Pitt should win Big East Title

It is only two weeks into the month of November, but it is turning out to be one of the best… It is only two weeks into the month of November, but it is turning out to be one of the best sports months of this year. Pitt football is in position to win its first ever Big East title and head to a Bowl Championship Series bowl, which could be the Orange Bowl in Miami.

Pitt basketball has looked solid in its two exhibition games behind Julius Page and Chevon Troutman.

The volleyball team is headed to the Big East Tournament behind head coach Chris Beerman and they have a very good shot at winning the whole thing. Finally, as a Pitt fan, it’s become an expectation that the men’s swimming and diving team will win the Big East Title, again.

Although all of these positives are happening here in Oakland, there are plenty of things happening in the world of sports that are worth touching on. Let’s take a quick look around, shall we?

– At the beginning of the college football season, Chris Rix and Brock Berlin were the toast of the quarterback world in the state of Florida. Especially after Berlin, who transferred from Florida, led Miami to a second-half comeback win against the Gators earlier this year that left him laughing in the Gators’ faces. But it was a dismal Saturday for both Rix, who threw two interceptions as his Seminoles lost to Clemson, and Berlin, who played a horrific game as the ‘Canes lost to Tennessee.

It is Florida freshman quarterback Chris Leak that has the Gators and head coach Ron Zook looking at a possible SEC title, thanks to Leak’s excellent play. Guess who’s laughing now?

– Sticking with college football, experts are saying it is obvious that Oklahoma is the best team in the country, but is it the best team ever? After Saturday’s 77-0 win over Texas A’M, it appears as though the Sooners could be. The Aggies had more penalty yards (63) then they did yards on offense (54). They managed just three first downs and not once in the entire game did they cross their own 40-yard line.

– Don’t look now but Pitt’s defensive most valuable player shouldn’t be Lewis Moore or Claude Harriott, although they are both having good years. It should be redshirt freshman linebacker Brian Bennett.

After registering eight tackles – one for a loss – and forcing a fumble against Virginia Tech Saturday night, Bennett is second on the team in tackles with 84. He has six tackles for a loss and leads the defense with three sacks.

He’s also forced two fumbles and recovered another. Although this may be a surprise to many, it’s not to me. I knew this kid was special ever since I read that he had 25 tackles and returned an interception for a touchdown in a state championship game in high school.

– Switching over to Major League Baseball, my home team, the Phillies, just traded for closer Billy Wagner. What does this mean for Philly fans? A lot. First, the Phils don’t need Jose Mesa and his different color gloves anymore. Good riddance to that.

Second, if the Phils find a way to persuade Kevin Millwood to stay and can afford his contract, they easily become a World Series contender. Lastly, it is more motivation for Pat Burrell, who shouldn’t need any after hitting .200 this past season, to stop heading down to Delaware Avenue, where he has been known to have a pretty blonde under one arm and a pretty draft beer in the other.

– Jeff Long has not been the athletics director at Pitt for that long, but already one of his first decisions seems to be the right one. Hiring Agnus Berenato as the new head coach for women’s basketball has brought a new fire to the program and very genuine person to the University.

Never mind that the Panthers lost an exhibition game already; give Berenato some time and she will make Long and I look pretty smart.

– What do Quincy Wilson, Makonnen Fenton and Jarret Payton have in common? They are the starting running backs for the teams that Pitt still has to play this season. What else should they have in common? They should all be benched come game day against the Panthers.

Why? Because if I were the head coach at West Virginia, Temple or Miami, I would already be conducting open try-outs for starting running back for the Pitt game. Frat boys, intramural stars, even women are welcome. There is only one requirement if you wish to try out. Your last name must be Jones, because if it is, you are a sure thing against that Panther defense.

– Finally, after Miami’s 10-6 loss to Tennessee on Saturday, Miami tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. lashed out at the referees and at his team for its poor play. In the interview he arrogantly proclaimed, “I’m a [expletive] soldier.”

No, Kellen. The only thing you are is “an [expletive] j-ACC-ass.”

Matt Sortino is a columnist for the Pitt News and he believes Pitt will beat Florida State in the Orange Bowl, the Steelers will beat Baltimore in the last game of the season to make the playoffs and the Phillies will beat the A’s in seven games next year in the World Series. E-mail him at mbs3@pitt.edu to tell him how wrong he is.