came in to serve. Pitt reeled off the last three points including one ace and won 25-22. The last and fourth set was the closest. Penn State held a 14-18 lead. Pitt managed to tie at 21. Penn State then took a 23-21 lead. Pitt responded with a four-point run to win the set and match. Again, Valeria came in to serve and had an ace in the run. On the match point Russ Rose issued a challenge. The point was upheld in Pitt’s favor.

At the time I thought that it was very low-class act on Russ’s part. Subsequently I have been informed that Penn State was convinced there was a net violation during the point. It turned out that Chinaza Ndee’s hair hit the net during the point which did cause the net to move. Fortunately, a player’s hair hitting the net is NOT a net violation.

Before we discuss Kansas, I will bring us up-to-date on the lineup that will probably start for Pitt. Pitt continues to run a 6-2 system. There has been one major change who the two setters are. Lexis Akeo continues to be one setter. The other setter and the one who will probably start is now Rachel Fairbanks.

Rachel is also be used as an outside hitter when she is in the front line. This saves Coach Fisher a substitution We had two transfers into the program this year. Both made significant contributions. Leketor Member-Meneh; an outside, six rotation player; came to us from Missouri. She only stands 5’ 8” tall but she can touch 10’ 1”. She has a cannon for a right arm. I would say she was the MVP of the team in the regular season.

The second transfer was Serena Gray, a middle blocker, who came to us from Penn State. She is our starting middle blocker and is an excellent server. The starting lineup for Pitt will be Lund, Member-Meneh, Ndee, Gray, Browske, Fairbanks, and Nwokolo. Nwokolo is our second middle blocker and also plays on the outside. Akeo will be the second setter. The subs for outside hitter will be Vazquez Gomez and Lockwood. The third middle blocker will be Starks. Vazquez Gomez will also be used as a serving specialist.

Now we will discuss the Kansas Jayhawks. They finished 5th in the Big 12. which has only nine teams that play women’s volleyball. Oklahoma State does not field a team. Kansas’s record is 18-11. They were 8-8 in their conference. Their most impressive performance in the regular season was a 3-2 loss to #2 seed Texas in the regular season. They currently are on a six match winning streak. They swept #19 ranked Oregon in the first round of the tournament which was their most impressive win of the year.

In the second round they defeated #14 seed Creighton 3-1. The win over Creighton comes with an asterisk though. Senior Jaela Zimmerman, Creighton’s floor leader and outside hitter, tore her ACL midway through the first-round match against Ole Miss.

While Creighton was able to sweep Ole Miss, they did not have enough depth to defeat Kansas. What happened to Creighton is very reminiscent of Pitt’s 2019 loss to Michigan in the 2nd round. Kayla Lund got hurt in the first round and was not able to play against Wolverines.

Kansas strength is its outside hitters. #14 freshman outside hitter Caroline Bien leads the team in kills. She stands 6’-0” tall. #7 super-senior outside hitter Jenny Mosser is right behind Bien in kills. She stands 5’-11” tall. #9 sophomore middle blocker Caroline Crawford is the third leading Jayhawk in kills. She is 6’-3” tall. She also has the highest hitting % at 0.303. #2 Senior middle blocker Rachel Lang is also a major hitter for the Jayhawks. She is 6’-3” tall as well.

The Jayhawk’s team hitting % is 0.218 to their opponents 0.204. Only one Jayhawk has more service aces than service errors. That person is Bien who is also listed as a libero (Ed: a player on each team who serves as a defensive specialist. The libero wears a different colour from the rest of the team and is not allowed to serve or rotate to the front line.) Mosser and Bien are six rotation players.

Against Oregon Kansas hit 0.243 to Oregon’s 0.190. Kansas won the serve game against Oregon. Kansas had 6 aces to 5 errors. Oregon had 2 aces to 8 errors. In the match against Creighton Kansas hit 0.302 to Creighton’s 0.245. Creighton won the serve game with 6 aces/5 errors to Kansas’s 6 aces/ 7 errors.

Going through attack errors, blocks, and digs nothing jumps out as to why Kansas prevailed other than the hitting %. Against Oregon, Kansas got ahead and stayed ahead by a small margin through all the sets. Against Creighton, Kansas made a run in the 1st set and blew them out. Kansas then won a very close 2nd set. Creighton made a run in the middle of the 3rd set and won it. In the 4th set Creighton was leading by 15-11 before Kansas made their comeback and won the set by 3.

What are the keys for Pitt to defeat Kansas and advance to the Elite Eight again this year?
• Come out strong. Put the pressure on the Jayhawks right from the start.
• Win the serve/receive game as they did against Penn State. With Fairbanks, Gray, Lund, and Vazquez Gomez as our major servers we are stronger there than we were last year.
• Cut down on our unforced errors. The errors cost us the second set against Penn State. The players must not try to do too much. Our players are better than their players.
• Concentrate on two of Kansas’s outside hitters. Those hitters are Bien and Mosser. Neither are overly tall. We need to have people in their faces all match.

Kansas is the Cinderella of this year’s tournament. It is time for Pitt to turn the Jayhawks’ carriage back into a pumpkin. Pitt should win the match if they play as well as they did against Penn State. The thing I most worried about is an injured Kayla Lund. If she cannot play or is playing at a diminished capacity, then Pitt will probably need to go to 5 sets to defeat the Jayhawks. If Lund plays, they should win in four sets or less.

P/S: Here is a detailed video of our win over Penn State.

HAIL TO PITT!

…And one last bit. POVers in Charlotte!

274 thoughts on “Panthers vs Jayhawks; Women’s Volleyball”

  1. Narduzzi brings recruits in as a group with a commonality “Fla recruits”… this early recruiting tactic has worked… these kids have a great weekend in a big city/ Steelers facility/PITT.. I am guessing it’s the 1st big- time sales pitch these 17-18 kids… these kids become close for the moment and the sales tactic worked at least temporarily until time marches on and other suitors come calling, namely, those schools that these players idolized in their formative years….at least they quit before the season starts/signing day unlike a couple of star players who QUIT on us(WE MOT ME) last year…. In conclusion, blame the Steelers… who wants to share a facility with those losers next year…. Kidding!!!

    Liked by 3 people

  2. Sorry John .. thought I was posting on the last thread but somehow it landed on your nice piece of work…MAGIC!!!

    Thanks for the article… Go PITT ladies…

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Excellent article, John. I don’t follow the volleyball team closely but I will be rooting for them.

