Fans MIA at Pitt

Poor Pitt.

Look at that pitiful crowd during the Panthers Spring Game on Saturday. Look, spring games can be a lot of fun and they can also be boring.

But The Stache is trying to rebuild Pitt, which almost won the Big East last year. If LeSean McCoy had not left early for the NFL the Panthers might be the early favorite to win the conference in 2009.

This is just plain sad. I know Pittsburgh has so much more to follow than Pitt. The Steelers just won their sixth Super Bowl, the Penguins are playing well heading into the NHL playoffs, the Pirates have a winning record and Pitt basketball is much more fun to watch. So there just aren't enough fans to go around.

Even the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette didn't report on the annual Blue-Gold Game until Monday. One interesting note from the PG's coverage is the mention that Bill Stull appears to be the top quarterback for 2009. That's not good news for new OC Frank Cignetti Jr.

Bowl Preview: Brut Sun Bowl

Brut Sun Bowl
Sun Bowl Stadium, El Paso, Tx.
Oregon State vs. Pittsburgh
Date: Dec. 31
Time: 2 p.m.
TV: CBS
Line: Oregon State -2.5

About Oregon State: The Beavers almost went to the Rose Bowl. Heck, they even beat USC. Instead, they're in El Paso for the holidays. Although, I guess when you're from Corvallis, El Paso doesn't seem so bad.

Intangibles:
Mike Riley is a really nice guy: +2
Mike Riley is your coach: -2
Dennis Erickson era: -4
Chad Johnson "attended" OSU: -3
Beating USC: +4

About Pittsburgh: Dave Wannstedt took over his alma mater and has quickly led them all the way to El Paso. With the exception of RB LeSean McCoy, who somehow let Wannstedt waste his talent at Pitt, the Panthers are so boring it hurts.

Intangibles:
Peppi's North Side: +8
The 'Stache: +3
Play in Heinz Field, not near campus: -4
Pierogies: +2

Impact player: Jacquizz and James Rodgers will have the biggest impact, since neither of these miraculous midgets is playing for Oregon State. That hurts. Much like their tiny, tiny shoulders.

Little Known Fact: The Village People are performing at halftime (absolutely freaking true). Between that and the reek of Brut, this should be the Studio 54 Bowl.

The Pick: Pitt 24, Oregon State 17

Observations from Saturday's Games (Dec. 6)

With West Virginia leading 10-7 at half of the Mountaineers' White Out against South Florida, there is no time to relax. But obligations are just that. So here go some observations from Saturday's games (and one from Friday).

1. Nice lids. It's too bad Army isn't more competitive in the Army-Navy game, but the Cadets were sporting some interesting uniforms and helmets Saturday. Army, instead of the traditional gold helmet, was donning camouflage helmets and matching pants. Nike made new blankets for the Army mules to match the new uniforms.

2. ACC Chumps. So, did anyone watch Virginia Tech rip Boston College in the ACC Championship? It doesn't look like it based on the empty seats at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. I'd say the stadium was no more than 40 percent full. The "new" ACC has been a joke since its inception.

3. Rilvary renewed. UCLA was totally outmanned by USC, but the Bruins showed great spunk in a 28-7 loss. They created turnovers and took an early lead. While 'Eye agree with me, Rick Neuheisel will have UCLA competing on a more level standing with the Trojans within two years.

4. Go with Gill. Would someone stand up and pay attention to the job Turner Gill has done at Buffalo? Well, it seems Auburn has gotten permission to speak with him for its opening. Could be an interesting fit since Gill has no SEC experience, but when you go 8-5 with the Buffalo Bulls and win the Mid-American Conference championship ... you can win and win big at Auburn.

5. Aloha Bearcats. It means hello and good-bye. With Big East champ Cincinnati playing at Hawaii tonight, will anyone see it, hear it or care about it?

6. Not so Pitt-iful. As tough as this is to say, Pitt has grown this year under Dave Wannstache. With its win over UConn and a win over Oklahoma State in the Sun Bowl the Panthers would have 10 wins this season. (Hey Lesean, you're ready for the NFL).

7. Mizzou mess. Missouri may have been the most overrated team this fall. The Tigers can't even score against a porous Oklahoma defense. The Big 12 needs to consider realignment so the best two teams actually get into the championship game.

