So Ty Willingham got fired today, which wasn't enjoyable, and Butch Davis rode himself out of town, which was enjoyable (I am a Steeler fan, and I tend to think anything that ever comes out of Miami(FL) Football is the spawn of hell.) In both cases, I think there's a lot unreasonable expectations roaming the countryside. I'm seeing a bit of it here as well. In case you hadn't noticed, the Panthers managed to make themselves the least likely BCS team in history, by winning just the right tiebreakers. Please note that when they all but assured it last Thursday, they were unranked, prompting coaches to realize they'd better legitimize this, but quick. The irony is palpable, not only was this a rebuilding year (exit the Wreck, enter the new QB), but after narrowly avoiding a loss to Furman (?!, yeah, Byko-trawling), the prevailing wisdom was that Walt Harris was going to get canned, possibly Thanksgiving night. That's why this weekend's game should be bloody interesting. They're playing a hurricane-postponed game against South Florida. Were I Walt Harris, I would be hard pressed NOT to tank this game. Why? It's the unique opportunity to deliver a simultaneous 8x10 glossy of your middle finger to everybody.
To the "Fire Walt" lobby internally and externally: the team just did the thing that everybody agreed would save his job. What better way to put their feet to the fire?
To the BCS: They've already botched the operation this year beyond repair, but you can assure fame for the rest of the BCS' life by losing. Every two-bit sportswriting hack will have his perfect final clause to his sentence. "X team didn't get to play for the title, Y team didn't even get to BCS, AND PITT...PITT..." You see where this goes, you can practically hear the spittle being absorbed on the radio mike guard. It's the Herostratus principle at work here, but it's good.

The chance is remote, but man, is it appealing.

The other part of this is the beauty that's gripping Pitt's last AD, who promptly fired the coach he had at his new job. Said team has now tanked exquisitely. I have to think now that Steve Pederson's unreasonable expectations are far more reasonable, as long as said expectations mean the only way he's getting out of Lincoln is in the trunk of one.