The postponed USF-Pitt game threw off the papers today and probably for the next couple days in its coverage of Pitt. You know they would have stories on players, the USF team and its rapid ascension, a bitter recap of what happened in 2001, and so on. Well, I’m guessing those go into a computer file to be pulled and updated in December. Still, one was put through on USF’s QB. A lot of quotes from the player, but it is similar to the article earlier in the week in Tampa about how this QB didn’t throw much in high school.
Otherwise it was just an article about postponing the game. The better and more analytical article on the ramifications of the postponement came from the Trib.
The postponement is a good-news, bad-news scenario for the Panthers.
The good news is that they won’t have to deal with a short turnaround for the home opener against Ohio University a week from today. Had the game been played as scheduled, they’d have had just four days to prepare for Ohio.
Moreover, South Florida is considered a tougher opening-game opponent than Mid-American Conference member Ohio. With a youthful team, including eight new starters on offense, Pitt was an underdog against USF, but will be favored versus Ohio.
Panthers coach Walt Harris now gets extra time to prepare his young team, particularly a new starter at quarterback in Tyler Palko, a relatively inexperienced offensive line and a bevy of untested receivers. Also, the heat in Tampa will be less of a factor in December.
Pitt’s first three games this season will be at home, starting with Ohio, Nebraska (Sept. 18) and Furman (Sept. 25).
The bad news is, the game was to be televised by ESPN and the university would have got a cut of the money, in the neighborhood of $150,000. It isn’t likely the network will televise a Pitt-South Florida game in early December.
Mike Humes of ESPN said a decision would be made based on the attractiveness of the Pitt-USF game.
“We’ll look at it when it comes time and see if it’s something compelling for our viewers,” Humes said last night. “We’ll see what type of window we have available. But we can’t commit to anything at this time.”
My feelings are definitely mixed. I feared this game, but was really looking forward to seeing the first game of the season. Now, like last year, we start a week after the rest of college football. Makes it harder for me to get into that first week.
