Pitt 24 - Miami 14

This is why you follow sports.

Pitt was 4-7.  They had just lost two consecutive games that were there for the taking.  The third year head coach was for the first time in his tenure coming under fire, and there were reports that he was sniping at the new Athletic Director (the one who didn't hire him), and the team would not be going to a bowl game.  Now, on the day after Thanksgiving, they would be playing out the string in a half empty stadium against the University of Miami.

Yes, Miami, who was 11-0, ranked #2 in the CFP, were headed to the ACC Championship game, and who would be a serious threat to win it all in the College Football Playoff.  The same Miami who had dismantled the third ranked team in the CFP on national television just two weeks ago.  The same Miami that had everything to play for against a team that, if you called them an "also ran", you would be being kind to them.

Nope, no way that Pitt was going to win this one or even hang close to Miami.  The only question would be just how large the margin of victory would be.  Hell, if the weather had been bad today, I might have opted to just skip this one and stay home.

You know what happened.  Pitt, with freshman quarterback Kenny Pickett making his first start for the Panthers, led 10-7 at half, bumped it to 17-7 in the third quarter, and seemingly sealed the the deal with an amazing 22 yard naked bootleg run for a TD by Pickett with under three minutes to play that made it 24-7. I say "seemingly" because, of course, Pitt never makes it easy for the fans, as they allowed a long TD pass and then saw Miami recover an onside kick when the ball took a one-chance-in-a-hundred bounce.  However, a fumble recovery two plays later gave Pitt the ball and THAT sealed the deal.  There were no fluke or freaky plays involved in this one.  It was complete and thorough Pitt victory, and it ended what has been a fairly sour season on a very sweet note.

Miami may still make it into the CFP, and if they do, they could very well win the whole thing.  And there are still questions hanging over a lackluster season-long performance by Pitt.  However, neither of those circumstances take away the euphoria experience by Pitt's players and coaches, and fans, especially this rowdy bunch in Section 535.

Yep, a game like this one is why you follow sports.