Penn State played there once, in 2014, when James Franklin was a first-year head coach and the program had emerged from two seasons of bowl sanctions. The Nittany Lions beat Boston College 31-30 in overtime. A neutral-site bowl game vs. Pitt would be a fascinating place to determine who values the rivalry more.

Penn State interim head coach Terry Smith has made a case for himself to be the team’s permanent head coach on the field and off it in recent weeks. Fans chanted his name and his players ran around the field with papers that said “Hire Terry Smith” before they made their choice for their next coach clear in their postgame media availabilities.