As always, Zeise’s Q&A is a full read. He starts by unloading on Chicago Bears fans who are still blaming Wannstedt. A spectacular blast, insuring that he will not be taking a job in Chicago any time soon.

The proof is in the pudding. In the past 40 years, the Bears have had 14 winning seasons – and seven of them came with Ditka and another two came at the end of Halas’ career. That means the reality of your Chicago Bears is that they have had five winning seasons in the past 31 years without one of their two legendary coaches in charge. And two of those other five winning seasons came with Wannstedt in charge. And in the six seasons since he’s been gone – the Bears have had just one winning season and given the way they’ve started this year, is there any doubt that we’re witnessing a sixth losing season in eight years?

That tells me the Bears are a bad organization, one of the worst in the NFL, and their track record in the year’s since Wannstedt was fired prove it (did you see the Redskins-Bears game earlier this year? I think that set football back 50 or 60 years to the days of the single wing).

I mean, have you watched your team this year? The only difference between the Cubs and the Bears is one organization is known as the lovable losers the other is simply known as losers

Again, the problems with that organization go way deeper than the coach, so please, spare me the “Dave Wannstedt ruined this organization” drivel because you can’t ruin something that is already in ruins and if you think the Bears are worse off for having him as their coach, you are kidding yourself.

He missed making the obvious point that Wannstedt is also the 3rd winningest coach in Bears history.

The Q&A explains why the game is a 2pm start, what he thinks Pitt has to do to beat USF, a very detailed explanation as to which of the young kids are getting action now — and defending the decision, and ideas for shuffling some players on the O-line.

On the subject of the USF game, the scary thing to me, is that they appear to have a lot of speed on the defense. Pitt has not dealt well with speed this season (on either side of the ball).

According to this article, one of the keys to beating USF is to get ahead early. Don’t make mistakes to give them extra opportunities. Eventually force them to go to the passing game — their weakness. If they are able to get a lead, they will just ride the running game. That was what they did against Louisville. They were able to jump early, take advantage of turnovers and just force Louisville to play catch-up. In the losses to Miami and PSU, they got down early and eventually lost patience and went to the pass — and turnovers followed.

Revisionism is one of the things that really pisses me off. Not going back and admitting you were wrong. No, trying to pretend you knew something no one else seemed to know. Surprisingly Joe Starkey engages in it with Pitt as he does some more looking at the teams in the Big East for ESPN.com (Insider subs.).

Nobody expected the Panthers (2-4, 1-1) to struggle this badly, but Pitt was clearly overrated at the beginning of the season. It was obvious early in camp that this team lacked speed, quality linemen and a go-to running back.

Now, I’ll give him the running back issue. That was a known problem. The other two are BS. That was why Pitt shuffled the players on the line, and had them slim down in the offseason conditioning. To generate speed. Remember? I looked back through August archives and there was nothing from anyone about this team being too slow. Plenty of questions about the line, but more about depth and getting off the block for the running game. No one was claiming that Pitt was not a fast team or that a lack of speed was a problem. If, perchance, the people observing the team thought that, but didn’t write anything about it, they don’t get to now claim they knew it then.

Here’s the rest.

Freshman tailback LaRod Stephens-Howling has the makings of a star, but he’s been out with an injured ankle. The Panthers have some impact players — linebacker H.B. Blades, cornerbacks Darrelle Revis and Josh Lay, wide receiver Greg Lee and quarterback Tyler Palko — but without improved play up front, those guys cannot flourish. Lee also needs to quit dropping passes.

The good news is that coach Dave Wannstedt has reeled in what appears to be a high-quality recruiting class, the first of what he promises will be many. Panthers fans will need to exercise some patience, though this season is far from over.

Midseason MVP
It would be no shock to see Revis, a sophomore, leave for the NFL after his junior year. He has the size (6 feet, 190 pounds), speed, toughness and smarts to cover NFL receivers. “He’s special,” Wannstedt said. Some teams don’t even bother throwing toward Revis, who also is a dynamic punt returner. He ranks 16th in the country in that category (14.6-yard average) and returned one 79 yards for a touchdown against Cincinnati.

What’s next
This week’s game against visiting USF is critical if Pitt plans to win the conference or qualify for a bowl. Two rough Thursday road games loom (Nov. 3 at Louisville, Nov. 24 at West Virginia).

Revis has been great. My midseason MVP, though, would have to be H.B. Blades. He’s been the rock on an otherwise listless D-line. He leads the whole Big East in tackles, made the position switch to Middle Linebacker, and has been playing hurt since the Rutgers game. I shudder to think what Pitt’s defense would be like without Blades in the middle.

Tony Barnhart of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution posts his biggest surprises and disappointments.

