Win the XXX Bowl This Year

[Pitt_Boss]

This is a good off-week topic. I really hope Pitt wins whatever Bowl they end up in this year. And I REALLY hope the staff takes the game seriously and tries to win it as much they try to win an ACC game.

I had great time in NYC for the Pinstripe Bowl vs NW, but the game itself was one of the lowlights of the trip. And the coach's comments surrounding that Bowl and the others make me think he treats Bowl games as meaningless exhibitions/ player vacation trips...which they are. But if fans invest a lot of time and money to go these games, play to win them. That's one part of building a better traveling fan base, which helps the program in many ways.

Also, 0-3 in Bowl games is not much of sample size, but if HCPN drops to 0-4 in Bowl games, then that is going to be a "thing"...that he can't win Bowl games and/or big names, not a reputation you want. I sort of give him a pass on the Navy loss as I think Navy was maybe just a better team that year. But the games against Nowrthwestern and Stanford were winnable. Maybe since we seem to have some more depth, we will be better be able to handle injuries/players sitting out Bowl games.

 

[Slick Manager of Champs]

This is a good off-week topic. I really hope Pitt wins whatever Bowl they end up in this year. And I REALLY hope the staff takes the game seriously and tries to win it as much they try to win an ACC game.

I had great time in NYC for the Pinstripe Bowl vs NW, but the game itself was one of the lowlights of the trip. And the coach's comments surrounding that Bowl and the others make me think he treats Bowl games as meaningless exhibitions/ player vacation trips...which they are. But if fans invest a lot of time and money to go these games, play to win them. That's one part of building a better traveling fan base, which helps the program in many ways.

Also, 0-3 in Bowl games is not much of sample size, but if HCPN drops to 0-4 in Bowl games, then that is going to be a "thing"...that he can't win Bowl games and/or big names, not a reputation you want. I sort of give him a pass on the Navy loss as I think Navy was maybe just a better team that year. But the games against Nowrthwestern and Stanford were winnable. Maybe since we seem to have some more depth, we will be better be able to handle injuries/players sitting out Bowl games.

Most bowls games are meaningless, that one wasn't. Would have meant a 9 win season and a top 25 finish for the first time since 2009. I rank that as the most disappointing game of the Narduzzi tenure, although the head hunting by Northwestern to knock out Conner and Peterson was disgusting, and not having a penalty called was a real travesty. I rank Northwestern now as my second least favorite Big 10 team behind you know who.

 

[Las Panteras]

This season is shaping up to be the start of what we all hoped for when Narduzzi was hired.

On top of that, a solid core of players are back next year.

Which means.....a solid regular season coupled with a bowl win sets up Pitt to be ranked next preseason.

And with a bowl win, I dont think we just barely get in the top 25. I think we are ranked higher


So yea....a bowl win is big for this program going forward.

But let's beat syracuse first.

 

[Slick Manager of Champs]

This season is shaping up to be the start of what we all hoped for when Narduzzi was hired.

On top of that, a solid core of players are back next year.

Which means.....a solid regular season coupled with a bowl win sets up Pitt to be ranked next preseason.

And with a bowl win, I dont think we just barely get in the top 25. I think we are ranked higher


So yea....a bowl win is big for this program going forward.

But let's beat syracuse first.

agree, 9-4 with a top 25 finish this year would be an excellent season and something to build on.

 

[Pitt_Boss]

Most bowls games are meaningless, that one wasn't. Would have meant a 9 win season and a top 25 finish for the first time since 2009. I rank that as the most disappointing game of the Narduzzi tenure, although the head hunting by Northwestern to knock out Conner and Peterson was disgusting, and not having a penalty called was a real travesty. I rank Northwestern now as my second least favorite Big 10 team behind you know who.

Oh, I agree. Any chance to tack on another W help the program. 9 wins better than 8, 10 better than 9, etc. Also, some will portray a game Bowl win as being a bigger deal than say beating UCF in Sept. Whether you agree or not, there is perception from some that winning Bowl games matters because they are sort of like the final exam.