    After the PSU win, I happened to see the press interview of Coach Fisher and two of the players (Kayla and Serena?) and was quite impressed by all three.

    Go Annie!

    Hail to Pitt!

    Liked by 2 people

  4. I really appreciate the article! This team and their coaches deserve all the positive attention they can get.

    They have really made us proud — especially when times were down in our athletic department.

    Liked by 6 people

  5. Nice picture of the POV John, thanks for sharing!

    I was really impressed by the Pitt fan support in Charlotte, that made quite a statement. Congrats to all of you who were able to travel and support the team, it sounds like you already received your reward by swimming in the atmosphere of victory.

    By the way, interesting tidbit, I think in the PG?? reported Owen being replaced at Center by Zubovic, resulting in no more high snaps plus apparently good metrics including best rated pass blocker & 3rd best rated run blocker for the remainder of the game. I think I saw Moore in the game too, bodes well for the line hopefully improving next year.

    H2P

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I commented after the Virginia win that I thought Zubovic was much more consistent snapping the ball in shotgun formation than Drexel, and it continued against Wake. Drexel looked crestfallen on the bench when he was replaced and he deserves our encouragement since he clearly played his heart out.

      Like any other skill, snapping is not something that anyone can do, and in Whipple’s offense a consistently accurate shotgun snap is as important as a good block as it gives the QB confidence that the ball will be where he can easily handle it and begin working through his reads more quickly.

      Seniority is meaningless, give Zubovic the start in the Peach and if possible let Drexel play some at the guard position on plays that do not require him pulling or doing something that he can’t do athletically.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Completely agree with everything you stated. And you’re right, Drexel seems like a terrific kid, but we need to play the best players. My concern specifically is that if you’re having this much trouble at the end of your senior year, why would you start him again in a big bowl game?

        Like

  6. Owen Drexel seems a bit under-sized to me leaves me guessing our opponents bigs have been teeing off on him…his inconsistency is on film for several weeks…Sam Hartman got “ teed-off” on after the 1st period- didn’t work out for him either… at least we had someone to plug into the line.. Wake, not so much. Keep your chin up Owen.. we are all rooting for you….

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    1. Drexel is 6’3” 310 which is fine and I have heard others players say he is very strong in the weight room. He has struggled with snaps. Lots of time tp practice before the bowl game. He needs to give Morrissey a call for some tips on being consistent.

      Like

  7. OT: Looks like PITT hit the transfer portal looking for a QB yesterday. Whipple was in Arizona and visited FSU transfer Chubba Purdy. He flipped in 2020 from Louisville to FSU and I believe he was a red shirt freshman at FSU this year. Does this mean Whipple might be sticking around at Pitt a little longer?

    Liked by 2 people

  8. Congrats to the Pitt women VB team. A great accomplishment over a very short period of time, since I don’t remember hearing much about this team 5 years ago. An accomplishment that our AD shares with her recently hired outstanding head coach.

    I also agree Pitt nation represented itself fantastically in Charlotte. Lots of fan support and as I walked all around Charlotte, all I saw were proud, happy, respectful Pitt fans enjoying the moment but not getting out of control. I bet the Charlotte PD would love to see Pitt back in the ACC championship game again. Probably not the northern-hating ACC punjabs, but frankly they can go cry in the corner, PITT IS IT!!!!!!

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Here’s a prediction you might not have heard.

    In a huge upset, Kenny Picket wins the Heisman Trophy!

    Talked to a couple of my basketball scout friends who said they’ve heard from several voters that KP8 is the choice! H2P

    Liked by 5 people

    1. that sounds like time to make some money betting,,,,, are you willing to put up a chunk that’d hurt if wrong?

      would be amazing if

      Like

    3. Wonder how many Johnny Unitas Award winners (Kenny just won) went on to win the Heisman ?

      I think that is a very good sign…without doing any research.

      Liked by 1 person

    4. As much as I’d like to beleive this Dan, it would be a major upset if he unseated the dude from Alabama who shredded the vaunted UGA defense on national television. But who knows maybe the now infamous Fake Slide puts Kenny over the top!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Mentioned this on a previous post…stats are almost identical.

        Young – 4322 yds – 43 TD’s – 4 picks – 31 rushing yds – 3 TD’s
        Pickett – 4319 yds – 42 TD’s – 7 picks – 233 Rushing Yds – 5 TD’s

        Additionally Kenny was not surrounded by 5 star players as Young was. In fact Pitt
        had Zero 5 stat players and just a few 4 star ones. Bama was nothing but 5 & 4 stars

        Like

  10. Looks like Pitt and running back recruit, Jordan Bailey, mutually parted ways. Academics might be a concern.

    It just stinks two Florida recruits, both on offense and maybe the two highest, won’t be Panthers.

    Rumors circulating all the senior linemen except Warren will return as super seniors.

    I have Pitt with five scholarships to offer at the moment (Palmer, Wendall Davis and AJ Roberts leaving and two decommits). I can see two more underclassmen leaving.

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    1. Plenty of other kids at that,,,,that will jump at the chance. No big deal, imo.

      I don’t think any of them were Shady’s or Ray Graham’s.

      Like

  11. OT: Pickett the announced as the winner of the Unitas Golden Arm Award today. He’ll be on his way to Baltimore on Friday to be presented the award by Johnny Unitas Jr. Skipping classes at this point should not be a worry for KP. His just rewards will be coming shortly after the NFL draft concludes and the team that drafts him won’t be looking too long at his Pitt GPA for any length of time I don’t believe.

    Like

  12. Chubs was a staple in my time at Pitt. (that would be late nite at Pitt)

    Would be great to get…….Chubba.

    Interesting cause I also injured my collarbone playing football. Life is sure strange.
    And seems to be getting stranger all the time !!!

    Like

  13. Chubbs also opened his own place, right down the road from the Family House in North Park.

    So that was great….except it was more of a breakfast/lunch type place. Right at the Par 3
    Pitch & Putt Golf Course entering North Park, next to one of my other favorite places,
    the Batting Cages ! And later the Driving Range.

    Miss that area, great place to live.

    Like

      1. Late 1970’s….use to go down alot in the afternoon…..and got to know and hit some with the Lumber Company…who use to meet there as several lived in the area.

        And then they’d buys drinks/beers at the Presidential Inn.

        Liked by 2 people

  15. This is interesting.

    Johnny Constantine Unitas – born in Pittsburgh St. Justin’s HS (Mt. Washington)
    Daniel Constantine Marino – born in Pittsburgh Central Catholic HS

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Sad that Unitas wasn’t accepted into Pitt.

