Matt at Blue Gray Sky has the final post in his series of new coaches ND will face this year. It is Dave Wannstedt’s turn. It’s an interesting read, but I concede there were some points that made me defensive.

They really question whether Matt Cavanaugh is the guy to be running the offense, given his history. I can’t totally disagree, and I think many Pitt fans are a little concerned what will happen with Palko’s development. If Palko doesn’t develop further this year, the blame will be coming firmly and fully on Cavanaugh. Concurrently, it will be interesting to see what Kyle Boller of the Baltimore Ravens does this year. If there is no real growth for him without Cavanaugh to blame, then it would be fair to say that part of the problem was the talent not the coaching.

By the way Michael, you can’t really bring up the Rick Mirer trade on a ND site without acknowledging that this NFL flop was one of your guys (who knew he was still technically in the league). Yes, it was a hideous deal, at the time there was still a belief that he could be salvaged — but not at that pricetag. As you have noted even Charlie Weis couldn’t do anything with him.

It also seems a little strange to mock the positive descriptions of Wanny in his bio and from the local media. I mean from Dylan analogizing the Weis hire to Outback when he’d prefer to go to Ruth Chris in December, to Mark’s post in July arguing that Weis has fully absorbed the lessons of Lord Belichick (and can I add that this is just scary). Just remember that Belichick flopped in his first head coaching gig.

Looks like we are hitting the dry patch for news. Nothing out there this morning. Time to go to a fall back position: college football preview magazines.

Over the past month, the full preview issues have been making appearances, and I’ve been taking some notes. Not merely some specific conference preview issues.

I’m going to do a couple of them now — depending on how long the kid lets me — and try to get more summaries out during the week. Posting may be a little light this week, ironically because I am actually in Pittsburgh. Right now I’m in the Oakland Holiday Inn while the wife is attending a conference. A pilgrimage to a couple watering holes with some friends is hoped for tonight.

Keep in mind, that previews are not expected to be terribly accurate. What they are about are expectations. Based on what talent teams have, the coaching, schedule and everything. They are not gospel.

First up, The Sporting News 2005 College Preview. They don’t have Pitt in the top-25.

In their section on coaching changes, they had the following to say about Dave Wannstedt: “A new challenge will invigorate one of football’s finest teachers.”

They rank Pitt’s secondary as #10th in the country.

Individual players from Pitt were ranked as follows:
QB — Tyler Palko, #9
WR — Greg Lee, #3
ILB — H.B. Blades, #8
CB — Josh Lay, #16
K — Josh Cummings, #3
P — Adam Graessle

The Big East section is credited to “freelancer,” Mike Cherry. Cherry’s current regular working gig is unknown, but he is familiar with the Big East. He had been a sportswriter at the Charleston Daily Mail.

He picks Pitt to finish 2nd in the BE, which everyone is doing, behind Louisville. Greg Lee is his pick for “Offensive Player of the Year.”

On the 1st Team All-Big East he has Palko, Lee, Charles Spencer (OT), Blades, Lay, Cummings and Graessle.

For the 2nd Team All-Big East he puts Thomas Smith (DT), Darrelle Revis (CB) and Tez Morris (S).

The Pitt preview itself is bland. Basically talks about Palko and Wannstedt. Nothing too interesting.