River City Rivalry is Back

[geeman2001]

Playing Cincinnati is great if it takes the place of a YSU or Citadel.

It's not so great if i,t prevents more games like Tennessee.

And before any lurking pedophiles add their unwanted snide commentary to that, it is virtually certain Cincinnati fans feel the same about playing Pitt (the Pitt of 2014 anyway) too. Maybe by then we'll be more accomplished and a more desirable game for them. Maybe they will as well. Perhaps it can be a game like 2009 again. Hope so.

I'll say the 09 game was very entertaining, despite the loss and their fans were as cool as visiting fans can be. And the drive to Cincinnati makes it a decent road trip game. I'm all for it.

 

[Jpripper88]

(1) That is true --- but it's also true that UC has been much better over the past 10 years than many P5 teams. Just keeping it to ACC teams, UC has been better than NC State, Wake Forest, Virginia and Syracuse (arguably others).

But, yeah --- now that Pittsburgh is in the "Power 5 club", I guess it's fine to discriminate against the non-Power 5 teams. I guess that's what I find elitist --- slapping the "non-Power 5" moniker on a team and dismissing them even though they stack up favorably versus a non-insignificant chunk of the Power 5.

(2) Pittsburgh has lost 4 of their last 5 to the Bearcats ---- no real shame in that though, given the Bearcats were a legit team that won 10+ games in ALL 4 of those seasons. Pittsburgh did not got "clowned" because of those losses in the 2008-2012 era, and its unlikely they would get "clowned" if they lose in 2023/2024 either. These aren't the joke Bearcats teams of the 1990s anymore.

(3) Cincinnati will bring fans to Pittsburgh if/when that game gets played --- just like occurred in 2009 and 2011 (I was at both those games).

(4) I think regional OOC games have their place on a college football schedule. Ideally, one regional OOC game, one "national" game, and the rest cupcakes.

Anyway, when you come up with an "ideal" regional OOC foe for Penn State, Pittsburgh is among them. Other characteristics I consider in an "ideal" regional OOC foe are (a) history between the teams, and (b) likely competitive games. Other teams fitting that bill from the Penn State POV would be Virginia, Syracuse, WVU and Boston College (& Virginia Tech, though we've never played).

I don't know, but UC sort of fits for Pittsburgh as an ideal regional OOC foe (at least to me). Especially in a year where Pittsburgh would be playing Notre Dame (that's the "national" OOC game on the schedule).

I think you are completely missing the point. No one nationally respects non-P5 schools as legitimate tests. Loses to those teams look bad. In 2008-2012 the landscape was different and UC vs. Pitt was a conference game. That is a completely different animal.

Cincinnati won't bring enough fans for 1 game to make up for having an extra home game in the opposite year. Not even close.

If you don't get the argument of P5 vs. non-P5 and the perception nationally, there is nothing more to discuss. It has nothing to do with Cincinnati being a decent program or not, but everything to do with public perception of being mid-major. Pitt gains absolutely nothing by beating a non-P5 team. Either play cupcakes and stack wins or play P5 opponents that garner national interest, eyeballs, or at least a bare minimum competition perception. Cincinnati only increases the chances Pitt adds a "non-P5 L" to their docket, with which people will make fun of, and to a regional school who can use it as a recruiting tool.

 

[michnittlion]

I think you are completely missing the point. No one nationally respects non-P5 schools as legitimate tests. Loses to those teams look bad. In 2008-2012 the landscape was different and UC vs. Pitt was a conference game. That is a completely different animal.

Cincinnati won't bring enough fans for 1 game to make up for having an extra home game in the opposite year. Not even close.

If you don't get the argument of P5 vs. non-P5 and the perception nationally, there is nothing more to discuss. It has nothing to do with Cincinnati being a decent program or not, but everything to do with public perception of being mid-major. Pitt gains absolutely nothing by beating a non-P5 team. Either play cupcakes and stack wins or play P5 opponents that garner national interest, eyeballs, or at least a bare minimum competition perception. Cincinnati only increases the chances Pitt adds a "non-P5 L" to their docket, with which people will make fun of, and to a regional school who can use it as a recruiting tool.

In other words "I'm at the big boys table, and you are not. Sit down, shut up, and eat your gruel Bearcats fans."

Fair enough ... we agree to disagree.

 

[Pghfan]

From an entertainment value, this is a nice game. I would wake up on a Saturday morning and look forward to a Pitt - cincy game. If away, a cincy road trip is an easy drive, a nice afternoon. Its 3 hours of entertainment folks, young adults playing a kids game and we are amused for 3 hours on a Saturday, nothing more and nothing less. You guys start talking about recruiting inroads and 3 rd tier TV rights and fuuck up what is supposed to be fun. For old guys like myself, its fun between cutting the grass and feeding the kids, for younger fans, its a great reason to meet up with buddies and down 12 beers. I like it because unlike Akron or Villanovan, it would actually make me want to leave the tailgate and watch football. Quit taking this too seriously