With thirtysomething bowls, every one does these quick hit previews or viewing guides to the bowls. Now, virtually standard. There’s the snap evaluation of the matchup:

Oregon State will win if. . . it does as coach Mike Riley put it, “we can’t whine about that anymore.” He is speaking of Oregon State’s painful 65-38 loss to Oregon that ruined a chance at the Rose Bowl. It also would help to have a healthy RB Jacquizz Rodgers, who ranks 13th nationally at 114 rushing yards per game.

Pitt will win if. . . Running back LeSean McCoy has the ball in his hands–a lot. He steps up in Pittsburgh’s biggest games. McCoy rushed for 183 and 148 in two games against rival West Virginia. He had 169 against Notre Dame. But McCoy also needs QB Bill Stull to be on target to keep defenses honest. The Panthers’ offense has been inconsistent all season, although Pitt has looked much better since that 4OT win over the Irish.

Er, yeah. The offense has been the model of consistency in the final games.

Then there’s looking at the most intriguing/interesting bowls.

10. Sun Bowl – Oregon State vs. No. 20 Pittsburgh, Dec. 31: This game features the best match-up of great young running backs as OSU’s Quizz Rodgers will try and outduel Pitt’s LeSean McCoy. This is also a fascinating sideline battle where you have one of the coaches that is always touted as one of the more underrated coaches (Mike Riley) facing off with one of the guys who is often the most skewered.

That’s the theme.

11. Sun (Dec. 31): Pittsburgh (9-3) vs. Oregon State (8-4). You like watching really good running backs? Allow me to present Pitt’s LeSean McCoy (1,403 yards, 21 TDs) and the Beavers’ Jacquizz Rodgers (1,253 yards, 11 TDs.)

Wondering what schwag the kids get for going to the Sun Bowl:

Sony DVD Handycam
Timely Watch Co. watch
Majestic fleece pullover, VP Sports cap
Armor Gear Dolly Llama luggage
Brut hair dryer

The cheapest remains the Motor City Bowl: a watch and a couple pieces of luggage. The max value on the gift packages is $500. A growing trend is to give a gift card or shopping spree — Best Buy seems to be doing a few of those.

In case you didn’t think it was official yet.

The University of Pittsburgh has accepted an invitation to play in the 75th annual Brut Sun Bowl, announced Sun Bowl Association executive director Bernie Olivas. The game will pit No. 23 Pittsburgh against a team from the Pac-10 Conference on Wednesday, Dec. 31 at noon (MT) at Sun Bowl Stadium.

“We are extremely happy to have extended an invitation to Pittsburgh to play in the 75th anniversary of the Brut Sun Bowl,” said Sun Bowl Association executive director Bernie Olivas. “Pittsburgh has a storied football program and will be making its third trip to El Paso. They area team on the rise and we could not be more excited.”

Pittsburgh (9-3, 5-2 Big East) secured the selection with a 34-10 road win over Connecticut. The win marked the fourth win in the last five games for the Panthers. Pittsburgh’s opponent from the Pac-10 will be announced on Sunday at 5 p.m. MT.

“Everything about Pittsburgh right now is a positive. They really bring so much to the table,” said SBA football chairman John Folmer. “Running back LeSean McCoy will remind a lot of people of Tony Dorsett, who rushed for 142 yards in the 1975 Sun Bowl for Pittsburgh. Local fans will also remember (head coach) Dave Wannstedt, who spent four seasons as the defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys.”

This marks Pittsburgh’s first nine-win regular season since 1982.

“Pitt football and the Sun Bowl are synonymous with great football tradition,” said Pittsburgh director of athletics Steve Pederson. “It is an honor for us to be playing in the 75th anniversary of a game that has meant so much to college football. We can’t wait to bring our fine team to El Paso.”

It is still not official as to who Pitt will face. Oregon State, though, seems a lock. USC is going to the Rose Bowl. Oregon played in El Paso last year. They could, I suppose invite Cal or Arizona, but no one seems to even think that’s what will happen.

Really we should just be worried about the UConn game and not look to the bowls. Still…

Oregon State’s beat writer is not enthused about the Beavers’ chances if Pitt is in the Sun Bowl.

… exhaustive digging has brought me to the conclusion that Pitt is not a good matchup for Riley’s guys unless the OSU defense regains consciousness.

If the Beavers gave up 219 yards rushing to Jeremiah Johnson, how many yards will Pitt’s LeSean McCoy go for?

While UConn isn’t even being mentioned for the Sun Bowl, they are holding out hope.

The UConn-Pitt game Saturday at Rentschler Field in East Hartford is seemingly getting bigger by the minute.

Sun Bowl officials will be in attendance.

