New CBS projection: Belk vs. LSU

[Jeffburgh]

Because there's not 10 other players on the field for Pitt, of course.

Fournette on capara doesn't sound too much better.

9 wins is 9 wins, doesn't matter who the 9th is.

Losing to a blue blood leaves room for spinning it positively, but end of the day 9 and 4 is better than 8 and 5.

I do capitulate that this isn't a vintage LSU team, so it would not be mission impossible, but the theme for this year has been that the Panthers have won the even matchups and lost to the more talented team ...

 

[Jpripper88]

I would prefer the opportunity to win against LSU in a high-profile game over the opportunity to win against a 5-7 Big Ten team in a nothingburger game.

Reach for the brass ring. Have faith in the big win. A win over an LSU in the Belk would have such an incredible effect on recruiting and next year's ticket sales that it would be staggering. It would be the biggest Pitt win since 12-1-2007 - and THAT win had a great effect on recruiting and ticket sales.

And if you want to win BIG in the future, you need to jumpstart recruiting. Beating LSU does that. Beating a 5-7 Minnesota team = meh.

The risk/reward against a 5-7 Minnesota team is bad. You win, you were supposed to. You lose, it is a a disaster.

The risk/reward against an LSU team is good. You win, it is ENORMOUS. You lose, you were supposed to.

Agree. And the turmoil around Miles and the fact we are a program that really isn't respected or a big name to most Bayou Bengals really might give us an opening for a let down by LSU.

Just on name playing LSU would increase perception.

 

[UPitt '89]

Fournette on capara doesn't sound too much better.

9 wins is 9 wins, doesn't matter who the 9th is.

Losing to a blue blood leaves room for spinning it positively, but end of the day 9 and 4 is better than 8 and 5.

I do capitulate that this isn't a vintage LSU team, so it would not be mission impossible, but the theme for this year has been that the Panthers have won the even matchups and lost to the more talented team ...

The damage a loss to an Indiana would cause to the program's momentum is enormous.

It's Wanny losing to Bowling Green the first game after 13-9 enormous.

HCPN could sell the progress of the program with an 8-5 record and loss to LSU.

He can't sell progress if he loses to a 6-6/2-6 Indiana team that was blown out by PSU.

The potential risk to the program is huge if we play Indiana, and the potential reward is moderate at best.

The potential risk to the program is small if we play LSU, but the potential reward is very, very large.

 

[Jpripper88]

The damage a loss to an Indiana would cause to the program's momentum is enormous.

It's Wanny losing to Bowling Green the first game after 13-9 enormous.

HCPN could sell the progress of the program with an 8-5 record and loss to LSU.

He can't sell progress if he loses to a 6-6/2-6 Indiana team that was blown out by PSU.

The potential risk to the program is huge if we play Indiana, and the potential reward is moderate at best.

The potential risk to the program is small if we play LSU, but the potential reward is very, very large.

Yep. This is a much different situation than starting a season with a team like LSU and getting beat bad. Even a bad loss to LSU wouldn't hurt much.

 

[Pittx9]

The damage a loss to an Indiana would cause to the program's momentum is enormous.

It's Wanny losing to Bowling Green the first game after 13-9 enormous.

HCPN could sell the progress of the program with an 8-5 record and loss to LSU.

He can't sell progress if he loses to a 6-6/2-6 Indiana team that was blown out by PSU.

The potential risk to the program is huge if we play Indiana, and the potential reward is moderate at best.

The potential risk to the program is small if we play LSU, but the potential reward is very, very large.

Totally agree. I like the Pinstripe the best, but how the hell does 8-4 Pitt even get in the discussion with 6-6 Indiana? They really need a serious shakeup in the bowl situation if an ACC team going to a tier 1 ACC bowl is going to be playing one of the last teams in the Big Ten that was bowl eligible. And on top of that, apparently bumping Wisconsin down is some huge insult to them somehow. 9-3 Wisconsin vs. 8-4 Pitt is a better matchup, all things considered, than either team could hope for in any other bowl. It's seriously ridiculous that is so far out of the realm of possibilities, while it is also very likely Indiana could take that spot.

