Pitt will not be playing Penn State until Paterno is gone.

As state politicians got involved in Virginia Tech’s ACC romance, Pittsburgh coach Walt Harris could use similar help with the disappearing Pitt-Penn State rivalry. “They should be forced to play us,” he says. Penn State recently added games against Central Florida, Cincinnati and Notre Dame to future schedules, but it continues to duck rival Pitt, which it last played in 2000. In some instances — the annual Florida-Florida State game is a prime example — schools are bound by state law to play every season.

I remember around the final time Pitt played Penn State — Pitt won 12-0 in 2000 — I think some state legislator proposed a requirement, but it failed. I did not know that Florida has that law.

Even the editor of the PSU bible concedes that Paterno is an idiot for not playing Pitt (of course he would still, rather blame Pitt).

Neil:
Speaking of non-conference rivalries, it’s a shame that Pitt and PSU don’t hook up in a season like this. While both schools play the Central Florida types every year anyway, there is simply no excuse not to continue the old rivalry for the benefit of both schools as well as for greater Pennsylvania.
Alan Saltzman
Atlanta

Alan:
Second. In the end, being able to wipe out the Pitt series will be a black mark on Joe’s career. At the same time, Pitt arguably should have followed PSU’s lead toward an Eastern Conference in the early ’80s.

Even Neil Rudel, has to admit the series ended because of a unilateral Paterno decision.

The other part of puffing a team, is puffing up the coach. That’s what this piece on Walt Harris is all about. It talks of Harris’s personal growth and changes since he came to Pitt. Harris claims that this year will be different. This year he won’t be micro-managing the QB. He won’t be breathing down the guy’s neck each time. It doesn’t say whether Harris will finally figure out how to make halftime adjustments and change things that aren’t working when the other team adjusts to them.

I’m still having mixed feelings about Harris. He has done a lot of positives. He has rebuilt the football program. He is a hell of a good recruiter. He does a great job with the QB and WR. He has let the defensive coordinator do his job, and do it well. As far as his coaching, though. Er, um. I’m still not sold. He does not like or appear willing to make adjustments to his game plan once the game starts. It is a certain inflexibility that can cost games, or make them much closer than they should be.

The article talks about the 2001 season, when Pitt had a 1-5 start after high expectations for the year. It lets Harris downplay the whole thing.

“We lost to a South Florida team that, if people did their research, was a good one. Then it was Miami, Notre Dame, Syracuse and Boston College. It was a tough road to travel. We were affected emotionally by the South Florida loss, but we faced some tough teams afterward.”

I was at or watched these games. It wasn’t that Pitt lost. It was how badly Pitt was beaten in these games. They were all embarrassing losses. Not truly close. It was because Harris had decided to go with the latest offensive fad in college football — the spread offense. The problem was, the players had no clue. It was painful to watch: delay of games, false starts, wasted time-outs, predictable play calling, ugh. But Harris was sticking with it, come hell or high water. Finally after the 45-7 drubbing by Boston College, Harris dropped the spread offense and they went back to a pro set offense. The result was a big win over a top 15 Virginia Tech team.

I’m hoping he makes me eat my words.