Because I don’t really care.

Yes, Pitt dropped out of the polls. From 15th in preseason polls to unranked. Who didn’t see it coming? Polls are of questionable value, other than extra attention. Preseason and the first few weeks even more so.

A preseason poll is little more than a guesstimate of how good you think a team is. Pitt lost and even if it was to a good team on the road, it is still a loss and most teams outside of the top-10 that lost that way would fall out of the rankings.

You can complain about teams beating up on 1-AA moving up in the rankings, but there is no real reason to take them out. It’s really just reshuffling some deck chairs in the early going. Trying to feel out things.

Pitt took a shot early.

B is for Bravado. Pitt, Virginia Tech, and LSU, stand up with pride. Your teams lost* this weekend, but unlike 92% of college football you actually chose to play someone, and for that you will likely be punished by voters throughout the season for your loss. Pitt went to the nasty and underrated environment in Utah and nearly pulled out a win on the road with a first-time starting QB. That is impressive, but consider they did this with Dave Wannstedt in charge of a few key strategic decisions, too, which really is impressive.

While I still have doubts about the decision to open with a difficult game. Especially with Coach Wannstedt’s NFL mentality, that seems to need a warm-up game, it was a little risk-taking. Something most of us wish he’d do more of on the field. If Pitt had won, they would have been just in or outside the top-10 and everyone would be proclaiming Pitt the lock to win the Big East.

What strikes me as comical is seeing other writers complain about when it happens — whether directly or less so.

Everyone who has ever criticized the Penn State football team for starting each season against a weakling such as Youngstown State, Coastal Carolina or Akron got their answer today.

Why do the Nittany Lions welcome the Florida Internationals of the world every year in Week 1? Simply put: To avoid ending up like Pitt in Week 2.

Pittsburgh, favored to win the Big East Conference, was bounced from its No. 15 ranking for having the temerity to lose to Utah last Thursday. Never mind that Utah is a perennial Bowl Championship Series buster (en route to a major conference next season), that Pitt was playing on the road or that the loss came in overtime. A loss is a loss, and that loss left the Panthers unranked when the poll was released.

This is how the college football world rewards ambition…

They are right to point out that so many football writers complain about the lack of scheduling good teams — especially early and on the road — but then kill them in the polls when if they lose.

They are all part of the same group. They all do it when they are voting. And they all rationalize it in similar styles.

All that said, if Pitt wants to be in the rankings, then mop-up New Hampshire and take care of business at home against Miami.