How the Schwartzwalder Trophy Should Be Unofficially on the Line

Listen, I get that if Syracuse Orange wins the Pinstripe Bowl, everything I'm writing here is null and void. I mean, I fully expect Cuse to beat the West Virginia Mountaineers for the sake of my sanity but still, we have to be prepared for anything right?

As the Pinstripe Bowl Trophy tours Syracuse (officially the Steinbrenner Trophy, more on that latter) it's painfully obvious Syracuse and the Pinstripe Bowl is attempting to make this trophy the focal point of this upcoming installment of the rivalry. I'm not saying they shouldn't, but I'm sure everyone who reads this blog knows exactly what Syracuse and their New York cohorts are working on.

And here in lies why the Pinstripe Bowl won't feature the Schwartzy (doing this to save my fingers guys, don't judge.) The Pinstripe Bowl is just as much a Yankee Trumping Moment as it is a bowl game. Syracuse University and the New York Yankees already have a very nice partnership that benefits the school more than the most successful American sports franchise. Trust me, I've been able to go behind the scenes of Yankee stadium BECAUSE of this partnership. It's something the school needs if it wants to be New York's college team.

But because of this, I am assuming, not factually reporting but assuming, that the Yankees had some say in the decision to keep Schwartzy on the shelves. Did the legendary Steinbrenner you remember ever get upstaged by anything, let alone in his own house? The trophy presentation has to be the final chest thumping of the Yankee Brand in a football atmosphere. With Syracuse in possession of the trophy, it's very easy for the Yankees to ensure it remains that way.

And I don't fault the University Athletic Department for picking a very valuable partnership over a trophy they have a 50/50 shot of losing.

But. This is Doug Marrone. He knows the value and definition of a football rivalry. He probably understands better than anyone how the juvenile Oliver Luck will whine and throw a hissy fit if he doesn't get Schwartzy back. So this is what I am proposing Doug Marrone should do: unofficially have Schwartzy on the line.

If Syracuse wins, no big deal. All stays the same. But, if Satan uses the already existing black magic of the Bronx Bombers to give WVU the win, I say that trophy mysteriously ends up in WVU. I have friends here at SU who live next to the WVU campus. It could be done so discretely no one would notice until after the fact. It would be a very Doug Marrone thing in my opinion; one of those great stories of honorable coaches Ryan Nassib tells his grandkids.

I know for a fact this wouldn't be adopted in any way shape or form. But I am intrigued: who here agrees with me on this? Am I the only one who feels like this is something we should do? I'm mentally preparing for the comments now...