Opening kickoff is just over 2 weeks away. That first game is looming in everyone’s mind.

On the anticipation surrounding the Notre Dame season opener:

It’s tough not to talk about it because it’s right there and at the same time we sure as heck don’t want to sit around and be focused at this point of the season just on one game. It’s an 11-game season and we’re not getting ready just for Notre Dame. We’re getting ready to have a successful season. All the things that we’re doing right now on offense, defense and special teams aren’t necessarily what we’re going to be doing against Notre Dame in a game-day situation. But we might be doing them the next week against Ohio University or we could be doing them in the last game of the season against West Virginia. It’s a balancing act and we’ve always played good everywhere I’ve been in the openers and early games for the most part. I’m very confident in the schedule that we’ll have with our players and coaches from the standpoint of how much work we’ll need to get ready for this opener. When do you pull back on the running? When do you pull back on the hitting? There’s all these things that lead up to that first game. I know what I want to do there and we’ve got it laid out pretty good. We’ll stay with that plan.

This press conference transcript is required full reading. He returns some of the love that his former players on the Dolphins have given him (Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor in subscription only Q&As with the Sun Sentinel). Bill Stull looks to be the back-up (no surprise). While Coach Wannstedt says it will be running back by committee, the way he said it suggested that Jennings and Murphy will be given the first cracks at siezing the full control. He talked briefly about the other receivers — Marcel Pestano and Derek Kinder got some praise.

Final excerpt:

On enjoying coaching college football:

Yeah, I like coaching. I am still working through the time management part of it where it’s not all football like it is in the NFL. Where everyday you’re still having recruits visit practice and talking about class schedules and so forth. It’s energizing to me and now that we’re back to football, this is what it’s all about. Everybody overrates this stuff…pros…college. Football is football. You’re blocking and tackling. It’s (the transition) overrated. We went from the Miami Hurricanes to the Dallas Cowboys and everybody says, “Oh those college coaches,” and four years later we win a Super Bowl. If you have a good group of players who are willing to work and want to get better, that’s what it’s all about. It doesn’t matter what level it’s on.

15+ days.

Also discussed was the situation of player injuries and health. This AP story helps to summarize.

A fifth-year senior, [Thomas] Smith was hobbled by a twisted knee and will undergo arthroscopic surgery Friday to mend the damage. Smith will miss the remaining training camp practices at the UPMC Sports Complex, and his status for the opener with Notre Dame is up in the air.

But first-year Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said the goal is to get Smith healthy by that game.

“The thoughts from the doctors right now are that he will be back,” Wannstedt said. “Everybody thought that because of the type of cleanup that they’re going to do in there that it was an attainable goal.”
…
Notes: Also on the injury front, wideout Greg Lee (right shoulder) has continued to improve. He has missed eight days now, but wore a helmet for the first time Thursday and worked in all the drills except those with contact. … Outside linebacker Brian Bennett (left knee) missed Wednesday night’s workout and Thursday’s, but his injury isn’t believed to be serious. … Pitt’s second intrasquad scrimmage is Friday afternoon.

Nothing particularly illuminating, just stuff.

Both Pat Forde and Ivan Maisel at ESPN.com did chats (Insider Subs.) this week taking similar questions. Forde:

Joe (Dayton): I know everyone is jacked up on Louisville, but am I crazy for seeing Pitt winning the Big East again?

Pat Forde: Joe: No, you’re not crazy. I think Louisville is a deserving favorite, based largely on playing the Pittsburgh game at home on Nov. 3 (on ESPN, network plug), but Pitt has a chance for a great season. If the players connect with what Wannstedt is doing, the Panthers will be a Top 25 team and that game in Louisville will have BCS implications.

Maisel:

Ryan (Philly): Does Pitt have a legitimate shot at repeating their bcs bowl bid. Or are they a few years away from really being competitive in top 25 football

Ivan Maisel: I think Pittsburgh will be better this season. The problem is getting past Louisville. I think the Cardinals can go 11-0 this year. Pitt has to play down there on a Thursday night, and the Backyard Brawl is in Morgantown. That’s difficult.

On the bright side, all the pressure going into the season is really on Louisville.

College Football News has been doing a list thing of “3 Year Program Analysis” based on 8 characteristics. It covers 2002-2004. For whatever it’s worth, Pitt is ranked at #31.

