Time and Time again, PITT football makes me want to retch

I haven't had much of an opportunity to watch PITT football this year since they almost always seem to play when I'm at work. And since I don't get ESPN any more, I haven't seen any of the prime time games either so it's been hard to really get a feel for their abilities.

But I do know that PITT was 3-0 in the Big East heading into last night's game and in the driver's seat for the conference championship and automatic BCS bowl berth.

Today, things are a bit different after their narrow, 30-28, loss at Connecticut. Much like the season-opening overtime loss at Utah, I suppose losing on the road to the Huskies isn't a huge sin. After all, the Huskies were one of the preseason favorites for the conference title and playing at Connecticut has been Hell away from home for the Panthers in recent years.

But a win sure would have been nice. The PITT Panthers just can't seem to stand prosperity. Anytime something is out there for the taking, they don't reach out and grab it. Defeating the Huskies would have been a nice signature win for the program and for Dave Wannstedt. It would have given them a 2-game lead over the rest of the Big East with only three games remaining and PITT could have coasted to the title. Sweet relief for long-suffering PITT fans, such as myself, who have been waiting for them to get over that hump.

But now things are a little more complicated. The Panthers still control their own destiny, but another slip up could mean the difference between the Fiesta Bowl, and once again playing in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.

Seriously, how bad is Big East football this year? The conference desperataly needed someone to jump up and dominate, but nobody has done it, and nobody really will. What are the odds of a team with an overall record of 7-5 or 6-6 winning the Big
East and representing the conference in the BCS? After last night's loss by the Panthers, the odds have grown considerably. It certainly wouldn't put to rest the argument that the conference should lose its automatic BCS berth, that's for sure.

But I'm almost rooting for it to happen just to see if Kirk Herbstreit has a melt-down on the College Gameday set.

PITT fans, be prepared to sweat out another long November.