Pitt and Clemson have agreed to cancel the home-and-home for 2010 and 2011. I think this was a mutual thing. While, it may have been a mutual thing, I think Pitt really wanted out for a couple reasons. The 2010 schedule already had Miami and ND making it a bear of a non-con even assuming they added patsies from 1-A and 1-AA to round out the schedule. It also means they might be able to do a home-and-home with a team starting in 2009 where they already have 7 home games set (UCF, Navy, ND, Cinci, UConn, USF, ‘Cuse) where Pitt can start on the road.
Unrelated, but with amusing timing, an early Clemson verbal now appears ready to switch to Pitt.
Madison (Ohio) tight end Nic DiLillo, ranked No. 12 nationally by Scout.com, has reneged on his commitment to Clemson and favors Pitt.
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The 6-5, 225-pound DiLillo took an unofficial visit to Pitt on Friday, then called Clemson coaches last night and informed them that it was too far away from home, according to the fan site, CUTigers.com. Thanks to the recruitment by newly promoted Panthers tight ends coach Brian Angelichio, Pitt appears to be the frontrunner for DiLillo.
Scout.com has DiLillo as a 4-star recruit and Rivals.com puts him at 3-stars and the 19th best TE prospect. Michigan and Syracuse are also interested. Not sure what that does for Pitt’s recruitment of Hubie Graham and possibly still going after Mike Cruz. Kevin Gorman seems to think Pitt may also land Graham as well. Graham is ranked higher than DiLillo and holds offers from Michigan and Oklahoma as well.
It is time that PITT STEPS UP ON THE FIELD and WITH A SCHEDULE TO MATCH.
I guarentte PITT stand wont be empty and season tickets increase if we bring in the bigs boys to play.
Bigger issue down here in Clempson country – it’s a very real possibility that Tommy Bowden will be fired after the disappointing season that’s about to happen, so there may be some forward thinking to clear the schedule a bit for whoever they bring in next.
Still, those games would have been a lot of fun, certainly a more interesting match-ups than most of the BE lineup.
Walt didn’t build a program as much as he built an illusion, as you referenced. Scheduling lesser programs may give the feel that progress has been made because the Ws add up… but, once we’d leave our comfort zone in the Walt era, we’d get crushed – mentally, as well as on the score board.
Playing teams, like Clemson, who have similar expectations make catching the upper echeleon more realistic, while getting the program ready, mentally, to play the Miamis of the college foootball world. So, if we can’t keep the Tigers (for whatever reason) we must replace them with a similar team because we need that type of competetion now. At this point, those games mean as much as playing Miami or a dominant WVU team.
Question- I was looking at our prospect list for the 08 recruiting class. where are the defensive and Offensive linemen at? yes, there are plenty of LBs to go around which I hope we can snag at least two of them (Yancich, Hale or Wilson). Here is my wish list,
Nix, Baldwin Collier, Yancich, Hale, Graham or Dilliou at TE, Mackey and Sales to go along with the first four commits.
I dont have inside information but dont be surprise if Pryor’s name come back up. His dad wants him to go to Pitt and with that Schedule we are guarentte to be on TV
Sure, if we had ND, Miami AND USC, that would be pretty tough non-con; Clemson is no USC, and likely never will be. Clemson is a VERY beatable team, they’re in Division 1-A, and they are in a semi-respectable conference (i.e. not the MAC or C-USA). Our non-con must compensate for the Big East’s shortcomings, and replacing Clemson with a MAC school or worse doesn’t do that.
Tougher out of conference games not only for the team but for the FANS..
Your money deserves to be rewarded with top flight teams coming into the burg.
