You’re given 25 points. How do you change Pitt FB history?

[HailToPitt725]

1) without question, 15 points to beat Fla State and play for another natty

2) in 2010, wannstedts farewell season,

Give me 7 points to beat Notre Dame 24-23

Give me my final 3 points to beat Uconn 31-30

This gives Wannstedt back to back 10 win seasons and likely wins the power struggle with Pederson.

The Wannstedt recruiting gets even better and Pitt today is with Clemson as an elite school in the ACC and a national player.

I like how you went into the snowball effects of the changed outcomes. For example, does another national title in the 80s, or even a ten win-season in the latter part of the decade, renew the commitment to the program? Does that keep Pitt Stadium, the Script, perhaps get into the ACC sooner? Interesting to think about.

 

[King Of All Message Boards]

Like I said above, only 9 points is needed to completely change Pitt Hoops.

9 points and letting them play, using Adams correctly, recruiting McConnell and eye contact.

 

[NKSplitter]

Does that keep Pitt Stadium, the Script, perhaps get into the ACC sooner? Interesting to think about.

Sustained success through the 80s and 90s possibly puts Pitt in the Big 10; brought in as a package with Penn State in 1993(or instead of Penn State if Paterno had thrown a major hissy fit over Pitt being included too) or given the nod over Nebraska in 2010. Had that happened we wouldn't be left wondering what life outside of the 2 money conferences is going to bring like now.

 

[Parkview57]

1977 PSU at Pitt, Pitt Stadium . I have never been colder in my life that is no exaggeration. Heck of a game, Pitt lost 15-13. Need 3 points.

 

[F-squared]

14 points in 1977. 10 points in ND game 1 point in tie with Florida and 3 against psu which I know we already won in the snow when Elliot Walker scored a TD!!! That would be 2 undefeated teams in a row. The remaining 11 points in 1979 at UNC. That’s 3 undefeated seasons out of 4. Then 3 one loss seasons in a row. The word is DYNASTY.

 

[wbrpanther]

The game goes like this: you have 25 points to add to any Pitt football game(s). How would you allocate them in order to significantly change our history?

The rules are that you must add the point differential + 1pt for a regulation loss or just 1pt for an overtime loss.

I’ll start:
1. Add 4pts to the WMU game and 5pts to the Miami game during the 2021 season (9pts); Pitt finishes regular season 13-0 and makes the CFP
2. Add 2pts to the 2009 Cincinnati game (11pts); Pitt wins the Big East and plays Tebow’s Gators in the Sugar Bowl
3. Add 10pts to the 1982 Penn State game (21pts); #5 Pitt defeats #2 PSU and likely plays for a national championship game
4. Add 4pts to the 1987 Temple game (25pts); that team is one of my all-time favorite Pitt teams and a 9-2 record puts them in position to play in a major bowl game

I was tempted to use 15pts on the 1980 FSU game, but I decided to spread the wealth around. What say you?

Add all 25 to the ‘81 Nit game and we only lose 48-39. I know. Not funny.

 

[HailToPitt725]

Add all 25 to the ‘81 Nit game and we only lose 48-39. I know. Not funny.

Two things to consider with that game, IMO:

- If we only lose that game by 9, are we close enough in the polls still that we could be crowned national champions, assuming we still play Georgia in the Sugar Bowl?

- In all seriousness, I’d argue you only need seven points in that game- if Marino throws a TD instead of an INT early on to make it 21-0, how much does that alter the outcome of the game? PSU had a lot of momentum after that, and a 14pt swing is pretty big.

 

[wbrpanther]

Two things to consider with that game, IMO:

- If we only lose that game by 9, are we close enough in the polls still that we could be crowned national champions, assuming we still play Georgia in the Sugar Bowl?

- In all seriousness, I’d argue you only need seven points in that game- if Marino throws a TD instead of an INT early on to make it a 21-0 game, how much does that alter the outcome of the game? PSU had a lot of momentum after that, and a 14pt swing is pretty big.

That kid was OB when he came down with that ball. Changed the whole game early.

 

[CrazyPaco]

4 pts for sunbowl 4-3😀

Ehhh, 3 points. I'd bestow the glory of watching extra minutes (maybe even hours) of that epic to everyone. You're welcome.

 

[CrazyPaco]

I like how you went into the snowball effects of the changed outcomes. For example, does another national title in the 80s, or even a ten win-season in the latter part of the decade, renew the commitment to the program? Does that keep Pitt Stadium, the Script, perhaps get into the ACC sooner? Interesting to think about.