*Pittsburgh (2-4): Where do you start? The Panthers had a 3,000-yard passer (Tyler Palko) and an all-conference receiver (Greg Lee) returning this season, the first under new coach Dave Wannstedt. The Panthers have been worse than bad under a guy who is supposed to take them back to national prominence. Some of the problems can be written off to transition pains, but there is still something fundamentally wrong in that program right now.

And in the ongoing, sick attempt by the AOL-Time Empire to return Pauly Shore to glory (did anyone watch TBS’ Minding the Store?), this SIOnCampus.com piece on Pauly Shore movies in college football.

5) Bio Dome

Pittsburgh

Having just been dumped, a man attempts to find redemption by thriving in a highly controlled environment. With all eyes on him, he must try and survive a whole year. College isn’t that easy, Dave Wannstedt.

No one wants to be compared to Pauly Shore.

Finally, if there is any silver lining in the Penn State win (other than their fans’ behavior finally removing the sanctimonious claims of being classy), it’s the reaction from Ohio State fans.

DantheMan (Oct 13, 2005 11:30:01 AM)
This is a deep philosophical question, perhaps better posed to a professional counsellor, Steve, but after seeing such offensive talent being “coached down” to mediocrity during the entire Tressel era, why should I continue to be a fanatic about this team, i.e., go to the games, look forward to possible MNC’s, and paying 100/yr to follow these guys in their recruiting more avidly than they do themselves (vis Aaron Brown)?

SteveHelwagen (Oct 13, 2005 11:32:37 AM)
Great questions, all. It doesn’t not seem to be a real cracker jack operation over there right now. You lose your defense next year and have to go to Texas, you lose your QB in 07 and have to go to Washington, then to USC in 08. I admit, it looks kinda bleak for the next few years. Nothing seems set up for them to automatically be a top-5 team each year. On our end, we are going to continue to make covering this stuff as interesting as we can. Our premium board — which showed this week that even it is not meltdown proof — is the best place to discuss OSU sports on the planet. That’s why I’d stick around.

buckgrad (Oct 13, 2005 11:33:01 AM)
Steve, sorry I am late. Just wanted to say that I am really down on Tressel. Yes he did win a NC, but this was the year, all of his guys and his 1st great recruiting class are now seniors. I may be a little too hard on him, but he has got to hire a young energetic o-coordinator and give him the reigns. Think this will happen or is he too stubborn? Thanks

SteveHelwagen (Oct 13, 2005 11:35:12 AM)
As of today, I don’t see it happening. I imagine they will finish 8-3 or so and it will be just good enough of a finish that they’ll convince themselves that status quo is the way to go. But there just seems to be a stagnation of ideas — 4-1 run/pass ratio on first down, running effectively early and going away from Pittman in the second half, great underneath passing game early to White, Hamby and Pittman, then none of that when the game was on the line. You point to so many factors. The fact is one-third of the plays last week were for no gain or a loss. They had second-and-7 or longer something like 13 or 14 times. You can’t win a Big Ten title like that. …

Comparisons to Earle Bruce are underway as well. Maybe this is just a bonus for Pitt fans living in Ohio, but it is amusing.

As practice officially starts today, the only positions I personally feel should be set for starters is Carl Krauser at Point Guard and Aaron Gray at Center. Everything else should be expected to be wide open for competition.

Competition will be keen at every position except for Krauser’s point guard slot. The competition at shooting guard and small forward will be particularly close with six players vying for playing time.

Freshman Levance Fields is scheduled to be Krauser’s backup, but Krauser could play shooting guard, too. Ramon, once he is healed from offseason thumb surgery, and Keith Benjamin will compete with Graves for playing time at shooting guard.

The guards appear to be the team’s strength, and they could force Dixon to play a three-guard lineup more than he has in the past.

“We’ve always played three guards in certain instances over the years,” Dixon said. “A number of programs do that. Oftentimes, your smaller players are your better players. Last year, our bigger guys were our better players.”

Except for Fields, the guards can play multiple positions.

“All five of us can play,” Fields said. “We have different combinations we can use.”

Freshman small forward Sam Young, who is 6 feet 6, is expected to make an immediate contribution and perhaps start. He is competing with senior John DeGroat, although Benjamin could play small forward in a pinch.

DeGroat, 6-6, said the competition in workouts is different from last season when most players knew their roles.

“You’ve got a lot of new blood out there, a lot of fresh legs,” DeGroat said. “Everyone is going for it. Every day, it’s been battles and battles.”

Dixon must replace Chevon Troutman and Chris Taft at power forward and center. They combined for 28 points and 15 rebounds a game last season.

Kendall (6-9) and freshman Tyrell Biggs (6-8) will compete at power forward. Kendall played out of position last season at small forward and is looking forward to playing at his more natural spot.

Dixon is going to have a challenge and pressure in figuring out the rotation and crafting a starting line-up. This is the first season in several years where Pitt is almost a completely unknown quantity. This is not a veteran team. It does, however, have highly touted talent.