      Spoke in front of a board making his case on why he should be allowed into Pitt. He had a C- average in high school and wanted to be close to his mom.

      After discussion the application was stamped: REJECTED.

      Imagine Johnny U. as an alumnus.

      Way to go, Pitt.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Yea he ended up at Louisville, which wasn’t even a legit program back then.

        He really wasn’t thought much of by the NFL either. 9th round pick. And even more unbelievable story than Tom Brady, who was a 6th round pick who hardly played at Michigan.

        Maybe more on the order of Kurt Warner. Who has a movie about him…and his incredible story being released soon.

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        1. Louisville was a bigger mess than Pitt. The school de-emphasized football like Pitt did and were so thin on numbers Unitas played on defense too. His passing numbers were not impressive, to say the least. The Pitt coach liked him a lot though.

          Like

  18. A former poster that rhymes with Chex would be blowing a gasket over this post … I guess he should be a top 13 paid coach instead of top 20 …

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Lone Star Panther knows that this year was a fluke…until we see what happens the next couple of years…

      But that’s quite a list for Coach Duzz to be on… 👍

      H2P!

      Liked by 1 person

    1. Just read the article on Graham and the Hawaii player grievances… I am no a fan of Fraud but at the conclusion of the article it reinforced my opinion… the “ getting your ass spanked” generation produced far stronger character individuals versus the “ time-out” generation…. Cry- babies….

      Liked by 1 person

  20. Using Addison for bait is the likely course being taking by Whipple and Narduzzi to lure in a transfer QB they are interested in. I can’t think of many teams that have better bait material than we do with Addison. Combine Addison with Wayne and our freshman standout TE Bartholomew and you have some good selling points for any QB that wants to elevate his profile in one years timeframe much like Pickett has.

    Liked by 1 person

  21. As long as Pitt has a suitable replacement to Kenny, they should be pretty good. OL will mostly return with a year more experience. I’m willing to bet there will be more of an emphasis on the run as we break in a new QB, with it opening up a bit towards the end of the season. It’s paramount Pitt remains competitive. One season can be consider a one-off or fluke like Majors implied above … You have to build on your successful seasons. They have a solid foundation for next year and I think the emerging run game offers some hope in transitioning to a new QB.

    Liked by 2 people

  22. What the heck,,,,PG reporting sources say……Charmin resigned.

    BEFORE THE BOWL GAME. Now what happens with Chubba too !

    Like

  23. BREAKING NEWS: Whipple has resigned this morning. He will not be calling the plays in the Peach Bowl come December 30th. Very strange he doesn’t look like he retired but simply resigned. Yikes!!! Will KP resign with him is the key question now.

    Like

    1. We’re gonna see apparently…how good this guy that came from Hawaii is.

      Really crazy….wonder what happened. Illness, argument with Duzz or what ?

      Like

  25. On the Breaking News, which has not yet been announced by Pitt this is supposedly coming from sources close to Pitt. So I guess we will have to wait for Pitt to either confirm or deny.—-Keep in mind his home is in Arizona and he flew there yesterday to talk to Purdy. Maybe Pitt only bought him a one way ticket for that meeting. :-).

    Like

  26. PSN…reported Charmin was in Arizona just last night…offering Chubba the transfer portal QB.

    Monday night, Pitt identified a transfer as Mark Whipple went to see and extended an offer to former Florida State 4-star recruit Chubba Purdy. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because back in 2019, Whipple offered him a scholarship before he eventually selected the Seminoles program.

    Like

  30. I don’t think Whipple was wearing a Pitt shirt when offering Chubba. I thought that was weird when I saw it, but it makes sense now.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. That’s a Golf Club logo….It looks like Laurel Valley Golf Club logo.

      I know he’s not a member….so he played there and bought it.

      Like

  32. For what its worth I don’t see Marion as the stand OC calling the plays for the Peach Bowl. But of course that begs the question of who else is capable on the current staff of calling those plays. Maybe we can borrow Canada from the Steelers for the Peach Bowl game.

    Like

    1. Tim Salem was an OC in a season or two prior to taking the Pitt TE position. Marion was also an OC at one point in his career.

      Like

  33. Further Speculation (which is always fun)

    Nebraska head coach Scott Frost spent almost the entire day Sunday in the Phoenix area before moving on to California yesterday, which would have left Frost plenty of time to meet with Whipple in Arizona.

    He made $476,450 in 2021. Nebraska offensive coordinator Matt Lubick made $500,000 and before him, Troy Walters made $700,000.

    Like

  35. I read a couple days ago or a week ago or so…the Nebraska QB Martinez was entering the portal.

    So if Whipple took that job,,,,,they would need a plug-in type QB. Like Chubba.

    No Pitt logo on his vest,,,,so he wasn’t there recruiting Chubba for Pitt. TRAITOR ! QUISLING !!!

    Like

  37. hERE I was thinking the next 3 weeks of waiting for the game…was going to be boring.

    Miami (T _ _ _ U) is also being bandied about online as a possible destination for Charmin.
    As well as LSU.

    LSU would be ironic eh …since we lost Canada to those cheats.

    Like

  38. Whip might really understand what is coming back next year and decided to get out on top. I will admit I am a total hypocrite, but him bolting is going to make it much harder to get a top drop back QB.
    The offense had 3 years with same system. It was a big factor.

    Like

  39. He’s already been updated on wikipedia.

    Mark John Whipple (born April 1, 1957) is an American football coach at the University of Nebraska. Previously he served in the same capacity at the University of Pittsburgh until 2021.

    Like

      1. So was my mom … my poor mom having 6 kids too … lots and lots of pranks for years and years on her birthday

        Like

  41. OK Ike, come clean your very early source on this must have some additional information/speculation as to what went on here with Whipple and Narduzzi.

    Like

  42. Timing was bad on this….he should have resigned first…..and then we get the good news that Kenny is a finalist for the Heisman.

    Liked by 1 person

  43. Cool Whip news out about an hour and a half now and The FAN yet to discuss other than he resigned “and we’re hearing for family reasons”
    Flagship station for Pitt football my butt…
    At one point near 3:00 they discussed the shortage of cream cheese. Seriously!
    Still clowning with Arthur Moats…sad.

    Liked by 3 people

      1. I hear ya Juggs…rarely have them on either.
        I assumed I would get some insider info that Uncle Iek hadn’t already shared.
        I was horribly wrong..