I don't think another title in the early 80s keeps the Posvar administration from screwing things up that decade. Ed Bozik probably still is hired.

Their inflated view of Pitt's place in the college football ecosystem, that Pitt is too big for any particular coach to make a difference or that increased admissions standards won't have an impact, probably is only reinforced. Therefore, they probably still fail to match aTm's offer to Sherrill. They probably still hand it over to Foge, want to increase admissions requirements, push out Mike Gottfried (or any coach frustrated by not having players admitted) and hand it over to yes man Hackett. I can't imagine the philsophy about not investing in facilities would have changed much.

I do wonder about Wannstedt though, if he gets to major bowls and recruiting kept going on the trajectory it was. It depends how you view him as a game day coach I guess. Would such success actually have kept Pederson in place longer?

 

[DT_PITT]

9 points and letting them play, using Adams correctly, recruiting McConnell and eye contact.

If only he cared about recruiting in the last 3 years.

 

[rmf05]

The game goes like this: you have 25 points to add to any Pitt football game(s). How would you allocate them in order to significantly change our history?

The rules are that you must add the point differential + 1pt for a regulation loss or just 1pt for an overtime loss.

I’ll start:
1. Add 4pts to the WMU game and 5pts to the Miami game during the 2021 season (9pts); Pitt finishes regular season 13-0 and makes the CFP
2. Add 2pts to the 2009 Cincinnati game (11pts); Pitt wins the Big East and plays Tebow’s Gators in the Sugar Bowl
3. Add 10pts to the 1982 Penn State game (21pts); #5 Pitt defeats #2 PSU and likely plays for a national championship game
4. Add 4pts to the 1987 Temple game (25pts); that team is one of my all-time favorite Pitt teams and a 9-2 record puts them in position to play in a major bowl game

I was tempted to use 15pts on the 1980 FSU game, but I decided to spread the wealth around. What say you?

Just give me 7 points. 1981 PSU game. Pitt is up 14-0 and in scoring position to go up 21-0 in what appears to be a romp and a championship berth. Marino gets intercepted and the game and entire program go south from there. If you give me a TD instead of an INT there, Pitt wins another NC in 81' and is cemented as THE program in the north. I think we sustain at a very high level instead of the painful decline.

 

[ShipofFools]

The game goes like this: you have 25 points to add to any Pitt football game(s). How would you allocate them in order to significantly change our history?

The rules are that you must add the point differential + 1pt for a regulation loss or just 1pt for an overtime loss.

I’ll start:
1. Add 4pts to the WMU game and 5pts to the Miami game during the 2021 season (9pts); Pitt finishes regular season 13-0 and makes the CFP
2. Add 2pts to the 2009 Cincinnati game (11pts); Pitt wins the Big East and plays Tebow’s Gators in the Sugar Bowl
3. Add 10pts to the 1982 Penn State game (21pts); #5 Pitt defeats #2 PSU and likely plays for a national championship game
4. Add 4pts to the 1987 Temple game (25pts); that team is one of my all-time favorite Pitt teams and a 9-2 record puts them in position to play in a major bowl game

I was tempted to use 15pts on the 1980 FSU game, but I decided to spread the wealth around. What say you?

This looks good.

 

[Seneca_Valley]

The game goes like this: you have 25 points to add to any Pitt football game(s). How would you allocate them in order to significantly change our history?

The rules are that you must add the point differential + 1pt for a regulation loss or just 1pt for an overtime loss.

I’ll start:
1. Add 4pts to the WMU game and 5pts to the Miami game during the 2021 season (9pts); Pitt finishes regular season 13-0 and makes the CFP
2. Add 2pts to the 2009 Cincinnati game (11pts); Pitt wins the Big East and plays Tebow’s Gators in the Sugar Bowl
3. Add 10pts to the 1982 Penn State game (21pts); #5 Pitt defeats #2 PSU and likely plays for a national championship game
4. Add 4pts to the 1987 Temple game (25pts); that team is one of my all-time favorite Pitt teams and a 9-2 record puts them in position to play in a major bowl game

I was tempted to use 15pts on the 1980 FSU game, but I decided to spread the wealth around. What say you?

If you give me thirty-five, I erase 48-14.

Sticking with 25,

1) I fix the 1980 season

2) 1975 Pitt PSU

3) 1977 Pitt PSU

4) 2009 Cinci

Yeah, that ought to do it.

 

[Jakey_John]

25 points in 2002 is a damn near perfect season. That was the 3rd best year in the last 40 and it’s often overlooked.

 

[pittdan77]

This is a really good "what if" discussion. Cool topic.