This was the last full weekend where the wife was going to get me to do work around the the house and/or do family time that doesn’t involve a football or basketball game. Once college football season gets started, she knows every Saturday until sometime in Mid-April will find me unavailable. She knows it, and for whatever reason continues to put up with it. It is why I don’t give her a hard time about whatever she asks me to do for those 4-and-one-half months of no college basketball or football.

Briefly on the topic of Big XII. I won’t lie. Part of me would love to see Notre Dame join the Big XII just to see the egos of ND and Texas collide. You have two narcissistic, controlling, big-egoed programs and alumni trying to coexist in the same conference. Both used to totally getting their own way. Texas by dictating to the conference. Notre Dame with its independence. The backbiting, the leaks, the complaints. You know it wouldn’t last, but it would be entertaining to see both programs try to tear the other down behind the scenes.

As for Pitt’s non-denial about the Big XII, it bears repeating. Pitt is being given a rare chance to put more pressure on the Big East powers with respect to the conference’s expansion plans and the coming media contract. If the Big East basketball side wants to continue holding up football expansion or force Villanova into the spot, then Pitt now has options — now and in the future. Options that aren’t limited to simply waiting/hoping for the Big 10/12 or ACC come calling. Plus, assuming the Big XII stops at just one program — BYU or Houston — for now, the door remains open for Pitt and WVU to go to the Big XII and bring it back to 12. Pitt is playing it smart.

(more…)

The game notes for Buffalo-Pitt are out (PDF). More importantly, the 2-deep is in there (page 4).

Quick things worth noting, before this gets crowd-sourced and parsed to death.

The No. 2 QB is “Trey Anderson or Mark Myers” but with Anderson listed first on there, that is mildly surprising despite the praise in camp.

Probably an old format issue, but Hubie Graham is listed as both the starting Tight End and H-Back. Pitt’s cloning factory started with an Illinois transfer?

The Tailback spot goes five-deep. and there is an “or” after Zach Brown (2nd) to Isaac Bennett (5th)

The Fullback is redshirt freshman Mark Giubilato. Who?

At the Spur (Outside) Linebacker it is Andrew Taglianetti or Todd Thomas as the starter. Bit of a surprise.

The WILL LB is Max Gruder or Tristan Roberts. Sure it is.

At Defensive End, it is Aaron Donald or Justin Hargrove as the starter. Kind of surprised.

Big disappointment, Shayne Hale not on the 2-deep.

Ray Graham, to my relief, is not listed on the 2-deep at kick or punt returns.