        Like

  45. OK I’ve got the OC answer for Pitt for the Peach Bowl I think. Not many people know I’m sure that Tim Salem our TE coach was an OC at 4 different schools in his coaching career. UCF in 2007, Eastern Michigan in 2003, Ohio State QB coach not sure about OC from 1997 to 2000, and Purdue from 1991 to 1996 where his last 3 years was the OC. Hopefully that will be announced by tomorrow or Thursday at the latest.

    Liked by 2 people

  49. Hey – appreciate there is “breakng news” and this is a bit OT, but reposting from the end of the last article:

    One of the reflections I had about the game, but failed to note earlier was how happy I was for Erick Hallett.

    Although it seems like ages ago now, he got beat quite a bit early in the season and I wondered then if he was up to the task. As the season moved on, he improved a little bit here and a little bit there.

    Always appreciate when somebody steps up with a really big performance in a big game. And that he did.
    That INT he picked off the floor was really something, wasn’t it? He showed some athleticism jumping the route on the second pick – one of the backbreakers. Hope his development continues next season.

    Could not have been happier for him when he got the game MVP award.

    Good on you, Erick.

    Liked by 5 people

  53. If Whipple got poached by Nebraska then Scott Frost is a bigger idiot than everyone already thinks he is. The most basic football analysis shows that every place Whipple has been it has taken him three years to make an impact. Does anyone thing Nebraska is giving Frost an additional three years after 4-8, 5-7, 3-5, 3-9?

    Liked by 4 people

  55. From EJ

    Mark Whipple Resigns from Pitt Offensive Coordinator Post

    PITTSBURGH—Mark Whipple has resigned as offensive coordinator at the University of Pittsburgh, it was announced this afternoon by Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi.

    “During his three seasons at Pitt, Mark Whipple was a great asset for our entire football program,” Narduzzi said. “He did a tremendous job transitioning us from a heavy run attack to one of the best passing games in the entire country. His great work with quarterbacks was obviously on full display, given the outstanding year Kenny Pickett has enjoyed. I am very grateful for Mark’s time in Pittsburgh, both personally as well as professionally, and I wish him and his family the very best moving forward.”

    Like

  56. Husker Nation is almost ready to storm the Bastille now. So no !

    But Trev Alberts is pretty stupid. so who knows.

    Like

  57. I don’t think the burst in offense came from Whipple. It came from the new WR coach teaching correct routes, when to break off their route to comeback to help the QB, and emphasized WR down field blocking.

    All those things that were lacking over the last few years.

    Liked by 4 people

  61. Of course having two good TE’s finally on the O didn’t hurt the Pitt O either. And with the added attention Addison gave the opposition this year did hurt either.

    Liked by 2 people

  62. From Football Scoop on Mark Whipple.

    Sources share with FootballScoop that there have been some family health issues that likely weighed into his decision.

    Liked by 1 person

  63. Occams Razor – sometimes the simplest explanation is the truth!

    Whipple retired to be with his family and play golf. Period!

    Like

  64. I think Peak at the Lair has the best answer of why this announced now. He wasn’t going to be at Pitt next year and he didn’t feel comfortable in recruiting any QB’s under those circumstances. Perfectly logical and in the best interest of Pitt to help it finish out its 2022 recruiting season.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. But who is going to recruit for Pitt QB’s for the next 3 weeks? And starting a new job in Nebraska might also be another good reason of not wanting to waste his time at Pitt just to coach the Peach Bowl. I’m sure Narduzzi helped him out the door when he wasn’t going to come back to Pitt and not recruit anyone in the month of December. Some clarity was needed on the O for the Pitt football program besides just having him around for the Peach Bowl.

        Like

      3. Vuckovan has a nice article on PGH SPORTS NOW that addresses that question JOEL. I think he makes sense of it.

        Like

    2. Peak apparently didn’t know Whipple was just in Arizona yesterday recruiting Chubba for someone.
      We’ve seen the pic.

      Like

  65. If Whipple does go to Nebraska, it’s strange how our programs seems to cross paths often. Given the The Steve Pederson era at Nebraska, I would think Nebraska wouldn’t want anything that came from Pitt.

    Liked by 6 people

    1. But if you’re Pickett don’t you want to show the NFL that you can play at a high level without Whipple. You now have the opportunity to show that your success was not solely due to Whipple’s play calling since next year you won’t have him as your OC. You’re not a system qb like at Ohio State or Alabama.

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      1. No. The Senior Bowl is waaaaayyyyyy more important than an exhibition game. He has 5 years of tape. It’s a pointless game outside of pride … which Kenny has in spades.

        Like

  67. On a lighter note:

    https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/12/13/half-a-billion-in-bitcoin-lost-in-the-dump?utm_source=nl&utm_brand=tny&utm_mailing=TNY_Daily_Control_120721&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_medium=email&utm_term=tny_daily_recirc&bxid=5bea07363f92a4046941f348&cndid=12207684&hasha=ad7529866c65489e6300db72bcb5ff0b&hashb=6927cacebfca6c5fd8b89d152097cd883ae4712d&hashc=45fec97a06a3f572f864f4aa727507b71ea31c53691a80549aa09c40c1de3e25&esrc=bounceX

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  69. I think Manny Diaz had the Canes moving in the right direction (especially with Tyler Van Dyke) and think The U looks terrible in how they handled his firing. That said, more chaos in Miami bodes well for Pitt.
    https://mobile.twitter.com/Coach_MannyDiaz/status/1467957624549355530?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1467957624549355530%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fd-25265626962790052374.ampproject.net%2F2111152338002%2Fframe.html

    Like

  71. Diaz had a really good you g QB on the bench… maybe if he had the balls to let the kid play- eh? He might still be coaching the Canes. Talent like Van Dyne doesn’t come along very often…Manny probably looking forward with hindsight today… ACC had the nest group of QBs in the nation…

    Get a good QB/OC… Marion is a good receiver coach but an OC/WB coach?????

    Remember this K8 had multiple people help him develop but most of that growth was due to his work ethic, his goal setting, his intelligence and his God- given ability.

    Haven’t heard from GC on the Whipple move… Remember to circle the POV wagons around GC. Prayers for a successful back procedure later this week.

    Liked by 5 people

  73. This from the Lincoln, NE. Journal.

    Nebraska head coach Scott Frost is closing in on finalizing a pair of critical offensive hires.