Program Analysis: Nine wins in 2002, eight in 2003 and eight in 2004 (with the one over Furman not counting in the rankings) along with a BCS berth still didn’t make everyone happy with Walt Harris. Winning 70% of Big East games is impressive, as are the eight Quality Wins and ten players drafted. There’s room for big improvements in the attendance and graduation scores.

Okay.

Back to the ESPN Chats. This time with their Scouts, Inc. National Director for Recruiting, Tom Luginbill. If it wasn’t clear before that ESPN has entered the recruiting information market, it is after this.

Josh (San Diego): I was wondering what qualifies you as a recruiting expert.Have you been a coach? Or do you just watch alot of football. Also,what college did you graduate from.

Tom Luginbill: I’ve been in coaching and personnel for eight years at the pro level. I played QB in college, graduated from Eastern Kentucky, got my Masters from Marshall University. My coaching background is primarily on offense. I have been a position coach, coordinator, head coach, director of player personnel, director of football operations throughout the past 8 years of my career. I have not held a position in coaching that has not included direct player personnel responsibilities. Along with myself, our staff has over 120 years combined coaching and scouting experience at either the college or pro level.

Tom Luginbill: I have been through the recruiting process myself and I believe our staff feels we have a good grasp on what takes place throughout the recruiting process.
…
Dan, NY: Tom, besides have players in chat at which point fans can ask for a list of schools, will ESPN be concentrating more on player evaluation rather than following the recruitment of the players?

Tom Luginbill: We will be following the recruitment of players, however we will not be publishing rumors and unconfirmed information. According to NCAA guidelines, a university representative is not allowed to publicly discuss any prospective student athlete that they are recruiting until that player has signed a letter of intent. Much of the information that you have seen through other sources about what school is offereing a scholarship to a certain player is more often than not an inaccurate piece of information. Often times through the recruiting process, the prospective student athlete can inadvertently misconstrue what a scholarship offer actually is. Just because a player may get a letter from a university or is told over the phone that may be receiving a scholarship offer doesn’t necessarily mean that they have or that they will.

Tom Luginbill: I think the best scholarship offer is one that is in writing and those are the ones that truly count. We’re far more concerned with player commitments and what that player’s value is in the recruiting process at a certain school and compared to other players at their respective positions.
…
Josh (San Diego): Your not going to pull a Tom Lemming and start ranking players higher if they commit to your favorite school are you.

Tom Luginbill: Neither ESPN or Scouts, Inc. has any allegiances to any college football program whatsoever. We don’t answer to anyone but ourselves, and as a result, we’re able to remain fair and objective in our evaluations. What good is a ranking if it’s not based on solid football merit?

Tomorrow, they will be releasing their top 25 of their Top-150 high school players. That seems familiar. If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck…

I’m about to flush all the good will and many of the readers’ beliefs that I may actually know what I am talking about with regards to college football.

There is a Blog Poll for the top-25. I’m taking part, and as such there is transparency. If you want to see how other bloggers voted, go here to get the links.

This is how my ballot looks.

1. Southern Cal — Until they lose, they deserve the top spot.
2. Tennessee — Based more on potential and talent than actual belief in the spot. Can they stay out of jail during the season?
3. Texas — Even more talent than Tennessee, but until they beat Oklahoma they can’t be considered for the top couple of spots.
4. Ohio State — Their Big 11 schedule may do them in more than anything else.
5. Miami (Florida) — I think their running game will be very good this year.
6. Louisville — You want to talk about a schedule that is set up for them.
7. Michigan — They now remind me of a Jim Boeheim Syracuse team in the 80s; all the talent and a respected coach but subject to some absurd brainlocks and choke jobs during the season.
8. Florida — I think they will start out shaky but finish strong.
9. Oklahoma — You know you have a good program when you are top-10 in a rebuilding year; probably a bit overrated but they have earned it.
10. Iowa — Each season, they just seem to play better as the season goes on. A very well coached team.
11. Auburn — And yet, I can see this team out of the top-25 by December just as easily.
12. Virginia Tech — I don’t believe in Marcus “million dollar arm, million dollar athlete, 10 cent brain” Vick, and I think this team will choke down the stretch; but for now they look pretty good.
13. Louisiana State — The loss of their starting running back knocked them down several spots, but still lots of talent.
14. Purdue — Yes, they have the great schedule in the Big 11, but they will still blow a couple of games.
15. Pitt — Of course there’s some homerism here, but I think the defense will be much better and there is plenty of offense.
16. Georgia — I just don’t see enough offense, with their RB out for the season and I have no faith in their QB.
17. Texas A&M — Getting better, but still far behind Texas and Oklahoma.
18. Florida State — Nepotism kills. Killing someone might also be the only way to get suspended by Bobby “daggum” Bowden if you are a starter. I think it would take a full murder spree to actually get kicked off the team.
19. Cal — They are still a good team with a good coach even in a rebuilding year.
20. Boise State — Team responds to their coach not bolting.
21. Texas Tech — I want to reward an absurdly entertaining offense.
22. Fresno State — Almost as much offensive firepower as Boise.
23. Miami (Ohio) — They are going to scare Ohio St.
24. North Carolina State — The ACC Atlantic Division is right there for them
25. Iowa State — Someone has to win the Big 12 North division