8. Good pay. According to the Seattle Times, Steve Sarkisian will sign a five-year contract with Washington paying him $1.85 million a year. Good luck Steve. Mark your calendar. USC travels to Seattle on Sept. 19.

9. Looking good. East Carolina looked like the Pirates that opened the season with upset victories over Virginia Tech and West Virginia. ECU, behind a last-second field goal, defeated Tulsa 27-24 in the Conference USA championship. How long to Skip Holtz leaves? Seems Syracuse is hot and heavy after Lou's son.

10. Best game. I'm still trying to figure out what would be the best national championship game. I have a few options: Oklahoma-Florida, Oklahoma-Texas or Utah-Florida, Utah-Texas or Oklahoma-Utah. Any suggestions?

Post Turkey Day Live Blogging! Backyard Brawl

It doesn't happen. Pat White's last attempt sails out of the end zone. Pitt knocks off the 'Eers again. Not a good loss for WVU which had way too many key penalties, couldn't stop the run and had one huge turnover. How's that hire looking now, Governor? Just bass-ackwards. in the last two years, WVU has scored 24 points against their rival.

McCoy has thumped it down to the 1 and go-ahead TD for Pitt. A huge WVU facemask penalty not only cost them a FG attempt instead of a TD, but cost them about two minutes on the clock. Two-point conversions fails. 19-15 Pitt. Now WVU needs to score a TD in :52 with no timeouts.

A big holding penalty forces WVU to punt. Now McCoy is taking over and has the ball into WVU territory. Wow, great run by McCoy to convert another first down. McCoy does such an amazing job setting up his blockers and tacklers.

(On CBS, Arkansas is already up 14-3 on LSU. A year after a national title is the pressure already on Les Miles?)

Okay, got caught up in the Kiffin/UT news. Anyway - WVU gets the ball back and on a third and 10 in their own end makes the bizarre decision to throw the ball. For pete's sake, run a draw or a screen and punt. Instead, the ball is picked off. Pitt gets a short field and scores. Pitt decides to go for two, gets penalized and STILL decides to go for two for the 10 yard line. They fail miserable. 15-13 Pitt with 8 minutes left.

Both teams trade horrible interceptions, WVU gets the benefit of a poor pass interference call and turns it into three points. 15-7 WVU. Pitt has decided, for some reason, to give up on the run and lose this game with QB Bill Stull. Anyone remember LaSean McCoy???

Fourth and short, good play call and a bad pass give WVU the ball back.

The 'Eers are really going to miss Pat White. what a run. 12-7 WVU ahead after a botched extra point.

Nice drive by WVU, but ends in a FG after a dropped TD pass. WVU looking much more confident though.

Boy, LeSean McCoy is really, really good. More questionable play calling though as WVU picks off a pass on an unexplainable decision to throw a fade route in the end zone. Huge break for WVU. 7-3 at half.

WVU's defense adjust and forces a nice turnover and drives inside the Pitt 10, but a weird playcall on third down costs a TD. I don't mind the play as the backup QB came in, handed the ball off to Pat White in motion. White lobbed into the end zone for 6-8 Wes Lyons, I just didn't understand running it to the short side where White has little room to maneuver and inside the 5, where Lyons runs out of space in the back of the end zone. Anyway, 7-3.

Another impressive drive for the Panthers ends poorly after a holding penalty forces them into a field goal which misses badly. Still, WVU can't be enthused about the way their defense is playing right now.

Pitt looked strong on the first drive. Pretty sure WVU was not prepared for the downfield passing game. 7-0 Pitt and WVU has punted after hurting themselves with key penalties.

I thought about blogging last night's Texas-Texas A&M game, but I'm not sure A&M could be in the Texas high school playoffs. Best stat from last night: A&M has forced 12 three and outs - ALL YEAR. That's awful. Anyone remember the Wrecking Crew?

So, instead since I'm off work, I'll do the WVU-Pitt matchup.

If it's true ...

Then Pitt enters the 2009 season as the favorite in the Big East.

Panthers running LeSean McCoy, who is preparing for his second Backyard Brawl against WVU on Friday, told reporters on Tuesday that he is enjoying college and thinks he may need another year of seasoning before heading off to the riches of the NFL.

It has been widely suspected that McCoy, who has eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing in his two seasons at Pitt, would be a first-round selection if he came out early. "I'm the one who has to take all the hits," he was quoted as saying in a wire story. "I'm still a young kid. I think my size, I can get a little bigger and stronger, and I can become a better blocker. My knowledge of the game is coming on faster than I thought, and that's pretty good for me."