 

[Jeffburgh]

The damage a loss to an Indiana would cause to the program's momentum is enormous.

It's Wanny losing to Bowling Green the first game after 13-9 enormous.

HCPN could sell the progress of the program with an 8-5 record and loss to LSU.

He can't sell progress if he loses to a 6-6/2-6 Indiana team that was blown out by PSU.

The potential risk to the program is huge if we play Indiana, and the potential reward is moderate at best.

The potential risk to the program is small if we play LSU, but the potential reward is very, very large.

Except he hasn't lost to a similarly or lesser talented team this year.

Mike DeSimon has Pitt ranked 40 and Indiana 70 - Duke is 49 and Louisville is 59.

If he loses to Indiana he deserves to have a harder time "selling" the program.

 

[Jpripper88]

Except he hasn't lost to a similarly or lesser talented team this year.

Mike DeSimon has Pitt ranked 40 and Indiana 70 - Duke is 49 and Louisville is 59.

If he loses to Indiana he deserves to have a harder time "selling" the program.

Except it is, in general, a mostly mean nothing game where just a small lack of focus from a few players can kill your chances.

 

[rpost3]

What is wrong with you guys...playing LSU is an opportunity. Beating IU or Minn doesn't do shit. Looking at this thread is a clear indicator of what the last few Pitt administrations did to this fanbase.

 

[steel1975]

What is wrong with you guys...playing LSU is an opportunity. Beating IU or Minn doesn't do shit. Looking at this thread is a clear indicator of what the last few Pitt administrations did to this fanbase.

Bingo - it's a no brainer -- would love to play LSU

 

[TD_6082]

Its a glorified exhibition and really doesn't mean a lot either way. The only games people are going to really remember and talk about are the playoffs. The rest of the bowl games are just for chits and giggles, and money of course.

 

[Jeffburgh]

Except it is, in general, a mostly mean nothing game where just a small lack of focus from a few players can kill your chances.

Again, given what this team has done this year, beat every team it should beat and not able to beat teams that have a clear talent advantge, they beat Indiana, a lesser team than Louisville and duke, teams they beat clearly, and most likely cant get past lsu.

9 wins AND a decent mid tier bowl win even if the 9th win is against the sisters of the poor is better than 8 wins wo a bowl win even if that last loss is against a tradtional power.

This is some absurd fan perspective thing, to the players, they take the win and a bowl win, to recruits 9 wins and a decent mid tier bowl win sounds better than 8 wins wo a bowl win and an atta boy loss.

 

[Jeffburgh]

What is wrong with you guys...playing LSU is an opportunity. Beating IU or Minn doesn't do shit. Looking at this thread is a clear indicator of what the last few Pitt administrations did to this fanbase.

That is absolutely the opposite, and is highlighted by the bizarre national holiday for pitt fans, called 13-9 ... warm and fond memories of a 4 win season because of a glorious win over wvu.

Sorry, as great as this year has been relative to pitt football, 9 wins w a decent mid tier bowl win isnt "$hit", its the best season in decades ...

This bear repeating based on its absurdity, you are discarding what would be the best season in program history in decades as $hit.

And, despite whatever delusions some are drumming up for themselves, recruits are going to be more impressed with 9 wins and a pinstripe bowl win than 8 wins and an attaboy loss to lsu.

 

[TD_6082]

I really don't think 8 wins versus 9 wins with a win or loss in whatever meaningless bowl game is going to have much effect on recruiting. Recruits aren't going to suddenly start looking at Pitt if they were to beat an Indiana. By the same token, recruits aren't going to cross Pitt off their list if they were to lose a bowl game to a team like LSU. Even if its a blowout loss. Pitt could even lose to a team like IU and it won't have any effect on recruiting.

