Panthers choose their fate tomorrow against Rutgers

The Pitt football team defines its season tomorrow.

Nineteenth-ranked Rutgers comes to… The Pitt football team defines its season tomorrow.

Nineteenth-ranked Rutgers comes to Heinz Field to take on a Panther team that is off to its best start in more than 20 years, and if the Panthers want to prove that they are a Big East contender, they have to win.

This game was so hyped that ESPN decided to move the kickoff time from noon to 5:45 p.m. so it could be nationally televised on ESPN2.

The teams know each other well. Head coaches Dave Wannstedt and Greg Schiano used to coach together with the Chicago Bears when Wannstedt was head coach there.

Fresh in every Panther’s mind is Pitt’s loss at Rutgers last year — then its first in seven years. Linebacker H.B. Blades wore a Rutgers T-shirt during summer conditioning to remind the team of it.

There is a lot at stake in this game. It is definitely a must-win for both teams.

Q: Who will be the biggest factor in the Rutgers game?

A: The Pitt defensive line — no doubt. Rutgers is a running team. Ray Rice has been one of the top national rushers in the past couple weeks, and there’s no reason to suspect that Rutgers won’t go to him 25 times.

The question will be if Pitt’s defensive line can stop the Scarlet Knights’ rushing game before it develops. It didn’t last year, but this year’s defensive unit is slightly bigger with more experience. It’s looking like right now that defensive end Chris McKillop will play, despite suffering a minor injury last week at Central Florida, so the unit will be at full strength.

We all saw what happened the last time Pitt faced a good rushing attack: Michigan State had its way with the Panther defense. Since then, I’ve seen a lot of improvement, but just how much will be determined tomorrow.

Q: Is Rutgers really that good?

A: Well, despite Rutgers’ reputation the last 20 years, they’re definitely a good team. Schiano has turned the program around and took the Scarlet Knights to a bowl game last season in which they lost, but played Arizona State very well.

However, Rutgers hasn’t played anybody substantial this year. Its toughest game was against South Florida. Rutgers has blown out the likes of Howard and Illinois so far, but hasn’t really done much to merit the No. 19 ranking.

I know what you’re thinking, “But Pitt hasn’t done much against anybody substantial either.” True, but Pitt hasn’t struggled with an opponent aside from MSU this year. Rutgers has won some pretty close games against marginal competition.

Are the Scarlet Knights good? Yes. Are they the 19th best team in the country? Absolutely not.

Q: If Pitt beats Rutgers, what does that mean for the rest of the season?

A: Well first of all, Pitt will definitely be ranked in the top 25. As it stands now, the Panthers are 26th in both the Associated Press and USA Today polls, and a win over a ranked team would put them in for sure.

As far as the remaining four weeks of the season go, Pitt could potentially be 9-1 when West Virginia comes to town for the Backyard Brawl. That game would mean a lot more for the Panthers than it would if they were 7-3. It’s a primetime game and Heinz Field should be packed. West Virginia is very good, but Pitt would have something more to prove in that game and would have an optimal atmosphere in which to prove it.

A win this week keeps Big East title talk alive as well as some high bowl hopes for the Panthers. While all that might seem far-fetched, it is still possible with a win this week. A loss pretty much squashes all that hope.