    Pittsburgh offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Mark Whipple and Chicago Bears assistant offensive line coach Donovan Raiola are both nearing deals to join Frost’s overhauled offensive staff in Lincoln, according to several sources with knowledge of the situation

    https://journalstar.com/sports/huskers/football/huskers-moving-toward-deals-with-pitt-oc-mark-whipple-bears-staffer-donovan-raiola/article_8810961a-5b58-521b-aa10-bb382df47f46.html

    Like

  74. Charmin wasn’t in the coaches transfer portal for too long. Charmin got squeezed, hopefully because Beatty is available.

    Beatty not in Virginia recruiting has been a downgrade, sorry.

    I hope Dan is right about Theisman and picket gets it. For those that say picket isn’t surrounded by 5 stars like the alabama qb, that is correct. Unfortunately for that argument, the alabammy qb is surrounded by 5 star defensive talent to play against. Can’t say that about our guy!

    Like

    1. Ok I’ll take the bait.

      Alabama’s schedule wasn’t nearly entirely made of up of 5 star talent, Come on man.

      Mercer
      Miami
      Southern Mississippi
      Tennessee (Picket did pretty well against them )
      New Mexico State
      Miss State (defense stinks)

      Liked by 2 people

      1. western mich, not regular michigan, new hampshire, and umass and syracuse, and duke and vtech, and gtech and virginia, etc.

        would venture to say that there were probably more 4 and 5 star defensive talents on Georgia, then all of what we faced this year……crap, let me re-phrase. Just thought about clempson. Dogdirt, but then i thought about ole miss and texas a&M…..triple dogdirt lsu! Yeah, I’ll stick with my original thought. Better talent protecting bammy qb, but going against better talent. Please don’t argue that the sec is better than the acc……and especially the coastal. Yikes juggy!

        Like

  75. If Whipple goes to Nebraska before the bowl game he’s more of a punk than Todd Graham.

    No reason for an OC to leave before a bowl game unless he gets a HC job.

    Like

    1. Charmin has left the Building. And you’re right….hard to believe he couldn’t say to Frost…hey we’re in a New Year’s 6 Bowl and I’d like to coach my boy Pickett in it.

      Like

    2. Whipple and all these coaches who bolt to other colleges before completing the task at hand, just shows their lack of integrity by not seeing these players through to the end. The truth is college sports is nothing more than a mega-business where accountability means nothing–a bad example for young students about to confront the challenges of life.

      Like

  76. Gordon, as Biggie posted earlier, prayers for a successful surgery and a quick recovery…the POV needs golfers 🏌️‍♂️ to continue to play!

    Liked by 1 person

  77. Canada will be OC of Pitt before Beatty. Vuke is full of crap, lol. Marion is too young and inexperienced. Get an experienced OC.

    Question is, did Duzz fall in love with putting up points. He use to love ball control. I think that has changed. Can’t argue with success.

    Take the Western Kentucky OC or the guy from Coastal Carolina. Top scoring offenses.

    Liked by 2 people

  78. Whipple “family health issues” ??? Nebraska can not compare to the health services available in Pittsburgh. Wearing a sweater without the Pitt logo while “pretending” to offer a potential top-notch QB recruit a scholie to Pitt is beyond my limited comprehension. Something is rotten in this entire situation.

    Liked by 2 people

  79. Good Luck gc!

    NRS, you make lots of great points but I don’t agree with your latest comment directed at Whipple. You can’t say there is no reason when we don’t even know what the reason is? Obviously this wasn’t a knee-jerk decision.

    Like

  80. Whipple not coaching in the bowl game makes complete sense from a coaching carousel perspective. Signing Day is before the bowl games and coaches will want their staff’s in place prior to it. It’s just the nature of the business.

    Whipple had his run but, prior to this year, did it feel like Duzz was ever completely comfortable with him? He passive aggressively rolled him under the bus more than once. I think he even commented on the running game after the western Michigan game.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Not like Whipple will have an impact on their class at this point. It is too late in the recruiting game. He isn’t building any relationships now. We will see if he steals any Pitt recruits or a QB off the roster. I don’t think Whipple is a main recruiter for too many kids, if any.

      Like

      1. No, but as a head coach you still want them as part of your staff not coaching for other teams.

        Like

  81. Lol @ Marion is too young. ND just hired a 35 year old head coach. It’s a young person’s game. I hope we go youth over experience, personally. Sign me up for the go-go. I’ve been in DC the 20+ years … when someone says go-go … you know it’s going to be fun.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. @rocket … if this comes off as disrespectful, I apologize. I just hate the youth argument. I’m a firm believer of when you’re ready you’re ready.

      Liked by 1 person

    2. Okay, saying Marion was too young was a poor choice of words. Tommy Rees is quite a success story.

      Like

  84. Zeise thinks its now more likely Kenny will ‘opt out’ of playing in the Peach Bowl….since Charmin
    pulled the chain on the crapper. Gives Kenny a better excuse not to play.

    So not very likely we win that game, so no 12 wins and no Top 10 finish in the rankings.

    Thanks Charmin….

    Like

    1. I’m not buying that one Juggy. KP has known this for awhile now. He has his reputation built up as a baller and sitting out would crush all that he worked for imo

      Liked by 5 people

  85. Thanks guys, surgery tomorrow.
    Regarding Whipple, it is all speculation at this point.
    It is really too bad, but as I said when you win 11 games and conference championship people are going to throw money at you. I don’t buy personal reasons when he was recruiting a QB yesterday and rumors with Nebraska are flying.

    Thinking Marion might have been the OC in waiting but what do I know. He did a great job with the receivers this year. I’m all for young guys.
    I don’t think it is in Kenny’s DNA to opt out, but what do I know?
    We not Me.

    I also think with the QB’s we have and the running backs we have next year will be a more balanced offense.
    Without Whipple much more likely.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Good luck bro Gordo….on the fix.

      Looks like a given he’s Husker bound. And let’s hope it is We….and not me. We shall see,

      Like

  86. OT – Pitt women basketballers played like crap for first 2/3 of the game tonight. But they scored the last 10 points of the game to beat Coppin State by 16. (67-51).

    Coppin State had some nice players but not enough of them. Pitt’s aggressive pace just wore them down. Pitt played 12 players; Coppin State played six.

    Brown had a big game for Pitt with 20 points and 6 rebounds. Liatu King had 15 rebounds.

    Liked by 4 people

  87. Vegas line has already moved a point to a point and half.

    Pitt is now anywhere from just a 2 & half point favorite to a 3 point fav.

