As mentioned last week, Pitt’s offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach, J.D. Brookhart, has been named head coach of the Akron Zips. He will stay with Pitt through the Continental Tire Bowl.

Let’s see: Offensive coordinator and WR coach — gone; QB, Rod Rutherford — graduating; TE, Kris Wilson — graduating; RB, Brandon Miree — graduating. Yeah, plenty of incentive for Larry Fitzgerald to skip trying to get an exception from the NFL.

Right now Pitt is playing Georgetown College (not Georgetown University, this Georgetown is in Kentucky) to kick-off Pitt’s “Holiday Hoops Tournament”. Georgetown College is a power in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. Excuse me, if I lack excitement about playing a team that is a non-division I school — even if that school is considered “among America’s Best Christian Colleges for 2001-02.”

This is just embarrassing. I’m not saying Pitt should be playing Michigan State’s non-conference schedule, but they need to play somebody. And don’t talk about scheduling in advance. This isn’t college football where they do it years in advance. Pitt made this schedule within two years for most of the teams, and they are clear patsies. It just looks bad, and others notice.

Pitt puts together a cowardly non-conference schedule every year. That certainly hasn’t ruined the program, but it does put a damper on the excitement for unfortunate Panthers fans, who deserve better.

Preceeding that damning statement, is a list of the teams presently in the top 25 with a basic ranking of their non-conference schedule. Pitt’s is dead last, and is the only team that has not one single top-25 team in their non-conference schedule. He’s also right about the dampening effect on the fans. “Official” Attendence at these pathetic games are dropping, even before finals and winter break.