You know it’s fall when college football is back. I had three games on at one time in the mancave over the weekend. I love this time of year. You can’t beat college football.
• Even though I’m a diehard Penn State fan, I’m not overly excited after the Nittany Lions opening win, a game that saw them score 79 points. It was against Idaho, for crying out loud. Yes, Penn State did some great things on offense, and you’ve got to love their four talented running backs. But again, it was against the Potatos of Idaho.
• Pitt laid an egg in its opener against Virginia. The Panthers had the tough task of playing a conference game to start the season. The loss to the Cavaliers won’t do much for the Pitt fans who want to see this team produce in Pat Narduzzi’s fifth year on the job. They need to bounce back against Ohio this week, a team that is picked to win the MAC.
• The game of the weekend had to be the Auburn-Oregon Saturday showdown in prime time. It was a heck of a game, won by Auburn in the final seconds. Games like this are what make college football so special.
• It’s game week for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The roster is now set and the Steelers are beginning preparations for New England. It’s a tough opener for the Black and Gold. The Pats have owned the Steelers, particularly in New England. Tom Brady has carved up the Steelers’ secondary over the years. I’m anxious to see if the new and improved Steelers’ defense can put pressure on the six time Super Bowl champ. I’d love to say I’m picking the Steelers, but I can’t do that. I have to go with the Patriots, as much as that makes me sick.
• It was no surprise that Mason Rudolph won the backup quarterback job. He had a really good preseason and thoroughly outplayed Josh Dobbs. Rudolph has a lot of talent and appears to have a lot of poise. Still, it’s in the Steelers’ best interests that he never has to take a meaningful snap this year. This is Big Ben’s team, and hopefully the two time Super Bowl winning quarterback can stay healthy and lead the Steelers to another Lombardi Trophy.
• I do believe the Steelers will make it back to the playoffs and even win their division. Yes, Cleveland is good and could make a big leap this season. I’m still going with the Steelers. I look for them to finish 11-5 in the regular season. They won’t win another Super Bowl, but they will let the rest of the NFL know they are indeed a playoff team again.
• Don’t look now but the Pirates are on a roll. They’re coming off a four-game sweep of the Rockies and have now won 12of their last 20 games. The Pirates’ pitching staff is still nothing to write home about, but the Buccos are putting up a lot of runs. I still think this team is in serious need of a major makeover in the offseason. I’m anxious to see if the Pirates can continue their hot streak over the final month of the year. If so, the offseason will definitely be interesting.
