Go Mighty Card

2018 Sun Bowl: Stanford 14, Pitt 13

There is an old coaching adage: Make your last game, your best game.

There is another old coaching adage: Just win, baby!

Guess which one applies to Stanford's victory over Pitt in the 2018 Sun Bowl.

Blogging with the Enemy: Pittsburgh Panthers

If it feels familiar for the Cardinal to be preparing for the Sun Bowl minus one of the best players in program history, it's because the same thing happened two years ago when a healthy Christian McCaffrey incited a firestorm of controversy when he decided to stay home from El Paso in order to prepare for the NFL draft. This year, of course, it's Bryce Love who has opted out, though the circumstances are different. It's been more than a year since Love was completely healthy, so his concerns are understandable, and we've also gotten used to this by now. Draft-eligible players skip out on minor bowl games all the time.

But back to the Sun Bowl. This year Stanford draws the Pittsburgh Panthers, a 7-6 team that finished 6-2 in conference, good enough to win the weaker of the two ACC divisions and earn a spot opposite Clemson in the conference championship game. That game went as expected, with Clemson cruising to a 42-10 win on their way to the College Football Playoffs, but that game only gives a partial answer to an important question.

How good is Pitt?