All Pittsburgh, all the time

Two Pittsburgh sports lovers kick off the new school year with their first “fact or fiction”… Two Pittsburgh sports lovers kick off the new school year with their first “fact or fiction” by sounding off on all things Pittsburgh.

1. This weekend’s home opener against Notre Dame will be the biggest game of the season for the Pitt football team.

Dave: Fiction. I know this game might be the one that gets the most national hype for the Panthers with “GameDay” coming and the Charlie Weis and Dave Wannstedt stories, but I can’t say this is the biggest game of the season. Pitt comes in ranked 23rd and the Irish are unranked. This game isn’t even a conference game. A win would be nice for the team’s confidence, but it’s not a must-win type game.

Matt: Fiction. Although it may seem now that this is Pitt’s biggest game, the Panthers’ mid-season game at Louisville will most likely decide the Big East title and the conference’s Bowl Championship Series bid. Saturday’s game against the Irish is a big game in a lot of ways, but if you look at the whole picture, a non-conference opponent should never be your most important game.

2. Despite recent injuries to their two top running backs, Duce Staley and Jerome Bettis, the Steelers are still the favorite to return to the AFC championship.

Dave: As much as it hurts to say it, this is fiction. The Steelers have struggled in the preseason and need a solid running attack to control the ball and make their defense as effective as it can be. I like Willie Parker, but I’m not sure if he can carry the load like the Bus did last year for Duce. There are too many good teams in the AFC to say right now that the Steelers will get there.

Matt: Fact. As much as the injuries to the running backs will hurt, that won’t be what keeps the Steelers from returning the AFC championship game. I love the Steelers more than anyone I know but even I am not blind enough to miss the fact that something is wrong with Big Ben Roethlisberger. If the Steelers miss out on the AFC Championship game, it will be because teams will stack the box and make Ben beat them, something he hasn’t shown he can do this preseason.

3. Regardless of the Pirates’ yearlong struggles, there is still something positive about being a Buccos fan.

Dave: Fiction. Say what you want about the young guys that have done well, but I’m not buying it. Yeah, I’m a big Zach Duke fan and love Chris Duffy and Jason Bay, but the Pirates are finishing up another losing season. Their management has been talking about young players and prospects that whole time — clearly something’s not right. I want to see Mark Cuban take over the team and buy some players. Then I’ll be positive.

Matt: Fact. The Pirates may never be able to actually contend for a World Series under the Collective Bargaining Agreement that is in place in baseball, but when you have a pitching staff consisting of solid prospects under the age of 25 and a lineup that is the youngest in baseball, the future has to be bright. Zach Duke could fall on his face next year, the way Oliver Perez did this year, but I would like to think Chris Duffy, Ryan Doumit and Brad Eldred aren’t all flukes. Hopefully next year the Pirates will be pushing for third or fourth place in the central.

4. With everything that has happened to the Penguins in the NHL’s one-year hiatus (favorable CBA, drafting Sidney Crosby and a handful of free agent signings), the Penguins are a legitimate contender for the Stanley Cup.

Dave: Fact. And I can’t say it enough: I’m ecstatic about it. With all the moves that the Pens have made in the past two weeks and all of the roster shuffling that has gone on around the league, anybody is a contender. With Mario supposedly in the best shape of his life and almost two full years to get there, expect big things when he has such a solid group of veterans surrounding him. If the young guys step up, I expect to be watching Pens games long after finals are done in April.

Matt: Fact. This is a no-brainer. Anytime you add great scorers like Mark Recchi and John LeClair from free agency to a team with one of the greatest players of all time in Mario Lemieux, then have the lottery ball bounce your way and get the greatest hockey prospect in 20 years only to wrap it up by signing a solid veteran goaltender and the best scoring defenseman in the game, you will certainly be contenders. They have a few young kids like Ryan Malone who have yet to sign contracts and they need to be taken care of, but come Oct. 5, the Pens should be on a short list of favorites in the Eastern Conference.