 

[PittFamily2]

This season is shaping up to be the start of what we all hoped for when Narduzzi was hired.

On top of that, a solid core of players are back next year.

Which means.....a solid regular season coupled with a bowl win sets up Pitt to be ranked next preseason.

And with a bowl win, I dont think we just barely get in the top 25. I think we are ranked higher


So yea....a bowl win is big for this program going forward.

But let's beat syracuse first.

All great points.
Lets get to a bowl first, win the bowl, which provides some closing season momentum and opening season optimism

The program is showing signs of predictability, a solid foundation to build on, and it appears to be receiving more support from PITT football alums, fans, and students.
The AD is on board so lets hope others in the PITT admin are as well.

 

[RingDinger]

I listened to Zeise on the PantherLair podcast this past offseason, and he talked about the players going out the night before the Stanford game and (perhaps jokingly) mentioned them stumbling in at 5 am, or something like that. That's about how seriously these bowl games are treated. I really don't understand why they would be any less important than the other twelve games, but, with the exception of a few of them, they are.

 

[HailToPitt725]

My question is: Suppose we win out and go 10-2. Would you rather go to the Orange Bowl and lose or go to something like the Camping World Bowl and win?

Would a NY6 bowl be more beneficial to the program or would that extra bowl win be bigger?

For example, we went 9-3 in 2009 and won the Meineke Bowl instead of going 10-2 and playing Tebow’s Gators in the Sugar Bowl. We started 2010 #15. Do we start that high if we make a BCS bowl and lose?

 

[RingDinger]

My question is: Suppose we win out and go 10-2. Would you rather go to the Orange Bowl and lose or go to something like the Camping World Bowl and win?

Would a NY6 bowl be more beneficial to the program or would that extra bowl win be bigger?

For example, we went 9-3 in 2009 and won the Meineke Bowl instead of going 10-2 and playing Tebow’s Gators in the Sugar Bowl. We started 2010 #15. Do we start that high if we make a BCS bowl and lose?

With our schedule, we'd almost certainly have to win the conference to go to the Orange Bowl. So that would probably mean 11-2 with a victory over Clemson. So I'd definitely take that .

But if we're limiting it to the strict hypothetical scenario you posed (i.e. no conference championship involved), I would have to know how competitive we'd be in the Orange Bowl before deciding. If we were going to steamrolled, no thank you. If we're going to play a team like LSU or Wisconsin (or whomever) to the tune of a 28-21 loss, then I'd choose that. Though I admit I loved the feeling winning that 2009 bowl game gave me.

 

[HopeandChangeforAntoons]

I listened to Zeise on the PantherLair podcast this past offseason, and he talked about the players going out the night before the Stanford game and (perhaps jokingly) mentioned them stumbling in at 5 am, or something like that. That's about how seriously these bowl games are treated. I really don't understand why they would be any less important than the other twelve games, but, with the exception of a few of them, they are.

Are you sure he wasn't referencing the Wanny 3-0 Sun Bowl? Last year when Pitt went back to El Paso, the PG had a story where McKiIlop talked about Wanny having to cancel practice there because everyone had been out partying all night.

 

[RingDinger]

Are you sure he wasn't referencing the Wanny 3-0 Sun Bowl? Last year when Pitt went back to El Paso, the PG had a story where McKiIlop talked about Wanny having to cancel practice there because everyone had been out partying all night.

You could be right. I thought he specifically mentioned Elijah going out, but now you have me questioning which year he was talking about. I know there is the story of that 2009 Sun Bowl, so maybe that's it.

 

[HopeandChangeforAntoons]

Bowl games are meaningless and Narduzzi being 0-3 isn't a huge deal. But they have cost Pitt the chance to finish in the top 25 and last year they could have stemmed the bleeding from the Miami and Clemson beatings. Also, the teams that he has lost to have been uninspiring foes.