Pitt Enters Pizza Bowl Equation

As the various Southeastern Conference bowl scenarios shook out this week, head coach Steve Spurrier’s University of South Carolina Gamecocks fell from the middle of the pack to the worst bowl game on the SEC’s list  (a.k.a. the Papajohns.com Bowl).

Bummer, huh?

For the Pitt Panthers and head coach Dave Wannstedt, however, the “slippage” could be much further if they lose this weekend’s Big East Championship game to fifth-ranked (and undefeated) Cincinnati.

The Panthers (9-2), are currently ranked 15th in the Bowl Championship Series rankings, and a win over the Bearcats would propel them into a BCS bowl game.

A loss, however, and they could be headed for the lowly Pizza bowl and a match-up against USC.

How so?

From the Birmingham News:

If Pitt beats Cincinnati, then the South Florida-Connecticut winner would still be the likely choice for Birmingham. But if Pitt loses, it would likely fall to Birmingham because Rutgers has made a big push to get into the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte and may be able to bring more fans than Pitt would. Rutgers still plays West Virginia, which appears headed to the Gator Bowl unless Cincinnati loses to Pitt.

Let’s actually hope that happens, as a match-up against a team of Pitt’s caliber might actually make this otherwise worthless game worth watching.

Pitt boasts one of the nation’s toughest defenses, and is led on offense by one of the most exciting young running backs in the nation, true freshman Dion Lewis.

How good is this kid?  He’s currently averaging 131.5 rushing yards a game – and has gone over the 100-yard mark in six straight contests.  South Carolina, by comparison, is averaging 125 yards a game – as a team.

UPDATE: Joe Person over at La Socialista just referred to the Birmingham News reporter who broke the Pitt story as the “unofficial Papajohns.com Bowl historian.” Ummm … the bowl game is four years old, people.