They may want to see No. 23 Pitt (8-3, 4-2 Big East) in person but they’ll have to keep a watchful eye on UConn, too. If they win, the Huskies (7-4, 3-3) would have the same record as Pitt and would have to become a part of the conversation when it comes to playing in El Paso, Texas, against the third-place finisher in the Pac-10 on New Year’s Eve. Some other things would have to break in the Huskies’ favor as well.

I’m not seeing it, but I suppose it would be possible if UConn really runs roughshod over Pitt and WVU loses badly to USF. Oh, and the crowd at the Rent would have to be loud, big and in their seats before kickoff. The latter is something they are even worse at doing than Pitt fans.

So, um, at the risk of looking too far ahead I figure this needs to be pointed out.

The Brut Sun Bowl airs at 2pm on CBS on December 31

In basketball, Pitt plays Rutgers on December 31 at 2pm on FSN Pittsburgh, ESPN Regional and Full Court.

Rutgers has taken care of their end of things. The pasting they have put on Louisville was disturbingly brutal. Cards fans are having a hard time, as you would imagine. I have to say, that I agree with the philosophy that it is not running up the score when done in the first half. Louisville showed no heart as they gave up 49 first half points. In the second half, RU laid back and only scored 14. A 63-14 whupping that cements Steve Kragthorpe’s status as the worst coach in the Big East now that Greg Robinson is gone. Can’t coach, can’t motivate, has recruited for crap. Not much to endorse him other than the fact that a top flight AD still likes him.

Now, if Pitt wants to go to the Sun Bowl, it has to hold it’s end and finally beat UConn at the Rent. Then the Sun Bowl goes with Pitt.

Pitt has twice played in the Sun Bowl, beating Kansas in 1975 and Texas A&M in ’89, when the game was sponsored by John Hancock. Pitt tailback Tony Dorsett and quarterback Alex Van Pelt were selected to the Legends of the Sun Bowl 75th anniversary team, and Wannstedt’s name resonates in El Paso, Texas, because of his days as Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator when they won Super Bowl XXVIII.

The Sun Bowl will be played Dec. 31 and nationally televised on CBS.

“I think that would be our choice, if Rutgers wins,” said Sun Bowl executive director Bernie Olivas, who attended Pitt’s games at South Florida and Notre Dame and will be in East Hartford with chairman John Folmar. “They’ll be the highest-ranked team available to us. They’re a pretty good football team. They’ll be the highest-ranked team in the Big East. That’s important, as well.”

Sun Bowl 1989. The scene where Paul Hackett had the interim label removed and ushered the dark-90s. Urp.

The fallback if Pitt craps it against UConn becomes much more muddled and mixed-up.

Pitt could go to Charlotte for the Meineke Car Care Bowl and face UNC. But that would not be a lock. WVU could get the pick — depending in part on how they do in their finale against USF. UConn seems to be a heavy favorite for the International Bowl in Toronto. Rutgers seems stuck in Birmingham — they won’t get the Meineke Bowl because they already played UNC.

Honestly, I haven’t concerned myself too much with the bowl stuff because it has been so fluid up until the past week. It’s really hardened with after tonight. Most likely scenario:

Pitt goes to the Sun Bowl with a win over UConn and/or WVU loss. WVU to the Meineke Bowl.

Pitt goes to the Meineke Bowl with a loss to UConn and WVU win. WVU to the Sun Bowl.

Rutgers to Papajohns.com Bowl.

UConn to the International Bowl.

USF to the St. Petersburg Bowl.

Cinci to the Orange Bowl.

That is all.

This is where the bowl structure works against Pitt and several other schools. It’s about who puts seats in the stands. Not wins and losses or rankings.

No one should be counting on the Big East heading to the Gator Bowl, period. With ND out of that, the Gator still has the right to take a Big 12 team. That means, assuming Nebraska wins this week, they and their well traveling horde will get the nod.

The Sun Bowl may have to invite a BE team, provided Rutgers gets to 7 wins. If the Scarlet Knights gag against L-ville then the Sun Bowl can and will grab a 6-6 ND team.

That leaves the Meineke Bowl, PapaJohns.com Bowl, International Bowl and St. Petersburg Bowl. There will be at least 4 teams (excluding Cinci) with 7 wins or more — but no more than 9. With the non-BCS bowls as long as the teams are within a couple wins of a team there is flexibility in who a bowl picks.

Meineke is the biggest and gets the first choice.

Meineke: The folks in Charlotte are going to take West Virginia unless the Mountaineers get routed by Pittsburgh and fall to Louisville and USF. In a bad economy, the ticket allure is just too big. The backup plan is Rutgers, but that might be difficult politically.

Papajohns.com: Rutgers or Pittsburgh. One of these teams may have to play outside the Big East tie-ins. See below.

International: UConn. Book it.

