Pitt's Pat Narduzzi believes it's time to name a college football commissioner

ATLANTA — Pat Narduzzi isn’t lobbying for the job of commissioner of college football (a job that doesn’t exist at the moment). But he clearly believes it’s time one is appointed.

“For sure,” he said Wednesday on a Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl conference call. “That’s not a slam on anybody who’s leading college football. I just think it’s time.”

The landscape has changed dramatically in the past few years, and Narduzzi is among those who believe an overseer is needed.

“We’ve moved on in a lot of different directions, as we know, in the past 12-18 months as far as what we’re doing, how we’re doing it, recruiting rules, name, image and likeness, the portal.

“There are so many changes out there. That (needs to) be the next change.”

He raised the question of dividing Power 5 and Group of 5 schools into “two different buckets.”

“No one wants to hear about that,” he said. “But, to me, you have to put the money in if you want to play with the big boys, I think. The Group of 5 wants to be a part of it, and some of them are. But when they get in those big meetings, it’s Group of 5, Power 5 talking and voting for different things.

“Until we get that straightened out, I think there’s a big difference between what Group of 5 wants to do and the Power 5 wants to do as far as just the rules and regulations. I don’t think we get to a 12-team playoff until we get that organized.”

Speaking on the same conference call, Michigan State coach Mel Tucker declined to offer his thoughts.

“I don’t have an opinion on it at this point. Our focus is squarely on the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl,” he said.

Pitt: Slight underdog

Pitt opened as a slight favorite over Michigan State in the Peach Bowl, but Kenny Pickett’s opt-out swung bookmakers the other way and Pitt is a 2 1/2-point underdog in some places.

Apparently, Pickett’s absence is considered more significant than Spartans running back Kenneth Walker III’s decision not to play. In any case, both coaches expect a close game.

Which would be a rarity among Pitt victories. The Panthers won 11 games by an average of more than 24 points. Take way the 77-7 victory against New Hampshire, and the margin of victory is still nearly 20.

“Mel Tucker’s a defensive guy. I’m a defensive guy. I think what you’re going to see is a lot of contact,” Narduzzi said. “You’re going to see two teams that are tough, that are well-coached and are going to battle to the end. I told our guys it’s going to be 60 minutes. I see this game going down to the wire.”

A victory would give Michigan State 11 for the only the sixth time in school history and its second in a New Year’s Six bowl.

Been there, done that

Pitt is the third top-five offense Michigan State will face this season.

No. 1 Ohio State rang up 655 yards — 103.6 above the Buckeyes’ average — in a 56-7 victory against the Spartans. No. 2 Western Kentucky amassed 560 — 24.7 over its average — but Michigan State won, 48-31.

Pitt is fifth in the nation with an average of 502.9.

Honorary captains

Tim Lewis and Morten Andersen will be honorary captains for their schools, and will join captains at midfield for the pregame coin toss.

Lewis was a defensive back at Pitt from 1979-1982 and a first-round draft choice of the Green Bay Packers. Later, he coached for almost 30 years at several stops, including Pitt, Texas A&M and the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Andersen was an All-American kicker at Michigan State in 1981, the most prolific scorer in Big Ten history and a five-time All-Pro in the NFL.