Pitt is ranked. I’m still mildly surprised. It’s like I’m waiting for someone to tell me that it was a mistake. Pitt made it to #21 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll and leaped all the way to #19 in the AP Writers poll. Kind of stranger is that WVU remained in the coaches poll at #24, but dropped out of the writers poll. Then BC dropped out of the coaches poll but remained in the writers poll at #23. In a way, it kind of makes sense.
While most are focusing on the “undeservedness” of the Big East with a BCS bid — whatever — most are ignoring (or perhaps waiting to write about it until later) that Coach Walt Harris is on the verge of being this year’s Tommy Tuberville. Well, most:
Can you fire a coach who takes your team to the BCS? While Steel City columnists spent much of the season writing Walt Harris obituaries, the eighth-year coach was quietly leading a remarkable in-season turnaround that, barring a loss next week to South Florida, will culminate in a Fiesta Bowl berth for the Panthers. Granted, it’s a joke that any team from this year’s Big East will be playing in one of the four major bowl games, but that doesn’t diminish the importance of Pittsburgh’s 16-13 Thanksgiving night win over rival West Virginia.
The Mountaineers came into the season as the overwhelming conference favorite, but the Panthers’ come-from-behind win, combined with Boston College’s loss to Syracuse, leaves Harris’ team at the top of the heap. They beat the Eagles in overtime earlier in the season and, despite losing to Nebraska, Connecticut and Syracuse, should wind up the highest-ranked team among the four tied for first. The key to Pittsburgh’s improvement has been the play of QB Tyler Palko, who was brilliant in the Panthers’ Nov. 13 win at Notre Dame. Palko struggled much of the night against West Virginia, but he led a 14-play, 73-yard fourth-quarter drive, culminating in a 2-yard touchdown run, to give Pittsburgh the lead.
Palko’s emergence gives Panthers fans no shortage of reasons to be optimistic about the program’s future. Now, will AD Jeff Long feel the same way?
I am starting to think that a lot of the vitriol towards the Big East is based on all the writers who picked WVU as the sleeper pick to be considered for the national championship. Or at least not to look so bad.
Anyways, before we can punch Pitt’s ticket to Tempe or New Orleans, there is still unfinished business in Tampa. While the game may no longer garner hyperbole from the local Tampa press of the game being, “Arguably the biggest home game in school history between future Big East rivals.” It will still be important to them. The gear they had on sale earlier is still available.
Pitt wins this game and the debate over Harris should be over. The debate over Pitt in the BCS would be over. Pitt not only has the opportunity to make its statement, but it can close off a lot of meaningless discussions.
