It’s okay. You can admit it. You’re among friends. Here’s a game that’s some 12 hours from kick-off on ESPN2, and you are having trouble getting juiced for it. That beating from ND deflated things a little more than you realized as you try and think about the game tonight.

A game Pitt should win with ease. Who cares that this is Ohio U’s and Frank Solich’s home opener. Who cares about the thundersticks, rally towels and t-shirts the school plans to give away. On simple talent alone, Pitt is noticeably bigger, faster and stronger.

This is an Ohio team that got blown out by Northwestern. An Ohio team where their players spoke of the “hostile” Big 11 atmosphere afterwards. This hostile location where some 20,000 Wildcat fans, uh, milled about in a place that can hold nearly 50,000.

About the only ones outside of Athens, Ohio treating this like a big deal are gamblers who have this game or the Washington St.-Nevada match-up as their only options. And even they are heavily favoring Pitt.

And yet…

There was that stunning loss to USF in 2001. In 2003, Toledo first exposed Pitt’s defense — that continues to struggle. Now it’s 2005 and you begin to wonder if there is something about odd-numbered years and taking a non-con team too lightly.

There’s the fact that the lines looked bad. There’s–

No. It’s different now. Different team. Different coach. Everything’s different.

Screw the doubts. Stop worrying and enjoy the game.