Here’s the one thing that must be kept in mind for the 2014 schedule. There was no way it was going to match 2013. Not with the excitement over the ACC in the first year. Not with FSU and ND on the home slate. To say nothing of the Labor Day extravaganza to kick things off. So, if that was your benchmark, you will be disappointed.
It’s a better schedule for Pitt, though. Iowa is a solid non-con. There was a bit of shifting and scrambling with the non-con because of the changes with the ACC and ND. So, that removed the road game to South Bend that was supposed to take place.
As noted, the bye weeks work out a lot better.
The Thursday night game at home with VT is a mixed bag, personally. Thursday night is a showcase night and Pitt should be happy to get to host a big one like that against the Hokies. The flip side is not many out-of-towners like myself can attend the game.
From a comfort, weather standpoint there’s only one home game after November 1. As I get older, that becomes another positive.
The Delaware game is going to be a struggle to happen.
Pitt will open the 2014 season with a home game Aug. 30 against Delaware. There’s still some logistical details to work out because the Pirates have a home game at 4:05 p.m. that day. Pederson said the original plan was for Pitt to play at 1 p.m. with the Pirates going at 7 p.m. The Pirates were asked to move their game for television reasons, and now Pitt has to figure out a kickoff time that causes the least inconvenience for fans heading to the North Shore.
“The reality is there’s really no time we can play that’s not going to impact a 4:05 game,” Pederson said.
“Under no circumstances would be kick before noon. That’s not fair to our fans. We would never do that.”
Fox and MLB need to bend a little or everyone in Pittsburgh gets screwed.
Friday night at BC. Like football at the NFL, the creep of games on odd nights is all about the money. The destruction of the Big East means that ESPN has dictated to other conferences that Friday nights will happen.
Other conferences may continue to stomp their feet and declare “never,” but they will happen to them all to some degree eventually. EVERY conference. EVERY school has shown it’s all about the money.
I’m not about to start guessing wins-losses yet. Especially since the questions for Pitt this year are going to largely be on the defensive side of things.
Speaking of which…
Aaron Donald is blowing up at the Senior Bowl practices. That’s just one article. Twitter has scouts and NFL-nicks constantly raving about the way he is destroying offensive linemen on one-on-one drills. They are learning what we saw all year. You have to double-team Donald. If I had to bet on the draft, I’d say teams will still tear him down at the combine because of his size, so that he doesn’t go until some time in the second round. But he will make the team that gets him very happy.
ACC schedule wise, Syracuse blog TNIAAM had a piece on how their AD is already agitating for ACC football schedule changes to fit his/Cuse’s desires. There’s a fair amount I can actually agree in there. I don’t really see Cuse as Pitt’s rival either. I think the set-up that has teams from the other division seeing each other only once in six years is ridiculous.
Unlike Syracuse’s AD, I would favor a more structural change that the NCAA would have to approve. It would eliminate divisions (a requirement if you want a conferencechampionship game). Rather the top-two teams face off. If you want each school to have one protected game fine, but then seven other games that change every year. It guarantees everyone sees everyone at least every other year.
Yes, the obvious flaw would be years when one team gets a brutal schedule and another cakewalks. But it is more than a little ridiculous that teams will play ND more frequently in a 12 year period than other schools in the same conference simply because they are in the opposite division.
Aaron Donald Bobblehead and firework appreciation night. We could do all the greats. Ditka’s head would be twice as big as any of the others. Except for the late, great Ironhead.
Yes, we are playing well, finally ranked and leading the ACC in scoring by a large margin.
Now we just have to get the media in gear. As everything they do to slight us, makes recruiting the really good players that much harder.
I thought we’d do well in the ACC, I as noted more than several times long before basketball season started. This isn’t your father’s ACC.
It’s been down for several years and I’ve watched that decline, up close.
Pitt & Syracuse were brought in for their basketball teams more than football teams I’m thinking now.
While the ACC hopes Pitt & Cusey get better in football, they knew they both had excellent basketball programs. In a conference that needed a couple.
it’s Detrick or was…..
Coaches may come and go, but the Pedo’s in basketball remain consistently horrid.