Now in other stories, it is also factored that if Meineke gets UNC from the ACC rather than Virginia Tech or BC, then Pitt would stand an excellent chance of getting picked for it.

USF is a lock for the St. Pete’s bowl after last night.

Frankly, I’m sure I’ve made a mistake somewhere along the line because this crap is so convoluted and subject to changes and much more, so this could be completely wrong.

Rutgers is the only team still trying to clinch an absolute lock bowl bid.

The point is, as long as Pitt wins there is less of this crap to be concerned.

Sundays are part of the weekend, but it never feels like it. The thought that Monday is around the corner sticks in the back of my mind all day. Ah.

A large number of football recruits visited this weekend for the hoops game against Seton Hall. The list includes verbals like Nix, Burns, and Sunseri plus some hopefuls (most notably AJ Alexander). They were able to pick up their 17th verbal from TE Justin Virbitsky.

Jim Snyder of Pantherlair.com is reporting that TE Justin Virbitsky gave the Panthers a verbal commitment today. Virbitsky is the Panthers 17th verbal commitment. Virbitsky is from Lakeland, Fla. and is being recruited as a “blocking” tight end. Virbitsky was a 3-year starter at Lakeland H.S. and was named to the 1st team Class AA as a defensive end. [PSI]

The “blocking” tight end style is more similar to John Pelusi’s game rather than Nate Byham. Byham is a great blocker but an even better pass-catcher.
Speaking of tight ends (there’s a dirty joke in there somewhere), Darrell Strong played in the Hula Bowl last night. The other Pitt player was Kennard Cox. Two other all-star games will feature former Panthers.

Two-time All-Big East defensive end Joe Clermond will play in the East-West Shrine Game on Jan. 19 in Houston, Texas. The game will be a 7 p.m. (ET) telecast on ESPN. Pitt’s defensive captain, Clermond (Tampa, Fla./Chamberlain) finished the season as the Panthers’ leader in sacks (10.5) and tackles for loss (13). His 53 total tackles tied for fourth. An outstanding pass rusher, Clermond’s .88 sacks per game ranked 11^th nationally (tied) and third in the Big East.

Pitt’s starting offensive tackles, Jeff Otah and Mike McGlynn, will play in the Jan. 26 Senior Bowl, held in Mobile, Ala. The game will kickoff at 3 p.m. (ET) and be televised by the NFL Network.

All-star games have never really excited me; now really planning to watch these unless I find myself really in need of something to do. NFL Draft Countdown has Otah going near the middle of the first round and says this about him:

Otah is still very raw and only has two years of division I experience but he has mind-boggling size (6-6, 340) and great athleticism with almost unlimited potential. In college he played left tackle and did a fantastic job but he might have to the right side at the next level and a good way to think of him would be as a poor man’s Jake Long with more longterm upside.

Teams and Detroit and Philly would be two teams drafting in the middle of the round that could use him on their o-line.

To see H.B. Blades and Tyler Palko wearing Pitt helmets. The Under Armour Senior Bowl.

Among the Big East players who have accepted invitations to the Jan. 27 game at Ladd-Peebles Stadium are quarterback Tyler Palko and linebacker H.B. Blades of Pittsburgh, defensive back Tanard Jackson of Syracuse, and a trio of West Virginia Mountaineers — linebacker Boo McLee, wide receiver Brandon Myles and 2006 Rimington Award winner center Dan Mozes.

Previously, two members of Louisville’s Big East champs — defensive tackle Amobi Okoye, who will be the youngest player in Senior Bowl history at age 19, and running back Kolby Smith; and a pair of stars from Rutgers — running back Brian Leonard and tight end Clark Harris, were also named to the 2007 roster.

Looks like most of the BE players will be “coached” by Tampa Bay HC Jon Gruden. Can you believe the NFL managed to snag the broadcast rights to this gem?

After last night’s Orange Bowl win for the Louisville Cards, the Big East bowl record this year moved to 4-0. They joined “West Effin Virginia”, South Florida, and Rutgers in the W column for our home conference and our winning percentage of 1.00 is better than any of the BCS conferences.

Wait, wasn’t this the conference that shouldn’t deserve a BCS spot? The one that the “experts” up in Bristol said might be worse off than smaller conferences like the Mountain West, MAC, and WAC?

The final step towards a great season for the Beast of the East is a win on Saturday in Toronto of all places. Cincinnati (who we were lucky to catch early in the season or else that would have been another loss) takes on Western Michigan. One more win would have probably put Pitt in this game and if the Panthers had, in fact, made it to the International Bowl I’d be nervous. I’d be shaking in my blogger boots.

I’m actually just as nervous with the Bearcats playing in this game but I have more confidence in them than I would have had in Pitt. A 5-0 bowl season would shut up Corso and Co. and although it doesn’t propel us up to the same status the SEC is at right now, it certainly throws a little more respect our way.