    It was 3 & half to 4 yesterday.

    Like

  91. Need to rethink….any praise for Dave Claussen pickle please.

    “Further evidence the year was special: Wake Forest asked for the NCAA to intervene. Coach Dave Clawson now wants the NCAA to look into Pickett’s “fake slide” that allowed him to go 58 yards for a score in the ACC title game. Are you kidding? That goes in the “Heisman moments” bin. Pickett added a danger and swagger to a program that is not lacking for tradition. It’s been a long time since Marino and Tony Dorsett. Pickett’s name deserves to be up on a ring of honor someday, too.”

    Liked by 2 people

      1. They actually beat the Aggies a couple years ago.,….in what at that time was known.,..,as the,,,,drum roll please………The Belk Bowl. And if i remember further it was a high scoring affair. Like in the 50’s.

        Like

  92. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall when Narduzzi and Whipple sat down to discuss Whipple’s status at Pitt for the 2022 season. Taking the Nebraska job almost takes the “family” issue reason off the table now don’t you think? But announcing the resignation now before the bowl game was clearly the right choice IMO. Pitt certainly didn’t need a “lame duck recruiting coach” out there for the month of December.

    Liked by 2 people

      1. Did he recruit anyone ? Maybe Joey Yellen.
        He must not of thought to much of him afterwards though, as he has no further interest in coaching him.

        Although his 2nd recruit could be this Chubba kid…..although for Neckbraska !

        Like

  94. Nebraska fired 4 assistants including the OC back on Nov 7. I assume Nebraska asked Pitt’s permission to talk to Whipple, and I know they contacted his agent before that to gauge his interest

    Of course Pitt had no idea if Whipple would be hired but I would have to think they were prepared to either present Whip with a counteroffer or move on to a new OC.

    I do think Beatty is a consideration but not sure if he would leave the NFL. I’m pretty sure Marion would gladly accept the offer

    If not, there’s always Coach Watson … Izzy will gain 1180 yards and Rodney will get 1058 in 2022. Just hope Bartholomew doesn’t transfer

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

    Like

  95. Funny though, I would have thought that Whipple would have got a better offer than Nebraska after what his offense accomplished this year. How long has it been since they were relevant? They play in the B1G. It has to be more difficult to recruit to Nebraska these days than Pitt.
    Canada had one great year and he got a mil from LSU. Plus what is there to do in Nebraska?

    Regarding Marion, Narduzzi has never hired an up and comer as a coordinator. It is more of a risk but he has seen Marion in action and may have enough confidence in him. He wouldn’t have to change the playbook much. He has done well as a coordinator at smaller schools. I say give him a shot. Go for the upside.

    Liked by 5 people

        1. I love Pitt with all my heart and soul …they are forever my #1 team and alma mater, but I watch a ton of college football and am a Nebraska fan as well.
          Over the last five years, Nebraska football is a heck of a lot worse than Pitt in terms of wins and losses and national perception.

          If Whip really is going to Nebraska, they must be cutting him a heck of a check. He is going to face a much tougher conference schedule playing PSU, OSU, and Michigan each year. There is way, way more pressure from fans and alums because UN football is all the state has, there are no empty yellow seats and no pro team to distract the fan base from bad Saturday losses. There are also unrealistic expectations because times have changed and the Nebraska program has not changed with them.

          This move doesn’t make any sense other than if it’s for $ because in my opinion, the Nebraska job isn’t as prestigious or filled with as much potential as the current Pitt job.

          Liked by 4 people

          1. Well yea…I follow the Huskers too. More because of how Cornhole played a large part in turning them into a Train Wreck.

            Even though they stink, they still pack in em….sellout streak for decades.

            And yes this was ALL ABOUT THE BENJAMINS. $$$$

            Charmin probably is gonna haul in between $700K & $1 Mil per. Pitt won’t pay that and for him, don’t know if I would pay that either. Most of us 90 days ago….wanted him gone.

            B1G schools…if anything….certainly have the loot to toss around,

            Like

        2. And clean bees off your windshield. I still recall the swarms of bees and how often I had to stop to be able to see to drive.
          pmdH2P

          Like

    1. If Reed would repost our comments from the day after the WMU game it would embarrass most of us.
      Of course the loss still is dumbfounding but was probably used to motivate our guys to never let up.

      Liked by 1 person

        1. I don’t believe…the WMU QB….used a corded phone. That was the big difference.

          We had Wake’s corded phone line tapped ! ha

          Like

  97. Pitt rarely in a one of the featured headlines of a major sports website like for example….ESPN NCAAF home page or CbsSports NCAAF home page

    And after just wondering….if it was just ESPN’s NCAAF Home page…decided just for fun to check
    the main ESPN home page…..for ALL Sports.

    https://www.espn.com/

    Hey wouldn’t you know, Pitt football is so important these days, the Whipple resignation is the 3rd Top Headline story for ESPN////for ALL Sports.

    Just amazing since we’re not a CFP team and we’re not even Top 10. Our winning the ACC Championship didn’t even make an appearance on either Website’s College Football Headlined stories, Sat nite or
    all day Sunday. ** It never made either websites headlines**

    But it qualifies to be there for ESPN…..because it makes Pitt look bad, it’s bad news.

    And that my friends is just another example of our continuing and eternal (it seems) uphill struggle.

    https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/

    Liked by 2 people

  98. Just read in the Trib that Huskersonline is reporting that they will double Whipple’s salary of $500k. Once again, the SEC and B1G will spend anything

    Along those lines, MSU HC Tucker now makes about twice what Duzz does

    Sent from my iPhone

    >

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yes…the Huskers were paying a previous OC…$700K…so i heard it’s between that figure and $1 mil.

      At this rate…..he might be able to afford to be a member of Laurel Valley GC…lol

      But he wouldn’t look to good in a Pink Sportcoat.

      Like

  101. The fake rage over the fake slide is nauseating … Kenny was able to pull it off because the Wake players were sleeping and went defenseless too soon. Had they held their positions a fraction of a sec longer, Kenny would have slid. Kenny is getting killed for lazy defense. Wake didn’t even have to play through the whistle … but the Wake players gave up on he play half a step too soon. Kenny saw that and took advantage of it. It cracks me up that there is so much drama over a play no one has seen before. If other players start doing it, then you create a rule for it but to have a one-off play never seen before cause this much of a stir is comical. Players fake going out of bounds all the time. Bravo, Kenny, bravo. QB’s take advantage of their rules protections all the time.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. We all know ….the so-called rage…..is ONLY cause it’s Pitt !

