Nov 1, 2013 4 min read

ATLANTA – Pitt is hoping its schedule provided the perfect setup for this week’s challenge of defending Georgia Tech’s spread-option offense.

Coach Paul Johnson’s option offense is unlike any other attack on most teams’ schedules. It can be an especially daunting challenge for Atlantic Coast Conference newcomers facing Georgia Tech for the first time in Johnson’s six seasons. Syracuse was crushed 56-0 by the Yellow Jackets only two weeks ago.

The offense won’t be new to Pitt (2-2 ACC, 4-3) tonight, however. The Panthers are coming off last week’s 24-21 loss at Navy, which retained the spread-option offense when Johnson left Annapolis for Georgia Tech.

Even with the loss, Pitt gained valuable experience in preparing for Georgia Tech (4-2, 5-3). The Pitt-Navy game also provided Johnson a chance to see the Panthers’ defense play against the offense.

The Panthers’ extra work against the spread option may be no more of an advantage than Johnson’s preview of Pitt’s defense against the scheme. Johnson said the Pitt-Navy film is “good for us to look at, having not played them.” Even so, Johnson said he would prefer to play a team that was not facing the spread option for the second straight week.

“If I’d had my druthers, I would rather them not played Navy,” Johnson said. “It probably benefits them a little more to get the speed of the offense.”

Penn State moving on: Penn State is ready to move on from one of the worst losses in program history. The Nittany Lions, of course, have little choice.

It’s time for the next game on the schedule, and that means they have to prepare for Illinois (0-3 Big Ten, 3-4) today. Ohio State’s 63-14 win over the Nittany Lions (1-2, 4-3) was a setback for a team coming off an emotional four-overtime win against undefeated Michigan. Much like the Nittany Lions couldn’t build off that victory, they can only hope their epic defeat doesn’t linger into Saturday at Beaver Stadium.

“We talk to our guys all the time about 12 one-game seasons,” coach Bill O’Brien said. “So we try to separate it that way. We go week to week, and we try to make sure that the kids understand, OK, on Monday, when they come in, let’s review some of the tape from the previous Saturday’s game, but also, boom, that game is over as soon as we’re done, and we focus on the task at hand.”

WVU, TCU fight for winning records: When TCU and West Virginia became the newcomers of the Big 12 last season, both were coming off consecutive championships in their previous conferences.

Forget a Big 12 title. The Horned Frogs and Mountaineers are fighting for the chance just to have a winning season.

Both take a 3-5 record into their second meeting as Big 12 foes today. Each is also 1-4 in conference play.

“The Big 12 is challenging, as we are figuring out,” WVU coach Dana Holgorsen said.

And that has certainly has changed the goals for each team this season. Just to get the six wins needed for bowl eligibility, TCU and WVU both would have to win three of their last four games. They have to go undefeated down the stretch to guarantee a winning season.

“The tweak went from trying to win the conference title to trying to get to a bowl game,” TCU coach Patterson said. “Right now, we just have to win one. If we win one, then we have to win two.”

TCU, which lost two in a row, has never had a three-game losing streak in Patterson’s 13 seasons.

The Mountaineers have a three-game losing streak, and have to use bowl eligibility as motivation.

“I feel like we have a lot to play for. I think the players feel like they have a lot to play for,” Holgorsen said. “What we do matters and we have an obligation to put our best foot forward, get out there, practice hard and put our best foot forward.”