It feels like I am going to repeat myself again, but it bears repeating because itโs important.ย
There is no logical reason why Pitt shouldnโt be on Penn Stateโs schedule annually.
Consider Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi the protagonist in the unnecessary drama, whereas Penn State is the perfect antagonist which remains hostile against putting their Keystone State rival on the calendar.ย
โThat Penn State/Pitt one, which weโre still trying to figure out why we donโt play that game still,โ said Narduzzi on Pittsburghโs 93.7 The Fan Morning Show Friday morning. โWe should be playing West Virginia and Penn State every single year and Iโll go on record as saying Iโm ready to go right now. Letโs line it up.โ
I wrote a few weeks ago that Pitt was indeed Penn Stateโs rival. I donโt back down on that claim, not now nor will I ever.
PSU coach James Franklin talks with Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi before last year’s game at Beaver Stadium.
Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens sat down for an interview with John Canzano. Mullens was asked why Oregon State is still important to schedule, even with scheduling complications that are on the horizon for both schools.
โThat game matters to us and our state and to our fans,โ he said. โWeโre fortunate that we have that game at Autzen Stadium this year. The two years after that are a little complicated. Weโre still continuing to have dialogue with Oregon State. Weโd love to make that happen. It is a little complicated for those two years, for 2026 and 2027. We donโt have a solution yet, but I do see that game continuing in the future for sure.โ
We donโt see that same energy coming from Penn Stateโs side.
I consider athletic director Pat Kraft amongst the best in the business. The job he has done to transform Penn State into an athletic juggernaut: football, both menโs and womenโs hockey and volleyball, lacrosse, soccer, and wrestling made Final Fours during the 2024-25 season, is a testament to Kraftโs vision of excellence.
What Kraft is missing in football is a bonafide rivalry.
As I mentioned previously, this yearโs out of conference slateโ Nevada, FIU and Villanovaโ is about as exciting as watching the grass grow. If Penn State doesnโt have a scoring margin after those three games close to 100 points, something is wrong.ย
I get the Big Ten slate is a rough one having to deal with Oregon come Sept. 27 for the White Out, a trip to Columbus, Ohio to their own house of horrors against Ohio State. Penn State has only won three times in Ohio Stadium since 1978.
Indiana might be a thorn in Penn Stateโs side, Iowa is never an easy task in Kinnick.
I get those obstacles that Penn State faces, but its 2025 White Out opponent embraces the competition.ย
Why doesnโt Penn State embrace toughening its schedule?ย
For fans who say โPitt does nothing for usโ, if nothing else. Pitt is a Power 4 team. What do FIU, Nevada or Villanova do for Penn State? Like I mentioned previously, last season had a two-loss national champion (Ohio State) who lost to an 6-5 team (Michigan) on the final week of the regular season, who played in the national championship a Notre Dame team that beat Penn State for one, but the same Notre Dame team lost earlier in the season to a MAC school (Northern Illinois).ย
Pat Narduzzi is the perfect villain for Penn State. He appreciates the history and traditions of college football. He wants Pitt to play West Virginia and Penn State every year.ย
Records donโt matter to him. Being able to needle both schools ย is exactly what Narduzzi relishes in.ย
We all know James Franklin loves to dish it back.ย
“I know last year for their win [Pitt defeated Penn State 42-39 in 2016], it was like the Super Bowl,” Franklin said in 2017 following Penn Stateโs 33-14 win against Pitt.ย “But for us, this was just like beating Akron.”
All I can say to the same coach who said following the Bowling Green game last season, โBowling Green was a big game. If you don’t think it was, lose to Bowling Green and see how people react. They’re all big games.โ
Narduzziโs advice to Franklin and Kraft: schedule โAkronโ if you dare.
