Take 5 | The Pitt News Sports Desk gives opinions on the AP Poll, Daniel Jones and more

AP and the Coaches poll shouldn’t release weekly Top-25 polls // Jermaine Sykes, Assistant Sports Editor

AP and NCAA head coaches around the country rank the top college football teams in the country. Starting in the preseason, and dropping on Sunday afternoon every week thereafter, the rankings are always a talking point.

But here’s the thing. They don’t matter.

These polls used to play a factor in determining the national champion. But ever since the College Football Playoff became the way for determining the national champion, the AP and Coaches poll have become almost irrelevant after week 9. On top of this, the CFP rankings, which determine the order of the playoffs, consistently differ from the AP and Coaches poll.

These polls just negatively influence fans’ opinions on teams. For example, look at Louisville. The Cardinals jumped up from No. 25, to No. 14 after upsetting Notre Dame — just for them to get embarrassed by 1-4 Pitt a week later. It’s impossible to rank teams accurately until the end of the season, so these polls are unnecessary. 

Matt Canada needs to go // Grace McNally, Staff Writer

It’s time for the Steelers to move on from Matt Canada. 

Steelers’ Matt Canada faces much scrutiny since being promoted to OC in 2021. Since taking up the role, Steelers offense has ranked #26 in expected points added, #26 in yards gained and #28 in points. Canada has consistently shown his inability to call the right plays. 

Fans were outraged following footage of Canada having no reaction to the game-winning 41-yard touchdown against the Ravens by quarterback Kenny Pickett to wide receiver George Pickens. Pickett reportedly called an audible, changing Canada’s original call.

Although he has faced so much backlash this season, Canada has not been fired.

It’s time for him to either step down or be removed. An offensive coordinator that has no reaction to a game-winning touchdown — just because it was not his play — lowers morale for both the team and fans. Not to mention the Steelers offense has been severely lacking compared to the rest of the NFL. Despite the frustrations with the play results, at the end of the day, the offensive coordinator should only be concerned with winning the game.

Guaranteed Contracts have a negative effect on parity // Ari Meyer, Staff Writer

Every year it happens. There is always one contract that ends up looking terrible because some team guaranteed a player a lot of money for them to ultimately underperform. For example, Daniel Jones signed a $160 million contract in the offseason through 2026, with $82 million guaranteed. Now, the contract is not aging well due to Jones’ underwhelming performance so far this season. This amount of money guaranteed to Daniel Jones will ultimately set the Giants back years in their progress if he does not eventually live up to the expectations and money he is receiving. 

It does not just occur in football, as we also see this in the MLB. Bobby Bonilla, who last played for the Mets in 1999, has been paid $1.19 million every year since as a way to defer paying his guaranteed contract. He will continue receiving this payment yearly until 2035 — 36 years after he last played for them.

Guaranteed contracts prove a massive burden for struggling teams, setting them back often. It allows the worst teams to get worse while other teams move ahead of them.

Christian Veilleux provides optimism for Pitt football // Morgan Filar, Staff Writer

Pitt was projected to lose to No. 14 Louisville, but Christian Veilleux, redshirt sophomore quarterback, had other plans. After benching Phil Jurkovec, redshirt senior quarterback, the coaches were ready for a new outcome. Veilleux’s 200 passing yards and two touchdowns handed the Cardinals their first loss after winning their first 5 games in the season. 

The Penn State transfer has two more years of eligibility. This gives Pittsburgh fans hope, because there is time for Veilleux to develop and further improve his game. Veilleux’s quarterback efficiency led to a newfound spark in the offense that was much needed and propelled the Panthers to find their second win of the season.

Kenny Pickett was able to develop and gain confidence over time. It took Pickett several years to play well, learn the offense, and become a leader. Fans are hopeful that Veilleux can develop in a similar way. Many thought Jurkovec could fill these shoes, but he was unable to find success.

Veilleux’s teammates seem to rally around his leadership. The team had a new atmosphere that should carry into next weekend’s game against Wake Forest. 

Sidney Crosby and Peyton Krebs drop the gloves // Jenna Paler, Staff Writer

Pittsburgh Penguins Captain Sidney Crosby is on a full revenge tour. The Penguins took the 7-4 win in Buffalo against the Sabres on Oct. 6. During the last pre-season game for both teams, Crosby stood up for his teammate, Kris Letang, after a brutal but clean hit by Sabres Peyton Krebs and Tyson Jost. 

It was surprising to many hockey fans that Crosby would initiate a fight. However, the frustration of not making the playoffs last season puts patience on the line for this upcoming season. Both guys received five minute penalties for fighting, with Crosby receiving an extra two minutes for cross checking. 

In the video game coverage, you can see Crosby and Krebs sharing laughs about the fight in the penalty box. Crosby even said he wasn’t exactly sure who hit Letang anyways, but regardless, his leadership kicked in to defend his teammate. Krebs will definitely remember this fight for the rest of his life, as his favorite player has been Crosby himself since childhood.