A game to test your love of Pitt football, I guess. 4-5 Pitt versus 3-6 UConn. 1 Big East win between the two of them. I know. Really selling this one.

I figure between watching the basketball game and what I need to drink to get through this game, I just can’t bring myself to try and do a liveblog tonight.

The bright side to a Friday night game. I can just sit back and enjoy Saturday games. Can flick to another game if one gets boring. No need to stay tied to the one game.

Hopefully the team comes out a little more fired up for the game than I am.

Pitt starts its season against the Mount Saint Mary’s Mountaineers (no, really, that is their name). In case you are wondering, playing those other Mountaineers, still unlikely in the near future.

There has been no movement for Pitt to play West Virginia in the near future in either football or men’s basketball. Scheduling in the Big 12 and the ACC could prevent the two schools from renewing their rivalry. Pitt has a pecking order in football of keeping Penn State first. And in men’s basketball the Panthers must keep a game with Duquesne. West Virginia’s nine-game schedule in the Big 12 and Pitt’s preference for Penn State first make it more difficult. The best-case scenario for this rivalry to continue would be for the two schools to come up with a similar solution to Florida and Florida State. The two Sunshine State rivals play a basketball game on the same weekend they play a football game. Creating a one-weekend event would make the most sense — if the two sides could agree to a format and possible site rotation.

As I’ve stated several times, given WVU’s looming travel bills. Pitt becomes a very important team to get on the schedule. Not sure when, but the two will play again in basketball before it happens in football.

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Okay, so that final visit to Nippert didn’t go so well. Next up on the farewell to Big East venues tour: the Rent.

Rentschler Field does not hold happy memories for Pitt and Pitt fans. It has been the scene of — and I say this with a lot less hyperbole than you may think — career defining losses for two Pitt coaches. Paul Chryst has already had his share this season, so it would be nice to avoid adding to the collection.

UConn isn’t good, but that has never stopped them from making life miserable for Pitt. To the surprise of few, Paul Pasqualoni has struggled to win and recruit at UConn. And the Husky fans, not particularly enamored with the hire two years ago, really dislike the situation at the present. Apathy and flat out ignoring the existence of football has quickly become the norm once more in Connecticut.

Into this depression steps Pitt on a Friday night game with the randomness of the Rod Gilmore zone possibly effecting reality.

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