Pitt vs. West Virginia Football: Why the Backyard Brawl Must Continue

A lot can happen in 104 years.

Tradition, passion, emotion and heartbreak on the gridiron are all present when two programs have had more than 100 years of competition. Let's not forget there are also some great moments.

These are just a few of the many reasons why the Backyard Brawl must continue.

But with both Pitt and West Virginia switching conferences, possibly as soon as next season, the future of the Backyard Brawl is in serious doubt.

Some Pitt fans may want to trade West Virginia in for a rivalry with Penn State, but I personally think that's a mistake. You have to actually play a team to have them considered a rival.

Like it or not, Pitt and Penn State are no longer rivals. The two programs haven't met in 11 years. you can't hold onto rivalries that don't exist.

By the time the two programs meet again, it will have been 16 seasons since the Panthers and Nittany Lions last played.

Could Pitt and Penn State be a rivalry once again? Absolutely, but it will take time. The two teams won't just show up and become instant rivals again. It takes time.

Is a rivalry with the Nittany Lions worth sacrificing 104 years of tradition for?

"This one game means everything," said Pitt quarterback Tino Sunseri of the game against West Virginia. "You put on a Pitt uniform to play in this game."

I understand how much it means after covering the recent Backyard Brawl. I've covered a few at Heinz Field, but Friday night was my first trip to Morgantown.

Unfortunately for Pitt fans, Pittsburgh is not a college town. It's a pro sports town. Always has been, always will be.

You travel to Morgantown on game day, and you really see how much it means.

I'm no WVU fan at all, but seeing a real college town get excited for the game is special. Seeing all of the "Beat Pitt" signs and seeing the town wearing WVU colors gets you pumped up for a rivalry.

Then the game starts and you see two teams leave it all out on the field. You would never know that WVU and Pitt are two average football teams by watching that game. It was played with emotion, and every play mattered until the very end when the Mountaineers pulled out a 21-20 victory.

"We wanted that one bad," said Pitt head coach Todd Graham. "This is the kind of game when you leave absolutely everything you have out there. It's a real rivalry and makes or breaks your season no matter what type of record you have. I'm proud of my guys. They played their guts out. It would have been real nice to win this one."

That tells the biggest story of how much this game really means to both sides.

The pain and anguish on both Sunseri and Graham's faces were equalled by that of West Virginia's Dana Holgorsen and Geno Smith, who looked like they had been through a war.

Pitt safety Andrew Taglianetti was near speechless in the postgame press conference after he and his defense played their hearts out.

Sometimes a team is defined by its rival—that's the case here. To Pitt and West Virginia, Thanksgiving weekend means everything.

It would be a shame to see it come to an end.

"I don't know what the future holds," said Graham. "I sure would hate to see this come to an end. It means that much to the two programs and the fans. Hopefully there is a way to continue the rivalry."

It might not quite be Ohio State vs. Michigan, but Pitt vs. West Virginia is one great rivalry. One that needs to continue.