I won’t get another chance to post. Family things tonight, and on the road all day tomorrow. Then planted on the couch to watch the game. The good news, it has gotten cold in Western Pennsylvania and Northeast Ohio, meaning Pitt should have a slight edge with the weather and my Yuengling will stay cold all the way back to Cleveland.
This is the final game of the regular season. Time for reflection for seniors and teams.
This being the final game in the Big East for Miami, there is a look at their “legacy.” There is no denying it has been an impressive run.
Final games for seniors. Kris Wilson, Corey Humphries, Lousaka Polite, but especially Rod Rutherford.
And he has established himself as one of the top quarterbacks in school history regardless of what happens in the Panthers’ final regular-season game. He is not satisfied with that; not when a much bigger prize is well within his reach.
No. 20 Pitt (8-3, 5-1 Big East) plays host to No. 10 Miami (9-2, 5-1) at 8 p.m. tomorrow at Heinz Field. The winner gets at least a share of the Big East Conference championship and, more importantly, will earn the conference’s automatic BCS berth.
If Rutherford leads the Panthers to a victory, he would go from being an just another excellent player to one of Pitt’s all-time greats. He understands this, but said he and the other seniors already have accomplished far more than anyone thought possible.
This is also the game that could, ahem, ice Larry Fitzgerald’s Heisman campaign. A big national game in 74% of the country over Thanksgiving weekend.
The Big East knew what it was doing when it made Miami-Pittsburgh the final game of the season.
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ABC is doing its part by making UM-Pitt the lead national Saturday night telecast at 8 p.m. When the network TV schedule came out in August, Notre Dame-Stanford was the primary prime-time game. But the Irish are 4-6, the Cardinal just as bad, and ABC needed a better game.UM-Pitt was projected as a day game but moved to night and given to most of the nation. Chicago, Indiana and the West Coast get Notre Dame-Stanford.
With Miami leaving for the Atlantic Coast Conference next year, the game has even more intrigue, and the conspiracy people believe that ABC’s night switch — with the weather forecast calling for sub-freezing temperatures and a chance of snow — was made to help Pittsburgh.
That’s just the way the schedule broke. Last year, UM ended the season against Virginia Tech at the Orange Bowl.
Then there is just how much this game means to Pitt and why so many others want Pitt to win. Forty years ago, Pitt was the #4 team in the nation and did not play in a bowl game. It was supposed to play the in the Orange Bowl, but things just “happened.” A win tomorrow, and the Orange Bowl would be the likely destination. It would be a nifty symmetry.
There is of course the rest of the Big East rooting for Pitt, not to mention the payout Pitt would receive for going to a BCS bowl.
So let’s look at the game. Lee had a solid breakdown here.
Generally speaking line play is where all games are won and lost. Pitt’s defensive line this year, to be polite, has sucked with occasional flashes of competence. Miami’s offensive line is in disarray with their senior center out. Miami will be juggling their line and moving players to different positions. This match-up can’t be predicted. Miami QB Brock Berlin has been wildly inconsistent, and even benched for a game. (Did anyone think at the beginning of the season that the best college QB in the State of Florida would be Leak at U of Florida over Rix (FSU) and Berlin?) Even with the Miami line intact, they have had a hard time scoring. Running behind the Miami line will be Tyrone Moss and Jarret Payton. Payton tends to be fumble prone, and in the cold might be more so. Moss is more talented, but his inexperience has led to more dancing behind the line. Miami’s passing game starts and ends with TE Kellen Winslow, Jr. Look, I keep typing this stuff, trying to get a read on the situation, but I’m not reaching a conclusion. I feel like I’m babbling. I honestly don’t know about Pitt’s defense versus Miami’s offense in all levels. I have no clue which players, which team will really show up in this game. I want to have some faith in the Pitt D showing up and making plays at home, in the cold; but they have fallen flat in the big games this year. The best I can hope for is that Miami helps to beat itself with turnovers. Something that I actually expect if Pitt can get an early lead.
Pitt’s offense will have to make the difference from the beginning. Virginia Tech showed that Miami does not play well from behind. They rely on their defense to make the plays and keep them in the game while the offense sputters through. The Miami defense is not Oklahoma or Ohio State caliber, but it is one of the best in the country. It is especially good with it’s secondary. This is also Pitt’s strength. Again, the question is, will Rutherford snap out of his game and a half funk. He can’t be errant like he was against Temple and in the second half of WVU. He has to throw early and often to Larry Fitzgerald. Force Miami to understand just how many bodies they will have to put on Fitzgerald. Hopefully this will open up things a little more for TE, Kris Wilson and WR, Greg Lee (I just don’t trust Brockenbough).
Then there is Pitt’s running game. Miree will be playing, but it won’t be against Temple. Miami, though, has been victimized by strong running backs. Since no one saw the Temple game, we don’t know whether Miree was moving north/south or did he dance much behind the line before moving. Against Miami, Miree will have to be pushing forward.
Special teams hasn’t been much for either team, and the weather may make the kickers non-existent.
I’m terribly afraid to pick Pitt, since they actually control their own destiny — and haven’t been able to do anything when given the chance before — but when it comes down to it. I have a hard time picturing Pitt not getting at least 20 points, and Miami having a real difficulty getting much more than 17.
So here it is, Pitt to win 28-21 in the reverse score of last year.
Let us pray.