Honestly, McCoy is ready for the pros. But I always respect a guy who wants to stay in college longer and he's right. He knows if he's prepared better than anyone else.

Hey Wannstache, this is a third or fourth chance for you. At 7-3, your Panthers will play in their first bowl game in five seasons. Next year you'll return seven starters on offense with McCoy, something he claims he wants to be a part of.

So it's time to be a legitimate contender in the Big East. Now if McCoy has a change of heart in two months, all bets are off.

Observations from Saturday's Games (Oct. 25)

The Big East and ACC were shaken up Saturday, while Michigan's "Little Brother" whipped up on it. Didn't get to see as many games as I would have liked (thank you ESPN 360) because of my own work requirements. But I'm watching Penn State-Ohio State right now and wanted to let everyone know what I observed this Saturday (besides a nice 30-22 victory by Marietta College over Muskingum College).

1. Nate the Great. I have been raving about Ball State's Nate Davis all season. I think everyone else is finally catching up. Davis did about everything in the No. 20 Cardinals 38-16 victory against Eastern Michigan. Not only did he throw for 241 yards and two scores, he also caught a TD pass. I'd like to say this BSU (not Boise State) could be a BCS buster at 8-0, but the Mid-American Conference is so disrespected I don't see them cracking the Top 12 of the BCS rankings.

2. LSU defense. Really! I'm supposed to take this team serious after giving up 50-plus points in two of the past three weeks? Well I'm not and I don't think too many other people are either. I should have listened to 'Eye when he kept saying that their early wins were against inferior teams. The only two tough opponents (Florida and Georgia) just attacked the vaunted Tiger defense and uncovered many weaknesses.

3. Give me Mo. It's not like anything Georgia's Knowshon Moreno does should surprise me. But his effort against LSU was more like a season highlight reel. He finished with 163 yards, but it was his 68-yard TD run in the third quarter that totally silenced the LSU crowd. It should be noted that LSU's Charles Scott was equally impressive as he gained 144 yards and scored two touchdowns.

4. Big 12 classic. No. 1 Texas did enough to remain on top of the rankings, especially after back-to-back tough weeks and possibly looking ahead to No. 8 Texas Tech. But give No. 6 Oklahoma State a lot of credit for giving the Longhorns more than most expected in Austin. Looks like T. Boone Pickens is getting his $168 million worth (or whatever the value of his gift is now after the stock market crash). Texas QB Colt McCoy looked almost human as he threw a critical interception, but the future Heisman Trophy winner still threw for almost 400 yards. Now can Texas get up again this week?

5. Leave it to Wannstache. Just when it looks like Pitt is finally turned a corner under Dave Wannstache, the Panthers blow a game (see Rutgers 54, Pittsburgh 34). I know QB Bill Stull had to be carried off the field after hitting his helmet with a teammate, but Pitt was already struggling with Rutgers. This was bad for the Big East. Pitt, despite a loss to Bowling Green, had established itself as a legitimate team for the conference. That seems to have fallen back to WVU after Thursday's impressive win over Auburn. Throw in South Florida's loss at Louisville and the Big East is having a bad year.

5. ACC shakeup. Think the Big East is confusing, well fans of the ACC are just as confused. Following another weird week the favorites to win the conference are Florida State, Maryland and Virginia. FSU isn't so crazy, but Maryland and Virginia were written off after the first or second week. Give Ralph Friedgen and Al Groh some props for the job they have done keeping their teams focused. Many credible sources have always told me what an excellent coach Friedgen is. However, I've never heard many positives about Groh. He's got my respect now.

6. More ACC wackiness. I keep telling folks to stay away from the ACC if your picking games. I tried it again this week since it was an SEC team (Vanderbilt) playing the ACC (Duke). This seemed like an easy one, but I should have know that David Cutcliffe would have the Dookies ready for the Commodores.

7. Taking notice now. I'm not on the bandwagon, but I'm not as anti-Texas Tech as I was just 24 hours ago. The Red Raiders 63-21 whipping of Kansas was a legitimate win. Kansas is a mid-level team in most conferences, but this is the kind of win Tech needed. The hype heading into this week's game with No. 1 Texas is going to be something the folks in Lubbock have never witnessed before.