Do I feel great about this top-25? No. I took quite a while going through this and found more reasons to doubt many of the teams. Really, I found Numbers 2-4 completely interchangeable. Same with 5-8 and so on. This is, after all what I think right now. I know it won’t look the same after the season starts and definitely not by the end.

The last 5 or 6 in are as much on bias, impulse and hunch as anything else. When you get to deciding which teams make it at the end and which don’t you can make the argument either way. Six teams I considered but didn’t include:

Alabama, Arizona St., Oregon, Boston College, Toledo and Virginia.

Let the complaints begin

There’s always something exciting about the freshmen at training camp. They are new, some are much heralded, there are unknown as to what they will actually do at the college level and they add an extra element of hope. Add in a new head coach and half of a new coaching staff that don’t have the same loyalties to the older players, and promising that the best players will play. Well, then the excitement and focus on the freshmen gets brighter.

Freshman Guard C.J. Davis — not to be confused with Defensive Tackle Corey Davis — has taken advantage of John Simonitis’ injury to move up on the depth chart. Ultimately, he wants a shot at starting this season. (Side note that may only interest me, “C.J.” is somehow short for “Emmanuel F.” according to his bio in the media guide.)

Tommie Campbell is doing his best to play his way onto the field this season.

Campbell figures if he works hard from the start of the day to finish that it will pay off with increased playing time — especially as the season wears on and he becomes more acclimated to the imposing speed and size of the college game.

“I feel like I’m ahead of the game right now,” he said. “I do everything 100 percent. I don’t take any plays off or anything like that.”

And what was he expecting before he came to Pitt?

“I thought it’d be a little bit …” There was a long hesitation before Campbell finally was at peace with his choice of words. “… a little bit tougher.

“Everybody’s here for a reason. For me, I’ve been able to handle the situation a little better than I thought.”

I have a feeling he will be a major force on special teams at the least.

A notebook piece observes that Bill Stull appears to be the leader for the back-up QB job, as I noted yesterday.

Paul Zeise would appear to believe that Rashad Jennings and Tim Murphy will be the main tailbacks and/or fullbacks for Pitt at this point.

There is still healthy competition for the starting tailback’s job at Pitt, but as the opener against Notre Dame inches closer, freshman Rashad Jennings and senior Tim Murphy are slowly but surely securing their spots at the top of the depth chart.

The duo increasingly has taken the bulk of the snaps with the first team each day, and both have been consistent performers in preseason camp.
…
It is not a shock that Murphy, 5 feet 10, 235 pounds, and Jennings (6-1, 235), are leading the pack. Both are big, bruising backs (which fits in with the Panthers’ power running game) and also good receivers and blockers.

Jennings enrolled in school in January to get a jump on his career, and it paid off after he had an excellent spring. Murphy is the team’s most complete back, so his status never has been in question.

Running Backs Coach David Walker won’t commit and there is still the intriguing use of LaRod Stephens to consider.

“LaRod is a different type of player,” Walker said. “He is so quick and he changes directions on a dime, so we need to find ways to get him into the open field and let him do his thing. I’m not sure how we’re going to use him, but we’re going to use him as much as we can.”

Center Joe Villani seems to be trying to assume a leadership role on the offensive line. Very important as he is now expected to start.

Every day, Greg Lee appears to be getting closer to being back.