RIVALRY Irish have had Pitt's number

The Panthers haven't won in South Bend, Ind., since 1986.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- There's something missing as the Notre Dame-Pitt rivalry winds down before a short break, and Pittsburgh coach Walt Harris knows it.
Namely, a Pittsburgh victory in South Bend -- something that hasn't happened in six games since coach Mike Gottfried's first Pitt team won there 10-9 in 1986.
After that, the Fighting Irish got little fight from Pitt teams coached by Gottfried (45-7 loss in 1989), Paul Hackett (42-7 loss in 1991), Johnny Majors (losses of 44-0 in 1993 and 60-6 in 1996) and Harris (losses of 24-7 in 2001 and 14-6 in 2002).
Pitt has one more chance to get it right in South Bend before a two-year break in the 61-game series that follows next year's nationally televised season opener in Pittsburgh. The schools then will play annually from 2008-15, thanks to an eight-year contract announced by the schools Thursday.
The No. 24 Fighting Irish were able to fit the Panthers in even though they plan to start playing seven home games a season, up from the six they usually play.
One win in 12 games
No matter where they play Notre Dame, the Panthers have trouble winning. They have dropped 11 of the last 12, winning only in the final game at Pitt Stadium in 1999, and have won only twice in nine games in South Bend since their 1976 national championship season.
"We've talked about their storied program and I think the players understand the intensity of it [the rivalry]," Harris said. "They've heard about Notre Dame for a long time. But I don't want to oversell that part or undersell that part."
Sophomore quarterback Tyler Palko made an unofficial recruiting visit to Notre Dame while a senior at West Allegheny High in suburban Pittsburgh, but didn't seem overly impressed with the tradition or pageantry of playing there. He doesn't expect to feel any differently Saturday.
"We're still playing for a postseason bowl berth. We need to come through and play this game like any other game," Palko said. "We can't worry about Touchdown Jesus or walking down the tunnel or anything. It's a football game."
Losing to Syracuse 38-31 in double overtime last week may have made it more difficult for the Panthers (5-3) to play in a bowl for the fifth straight season, especially if they lose to Notre Dame (6-3). With the Irish coming off a 17-13 upset victory at Tennessee, Notre Dame could take the Gator Bowl berth that otherwise would go to a Big East team -- especially if Big East leader West Virginia knocks off Boston College on Saturday.
Bowl roundup
Notre Dame can take one of the Big East's four guaranteed slots in bowl games if it does not qualify for a BCS bowl, which it will not this season.
With No. 13 West Virginia up next for Pitt after Notre Dame, there's a possibility the Panthers might take a three-game losing streak into their Dec. 4 makeup game against South Florida. That means Syracuse (5-4), Boston College (6-2) or Connecticut (5-3) could take the Big East's final two bowl bids -- the Continental Tire Bowl and the Insight Bowl -- and leave Pitt out.
However, with several conferences possibly unable to supply enough bowl-eligible teams to meet their quotas, it's possible a Big East team could wind up in the Las Vegas, Silicon Valley, Emerald, Tangerine or Houston bowls.