3:30 pm

Various RSNs.

A 3:30 start for this game has everyone confused. Even the ACC affiliate site still lists it as a 1:00 start. It isn’t, I’ve checked a few times to be sure this isn’t some sick joke.

Figures, though. A 3:30 start time at home for Pitt; and it is supposed to be a miserable, damp day. Which former AD do I blame for this?

When you lose two people below you at work, things get a little busy. Did I end up even having to work through the bye week? Indeed. 12-14 hour days? Yup.

Was I missing this game? Not a chance.

No, not because of the importance of this game in Coastal Chaos. This was the other game on the calendar I had circled for bringing one of my kids. Not sitting in the press box. My oldest hasn’t had time to go to games with me in a few years, but she actually asked me this season. After working around everything else she had on just about every weekend, we made this the game.

She’s the reason this blog exists. She was the 1-year old I was staying home to look after that gave me time to start writing about Pitt. That baby girl is now a junior in high school. Loaded with the disdainful attitude to, well, anything and everything that annoys her, that all teens seem to effortlessly possess. Looking at colleges. Having her future truly starting to be put in front of her. My point, beyond noting to myself how old I’m getting, is that this is a big deal for me on a personal level to go to this game. That she actually wants to spend time with her dad and his friends at a football game. Despite the crappy weather expected. Yeah, I’m more excited then I should be. But don’t worry, as a dad, I’m great at playing it cool and not overinflating this.

Were hitting the road a little early to get a mid-morning breakfast at Pamela’s in Oakland (yes, I expect to see a few hungover students there) and then walk the campus a bit. The mid-day start actually through off the meal planning, as eating dinner somewhere around 8pm and then having to drive 2+ hours home was a little ridiculous.

Oh, yeah, the game itself.

Who the hell knows? Both teams inconsistent as hell. Both teams dealing with some key injuries.

I like to think that Pitt has the edge. Home game. Bad weather that cuts down on the passing game, and makes running the ball more important. Pitt is the better running team. But then, this is Duke-Pitt. Not exactly a rivalry or a storied history. But since joining the ACC, a lot of these games have been downright weird.

The Coastal is completely up for grabs, though. VT and Miami losing on consecutive days coming into Saturday. Virginia is firmly in the mix. The dream of a 4-4 team winning the division is increasing in probability.