There’s a reason why Pitt is being projected for middle of the pack in the Big East and a bubble team for the NCAA. No one is sure about this team. It can go either way. That is why this season will also be crucial for Coach Jamie Dixon.

After a great first season that saw them finally go down to a very good Oklahoma St. team in the Sweet 16. Last season was a disappointment. Inconsistency all year long, the failure to develop any sort of rotation or bench, flat, horrible starts, and questionable coaching. This season will go a long way to determining not just Coach Dixon’s future at Pitt, but his overall reputation in coaching. Is he is a very good assistant and recruiter or can he be a good head coach?

This season, Pitt can get off to an average start, but the important thing will be for it to show noticeable and continual improvement over the course of the season. Players have to develop and roles defined for some.

Dixon, at least seems to recognize that the talent is there. He doesn’t seem willing to say much about expectations and goals — beyond the stock and obvious.

Relaxed NCAA rules have allowed coaches more time with their players leading into the start of formal practices today, and Dixon noted that the team’s short, informal workouts in recent weeks have revealed a sense of purpose.

“We’re excited about where we’re at,” he said. “Counting spring, summer and fall workouts, it’s by far the best offseason we’ve had in my seven years here. I’m really impressed with the guys in what they’ve done overall, and that’s everything — conditioning, workouts, academics.

“We’re excited about the young group, the new group that we have, I should say. It’s the best group that we’ve brought in in my seven years that I’ve been here.”

Dixon, indeed, would rather not describe his latest team as being youthful — three freshmen and one junior college transfer figure to challenge for playing time — but rather he labeled it as “a unique group.”

Yesterday was media day for the players, so over the next several days stories about Pitt basketball will be trickling out of the papers.

Alan Robinson, the AP sportswriter in Pittsburgh previews the USF-Pitt game with a look back at 2001.

Only a few of Pitt’s current players weren’t around for South Florida’s previous visit to town, one of the most memorable games — if for the wrong reasons — of former coach Walt Harris’ eight-season tenure.

Those who were there might want to share their memories with their younger teammates, if only because the game offers a classic example of the dangers of overconfidence, skimpy scouting, an inability to make in-game adjustments and, again, overconfidence.

Hmm. Sounds like something that should have been shared before the start of this entire season.

Pitt WR Greg Lee is expecting to face a much different type of coverage and defense than last year.

“I think the one key to that game was they were a young secondary and we took advantage of that,” Lee said. “But you can see they are much more experienced and more mature and they are much better players. Plus they have all kinds of speed. You see a lot of plays where they are beat and they run people down from behind and make the tackle anyway — that’s how you know they are fast.

“We won’t be able to count on them making some mistakes in coverage this year, so we’ll have to find the best matchups that favor us on each play and try and make big plays as a team.”

One reason Lee was so good in last year’s game was he had plenty of motivation. A Tampa native, he was playing in his hometown in front of his friends and family against a team that didn’t offer him a scholarship. Lee and the Panthers were also playing for a BCS berth that day.

Another reason Lee had such a big day was the Bulls blitzed a lot, which meant he was one-on-one with a corner most of the afternoon. Pitt quarterback Tyler Palko said he doesn’t expect to see as much man-to-man coverage tomorrow.

“They aren’t very complicated in what they do, they just do it very well,” Palko said. “They do play some man-to-man but they also use some zone coverages, especially when they are trying to pressure the quarterback. I think we’ll have some opportunities to throw the ball over the top, but we will have to pick our spots. They are playing with a lot of confidence so we’ll have to be on our game.”

Their speed on defense will be a big concern for the offensive line. The coaches will probably know very early how much the speed is disrupting the offensive line based on how well they get to Palko (with or without blitzing) and how many holding penalties on the O-line. If they are getting past and through the line based on speed there will likely be attempts to grab the player as he’s going by.

Not that it is terribly important, but it is still unclear as to whether it will be Rashad Jennings or Ray Kirkley actually starting in the backfield. Jennings will still see a majority of the touches.

When USF has the ball, everyone knows they will be running Andre Hall — a lot. You can expect (or at least they better) Pitt to bring up the safeties in or close to the box. That also means the safeties can’t just try and hit Hall — I’m looking at you, Tez Morris — but wrap him up.

The USF weakness on offense — their passing game — will only encourage Pitt to stuff the box. Pat Julmiste will start and thinks he has gotten too excited at times. Julmiste isn’t a particularly good passer, but in the spread offense he is a good runner. Pitt has had a hard time with mobile quarterbacks. Still, if Julmiste struggles, it won’t be a surprise to see Courtney Denson in the game.

And finally, playing a team from Florida is a chance to talk about recruiting and the success Pitt has had in getting kids from there the last few years.