At the very least it would have given them more incentive in the second half.

The annual schwag list is out for the bowl games.

The Sugar Bowl looks like a winner: Sony, Apple, Trek, Garmin and Weber gift suit. Plus a watch, hat, laptop bag and a recliner(?).

The Meineke bowl has an ipod touch, speakers and $20 gift card or a Bose gift package along with a watch, duffel bag and a Commemorative Richard Petty Driving Experience photo.

Still better than Birmingham — cheap RCA camcorder and backpack — and the Gator — watch and sunglasses.

That whole Indiana-Pitt game tomorrow at Madison Square Garden is going to be a battle between rebuilding teams. The Hoosiers are coached by the still hateable Tom Crean.

Catch a podcast about the game between Galen of CrimsonCast.com and myself. I explain to Galen exactly why and how long Pitt’s hatred for Crean goes back. It was a good hire for the Hoosiers, but I still hate that guy.

Here’s a direct link to the audio file.

Of all the things that should be rightly questioned and second-guessed over the Cinci-Pitt game, the whole clock management before Lewis scored the TD with 1:36 left is the silliest. The argument being that Pitt scored too fast and that if Pitt had somehow bled the clock better, Cinci would have been out of timeouts and not able to score in time — or at least it would have been harder.

I always hate these things in general because it not only presumes that the team that scored too quickly was in complete control to dictate exactly everything. To say nothing of believing college players are going to execute everything with absolute perfection that is rarely seen in the NFL.

I see in the comments how Pete Thamel’s argument (But Wannstedt should have drained the clock before scoring and Lewis ran out of bounds with just over two minutes remaining.)was already destroyed by reality.

When Lewis ran out of bounds, the clock kept running (NCAA rule, Matt Millen even made mention of it …

When even a PSU grad like Matt Millen has a better grasp of NCAA clock rules, you should be embarrassed.

Pitt had just completed a 3d and 9 with a 16 yard to Baldwin for 1st and 10 from the 13. 2:44 left and Dion Lewis breaks off an 8 yard run. Lewis then goes right up the middle for 5 more yards and the score. Cinci was left with 1:36 and 2 TOs left.

The idea being that if Pitt managed to only pick up 2 yards and then bled the clock to force Cinci timeouts and then Pitt kicks a FG with far less time left and Cinci with no timeouts left to get a game tying FG or winning score is silly.

Theoretically, I suppose it could happen. Pitt would have 1st and goal from the 2 or 3 with 1:36 left. Cinci wouldn’t use the timeout as the clock would stop briefly for the moving of chains.

Pitt would bleed the clock and take a knee on 1st down. Cinci TO. Knee on second down. Cinci TO. Knee on 3d down, and bleed the clock between plays and Pitt would take a TO just before the play clock expired. Roughly, Pitt would be kicking a FG with somewhere around 15 seconds left.

Worst that happens is Pitt flubs the kick and Cinci has no real time to get down the field and it goes to OT. More likely, get the FG and kick off with 10-12 seconds left.

First problem, Pitt’s special teams were hideous and counting on the special teams not to give Cinci a short field with any time left on the clock contradicts all that came before that point.

Odds are that Pitt would end up kicking out of bounds trying to avoid letting Gilyard near the ball again. I believe everyone saw that the week before with WVU.

So Cinci would start at the 40 with no time moved. They would have to get to about the 28 to allow a 45 yard attempt — Cinci kicker Jake Roger’s longest of this season (3-5 from 40-49 yards in 09). So they would need to get 22 yards with enough time to spike the ball and kick a game-tying FG.

The way Cinci was playing at the end of the 4th quarter that seems rather plausible. Plus, again, given how Pitt was playing at that point does anyone truly think Pitt could have executed as flawlessly as this scenario demanded?

I love stats and numbers. But, it is still sport and those immeasurables of momentum and confidence were all with Cinci. Pitt was trying to hang on and snatch back a victory they had let slip away. That rarely happens, and usually only with a freak bounce.

Sunday was  day of making up for not just going to the game on Saturday, but not leaving until hours later than normal… And proceeding to crash less than an hour after getting home.

What can I say at this point? A highly disappointing loss. Second straight. A total of 4 points. Two losses in two straight weeks and it is third place in the Big East.

Special teams cost Pitt for a second week in a row. Three straight games with huge gaffes in special teams. That goes beyond being an aberration. I do not think it is any doubt that the Gilyard runback for a TD at the end of the first half was a huge blow that changed things.

Going from being a rout in the first half with Cinci seemingly imploding and unable to cope, to being in the game with 30 minutes left. The Cinci defense made adjustments to force two straight 3-and-outs to start the second half and give the Bearcats time to find their offense. Four TDs in the final 24 minutes.

I mean, we all knew Cinci would put up points, but there was no excuse for the defense absolutely folding. They couldn’t claim to be tired. Even with Pitt’s poor start to the 3d quarter, Pitt held the ball for 10:32 minutes in that quarter and at that point had a ridiculous 30:13 to 14:47 advantage

You look at all the numbers and aside from Pitt dominating on time of possession as expected, the totals looks as close as expected in a 1-point game. Total yards was 371-369 with Cinci doing almost all of it in the air and Pitt having more balance but obviously tilted to the running game.

It simply came down to special teams, little things in the coaching, and it has to be said — Cinci wanted it more.

They were the ones on the road. They were the team that passes, playing in cold, windy and slick conditions. They were the ones dealing with the pressure of a perfect season. They were the ones facing the distractions of a coach most likely bailing for Notre Dame. They finished and Pitt didn’t.