Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Week 3 College Football Roundup: Is it Really a Pitt Loss if Everyone Forgets About It?, WVU Shows Their Metal, PSU Survives... Temple?



Pitt picked about the best timing they could have to announce that they had applied for membership to the ACC. Everyone was just getting ready to watch their team's epic collapse when that news broke, and it seems like the Iowa loss meant even less than it already did. West Virgina almost blew a huge lead against a tough Maryland team, but a win is a win is a win. Penn State got tested by Temple and that's got people talking even more about the future of the program. Now it's time for my take on what we witnessed over the weekend.


Iowa 31, PITT 27
- Todd Graham has taken quite a bit of heat for trying to keep the heat on Iowa, by using the high octane offense with a 27-10 lead late in Saturday's game. I can't say I disagree that it's not exactly a great strategy, however, this is not your father's Pitt team. The offense is built to score, not sit on the ball. And it wasn't like Pitt was airing the ball out. Yes they left time on the play clock, but had Tino Sunseri been any bit of a competent quarterback, Pitt would have left Kinnick Stadium with 41 points (or more) and a blowout victory.

- Speaking of Tino Sunseri, his tenure as Pitt's starting quarterback has to be done doesn't it? I know I can't take him anymore. At this point, I'd rather see Pat Bostick come down from the announcer's booth and start against Notre Dame, than to have Sunseri play again. Pitt has three quarterbacks on their bench that Graham seems to like. Pick one, any one, and Pitt becomes a better team.

- Contrary to what many have said, the defense played fantastic. They had only given up 10 points until Tino Sunseri's incompetence left Pitt in several three and out situations and wore our own defense down. Conditioning is still a factor, but it didn't have to be this week.

-  One more note on Sunseri about something that I just recently heard: Tino said he thought he played a "great game," and went on to say "maybe my best yet." Are you kidding me? If Graham is even thinking about starting this guy this week I have to ask that somebody please tell me if he lives in the dorms. It's a short drive for me. I'll take care of this myself...

- Also if Tino is playing, Pitt needs to pound the ball down Notre Dame's throat. Ray Graham got his carries, but Pitt has a pretty darn good backup in Zach Brown. Use him too. Just stop letting Sunseri throw the ball.

- 27 more months in the Big East for Pitt according to reports. All in all, I think Pitt ends up in the ACC next year.

- I'm not a Tino Sunseri fan.


WEST VIRGINIA 37, Maryland 31
- West Virginia is eerily similar to Pitt if you ask me. The difference is that they may just have more talent. At the very least they have way more talent at the quarterback position. They struggled early against weak opponents Marshall and Norfolk State before finishing them off with huge second halfs, and then this week they nearly blew a major lead to Maryland. Not exactly Pitt's story, but pretty darn close. I still think this conference comes down to the Backyard Brawl.

- WVU was denied entrance into the SEC which isn't a huge surprise. What is a surprise is that they were also denied entry into the ACC. It just goes to show that all of these moves are made in the name of money. The best Big East team in recent memory is denied admission, while two mediocre teams in Pitt and Syracuse are accepted thanks to their big market appeal.

- ESPN Gameday is coming to Morgantown this week for their matchup against #2 LSU. A win not only opens a path to an undefeated season, but maybe a national championship. That could reopen the eyes of the conferences that have turned them down.

PENN STATE 14, Temple 10
- I don't care how much improvement Temple has made. The fact that the final score wasn't a shocker is absurd. Penn State is looking worse by the week in terms of their public perception and it will not get better without the quarterback situation clearing up.

- Everyone is giving props to the defense that finally forced a few turnovers. Now I'm not going to say they played poorly. If you only give up 10 points, that's never a bad thing, but it was still only Temple. They should not even be on the same level as Penn State and it seems like people are accepting what Penn State is becoming too quickly by handing out accolades for a bad win against a bad team.

DUQUESNE 49, Valparaiso 14

Morgan State 13, ROBERT MORRIS 12

Click here for more local scores


More Articles from the web on all three local teams:

Pitt


Penn State

West Virginia

Duquesne



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