Losing to another horrible basketball program tonite, Nebraska 26-17. Must be plenty of seats available for this one.
Luther is also coming in although I wouldn’t be surprised if he redshirted … but he is pretty talented from what I’m told.
BTW, I have the perfect nickname for Luther …. ‘Token”
Yes Jeter should be a good contributor next year in the 3 spot.
I am a little bummed about losing Mostella, as he was supposed to be an incredible talent who could not only shoot the 3, but dunk over anyone. That would have been fun to watch and given PITT maybe a player who could have taken us to the Promised Land (FF).
Just can’t seem to get over that proverbial ‘hump’.
C
Cause we know ppl won’t pull over and let it pass.
How senseless.
All that matters is what happens in College Park, MD on Saturday.
a 7 foot 1 center for 2015 named georgis papagiannis weight 250 pounds. a 3 star
Shaquille Doorson
Me thinks he looks like a 2 year project at the earliest. Maybe even after the redshirt !
Guess that will be good enough to keep them ranked.
Well you know it will be !
To name a few: (just for laughs) Mike Adams (guy gets beat up by two bums in Souside), Kraig Urbik(was 2nd player we chose that year,even though a 3rd), the infamous Limas Sweed, Ricardo Colclough, Alonzo Jackson, Scott Schields, the one and only (Ron) Jeremy Staat, Steve Conley, Kenny Davidson, Mark ‘Fort’ Behning, Chris Kolodziejski (yes, copy & paste), Wayne Capers, one of the all time worst 2nd rounders never played a snap, John ‘Oscar’ Meyer of Arizona St., another Sun Devil Bob Kohrs, Zack Valentine, another huge bust Willie Frye of ND, never played a snap for anyone, and ending with another 2nd rounder who never played a snap for anyone, Ken Phares of Miss. St.
Of course he could be another Cassin Diggs……
2012. 6 wins
2013. 7 wins
2014. 9 wins
That will be progress. H2P!,
Yep JD will have a new figure 8 offense, consisting of 5 Centers. It will be quite slow & methodical but will be quite effective and revolutionize college basketball much like the spread has done in college football.
They knew this guy would ride the pine for 3-4 years…
Scientists argue that, like bubonic plague, Facebook will eventually die out. boo hoo 🙁
5,705 bored lost souls were on hand to witness the battle for last place. (not including those children being held against their will in the showers)
you only bring him on the field for field goals and extra points tell him to stand up and wave his arms over his head and block the kicks.
a new specialest is born some one will do it one of these days we should be first.
Might sell a few more tickets to watch the Akron Zips & the Delaware Blue Hens.
Heck I’ll come if I’m promised an autographed T-Shirt of Zippy the Zip !
EMel you and i are jokeing but it might work and the jump bowl thing might work to.
who knows some day a coach might try it.
7. Lamar Patterson, Pittsburgh: Patterson’s combination of elite perimeter scoring and passing has made him the best offensive asset in the country not named McDermott this season. A quick sprint through the numbers: 122.8 offensive rating, 27.4 percent usage, 31.5 percent assist rate, and shooting 55.3 percent from 2, 44.3 from 3, and 78.8 from the line. Oh, and as Mark Titus wrote at Grantland on Wednesday, Patterson might have the single best-looking jumper in recent memory: “Patterson is a fifth-year senior who has been a solid 3-point shooter his entire career, so I’m not sure why I haven’t noticed his jumper’s flawlessness until this season. But now that I have, it’s like the clouds parted and angels started singing Enya songs. … Ray Allen is the best shooter in the history of basketball and he’s often praised for having perfect shooting form. Well, Lamar Patterson makes Ray Allen look like Shawn Marion or Bill Cartwright.” Go ahead, check out YouTube. I’ll wait. Mark’s not wrong.
Now that it’s late January and we’ve officially discarded any and all personal New Year’s resolutions, let’s re-up with one worth keeping: No more overlooking Lamar Patterson. (This goes for you, too, Wooden committee.) Pitt’s home game against Duke Monday night should assist in this regard.
Don’t let him read this. Confidence is one thing, this could be too much.
