On this blog, the others and I, have mangled phrases, spelling and been incoherent at times. But we are rank amateurs working without a net. So, I find it annoying to see a columnist get the following screw up past an editor.

Although Harris admirers will argue, these are not charges without merit. There is substantial evidence to back them up. The evidence is so strong that in some places it would have been enough to get a coach fired.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette columnist Bob Smizik had just rattled off the most common complaints about Coach Walt Harris in bullet points (and rather accurately). The rest of the column is spent defending Harris’ tenure despite his stumbles. Aside from the handy bullet point list of Harris flaws; and the completely obvious statement that beating VT means jack if Pitt doesn’t beat WVU next week (and maybe even Miami in 3 weeks — what, is he assuming the Temple game is a gimmee?); the article isn’t much to read.

For a far superior article on keeping perspective, there is this offering from Mike Prisuta of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Win or lose against Virginia Tech, Pitt will still have at great deal of significant football yet to play at that juncture.

For now, hosting No. 5 Tech means everything to a Pitt program trying to force its way into the neighborhood in which Tech has resided for the last 10 years (10 bowl appearances, an average of nine wins per season, three Big East Conference titles and one unforgettable shot at the national championship in that span). This is the type of game Pitt longs to play on a regular basis, in the type of environment it hopes will become commonplace.

But for the Panthers to truly glean from this season a large measure of what they had hoped to prior to Kent State, they’re going to have to do more than merely knock off the Hokies.

Looming after Virginia Tech is a trip to West Virginia, followed by a trip to Temple, followed by a visit from the finally-beaten Miami Hurricanes.

For Pitt to truly make this a season to savor, the Panthers are going to have to do better than 1-3 or 2-2 while navigating such a gauntlet.

I’m of mixed feelings. I agree that none of the 4 remaining games are locks — not even Temple which has given Pitt problems in recent years. That winning this game is meaningless if Pitt doesn’t at least go 2-1 afterwards.

However, I really hate to downplay the significance and importance of this game. It is important. It matters a hell of a lot. It is big. To pretend it’s “just another game” is an invitation to disaster (paging Lee, to discuss John Cooper and Ohio St.), because the team tends to get tense knowing that this is a big game, but being forced to pretend it isn’t.

Don’t shy away from treating this like a big game. Just don’t forget about the rest of the season.