More respect leads to more bowl bids which greatly helps mediocre teams like Pitt. A 6-6 Big Ten team right now has a much higher chance to get into a bowl game than a 6-6 Big East team; at least for the time being.

By the way, this name tag I’m wearing says my name is Dennis and I’m a 4 star employee who is happy to help. You’ll soon find out my main hobbies are the use of parentheses (seen here), double parentheses (a.k.a. the use of brackets [seen here]), and Pitt sports. My e-mail address is dennis.pittblather@gmail.com. Feel free to send love mail, hate mail, spam offers for free stuff, and anything in between. Anything not directly for me can be sent to the regular Pitt Blather e-mail address as usual.

So Ron Cook puts the fact that Pitt and other teams that go 6-6 will be going to a bowl at the top of his outrage list for college football. Something that everyone has been well aware since it was announced that they were going to 12 game seasons in CFB and there are just way too many bowls.

Looking for it…

Looking for it…

Searching…

Nope, can’t find the outrage. Can’t work up a lather. Hell, I’m having a hard time working up a lather about the other sins he lists:

Penn State going to the Outback Bowl — big deal. It’s a Big 11 tie-in bowl and that’s where they landed in the pecking order. Why does that make them undeserving? Compared to who else in the conference? They may get creamed by LSU or someone like that, but that doesn’t make them “undeserving” so much as point out how top heavy the Big 11 was. Non-BCS bowls are about money and what schools and conferences can bring the most fans for the games. The Big 11 has among the largest fanbases and has historically traveled to bowls well.

Potential Michigan-tOSU rematch for the BCS National Championship. Wait? You mean the BCS is screwed up? Damn, I thought the system was fine. Again, old news.

It’s the feigned outrage in the column that amuses me. These are old complaints wrapped up in an attempt at mouth-breathing anger. Don’t necessarily disagree with them, but spare me the weak emotional effort.

On top of all the Homecoming stuff, playing a top-25 team, and bowl officials from the Sun and International Bowl being on hand.

There is the added issue of recruiting visits. This trip has 5 kids from Florida including the already verbally committed RB Xavier Stinson. This includes a 300 pound OL with offers from South Carolina and Mississippi. Also a CB with offers from FSU, Florida and Auburn. And a DE with offers from Tennessee and WVU.

Just a couple things that kind of blend lines.

Since it’s completely anti-climactic at this point, it’s not worth its own post. Still, something worth noting. The Big East does not permit transfers of football players from one school to another within the Big East — ever. Incredibly harsh. Once they practice with the BE team, that player is forever off-limits to other BE schools.
Over the weekend was the Big East sponsored honoring of Basketball HoF inductee Dave Gavitt, the force and first commish of the Big East. Coach Dixon was on hand for Pitt, along with AD Jeff Long. Also attending was former BC and disgraced OSU head coach Jim O’Brien — can’t even imagine how awkward any conversation with him was. Even more stunning than O’Brien being on hand was BC AD Gene DeFilippo.

Actually, maybe DeFilippo feels good about making an appearance as the stories appear to be that Syracuse and BC will start playing annually maybe in 2010, ’11, or ’12. Matt at Orange 44 is right that the rest of the BE teams (and their fans) probably won’t be too thrilled with that. The bright side, if Tom O’Brien is still on the sidelines for BC, neither will he.

If BC coach Tom O’Brien has anything to do with it, however, when BC moves on to the Atlantic Coast Conference, never shall the twain meet again. Even as nonconference opponents.

“No, I’m not going to play anybody in the Big East, for what we went through,” O’Brien said, when asked if he’d ever consider playing Syracuse in the future. “Absolutely not.”

If, when this goes down, someone needs to make sure to tape the press conference when O’Brien swallows hard and talks about looking forward to it. Then they need to send me a copy. Really, it’s an underrated joy to see a red-ass being forced to eat his words.

Now for the annoyance factor of a BE school playing BC in football in basketball. I would be more pissed if it was basketball. BC is going to run up huge travel costs because there are no local games other than patsies without the Big East schools. This is more of an issue in basketball than football. Still, I’m bothered.
While I understand the logic for Syracuse as Matt gives perfectly reasonable explanation. I don’t have to like it. I also think it’s just too soon. Inevitably there would be a thaw, but this is just too soon in my view.

The faux belt buckle logo is the symbol and shows the name of the new/old bowl that will be taking the place of the Houston Bowl. The bowl website, is very much under construction. According to the site, the Texas Bowl will be “A celebration of the culture, heritage and football tradition of the Lone Star State.” Lone Star Sports & Entertainment President Jamey Rootes had this to say about the bowl:

“We believe we will look back at today’s event as the launching pad for the next cherished Houston sports tradition.”

What were the previous ones?