Paul Zeise makes some nice points that the Utah game is not the be-all, end-all game for Pitt. Winning or losing it does not make the season. Even replete with good examples from last year. It’s rational, reasonable and defensible.
It is a non-conference game. Even if Pitt loses, they can still make (and even win) a BCS bowl simply by winning the Big East. Just as Oregon and Ohio State lost their high profile early season non-cons and still went to the Rose Bowl.
You could make a good argument that what everyone ultimately uses to judge the success of the season would be how the team did in the bowl game. Cinci went 12-0 last year, were possibly a few seconds away from the BCS Championship game if Texas QB Colt McCoy’s pass hung a little longer, and lost their head coach before they went to the Sugar Bowl. That didn’t matter, getting pounded by Florida is all people think about with that Cinci team.
There are three major non-con games for Pitt: at Utah, Miami and at Notre Dame. If Pitt were to go 2-1 in those games, I think most Pitt fans would generally prefer the two wins came against Miami and Notre Dame. It isn’t that Utah isn’t as good or as important, it is that there is more history with the other teams and an impulse to want to see Pitt win those other games more.
That said, it is a huge deal and Pitt really needs to win this game. Not because the season would be lost. Not because of revenge for the Fiesta Bowl. Not even for the initial national respect for Pitt — which quickly becomes meaningless if Pitt doesn’t keep winning and wins the Big East.
These are emotional arguments more than rational, intellectual ones. I know that. The point is fandom isn’t rational. It is much more emotional, and that is why it is so important. It isn’t about the season as a whole.
It matters because Pitt hasn’t won this sort of game under Coach Wannstedt. Pitt hasn’t won a tough opener under Wannstedt. Notre Dame opener in 2005. Even the season opener versus Bowling Green in 2008. Those jump out at you. It’s even worse for Pitt to play good teams on the road, or even less than good teams on the road. Nebraska in 2005. Michigan State and Virginia in 2007, NC State in 2009.
No, the sample size is not large for Pitt in Wannstedt’s previous five years for quality/name-brand road games. Only six games, but Pitt has only notched 2 wins — Notre Dame and Navy in 2008.
It matters because the way Pitt wants to sell this season, they need the strong start. We’ve discussed the debacle of parking this season — and the ill-will it created. If Pitt stumbles on the road, that impacts the tolerance to put up with the inconveniences and annoyances of going to the game and tailgating. The overall schedule is tough, but the home schedule only has 3 games with teams likely to finish above .500 — Miami (Thursday night), Rutgers and WVU (Friday after Thanksgiving).
It matters because for all those who decry the negativity of Pitt fans, or that there is a lack of looking at the big picture of the season, or expecting the worst — they have generally been right for the last 30 years.
To get that to change, Pitt has to win these games. That is what happened in basketball. Pitt fans now expect to win the tough games and no one is surprised anymore when they do. It can happen in football as well.
And also because of when it is played..everyone in college football will be watching since it is the first day of games and only a few other games of note being played. This game will set the tone for how Pitt (and the Big East) will be viewed by the rest of country the rest of the year.
For those of us who were actually there and experienced it, this game means more to mean than any other game on the schedule except for Miami.
Can’t wait for next week when the gut wrenching begins again.
Hail to PITT!
A blow out (ala fiesta bowl) would be the worst possible thing.
1)Utah because the entire CFB world will be watching this week one Thurs.night game between ranked teams.
2)New Hampshire because losing to them is not an option.
3)Miami because I will always hate the the BE defectors.
4)Notre Dame because, well, just because.
Incidentally, I am sure that Utah fans are thanking God that they can now get out from under the horrible MWC TV and “The Mtn.”
And they made more of a point of noting our great players from the past. So maybe things are changing slightly on that front.
Agree with Chas, PITT needs to win this game to increase it’s national image and that of the BigEast. Maybe Dion, 40 plus times behind the Hynoceros will take us to the promised land.
Jon Baldwin is number 13, here’s what he wrote:
Analysis: Height, physical strength and ball skills are there; so is sub-4.5 speed. Goes up for the ball, will develop route-running skills.
Greg Romeus isn’t in the top 25.
Bottom line: this game is on Wanny.
Talent is there. Coordinators are in place. Yeah, a first year starting QB and a shakey middle, but the talent is gushing.
This is on Wanny. Pitt usually loses this game.
Wanny usually loses this game.
Hate to say it, but this is on Wanny.
We’re better than Utah across the board. They have home field and that horse sh*t offense, but that’s not going to stop us from winning this game. We know how to stop that garbage offense after 7 years against WVU. We have All Americans at most of the skill positions.
Time to go on the road and deliver, Wanny.
– Last season was a great one for the Utes as a host, as they went a perfect 6-0 and went 3-3 ATS. The problem is that they didn’t run across a team anywhere near as good as these Panthers are along the way. Pittsburgh struggled on the road though, losing games at West Virginia and NC State to account for two of its three losses. The recipe is ripe for a letdown by U-Pitt early in the season.
Utah already knows it is good enough to beat this program having done so with an impressive 35-7 beat down in the 2004 Fiesta Bowl. Look for the Utes to make the Mountain West proud, living up to the hype early in the season.
Pitt vs. Utah Week 1 Score Prediction: Utah 34 – Pittsburgh 21
But – isn’t it strange that the two best season we have had in years, ’08 & ’09, both had an early season upset loss we had to deal with? And we did deal with them to run off a string of nice victories, including some tough games.
Personally I’m not that fired up about Utah and I think its a much harder game to win than some other PITT fans do – but then I think that this PITT team has some real question marks also. If the stars align and those question marks get answered early in the season I’ll be much more optimistic.
If wishes came true I’ll trade a win in this game for that all-important BE game down the road which will determine the BE champion… don’t know who it will be against but that game will be 10 times more important than this opener when the dust settles… because that one will get us into the BCS bowl.
I wish the game was tonight, I don’t know if I can last another week!!! HTP!
I’m fired-up!