Pressing matters surround Pitt, Michigan State while they prepare for Peach Bowl

There was plenty to discuss Tuesday when representatives of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl showed up at Pitt headquarters.

First of all, getting formalities out of the way, Peach Bowl CEO Gary Stokan sat down at a news conference and officially offered an invitation to Pitt athletic director Heather Lyke for the Dec. 30 game against Michigan State at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. He threw in a bonus of a free chicken sandwich for Lyke and coach Pat Narduzzi.

“I hope she doesn’t turn us down now, since we’re at the altar here,” he said.

She accepted.

Stokan, a Beechview native who used to walk up Cardiac Hill as a 7-year-old to watch the Panthers play Notre Dame at Pitt Stadium, also made a promise.

“We will play ‘Sweet Caroline’ in the third quarter,” he said.

Now, what about the more pressing matters?

• A possible contract extension for Narduzzi.

• The question of whether each team’s best player — Pitt’s Heisman finalist Kenny Pickett and Michigan State All-America running back Kenneth Walker III — will suit up for the game.

• The identity of the next offensive coordinator.

College coaches jumping from one job to another has been an issue in college football for years. Narduzzi’s two predecessors at Pitt lasted one and three seasons, respectively. The regular season had been over for about five minutes this year when Notre Dame and Oklahoma lost their coaches.

If Pitt is so inclined, it would make sense to lock up its coach beyond his contract’s current expiration date of 2024. Otherwise, those players who plan to sign letters of intent Wednesday can’t be sure Narduzzi will be their coach throughout their four- or five-year careers.

Lyke appears to agree.

“Pat and I will work on his arrangement and deal, and we are and we have,” she said. “When we’re ready and able to share that, we absolutely will.”

Narduzzi, who led his team to the ACC championship this season, is the fourth-winningest coach in Pitt history, with a record 53-36. By winning only eight more games, he will jump into second place past John Michelosen and Pop Warner.

Meanwhile, Narduzzi said he is giving his team the week off for final exams while his coaches finish up recruiting and start digging into Michigan State video. He said coaches will feed players the gameplan slowly. He also said he has not settled on a replacement for Mark Whipple.

“I’ve been a part of different staffs where you went into a bowl game, and the kids started to get bored with the gameplan going into game week,” he said. “That’s a little bit of the priorities, just to give them a little bit of the gameplan as we go.”

Practices won’t be long, he said, and will include an emphasis on developing young, returning players.

“Kids are welcome to come and watch tape and get involved with their coaches if they want to,” he said, “but the priority is finish up our finals strong, being a champion in the classroom as well. We have plenty of time to get prepared for the next game.”

Of course, the development phase will include backup quarterback Nick Patti and others getting more reps than usual. Pickett most recently addressed the question of playing in the bowl game Saturday at the Heisman Trophy ceremony where he said he remains undecided.

“Everybody’s got a business decision to make,” Narduzzi said. “Not everybody’s going to agree with decisions I make or Kenny makes or anybody else makes. They’re business decisions, and we all have to respect those decisions for whatever they are.

“We all know what we like, but not everybody in this room has to deal with the consequences of playing or not playing. Those are big-boy decisions.”

When asked when he needed to have an answer from his quarterback, Narduzzi said, jokingly, “the night before the game.”

Michigan State coach Mel Tucker said Monday he doesn’t know if Walker will play. Walker played through an ankle injury for much of the season.

Notes: The Peach Bowl will pay $6 million to each team, with $4 million to be shared with conference schools. … The game will be the only one in the 7 p.m. television time slot Dec. 30 (ESPN). … Wide receiver Jordan Addison was named a first-team All-American by Sporting News, the fourth outlet to so honor him. Pickett was named to the second team. If Addison adds a fifth with Wednesday’s release of the American Football Coaches Association team, he will earn consensus All-American status.