Monumental opportunity at Pitt in 11 days | Page 4 | Syracusefan.com

Monumental opportunity at Pitt in 11 days

Fair question…
From my POV, a rival should be the one team a fan or the fans base wants to beat more than any other. I fear that is a true poll we’re taken, we’d see Clemson taking the role of Duke hoops. The younger portion of the fanbase is naive and they’re driven by an instant notoriety and/or social media. “When we beat Clemson in 2017, my cousins from the West Coast texted me and we were all over Twitter. So, that’s who I want to beat most. A top 10 program.”

No. We’ve played Pitt every year for ~60 consecutive n seasons. And we need to change the two-decade long trend of them owning the series.

That’s why all SU fans need to prioritize this series. I do not care if Pitt’s dozens of fan’s prioritize others (WVU, Ped State) and see us a tertiary “rival.” It’s time to reclaim the series.

Puck Fitt.
SU has measuring stick opponents and then a group of regional/conference peers. I don’t think there is a single true rival.
 
I think part of the problem with having a true rival is our location. Generally speaking there aren't opposing fans in CNY and the other Northeastern campuses are far away. So teams do not bring a bunch of fans and there is not a lot of interaction between fanbases.

Because of our alumni we have plenty of fans between Boston and DC, which helps when we are on the road. But there is no vice versa.


-UB is what 150 miles? Plus we have no history and they are G5.
-Army 225 miles? They have Navy.
-Penn State/Rutgers/Temple/UMass 250? Penn State is way above us, Temple/UMass way below us.
-Delware/UConn 275? Both are well below us.
-BC 300? They don't have much of a fanbase and get students/players from Catholic schools.
-Pitt/MD/Navy 350? Navy has Army. Pitt has WV and isn't close enough for their fans, nor our fans.
WV 425? They have Pitt and are far away.


Also havingTHE rival generally is across ALL sports. Because of BBall that eliminates any chance with WV, Navy, BC, Delaware, UMass, Rutgers, Penn State, Army, and UB.

Really the only one who could fit across both sports is UConn if they were in the same FB and BBall conference as us.

For just FB, I think the best chance at an annual TG weekend game would be Rutgers. They are a poor fit but the best fit IMO. Maybe MD too if we did a BBall combo.
 
I think part of the problem with having a true rival is our location. Generally speaking there aren't opposing fans in CNY and the other Northeastern campuses are far away. So teams do not bring a bunch of fans and there is not a lot of interaction between fanbases.

Because of our alumni we have plenty of fans between Boston and DC, which helps when we are on the road. But there is no vice versa.


-UB is what 150 miles? Plus we have no history and they are G5.
-Army 225 miles? They have Navy.
-Penn State/Rutgers/Temple/UMass 250? Penn State is way above us, Temple/UMass way below us.
-Delware/UConn 275? Both are well below us.
-BC 300? They don't have much of a fanbase and get students/players from Catholic schools.
-Pitt/MD/Navy 350? Navy has Army. Pitt has WV and isn't close enough for their fans, nor our fans.
WV 425? They have Pitt and are far away.


Also havingTHE rival generally is across ALL sports. Because of BBall that eliminates any chance with WV, Navy, BC, Delaware, UMass, Rutgers, Penn State, Army, and UB.

Really the only one who could fit across both sports is UConn if they were in the same FB and BBall conference as us.

For just FB, I think the best chance at an annual TG weekend game would be Rutgers. They are a poor fit but the best fit IMO. Maybe MD too if we did a BBall combo.
Should be Penn State. When we are back to regular top 25, we should beg them for an annual game. Outside B1G regular schedule, we are their closest rival in FBS.
 
Maybe in the 50’s and 60’s

Mac on PSU was the measuring stick, then Miami, the Clemson
Always pstate when we were home and away. Once the series ended i agree but up until that time there is no doubt that Pstate was our number one rival.
 
Always pstate when we were home and away. Once the series ended i agree but up until that time there is no doubt that Pstate was our number one rival.
SU beat PSU in 1970, 1987, and 1988. That’s it since the end of the sixties.
 
I think part of the problem with having a true rival is our location. Generally speaking there aren't opposing fans in CNY and the other Northeastern campuses are far away. So teams do not bring a bunch of fans and there is not a lot of interaction between fanbases.

Because of our alumni we have plenty of fans between Boston and DC, which helps when we are on the road. But there is no vice versa.


-UB is what 150 miles? Plus we have no history and they are G5.
-Army 225 miles? They have Navy.
-Penn State/Rutgers/Temple/UMass 250? Penn State is way above us, Temple/UMass way below us.
-Delware/UConn 275? Both are well below us.
-BC 300? They don't have much of a fanbase and get students/players from Catholic schools.
-Pitt/MD/Navy 350? Navy has Army. Pitt has WV and isn't close enough for their fans, nor our fans.
WV 425? They have Pitt and are far away.


