Pittsburgh at Oregon State

The Panthers opened the season in disappointment when they fell at home to Bowling Green. It set perceptions, but it was probably their worst game of the year. There is no doubt which team played the tougher schedule here as the Panthers schedule included nine games against Bowl teams. Virtually every week they faced a steep challenge. They completed those nine with a 7-2 record, falling only to a red-hot Rutgers team and a Cincinnati team bound for the Orange Bowl. The offense was carried by one of the top backs in the country in LeSean McCoy, who rushed for 1,400 yards on the season. Pitt's defense held strong as they ranked in the top 25% in the country, in spite of going up against teams heading for postseason play almost every week. Oregon State started in similar disappointing fashion dropping their opener to Stanford and then getting crushed by Penn State 45-14. They had their moment in the sun when they did the unthinkable and beat USC, but ended on a big downer by dropping a game to Oregon 65-38. The Beavers beat the teams at the bottom of the Pac-10 in Washington and Washington State. This makes their numbers look better than they are as overall the Pac-10 had a down year. The Beavers had designs on the Rose Bowl, and this may be a disappointing spot for them off their big season finale loss. For the Pittsburgh seniors and team in general, this is their first Bowl they will have played in. That should provide a motivational edge. I'll take the points and the Panthers in this one.