8. What's bad about the Big 12. Missouri will still likely make the conference championship game because the North Division is so crappy. Great Missouri getting the crap kicked out of them. The most exciting part of this game will be at halftime when some 5-foot-8 white guy tries to win $1 million throwing footballs at moving Dr. Pepper bottles.

9. Bama fans. Alabama's game with Tennessee isn't even over yet, but I know they are having a good week. The Tide will finish off the Vols and the win could finish Phil Fulmer at Tennessee. That's a very good week for the folks in Tuscaloosa. But I also know they enjoyed Auburn's loss at West Virginia an awful lot also. My sister lives there and when she wore her WVU jacket the next day, a number of Bama fans responded very positively.

10. Herbstreit kids. Kirk Herbstreit has cute kids. But he needs to stop bringing them onto the Game Day set every time they are in Columbus. There always seems to be one of his genetically superior sons who breaks down like a little girl lost at the mall. Enough. Leave them at home with mom.

Big East roundup

Here’s a quick look at the latest news involving Big East teams according to each university’s student newspaper.

Pitt fans none too pleased: I have defended Dave Wannstedt in the past. Thought he was pushed out of Chicago and that given more time he could have been successful in Miami. Maybe I was wrong. He allegedly gets great recruits every year and then loses too many games. Adam Littman of The Pitt News says Panther fans are running out of patience also.

When your team sucks … You talk about former great players who have returned to the sidelines. Hello Syracuse’s Dan Conley.

USF plays final game against UCF: Joe Rienzi, Sports Editor at The Oracle, says South Florida’s players are going to miss beating up on Central Florida. The two schools, despite their campuses being within 100 miles of each other, are not scheduled to play again in the foreseeable future. The 17^th-ranked Bulls and Golden Knights play at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Empty seats: Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium could be empty on Saturday when Louisville takes on Tennessee Tech. According to The Louisville Cardinal, students aren’t too excited about this week’s game. Especially after the embarrassing loss to Kentucky. Click here for Ashlea Hellman’s story.

No underestimating the Pirates: West Virginia’s folksy football coach Bill Stewart said his Mounties won’t be caught off guard by Lou Holtz’ boy and his East Carolina squad, according to Brian Gawthrop, Associate Sports Editor of the Daily Anthenaeum in Morgantown. To read more click here.

Rutgers 'O' fails to live up to lofty expectations: Mike Vorkunov, Associate Sports Editor at the Daily Targum, expresses a touch of frustration after watching the Scarlett Knights manage just seven points against Fresno State. To read more click here.

No hometown love in Connecticut: Let’s see if I have this right. There are Blue Chip football recruits in Connecticut and they prefer playing for Urban Meyer at Florida instead of Randy Edsall at UConn. Hey, UConn … have you ever seen all the hot chicks in Gainesville? Someone needs to tell Kevin Duffy of The Daily Campus. Read more

Mauk’s hopes postponed: I feel bad for Ben Mauk and his desire to play football one more year at Cincinnati. But few folks get the better of the archaic NCAA. According to the Cincinnati Enquirer his hearing has been postponed.

Big East woes

All of the college football experts are ripping on the ACC (and I usually do the same). However, after Rutgers' 24-7 loss to Fresno State Monday the Big East isn't looking too strong this season.

Sure, most of you will say the conference has never been that good. But not true. WVU, South Florida, Rutgers, Louisville, Cincinnati (and even UConn) have been solid, competitive teams. Heck, the Big East has won three consecutive BCS bowl games.

But this weekend exposed the Big East as being very top heavy. WVU and USF may be all the conference has in 2008.

Even more embarrassing was the offensive performance of Louisville against in-state rival Kentucky on Sunday. Hunter Cantwell is supposed to be a future NFL quarterback. For who? Columbus Destroyers?

Pitt is Pitt. Dave Wannstedt is Dave Wannstedt. I wasn't that shocked that the Panthers were dumped by Bowling Green. I won't be surprised when they lose to Turner Gill's Buffalo Bulls this week.

Syracuse is supposed to suck, so losing at Northwestern wasn't a shock. However, the Orange actually had their opportunities. It's almost like they want to lose so the Greg Robinson experiment can just come to an end.

If WVU or South Florida can run the table or only lose one game, the conference will be cut some slack. But the Mountaineers could get bumped by a very interesting East Carolina squad this Saturday. Bill Stewart's squad must also travel to Colorado and host Auburn this fall. Three or four losses are a real possibility.