Also havingTHE rival generally is across ALL sports. Because of BBall that eliminates any chance with WV, Navy, BC, Delaware, UMass, Rutgers, Penn State, Army, and UB.

Really the only one who could fit across both sports is UConn if they were in the same FB and BBall conference as us.

For just FB, I think the best chance at an annual TG weekend game would be Rutgers. They are a poor fit but the best fit IMO. Maybe MD too if we did a BBall combo.
We need to get back to playing Ben's school West Virginia, there is a trophy involved.
 
This is not shade at Pitt. All the games are “monumental” from here on out. Unless you’re Alabama or Georgia you can’t afford more than 2 losses.
 
SU beat PSU in 1970, 1987, and 1988. That’s it since the end of the sixties.
To be fair we stopped playing them 34 years ago.
 
West Virginia was the closest that we got. Felt like there was true disdain between the fan bases, which is really what a rivalry needs to actually be considered a rivalry. It's too bad conference realignment quickly squashed that.
WVU is the exact type of program we should be scheduling home and homes with. They have name recognition with SU fans and will bring out casual fans, they always travel well themselves, and they're beatable. Perfect trifecta.
 
West Virginia was the closest that we got. Felt like there was true disdain between the fan bases, which is really what a rivalry needs to actually be considered a rivalry. It's too bad conference realignment quickly squashed that.

IMO VA Tech was closer
 
WVU is the exact type of program we should be scheduling home and homes with. They have name recognition with SU fans and will bring out casual fans, they always travel well themselves, and they're beatable. Perfect trifecta.

IMO VA Tech was closer

Yeah I think why West Virginia is closer that Va Tech for a true rivalry is how their fans would travel to the Dome. They'd typically bring the band and a few thousand fans and it made for a better rivalry atmosphere, IMO.
 
Yeah I think why West Virginia is closer that Va Tech for a true rivalry is how their fans would travel to the Dome. They'd typically bring the band and a few thousand fans and it made for a better rivalry atmosphere, IMO.

So did VA Tech. Both were on par back in the Big East days.
 
I agree. Part of the problem is that college sports are such an afterthought in Boston.
Yeah, they turned out that way. Too bad, back in the day they had some very good football and basketball teams. I'd offer a serious explanation, but it would likely be frowned upon by TPTB.
 
I’d say Miami from 92-02 was a rival. One sided like Penn st but a game we circled.

I never remember army as a rival. I do remember McNabb saluting the cadets and getting a ton of crap for it
To be a rival the other program/fanbase has to consider you a rival as well. As much as Syracuse fans circled Miami, i don’t think it was as much the other way around.

Also, if we’re asking who our rival is we don’t have a rival.

On another note this has to be the most important Cuse-Pitt game in my lifetime?
 
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To be a rival the other program/fanbase has to consider you a rival as well. As much as Syracuse fans circled Miami, i don’t think it was as much the other way around.

Also, if we’re asking who our rival is we don’t have a rival.

On another note this has to be the most important Cuse-Pitt game in my lifetime?

We have rarely both been ranked at the same time. Being 27th this year is almost there.

Pitt vs Syracuse games where both have been ranked since 1956 (just because I don't feel like going back any further, plus it covers most of our lifetimes):

October 19th 1991
#24 Syracuse at #20 Pitt, 31-27 Cuse

September 23rd 1989
#10 Syracuse at #13 Pitt, 30-23 Pitt

September 29th 1956
#7 Syracuse at #10 Pitt, 14-7 Pitt


Odd that all three were in Pittsburgh. Also they were all close games. We are 1-0 in October and 1-0 when ranked lower :p
 
To be a rival the other program/fanbase has to consider you a rival as well. As much as Syracuse fans circled Miami, i don’t think it was as much the other way around.

Also, if we’re asking who our rival is we don’t have a rival.

On another note this has to be the most important Cuse-Pitt game in my lifetime?
The 2 biggest moments in Syracuse Football, outside of the Heisman. Beating Texas for the National Championship.
The other Michael Owens 2 point conversation against West Virginia to preserve the undefeated season.
Everyone remembers that.
West Virginia should be played every year for the trophy.
 
The 2 biggest moments in Syracuse Football, outside of the Heisman. Beating Texas for the National Championship.
The other Michael Owens 2 point conversation against West Virginia to preserve the undefeated season.
Everyone remembers that.
West Virginia should be played every year for the trophy.
I was sitting right in the corner of the end zone when Owens ran it in. I always thought WVU was our biggest rival but i don’t think they felt the same.
 

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