It’s been a while since I wrote anything about the football team (okay, it’s been a while since I had some time to write much of anything). So, time to hit the links.

Cam Saddler is back with the team and down in Birmingham. Arthur Doakes, however, is not.

Pitt redshirt sophomore Arthur Doakes , who started the final four games of the regular season at right guard, was suspended for at least one game for violating team policy, a university spokesman said Wednesday. Doakes won‘t play in the BBVA Compass Bowl on Saturday against Ole Miss, but coach Paul Chryst hasn‘t named a replacement. Redshirt sophomore Shane Johnson , who never has started a game in three seasons at Pitt, is listed behind Doakes on the team‘s two-man depth chart. Doakes, 6-foot-6, 340 pounds, had replaced regular starting right guard Ryan Schlieper , who suffered a season-ending ankle injury Oct. 27 against Temple. Doakes is the second Pitt offensive lineman suspended this season. Redshirt junior Juantez Hollins was suspended for the season before the start of training camp.

Nothing to worry about there. Why the last time there was a last-minute loss of an offensive lineman before a bowl game with little to no help behind him it was only the Sun Bowl. No reason to panic. None at all.

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Part of me couldn’t help but feel that it was fitting for Pitt to lose the final game of 2012. Overall, it wasn’t a good year for Pitt. So much crap. So much that went wrong. How else could that year end, but with a loss?

That didn’t help my mood. A bit fouler than I wanted the rest of the evening.

Cinci made this a brutal game. And I say that in a complimentary way. They are not a particularly skilled team. They struggle on offense, and win by making the game ugly. They play defense extremely tough. They will force the officials to call fouls. They painfully reminded many Pitt fans of the Ben Howland and beginning of the Jamie Dixon time.

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