Season of mediocrity for WVU, Pitt, PSU
Get ready for another round of obscure minor bowl games for your favorite major college football teams.
If you’re a follower of Pitt or West Virginia, that’s about the best you can hope for.
Penn State fans, your bowl game will have to be played during the regular season again this year.
All three teams are looking at possible break-even seasons as we head down the stretch.
Pitt fans, and especially West Virginia fans, should take that and run.
Mountaineers head coach Dana Holgorsen would surely sign up for 6-6 right now.
West Virginia came close to pulling off its biggest win of the season last Saturday, but fell just short against visiting Texas in overtime.
The Mountaineers thus sit at 4-6. Even so, they’re probably a better bet to become bowl eligible than the Panthers.
West Virginia has been unimpressive in the Big 12 this year, sitting in eighth place at 2-5.
By the way, that’s out of 10 teams. Don’t let the Big 12’s name fool you.
All the Mountaineers have remaining on their schedule, though, are games against the two teams below them in the standings.
West Virginia travels to Kansas (2-7, 0-6) this Saturday, where it will be about a touchdown favorite. The Mountaineers will be a much bigger favorite two weeks later when Iowa State (1-8, 0-6) visits Morgantown.
Mark them down for 6-6 and a bowl game.
While WVU barely missed its upset chance, Pitt cashed in with a gutsy 28-21 victory over Notre Dame at Heinz Field.
It was the biggest win of coach Paul Chryst’s two-year career at Pitt. The nationally televised battle should give Chryst a recruiting boost.
That is, unless they falter down the stretch, which could easily happen.
The Panthers now sit at 5-4 overall and 2-3 in the ACC Coastal division. Their remaining games are against North Carolina this Saturday, at Syracuse and back at home for Miami.
This stretch of games will be a true test to see if Chryst’s teams are the same as most other Pitt teams of the past couple decades, or something better.
Past Pitt teams would have a letdown against the Tar Heels (4-5, 3-3) and lose, then fall in the Carrier Dome to the formidable Orange (5-4, 3-2) and be no match for the more talented Hurricanes (7-2, 3-2).
If Chryst is truly changing the culture at Pitt, the Panthers will stand strong and win one or two of those games. According to Chryst, his players said they want to win all three.
That’s admirable, but … if Chryst’s culture change was really taking affect, wouldn’t the Panthers be concentrating solely on the task at hand and not looking ahead at all?
Sorry, Pitt fans, but there’s a bad vibe in the air about these Panthers, despite the ND victory. A 5-7-and-home-for-the-holidays scenario could be lurking. Be wary.
As for Penn State, coach Bill O’Brien’s team has followed up last year’s impressive 8-4 record with a 5-4 mark so far this year, including 2-3 in the Big Ten, which puts them tied for third in the Leaders division and seventh overall in the conference.
By the way, that’s out of 12 teams. Don’t let the Big Ten’s name fool you.
That’s correct … the Big 12 actually has 10 teams and the Big Ten actually has 12 teams. Such is the ever-changing landscape of college football conferences nowadays. But that’s another story for another day.
The Nittany Lions will soon be 6-4 as hapless Purdue (1-8, 0-5) visits Beaver Stadium this Saturday.
Perhaps PSU fans should designate that as their bowl game for this season, since the Lions finish their slate against Nebraska (7-2, 4-1 Legends) and at Wisconsin (7-2, 4-1 Leaders).
The Lions would have a puncher’s chance against the Huskers, but winning on the Badgers’ field could be a tall order for this squad.
It may end up that West Virginia, Pitt and Penn State all end the regular season at 6-6.
No winners, no losers. Just mediocre football.
Hopefully, next year will look much brighter for all three.
Rob Burchianti can be reached at rburchianti@heraldstandard.com. Follow him on Twitter at @rvburch.