      The same creeps would be applauding how great a play it was….if say a turd from Ohio Fake, Choklahoma, Bama or Geooooorgia….or even Pedo State made it.

      Like

    3. I agree, TT. The Wake defender – the one KP was coming at and could see – never closed on Kenny. That defender was still over 5 yards away…

      In college, you keep closing and once the knee hits you can always go over the guy…

      Much ado about nothing…

      Go Pitt.

      Like

  102. I may have missed it, but is it not possible that we had already told Whipple that his contract would not be renewed and that he would need to look for work? I realize that doesn’t explain why we have allowed him to “visit” a QB prospect….

    Like

  103. I also don’t get the rage over Whipple. He was going to step down last year until Kenny came back. It’s no surprise that he’s leaving as Kenny exits. There have been rumors the last month that he was retiring. Taking the Nebraska job is a bit of a surprise but the doubling of your salary is probably a nice reconsideration development.

    Whipple has been a lightning rod of criticism here and on other message boards. He and Duzz clearly don’t get along very well. It was a good time to exit … maybe not before the bowl game … but that’s collateral damage from the signing day move from Feb to Dec.

    I hope he hires internally and finally moves Pitt away from the pro-style offense. The pro-style is so complicated that it takes 3 years for it start working … see this season … and by the time it works you have to break in a new QB.

    Plug and play RPO is all the rage for a reason. It’s easy to install. Most high schools have moved to it. Gimmicks can get you buy on an off day.

    Marion makes perfect sense. I’d love to see the go-go introduced vs MSU but my money is on Salem calling plays in the bowl game … that should be a big ole yawn.

    Speaking of bowl games … I think Kenny plays, but don’t get upset if he doesn’t. It’s a meaningless game outside of the fans who want 12 wins and the 3 loss season streak broken (I fall into this category) … but, at a macro level … it’s a glorified exhibition game. I would not be surprised if MSU’s RB sits it out on their side.

    it’s a game so the players will compete … but it’s a game with no consequences which drastically lowers the emotion attached to it. Pride will kick in, in the 4th quarter, if it’s a close game but it’s low a emotion game. I mea , the first quarter will be spent kicking off the rust after having close to a month off.

    Liked by 4 people

    1. It’s not so much with Charmin. As I think this was a 1 year outlier for him. It was him more
      going out to Arizona under the pretenses of recruiting a QB transfer, when in actuality it was to
      meet with Scott Frost in Phoenix. Plus bailing on Kenny & Pitt for a New Year’s day 6 Bowl.
      At least for me.

      He caught ‘Lighting in a Bottle’ with Kenny coming back and turning into Darryl Lamonica, aka, the Mad Bomber !

      Lamonica had Freddy Biletnikoff & Billy Cannon and Kenny had Jordan Addison & the Manster/Bart

      Both of our guys made the CBS Sports All-American Team….albeit 2nd team ! Still Great !

      https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/2021-cbs-sports-all-america-team-sec-big-ten-dominate-list-combining-for-half-of-all-selections/

      Like

    1. I’m in the same boat. If I was his parents, he would already be out of school. lol. No need for finals.

      Like

    2. Well then….you want to Pitt to lose. Who would pay $200 to $500 for a Peach Bowl ticket if Pickett isn’t playing ?

      Like

      1. No, I’m just putting myself in his shoes. I selfishly want him to play. I actually still think he will. But, I certainly would understand the business side of it. He’ll help Pitt sell tickets and not announce until later.

        Like

  105. I tried telling some of you he hedged a bit with his “I ‘expect’ to play” … expect was an odd choice of words at the time. Very calculated.

    Like

    1. It’s only 24 hours after his supposed Mentor…left him high & dry.

      Like losing a GF……he’ll get over it…..and play.

      Like

  107. KP on the Dan Patrick show today said he is undecided on whether he is going to play in the Peach Bowl. He said he would have to talk it over with his family first. My guess is he opts out unless he ends up feeling he is letting down the team and reverses course.—-From where I’m sitting if I were KP I’d like to go into the draft without any injuries ongoing to be concerned about.

    Like

    1. He’s been preaching We….not me…all year. We’ll see.

      Marino played in the 1983 Cotton Bowl….when Pitt was only 9-2 and had little to gain.
      And Marino of course knew he was NFL bound.

      Like

      1. Different era. It would have hurt Marino not playing then. In this era, the NFL will see it as a smart business decision.

        Like

          1. Maybe not but the players have more of voice now. Marino already was dropping in the draft but who knows. The money wasn’t the same back then, either. This is a recent trend beginning about a decade ago. It started with the lower profile bowl games but in recent years has expanded to the non-playoff games. I don’t get why this bothers you so much. Bowl games have been dropping in relevance since the BCS and even more dramatically with the playoff. The conference championship era put a nail in the coffin of the bowl season. It’s just for fun now with now meaning … except to some fans.

            Like

            1. It doesn’t bother me at all. It’s just something to discuss on a board…….and if it wasn’t a Big Bowl….i could certainly see him not wanting to play on a 6-6 team in the BBVA Kumquat Bowl.

              But this Pitt team can make history of being only the 2nd Pitt team EVER in 117 years of playing football to win 12 games.

              Like

  108. From a fan perspective, I get Kenny not playing is a tough one to take … but from a business standpoint, it’s the most logical conclusion. It’s an exhibition game that can only hurt him. It’s a game that has very little upside with tremendous downside. I get fans want Kenny in the pantheon of great players and the capper on his career … but, his legacy is already cemented. He won the ACC championship. All this game does is move you in the polls. No one will remember where Pitt finished in 20 years. But they’ll remember the championship. Go eat your cake on the banquet circuit, Kenny. You deserved it. Thanks for everything that you did for Pitt.

    Like

    1. BS….all of us oldsters from the 1970’s & early 1980’s can tell you where Pitt finished ranked in those years and WHO they beat or lost to in the Bowl Game.

      Liked by 1 person

        1. I don’t get why this upsets you so much. The BCS, Conference Championships, and the ultimately the college football playoff killed the bowl season. It’s been like this for at least a decade. You’re clinging to some strong nostalgia of a bygone era. I hope Kenny plays. But I will certainly respect his decision if he opts out.

