As the title theme of Hamilton tells us “in New York you can be a new man, in New York you can be a new man, in New York, New York! Just you wait!”
Thus, if you’re a member of the Northwestern Wildcats (6-6) or the #23 Pittsburgh Panthers (8-4), this is your chance to rebrand your 2016.
The Pinstripe Bowl, in the house that George/Jeter Built, provides an opportunity for you make a legacy that your season, and in many cases your college football career, will be defined. It’s the only bowl game at that time and it’s on the ESPN mothership, so people will be watching.
(photo credits: New Era Pinstripe Bowl)
Pinstripe Bowl TV: Kickoff: 2 PM EST Ryan Ruocco, Mike Golic, Mike Golic Jr., Paul Caracaterra
Radio: Kevin Winter, Jack Ford, CJ Papa
Pinstripe Bowl SPREAD: Pitt -5 1/2
(photo credits: New Era Pinstripe Bowl)
The Pinstripe Bowl Trophy:
George M. Steinbrenner, whom the Pinstripe Bowl Trophy is named after, was once an assistant football coach at Northwestern in 1955. Current Yankees manager Joe Girardi is also a graduate of the University.
Here in Chicago, we’re currently really obsessed with trophies because of #CubsTrophyTour
You can have a look at the Pinstripe Bowl trophy at the beginning of this post and in the featured image for this post.
Series Notes:
Northwestern football are making their Bronx debut, while Pitt is making its third Yankee Stadium appearance. The Panthers played in the first ever college football game at the original Yankee Stadium in 1923, and again in 1962. The Pinstripe Bowl, marketed as New York’s Bowl Game was initiated in 2010, so this will be the seventh edition.
The Wildcats and Panthers (RAR RAR RAR! CATFIGHT!) are meeting for just the seventh time ever and the first since 1973.
Weather forecast: high 43, low 35, party sunny/cloudy
Notable Favorite Holiday Songs of Northwestern Football personalities:
Coach Pat Fitzgerald– “Adam Sandler, the Thanksgiving song. Put it on your playlist, you’ll enjoy it.”
C.J. Robbins– “Big fan of Boyz II Men.” (GREAT CHOICE! I love the Philly quartet’s “Let it Snow” which is completely different from the standard Christmas carol you know and love):
Northwestern Football Preview:
As much as sports matters to the city of New York, the city offers so much that goes far above and beyond athletics. History, culture, fine amenities, and more await you in the Big Apple, making a sporting event seem like just an after thought.
We asked a few Northwestern football players about what non-football things they’re looking forward to in NYC on this trip and here’s a link to what they had to say.
Northwestern will be facing the 127th ranked pass defense out of 128 FBS teams. Thus, it’s safe to say that Austin Carr, the Biletnikoff award finalist and Big Ten wide receiver of the year award winner, will be “blowing up like nitro” as Notorious B.IG. famously rapped (only New York MCs will be quoted in the pinstripe Bowl game preview).
Also, you should check out our cover story in today’s Chicago Tribune RedEye, a feature on Austin Carr, and all his interesting and compelling off the field qualities.
I’m thinking Carr goes off for over 200 yards receiving and 3+ TDs and QB Clayton Thorson hits 400 yards passing for the first time in his career.
Here’s a link to much more on Carr, his truly Renaissance man personality, with all his varied interests and all the crazy numbers he put up this season.
First Team All-Big Ten running back Justin Jackson led the B1G in rushing (1,300 yards) at the end of regular season play and paced the Wildcats with 12 rushing touchdowns. He’s now second all time in school history in rushing, with a whole year of eligibility left!
Fitzgerald on Justin Jackson and all that he’s accomplished thus far: “Goes to show his durability, his toughness, and his consistency. When you think of our program, Justin Jackson is the guy on Mount Rushmore.”
First Team All-Big Ten defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo helped lead the defense, tying for the Conference lead with 10 sacks. He’s the team’s best sound bite among the two deep and regulars (reserve running back Auston Anderson is the best).
NU is bowl eligible for the seventh time in the last nine seasons, but they have won just one bowl game under Pat Fitzgerald, the 2012-2013 Gator Bowl over Mississippi State, the school’s first bowl win since 1949.
#23 Pittsburgh Panthers Preview
Quarterback Nathan Peterman has a 26-6 TD-INT ratio and he is among the most efficient passers (161.2) in Pitt history. Very impressive considering it’s the same school that produced Dan Marino. He was asked about his stats on the Pinstripe Bowl media call, but his response was just typical canned cliches.
He was nothing like the Peterman you might think of first and foremost in New York- J. Peterman, a real life catalogue, but a character portrayed by John O’Hurley on “Seinfeld.”
J Peterman: “Oh, Elaine. The toll road of denial is a long and dangerous one. The price, your soul. Oh and by the way you have til’ five to clear out your desk. You’re fired.”
Led by head coach and former Michigan State Defensive Coordinator Pat Narduzzi, Pitt will be making their ninth consecutive bowl appearance and 33rd all-time. They were the only team in the nation this year to defeat two power five conference champs (Penn State of the Big Ten and Clemson of the ACC). If you don’t like Penn State, you can thank thank Pitt, along with Michigan, for keeping them out of the playoff.
The Panthers win at #2 Clemson snapped a 21-game Tigers home winning streak, the longest active streak in the nation at the time.
However, Pitt this season are more memorable for that 76-61 win over Syracuse, which broke the all time NCAA combined scoring record.
In most games involving the Cuse this season, defense was only a rumor.
The Panthers main star is redshirt junior running back James Conner, who earned 2016 All-ACC and the Brian Piccolo Award, awarded to the “most courageous” football player in the ACC. Following a knee injury and a diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma in 2015, he somehow found the strength and moxie to keep playing while wearing a surgical mask to keep germs at bay when he was immunocompromised.
Chemotherapy treatments for Hodgkin’s disease can reduce your white blood cell counts to dangerous levels that require wearing a mask for protection. Joining Conner on the 2016 All-ACC First Team were redshirt senior defensive end Ejuan Price who finished second in ACC Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Pinstripe Bowl Prediction: Pitt 49, Northwestern 42
Like Alejandro Moreno says on ESPN FC, “optional defending,” and that phrase applies to Pitt’s passing defense this season. Wednesday will see a Bronx Tale that features a lot of scoring.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication and Bold Global.
He also consistently appears on numerous radio and television talk shows all across the country. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram and Sound Cloud.