It seems like every few months, Pitt and Penn State football — or the lack thereof in this case — draw some sort of new attention.
Whether it was head coaches Pat Narduzzi and James Franklin ranking the other’s school lowly in the final Coaches Poll of 2022, Penn State scheduling West Virginia on its 2023 schedule or Narduzzi’s sharp comments on Penn State’s offense at ACC media days last month, there is never a shortage of dialogue surrounding Pitt and Penn State.
But neither Pitt nor Penn State sparked the most recent dialogue. It was a West Virginia alumni this time.
93.7 The Fan’s Adam Crowley said, “Oh, yeah, Penn State’s scared to play Pitt.” And of course, it sparked a lot of debate between Penn State fans who think Pitt is beneath them, and Pitt fans who agree with Crowley — surprisingly.
The first recorded Pitt-Penn State game took place way, way back in before the turn of the 20th century. Pitt and Penn State met in State College, with the Nittany Lions pulling out an inaugural win. But Pitt Athletics recognizes the series as beginning in 1915, which was a Pitt win in Pittsburgh.
The Keystone Classic — as the series is sometimes referred to — continued annually for almost the entire 20th century, with the exception of stretches between 1932-34 and 1993-96. The series saw both sides go on extended runs through the annual meetings. But after the 2000 edition of Pitt-Penn State, the series went inactive for 16 years.
It actually resumed under the watch of Franklin and Narduzzi themselves, beginning with a 42-39 Pitt win at Heinz Field in 2016 after almost two decades of inaction, but Penn State reasserted itself over the next three meetings.
Penn State won matchups in 2017, 2018 and 2019 — capping the four-game resurgence with a 17-10 win at Beaver Stadium in 2019. However, Pitt can also boast that its win in 2016 likely kept the Nittany Lions out of the College Football Playoff.
The all-time history according to Pitt Athletics, dating back to the 20-0 Pitt win in 1915, is slightly skewed in Penn State’s favor. The Nittany Lions hold a narrow 41-38-4 margin of victory over the history of the series.
There is no current timetable for a Pitt-Penn State matchup in the future. And if you ask Crowley, it’s because Penn State is scared.
I don’t think they are “scared” …. c’mon, that is just silly. They play some tough opponents every season in the Big … Pitt wouldn’t be any tougher. Having said that, I grew up with the rivalry and I’d like to see it restored. H2P !
This started with Joe Paterno
Actually, it started long before JoePa. Pitt called the shots for well over 50 years, where to play and when. PS was beneath us.
It wasn’t until PS started handing out football scholarships (the first to do so) that this changed. He resented how PS was treated by Pitt and it show today. Their 50 years are just about up.
Does anybody actually listen to that radio station? Luckily I have Sirius/XM and listen to real radio, from informed talk show hosts, not clowns like these local guys. The only talk show host Pittsburgh had who was worth listening to, passed away a few months ago. Most of the guys on the radio now say things to draw attention.
Good luck fighting for 3rd/4th place in Big 10 again this year.
scaredy-cat
[ skair-dee-kat ]SHOW IPA
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See synonyms for: scaredy-catscaredy-cats on Thesaurus.com
nounInformal.
They are Scaredy-Cats!!! H2P
I believe that not scheduling each other hurts BOTH teams. Penn States recruits here, why not play here. Coach Narduzzi says he will play anyone anywhere, anytime. With that being said, it’s time to play.
PSU scheduled Massachusetts, Delaware, and WVU but no Pitt. PSU killed-off what has always been one of the greatest, and most fun, rivalries in college football. Shameful. PSU would absolutely block Pitt from any effort to join the Big-10 conference. The pattern backs up the ‘scared’ claim. PSU knows that Pitt would be one of the top threats to derail their college playoff ambitions. SCARED.
Kinda glad PS starts the season with WV. WV ruined our season last year with all the injuries incurred during the game. Let PS rough them up before we play. Said it once and here again. Let WV play in their conference and whoever they want outside the conference but not Pitt. Tire of the local media screaming at the top of their collective lungs “backyard brawl”. That the network had to suppress the game long chant “Eat S**t, Pitt”, is a disgrace. A friend’s six year son, attending the game, was harassed to the point that he doesn’t want… Read more »