3:30 pm
ESPN
Happy post-Thanksgiving. Family has been a bit overwhelming this week. Starting to unwind from it all. I hope. Well, sort of. Have to be out all day right up until gametime.
If this were the NFL, then this would be a meaningless game. Pitt would be locked into their opening round opponent. Everything is set. This would be the game where fans and media debate the value of resting starters and making sure everyone is healthy for next week’s game.
Thankfully, this isn’t the NFL.
Yes, Pitt still goes to Charlotte to face Clemson next week, no matter what the outcome. Yes, Pitt has won the Coastal Division outright (that feels really good to type). And yes, even if Pitt were to pull off the biggest upset next week it would not put Pitt in the College Football Playoffs.
This is college football in all its flawed glory. Pitt winning today keeps them in the national rankings — Playoffs, Coaches and Writers. It puts Pitt in better position to have the ACC leverage the relationships to ensure Pitt goes to a higher profile bowl. It means getting to 8 wins before games #13 and #14. It means more swagger for closing in the recruiting cycles.
And let’s not forget. It means beating Miami.
We aren’t rivals with Miami, but the game matters. The historical record against them is downright embarrassing. Pitt only has 11 wins in the series. The last time Pitt took two straight in this series was 1976. Pitt won in 1970 and didn’t play the Hurricanes again until 1976 for the next win. The only other time was 1960-61. Two times in the 37 games played between them.
This game is about not letting up for Pitt. It’s about getting past the myriad of flaws this team has. It’s about getting through another big injury.
Pitt took control of its own destiny over the past four games. Something that we never see with Pitt football. That meme is not buried and dead, but it has been shown that it can be beaten back. Now it’s a chance to keep moving forward.
This game to me was about bowl relevance. That NC game really smells right now. For some reason, 8-4 seems a lot sweeter than 7-5, even though it’s only one game. Loose to Clemson and you can still claim 8 wins – now 7-6 might be the record Pitt takes into the ‘post season”, and that’s not exactly a recipe for Florida sun.
So what’s it going to be? Belk, Sun, or Music City? But be honest: if you would have given any of them early in the season, most of us would have taken it.
As for Pickett… yes, his arm does NOT fall into the Strong Category. But his willingness to COMPETE is Elite. And once he gets his EGO in check after this Season I would expect him to put into the work to improve his Strength and Accuracy.
When it’s all said and done, I see him finishing his Pitt Career by putting up decent numbers.
He also has enough of everything to ultimately eke out an NFL Career for himself… if nothing else than a Member of someone’s Practice Squad.
So he’s a pretty good Tackler. But that is ONLY when the Play is in front of him.
Regularly comes up short when CHALLENGED. An example was his lack of effort on the long Miami TD Run.
Seems Narduzzi and Bates might agree. Recently found himself sitting out as many Plays as he was in.
Now I am not knocking the Kid personally and not saying he’s not a good Player. Just keeping it REAL.
Despite the Four Stars and all of the HYPE coming in, “AVERAGE” is probably the right description when you factor everything in.
Another miss
