Ugh. Really? This is a thing? Getting all worked up over future bowl tie-ins for the ACC? This is one more sign of doom and gloom? That the ACC and Pitt are screwed because of exhibition games that will take on less meaning with playoffs coming?
I can’t do it. I can’t even muster the hint of angst over this.
We’ve traded Birmingham for Shreveport as the worst of the “official” bowl relationships in Pitt’s conference. The other thing, is that the ACC like just about every conference is seeking more control over the bowls and making sure the same team is not getting sent to the same bowl every time. Something Pitt fans should fully be supporting.
But since the ACC may not have a full tie-in with the Gator Bowl, it’s time to panic. Instead, what we are seeing are deals with multiple conferences. The ACC will share a bid with the Big 10 on this. They will share other bids with other conferences in other bowls. Why?
Because there are never going to be enough bowl eligible teams to go around every year. Yes, there are certain bowls — beyond the biggies — that conferences will try to remain tied to, but the trend is trying to spread it out more.
Is the ACC as well positioned as the Big 10 or SEC? No. Here’s the reality, those conferences have programs with larger alumni bases and more programs that have shown they will travel well to bowls. The ACC can’t make that claim. Pitt, Miami, BC, Wake, Virginia, GT, Syracuse all have less than stellar travel reputations or smaller alumni bases to limit them. That’s half the conference right there. But if these programs get bowl eligible they will play somewhere.
There are just that many bowls out there. Unlike the Big 10 which is announcing bowl bids as they are finalized, the ACC is waiting until they have them all complete to make official announcements.
The ACC has a target date in mind to complete its bowl lineup.
“We’re hopeful that everything will be rolled out the week of July 8,” said Amy Yakola, the ACC’s senior associate commissioner for communications.
It will get sorted out. There will be enough bids to go around. Find something else to direct the angst. Or at least find someone else who is actually worried so you can commiserate.
John Jenkins.
Who left Pitt after only one season as QB coach (1986) to the University of Houston and became OC and then HC and was the genius behind Houston’s incredible high scoring offense behind first Andre Ware (Heisman Trophy, 1989 and 26 NCAA passing records) and then David Klingler.
Kelly was on pace to pass for over 7700 yards and 78 TD’s until he got injured.
Seeing that David Klingler passed for over 5100 yards and 54 TD’s in one season, one has to believe Jim Kelly (who was 10 times better than Klingler) would have reached those outragious totals.
And it wasn’t all just passing, one year at Houston they also had 2 1000 yard rushers in the same season.
That had to be really fun to waTCH ~!!!
Sounds like PITT.
Cheap, got us Dave Hart (3 wins 30 losses in 3 years) and Carl DePasqua (who wasn’t quite as inept but dreadful too).
As far as bowls go, with the demise of the Big East, the ACC is next up for the bullies from the Big Ten, Pac 10 to pick on. The Big Ten has a far better PR machine than the ACC and more alums to drink the Kool Aid. happily, the NFL makes its money based on performance and with so few Big Ten players drafted, performance takes a dip in Big Ten land.
The ACC now has to hunker down and get it done in the baord room and in peformance.
That means Pitt has got to be something other than “happy to be here”.
Again, I wait to see what Pitt aspires to become. My answer thus far is “one of many”. Not quite as thrilling or having the same meaning as “E pluribus unum”.
Shell had a change of heart apparently after a Father’s Day celebration, were he actually spent some time with his baby girls, I guess. Rushel had a epiphany moment and realized, just then, that he wanted to stay closer to home. OK, and what was he considering for the entire week of “taking some time away from football” during Spring practice? He was sitting at home chillin while the rest of his team was busting their humps and he STILL comes to the conclusion after all that time off to consider his options that transfering out of the perfect situation that he could possibly be in for his own best interest, wasn’t right for him. What a frickin train wreck. West Virginia deserves him!