Pitt has won 8 and 9 games several times in the past under Harris, and it didn't have any drastic effect on recruiting. Wanny won 9 & 10 games, and it really didn't boost recruiting. If fact, the best class Wanny had was probably the class that came after the 5-7 season that ended with the win over WVU. That was the last game of the season with a direct effect on the national championship. A lot more eyes were on the results of that game than any bowl game Pitt will ever attend outside the playoffs.

 

[UPitt '89]

That is absolutely the opposite, and is highlighted by the bizarre national holiday for pitt fans, called 13-9 ... warm and fond memories of a 4 win season because of a glorious win over wvu.

Sorry, as great as this year has been relative to pitt football, 9 wins w a decent mid tier bowl win isnt "$hit", its the best season in decades ...

This bear repeating based on its absurdity, you are discarding what would be the best season in program history in decades as $hit.

And, despite whatever delusions some are drumming up for themselves, recruits are going to be more impressed with 9 wins and a pinstripe bowl win than 8 wins and an attaboy loss to lsu.

You're discounting the possibility if 8 wins and a disheartening season ending loss to the 8th or 9th best team in the Big Ten.

 

[Jeffburgh]

You're discounting the possibility if 8 wins and a disheartening season ending loss to the 8th or 9th best team in the Big Ten.

No, as I have noted a number of times in this thread I am going by the most likely. occurrence based on what this team has done this year - beat every team it can beat and lost to every team with a clear talent advantage.

 

[Jeffburgh]

I really don't think 8 wins versus 9 wins with a win or loss in whatever meaningless bowl game is going to have much effect on recruiting. Recruits aren't going to suddenly start looking at Pitt if they were to beat an Indiana. By the same token, recruits aren't going to cross Pitt off their list if they were to lose a bowl game to a team like LSU. Even if its a blowout loss. Pitt could even lose to a team like IU and it won't have any effect on recruiting.

Pitt has won 8 and 9 games several times in the past under Harris, and it didn't have any drastic effect on recruiting. Wanny won 9 & 10 games, and it really didn't boost recruiting. If fact, the best class Wanny had was probably the class that came after the 5-7 season that ended with the win over WVU. That was the last game of the season with a direct effect on the national championship. A lot more eyes were on the results of that game than any bowl game Pitt will ever attend outside the playoffs.

In general, yes, it won't make or break things either way.

That said, winning a bowl game is winning a bowl game, its a trophy, its something to point to. And, as bizarre as the disdain for a Pinstripe win is for some here, over the last four decades, you can count on one hand the number of similar type of bowl wins this program has had, and you don't even need a hand to count the number of better bowl wins.

Meanwhile, losing to LSU in a bigger bowl is spin, WE HUNG WITH LSU vs actually pointing to a win.

 

[Jpripper88]

Again, given what this team has done this year, beat every team it should beat and not able to beat teams that have a clear talent advantge, they beat Indiana, a lesser team than Louisville and duke, teams they beat clearly, and most likely cant get past lsu.

9 wins AND a decent mid tier bowl win even if the 9th win is against the sisters of the poor is better than 8 wins wo a bowl win even if that last loss is against a tradtional power.

This is some absurd fan perspective thing, to the players, they take the win and a bowl win, to recruits 9 wins and a decent mid tier bowl win sounds better than 8 wins wo a bowl win and an atta boy loss.

But you aren't understanding the downside of a loss to Indiana or Minnesota. It would look really, really bad and kill a lot of the momentum from the season.

 

[Jeffburgh]

But you aren't understanding the downside of a loss to Indiana or Minnesota. It would look really, really bad and kill a lot of the momentum from the season.

People keep saying this like it is high ground while promoting the best choice for a loss ...

If they can't beat fricken Indy or Minnesotta then they deserve to take the hit.

 

[Jpripper88]

People keep saying this like it is high ground while promoting the best choice for a loss ...

If they can't beat fricken Indy or Minnesotta then they deserve to take the hit.

Bowls aren't nearly the same as in season matchups, so it isn't really comparable to a mid season matchup.