We all saw it coming. Most of us cannot bother with even a semblance of outrage any longer. I’m hoping not to have to talk about it other then in the context of the two remaining games.

Pitt AD Heather Lyke made it clear that Pitt wanted to continue the series with Penn State in football. Lyke also made it clear that Pitt wasn’t going to bend over backwards to make it happen or keep waiting. For all intents and purposes, making it very public that Penn State was the one keeping it from happening.

Penn State AD Sandy Barbour, this week made it known that Pitt and Penn State were not going to see each other again until at least 2030.

Of course she didn’t want to admit it was Penn State that took the break. No, it was mutually agreed in her world.

“We’ve had conversations but I think at this point we both agreed that based on Big Ten and ACC scheduling principles — and you know it’s a complicated puzzle nowadays — that we’re probably not going to do anything at this point and look at some point after 2030 to maybe do something,” Barbour said Tuesday night ahead of Penn State’s first of three coaches caravan stops.

If by “we” she means her, and “agreed,” Barbour means, “No, we aren’t going to even discuss resuming the series,” then sure. As usual, it isn’t the intransigence that annoys me. It’s the lying and dissembling over it.

Look, there are actually legitimate reasons for Penn State to not want to make this the annual game it should be. The Big Ten is starting a 9-game schedule. That only leaves 3 open dates. We all know that in college football, you schedule at least 2 patsy home games for the home gate revenue and to pad wins. So, for PSU to lock up their expected only good non-con game with Pitt every year would be illogical by their point of view.

Hell, Pitt fans are now pissed that Pitt scheduled so aggressively in the non-con in recent years.

It’s the same reason Clemson, Georgia Tech, Louisville and Florida State have fought so hard against expanding the ACC schedule to 9 games. They all have rivalry games with out of conference opponents that limits them. I mean, Pitt was flipping back-and-forth on the issue over the past few years when it came up for a vote by the conference; because the Panthers wanted to keep the PSU series going.

And who knows when the ACC will be forced to go to 9 conference games because of the ACC Network contract demands?

Then there is the specter of the College Football Playoff. God help me, but PSU Head Coach James Franklin makes a reasonable point.

“If you’re looking at the Pitt-Penn State series as just the Pitt-Penn State series, yeah, it’s been fantastic, it’s been awesome,” he said. “There’s an excitement, there’s a buzz about it. I think it’s really good for the state of Pennsylvania. Obviously we’re keeping a game that has some historical value to it as well, so all those things are wonderful.”

There is a “but,” however. Penn State plays a nine-game schedule in the Big Ten, including one game against each of its six rivals in the Big Ten East, one of the toughest divisions in the country. That’s supposed to impress the College Football Playoff selection committee, but Franklin isn’t so sure.

“Strength of schedule is a huge part, or was supposed to be a huge part of the selection committee, but that hasn’t panned out,” Franklin said. “You wouldn’t necessarily say that after looking at it the last couple of years on how that’s played out.

“So what you have to do is, based on your institution, based on your program, you have to do everything in your power to be undefeated and win the conference championship. All the other variables, you can’t control them, so [you need to control] everything you possibly can, especially when you play in the Big Ten East.

“There’s going to be different people that come off the committee, people that come on the committee, and they’re all going to have their personal biases,” Franklin said. “So, for me, if Pitt makes sense and it helps us with that, then wonderful. But for me, I’m looking at what can we do to put Penn State in the best position to win conference championships and to have a chance to get into the playoffs.”

All you have to do is look at Wisconsin last year. They played nobody in their non-con. Rolled through a “meh” Big Ten West to be undefeated and poised to be in the CFB Playoff if they could just win one game in the Big Ten Championship.

Objectively, I do get it. And it is much more honest then anything Joe Paterno ever said about why he didn’t want to play Pitt.

Personally, I would be thrilled if there could be some sort of  rotating group in the non-con. Say: Pitt, PSU, WVU and Temple(?). Where everyone plays a different team each year on a 3-year rotation. Of course, getting all four programs to reach an agreement in the real world is something much different.