          Like

            1. That’s fine but it’s like comparing players from different era’s … it’s hard to do. The sport has changed. I don’t necessarily like it but it’s been slowly happening since the BCS era started in 1998. 20+ years later and the bowl games are almost completely diminished outside of the recognition of getting to the game. I could probably argue that getting to the game is more relevant than the outcome.

              Like

  109. And I would also add….that is not unique. The Power Programs all have a large amount of fans like that…that can tell you what their teams did 40….50…..even 60 years ago.

    Like it was yesterday.

    Liked by 1 person

  110. I hope KP plays but if he doesn’t…he doesn’t. Whip is gone…oh well to that too. Let’s look at this bowl as a celebration of a great year. The wife and I are going to eat, drink, and watch a little a ball in the ATL baby. Enjoy the Peach Bowl. Who knows when we will be in the New Year’s six again?

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Isn’t game on December 30th?

      Not New Year’s Day – is this the bad thing that evens out a good season?

      Like

      1. I don’t think so Rick, it’s national tv in prime time sandwiched between two other games.

        I do and would hope the whole PITT team realizes that 12 wins in one season is unheard of in Panther-land and only done once before. Hey KP, look at the bigger picture. ACC conference championships will come around again I don’t know if the chance to win 12 will?

        Like

  111. Pitt Juggernaut – Yes, some die hard fans can. Emphasis on die hard fans. Not the students in college in 20 years. The BCS ushered in a new era and it de-emphasized bowl games. It’s just a reality of the sport. The NCAA tried making this New Years Six a thing and it worked for a few years … but, in recent, years players have begun opting out of them, too.

    In the championship game era, current fans will look at the ACC championship as the stamp on the season. If we made the playoff, then that would be our stamp. Our final record does not matter.

    When Marino played, the game was even considered an exhibition game. So much so that the NCAA does not count stats from bowl games pre-1990.

    Like

    2. Students come and go…..us diehards are here until we die.

      And the good programs depend on the diehards.

      Pitt needs more diehards…..unfortunately they trashed so many decades.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Exactly. Pitt does not care about us. They don’t care if you buy a ticket to see Kenny play and he doesn’t.

        Like

    3. It’s not because they considered them exhibition games. It was to make yearly stats fair for those not getting to play in a bowl game.

      Like

  112. It’s been my experience that when you change jobs, especially high profile jobs, you are running to something or away from something.
    Maybe both. I have no love for Whipple and no hate for Nebraska.

    Whatever Heisman Trophy winner, Kenny Pickett, chooses is fine with me! H2P

    Liked by 1 person

  113. And to show how much all this garbage doesn’t bother me…..I’m not going to even discuss it anymore.

    I can certainly live without college athletics, as i have for most of the last 10 years or more…with professional sports.

    Like

  114. If the bowl games don’t matter why are they factored into final rankings?

    I agree with the business decision part of it.

    To me KP saying he hasn’t decided means he is not playing.

    Hard to play a game when you aren’t totally committed.

    No wonder they opted out last year with all those

    Like

  117. Kenny Pickett certainly has the right to decide to play or not play in the Peach Bowl.

    And we all have the right to attend or not, watch or not.

    I just hope he goes public with his decision soon so that I can complete my travel plans or cancel them, because if he doesn’t play I’ll be watching from my couch.

    Liked by 2 people

  119. I saw what a projected 12-team playoff would have looked like this season and thought: when is it enough? Imagine just playing 13 games and now possibly playing four more. These players should unionize if the playoffs are bumped to 12. No way tuition, room and board, food equals the money that will be generated through television for these games. Oh, and keep stopping the clock after first downs so we get 20-25 more plays a game. That’s wonderful for player safety.

    If I’m an NFL prospect I have so much to lose possibly playing four more, and the teams that will make it that far definitely will have a plethora of draft prospects.

    I’ll have no issues if Pickett sits out, and he will. Hopefully, Walker for MSU does the same. He’s on the fence, too.

    Like

  120. I don’t get why Narduzzi was in a hurry to move on from Whipple in the first place, and if it costs us the Peach Bowl because KP decides to stay home, Pat is going to have immediately burned a lot of the good will he built up over the last two months.

    Like

    1. I think Whipple was in a hurry to get situated elsewhere and get a transfer QB. Rumor within the hour is Rattler heading possibly to Nebraska.

      Like

  121. I’m not going to delve into Whipple job change to Nebraska, they are a borderline irrelevant program outside of their geographical footprint, and these sort of changes happen all the time in today’s college football. But it was obvious that Whipple and Narduzzi did not have great chemistry, and I don’t doubt that they’ve known for a year that this would be their last year together. I wish Coach Whipple the best, and appreciate his contributions to the program.

    That said, as I’ve said many times over the past year, that I’ve never been crazy about Whip’s play calling and would much prefer they give Marion a shot at the OC position before they lose him, especially if Narduzzi was impressed with his contributions over the past season. Maybe I’m a bit of a risk taker, and I get that some will definitely want a more experienced OC replacement, but I’m excited about this opportunity for Pitt. Specifically, I’d hire Marion, then do my homework and bring in a really good QB coach to specialize in that area, because this is where I think we may miss Whipple the most.

    One final thing, it wouldn’t surprise me if Kenny decided to play in the bowl, he seems to be the ultimate team player, but whatever he decides I think we will all totally respect it.

    H2P

    Like

  123. I did not realize that Whipple was only here this year because of KP.

    It would be nice to get a guy that would stay for a while.

    Like

  124. Whipple is trash for leaving as he did. I know many disagree. He joins the other two stooges (Graham and Chryst) to complete the trio.

    I think a bowl game is important if it can launch you into the top 10 and get your win total to a number rarely achieved by your program. If you are 7-5, who cares. This game helps the football program if they win.

    My only hope is PN realized that a high scoring offense is now a must and he searches for an OC that can put up numbers. This roster can’t switch to an RPO offense quickly. Air raid possibly. Whipple’s offense was a strange blend.

    Like

  126. Looking at PNs history of OC hires does not give indication that he will go with a younger guy.

    Marion’s offense at W&M was not impressive. Few PPG and little passing.

    Like

    1. Something I did not remember…

      Coach Marion played WR at Tulsa under Head Coach Todd Graham….

      Yikes!

      Also, Gus Malzahn was the OC at Tulsa at the time…

      Go Pitt.

      Like

  127. Whipple wanted out. He kept his mouth shut and did his job. I respect him for that. He also gave Kenny an out not to play. I am sure they are very close, and Whipple can be the bad guy for his star pupil.

    Like

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