Batko: Upcoming Steelers, Eagles matchup divides Pitt student body

When it comes time to mock West Virginia to the south or Penn State to the east, most Pitt…When it comes time to mock West Virginia to the south or Penn State to the east, most Pitt students can band together in their hatred.

And whether they are seated in the yellow seats of Heinz Field Stadium or the blue ones of the Petersen Events Center, Pitt fans usually unite to cheer for their beloved Panthers.

But this week induces one of the greatest schisms among the student body, a divisive event that comes around only once every four years: Steelers vs. Eagles.

Other Pittsburgh-Philadelphia rivalries like Pirates-Phillies and Penguins-Flyers create considerable animosity between students from the opposing cities — especially the latter — but neither are quite as hostile as their NFL counterpart.

Maybe it’s because the competitive gap between the two teams involved isn’t nearly as wide as it is in the baseball installment of the rivalry. Maybe it’s because football is more appealing to the general public than hockey and thus, results in more trash talk and anticipation from the casual fan.

Or perhaps it’s a combination of both: that the Steelers — who have won two championships in the past decade — and the Eagles — who have come so close so often in the same time period — are two premier teams in one of America’s premier professional sports leagues, yet they rarely play each other in the regular season.

And while the local AFC dwellers have been more successful overall, the head-to-head series between the two clubs has actually ended in favor of The City of Brotherly Love more often than not.

That’s right, the Eagles have beaten the Steelers in six of their most recent eight meetings — including a 15-6 victory in the most recent 2008 clash — and hold a 47-27-3 all-time advantage.

But when faced with that fact, Pittsburgh fans can simply point to their team’s six Super Bowl trophies, of which the birds from Philadelphia have none.

And more than just the egos of the students from both sides will be at stake when the two teams meet Sunday.

Coming off their bye week, the Steelers are hoping to avoid an embarrassing 1-3 start to their 2012 campaign. Meanwhile, quarterback Michael Vick and his Eagles teammates need a win to keep pace with Dallas and New York in the NFC East.

Pitt students from the East boast former Panther running backs LeSean McCoy and Dion Lewis on their team of choice, while those from the West can claim, well, the location of the University.

An added bonus to this year’s gridiron edition of The Incline vs. The Liberty Bell is its location in Pittsburgh at Heinz Field, meaning all those pesky Pitt-student Eagles fans can infiltrate the Steelers fortress of football if they so please.

So as Steelers-Eagles — or Steagles, as they were known when the two cross-state rival teams temporarily merged for the 1943 season because of World War II — Week kicks off, and tensions continue to mount until Sunday, embrace the pigskin clash of Center City vs. “Dahntahn” and Pat’s vs. Primanti’s.

It’s not like either team is public enemy No. 1 for the other anyway.

Assuming the two don’t meet again in the Super Bowl, as many hoped they would in 2008 — the Steelers held up their end of the deal, but the Eagles fell to Arizona in the NFC Championship — the outcome of Sunday’s matchup will determine which side of Penn’s Woods boasts the bragging rights for the next four years.

It’s a fantastic rivalry, especially since it can be enjoyed in moderation. After Sunday, both fan bases will have to resort to comparing the two teams based on how they fare elsewhere in the NFL.

But while you should feel inclined to bask in the bad blood between yourself and your fellow Pitt students from the other side of this state, don’t lose sight of what’s really important: Jeer the Mountaineers, curse the Nittany Lions and laugh at Pitt’s Big East foes.

And hey, there is one other thing Pittsburghers and Philadelphians alike can always agree on: Nothing’s worse than those south-central Pennsylvanians who side with the Baltimore Ravens.

Write Brian at bkb22@pitt.edu.