Things that accumulated from yesterday.

Well, at least now I know why it was Joe Starkey at the Trib. asking questions during the Big East Coaches Conference call rather than Mackall or Biertempfel. He’s freelancing for ESPN.com this fall with the weekly Big East Notebook. Apparently the Wannstedt honeymoon is over. Other than the fact that Pitt lost, he doesn’t really give an explanation. If you saw the streaming number of dispirited fans heading out starting in the 3rd quarter, then it might not need an explanation. He does, however, call out Greg Lee.

Junior wide receiver Greg Lee made a 39-yard touchdown reception but also dropped a potential TD pass late in the first half, making it two straight games in which he has dropped one (the other came in the Fiesta Bowl).

If Lee truly wants to be considered an elite receiver, he needs to make those catches. He is aiming to become the second receiver in Pitt history (after Larry Fitzgerald) to post two 1,000-yard seasons.

Another article about Pitt needing to shore up the D-line. I find this paraphrase attributed to Coach Wannstedt a little disturbing.

Wannstedt said the Panthers defense gave up too many big plays last season, so he determined that less blitzing would help cut down on those.

Say what? I admit that as I’ve gotten older, the memory isn’t what it was. Still, I recall the problem last year wasn’t the big play so much as the long drive because of the passive defense that allowed teams to stay out on the field picking up medium chunks of yardage. The reason was apparently to prevent the big play.

This piece is about Pitt regrouping and eager for the Friday game.

Looking for information from newspapers about the Ohio Bobcats? Yeah, me too. Let’s just say the interest is limited.

Best I can find is the OU student newspaper has an article devoted to MAC loving.

Actually, given the fascination with recruiting, here’s the “read it all” article about the “Recruiting Realities Tour.”

He was funny, sarcastic and interactive.

Most important, Jack Renkens was blunt during his Recruiting Realities Tour, which stopped in the Akron area last week.

In case you missed it, here’s a summary of Renkens’ hour-long session in 18 sweet inches.

Renkens, a former high school and college coach and athletic director, spoke at Wadsworth High last Tuesday night, Tallmadge High on Wednesday and Stow High on Thursday night. Fewer than 60 families attended the first two sessions, while nearly 300 listened at Stow.
…
He started speaking across the country in part because of the recruiting adversity he faced at lesser-known schools, but mostly because he saw a need when parents asked his advice as he watched his children compete.

Renkens’ presentation was informative and much needed.

He talked about the unrealistic student-athlete and parent. Twenty letters a week is a moderate recruit, 300 per week is a legitimate Division I recruit, Renkens said.

“Colleges recruit the world,” Renkens said. “One in 100 will get a fully funded college education. That’s the reality.”

Here’s the website. It doesn’t look like he’s stopping in Pennsylvania this month.