Having lived in Morgantown for only a few months and taught at WVU for a little more than a year, I’m fascinated by the hoopie perspective on Pitt, especially this week.

There’s still plenty of hatred. Pitt is to the Mountaineers what Penn State used to be to Pitt. A superior school in academics and athletics, a school we looked down on because we knew our reputation didn’t stand up to theirs. Thankfully, that Penn-State-Sucks attitude is changing at Pitt as we have more and more to be happy about (though I still like the PSS cheer). WVU’s attitude toward Pitt has not changed.

But as life in the Big East has gotten dicey these days, there’s a certain brothers-in-arms feeling here regarding the Panthers. I don’t expect quite the same emotional buildup to this game as happened with VT/WVU, because that game was fraught with a feeling of betrayal.

But … how long has it been since the Backyard Brawl actually meant anything? Pitt is #1 in the BE; WVU is tied for #2. The USA Today rankings have WVU at 35 and Pitt at 16. After four consecutive wins, Eers fans are expecting … hoping … for a good game. Utter lack of confidence but high hopes. A lot like Pitt, circa 1999 or 2000. The Mounties know they have the ability to win against major opponents, but they don’t really believe they will. I think that attitude has changed at Pitt.

The amazing thing is how Pittsburgh is regarded as a major program all of a sudden. It’s almost like Miami is coming to town. The papers are full of stories about Fitzgerald and Rutherford’s prowess, Walt’s genius.

Should couches be afraid? From what my students say, yes. According to them, local stores are selling out of pepper spray and gas masks. At WVU’s glorious new gym this morning, law students on the treadmills were saying that the ticket line at the student union was the longest they’d ever seen — a four-hour wait.

Hail to the Brawl!