Neil Rudel is the Sports Editor of the Altoona Mirror. He is also one of the most read, respected, and published commentators on Penn State sports. He is frequently heard on the Penn State Football Radio Network during the season.

Mr. Rudel, like all good Penn State fans, completely hates Pitt and disrespects our current renaissance. I can’t begrudge him that. But I will make fun of him and his always-left-handed compliments from time to time. Here’s a snippet from his column in today’s Altoona Mirror, apparently inspired from Morelli’s commitment to Pitt.

Pitt’s apparent rise in stature, followed by better recruiting and signs of improved attendance, has to be viewed as bittersweet in that the Panthers, unless they can get into the Big Ten, will be playing in a second-tier league beginning in 2004 — abeit one they should be able to win every year.

Rudel seems to be once again suggesting that Pitt’s long term survival depends on its admittance to the Big Ten. I completely disagree. The Big East will remain in the BCS because the BCS needs the Big East and its members to maintain its slim majority over Division I-A schools. Thus, the Big East will not become a second-tier league after Miami and Virginia Tech leave — although it will admittedly become easier than the Big Ten (and how many times have your Lions won that conference?).

Penn State fans love to think that Pitt has no choice but to beg for Joe Paterno’s forgiveness and mercy, so that Pitt may save itself from a dying Big East and jump to the glorious Big Ten. But not only does Pitt not have to join the Big Ten, but Pitt shouldn’t want to. The road to a BCS bowl is much easier from where we are. Besides, I seriously doubt that the Big Ten is going to expand anyways. Nobody outside of Pennsylvania — not even the ADs — appears to want it.

But of course, I think that even if the Big Ten did expand, they’d take Syracuse first.

But anyways, knock off the paternalistic attitude, Neil. We’re ranked much higher than you in the polls, we’re beating you in the classroom, we’ve got the better coaches, and we’re out recruiting you. We’re no longer in Lion country, you’re now in Panther country.

Hail to Pitt.