BBVA Compass Bowl

BBVA Compass Bowl, Birmingham AL, Jan 8, 12pm EST

Pittsburgh (7-5) vs. Kentucky (6-6)



Is Pitt as bad as we all think they are?



Pittsburgh has had a tough year. They were expected to be one of the top teams in the Big East. They had a chance at a BCS bowl appearance. Instead they will be in Birmingham at the decrepit Legion Field on the decrepit Arkadelphia Blvd. This has to be one of the sorriest bowl locations in the country. The stadium is falling apart. It is in a horrible part of town. And Birmingham isn't known as a town with a lot of attractions. Pitt will have to make do though. Last week Pitt joined the ranks of the coach less teams when they fired Dave Wannstedt. Who they think they are going to get to replace him that will do better, we don't know. Pitt reminds us of the Ole Miss of the Big East. Totally unrealistic expectations for the amount of money and interest in the program. (No Ole Miss you are not a BCS contender.) But Pitt had something going for it Ole Miss didn't. They were in the always bad Big East. They only need to beat Connecticut. Louisville, and a parade of losers to make a BCS Bowl. No big SEC competition for Pitt. Unfortunately that parade of losers was just to much this year. Pitt just couldn't compete. And so they are relegated to the sorriest of bowls.




On the other side you have a 6-6 Kentucky. Kentucky used to be a perennial SEC bottom dweller. But over the past few years they have really turned a corner. No longer is the Kentucky game a gimmie on an SEC schedule. They showed that this year by knocking off SEC East Champion South Carolina. Under new head coach Joker Phillips they look to continue their success. Sure Kentucky would have loved to be in a BCS game; they are happy to have a bowl and be moving in the right direction.




The crowd is going to be overwhelmingly Kentucky blue. Add that with the positive direction at Kentucky and disappointment at Pitt. What it equals is a bowl win for the Kentucky Wildcats