Beautiful stream of consciousness IMing between Peter Bean of Burnt Orange Nation and Orson Swindle of EDSBS to discuss the weekend’s upcoming CFB action. Key excerpt:

OS: I’m backtracking. But I can’t believe that Al Groh and Dave Wannstedt are coaching against each other and being paid to do so.

Peter: The midfield pregame handshake should be fun. Dave: “You prepare much for this?” Al: “A little. You?” Dave: “A little.” Al: You okay with a tie?” Dave: “I’m okay with a tie.”

OS: Al: “I’m gonna call a fake punt in the late second.” Dave: “Me, too.”

OS: Al: “Can we call them at the same time?” Dave: “I dunno. Lemme check the rule book.”
Al: “That would be boss, Dave.”

PB: “I always pass deep on 2nd and short.” “Ok. Me too.” “Meet for a drink after the game?” “Definitely. Cranberry juice okay?” “Ideal.”

OS: “No surprises, ok?” “No surprises. I hate those.” “Me, too.”

PB: “The fans hate surprises.”

OS: “All eight of ‘em that showed up.”

PB: “They are here. Let us give them what they expect.” “3 and out?” “Alwaays”

Moving on.

It was apparently LeSean McCoy’s media day. Especially since Pat Bostick is still off-limits to the media (can have him start on the road on semi-national TV (ESPNU), but no talking to the media folk). Articles from Zeise and Gorman. The focus on him starting over LaRod Stephens-Howling and how modest and mature he is about the whole thing.

Over to their online content. A good response in the Zeise Q&A that about sums up fan feelings with the issue of “progress.”

Q: Several times you have mentioned that this football program needs to make progress this season. But does progress necessarily constitute victories? Personally, I feel that with everything that has happened, a positive step forward would be to actually be competitive on both sides of the ball. What is your opinion?

Zeise: To a degree, yes, but at some point you have to start winning games. That’s the goal. There is no reason this team shouldn’t have gone to a bowl game the past two years and, frankly, had it done that, people would be more inclined to give a pass for this season, given everything that has gone wrong. The team needs to play better but it also needs to reverse a few negative trends that go deeper than personnel issues, like not being able to upset anyone, like never coming from behind at the half to win, like not being competitive for more than a half against the best team on the schedule — these are things that need to start happening and if they do, then yes, it would be a sign of progress.

[Emphasis added.]

Objectively you could make the argument that this season was toast with all of the injuries. Losing the starting QB, WR and DT in the first few games. Depth taking a hit with plenty of other injuries (Jacobson, Matha, Lindsey, Pinkston, etc.). The suspension of Fields.

The fact is, Wannstedt used up a lot of good will simply by losing a game each of the past two years that there was no excuse to lose — Ohio and UConn. Even Al Groh could get Virginia to minor bowls. So, it’s not going to be enough to talk about all the injuries. There’s a disillusioned feeling in the fanbase that even with everyone healthy, Pitt would still find ways to lose one too many games.

Gorman’s blog post has a bunch of things, from more McCoy to the QB-Center exchange, to the, um, upside to injuries to key players.

The other side of the coin for those who play as true freshman is that they have a redshirt year available in case of injury, ineligibility or suspension. Wannstedt mentioned senior receiver Derek Kinder, junior defensive tackle Gus Mustakas and sophomore safety Elijah Fields as three players who are benefiting from that scenario.

“It would be a crying shame if this was Derek Kinder’s last year. It may cost him an NFL career, I don’t know,” Wannstedt said. “That’s what I talked to Dom about: there’s two sides to this thing: You don’t know how it’s going to play out. We’re doing what we have to do to win, but we’re also being very sensitive to each player. They’ve just got to trust me on that.”

Er, yeah.

Well, Pitt didn’t get Eloy Vargas as most already know. He got hot over the summer and Florida came calling. Bummer. Still not sure who Pitt would have encouraged to look elsewhere for a school to free-up the scholarship for him, but maybe we’ll find out since Pitt still has the goal of adding one more player.

The upside for basketball recruiting knowledge, is that Chris Dokish will occasionally be contributing to the Big East Basketball Blog. I know I’ve pointed this one out to everyone before, so it’s probably redundant, but the BEB is the best blog for following news in the entire Big East in basketball. One stop shopping. Brilliant.

Back to Dokish, he has a full report on the Vargas stuff along with plenty of other Pitt targets for 2009 and a few potential ones for 2008. Not to mention a bit of news about the players presently on the team. Good news for those still missing his blog.

Football’s been stressing everyone out. Too tense. Way too serious. There is a real need to relax.

Take a moment. Breathe in. Hold it. Let it out. Ahhhh. That always helps me feel better. Of course, it helps when you picture someone else taking that deep breath. Lately, it’s been Missy Peregrym, but go with who works for you.

Anyways, the college basketball season is creeping closer. Athlon and Lindy’s both have previews on the periodical racks. They put Pitt at #21 and #17.

ESPN.com also has a little teaser as it gets to the Big East in its “Conference Shootaround.”

The Panthers don’t play glamorous basketball, but it’s definitely effective, especially on the offensive end. Aaron Gray, Antonio Graves and Levon Kendall are gone, but Levance Fields (assuming resolution of his legal issues), Mike Cook and Ronald Ramon all return. Add in Sam Young, Keith Benjamin and Tyrell Biggs, who all showed flashes in more limited minutes, and the Panthers may look different this season but could score with similar effectiveness.

Jay Bilas puts Pitt at 6th in the Big East this season.

Jamie Dixon has another solid group that should be back in the NCAA Tournament. The Panthers have good guards, are experienced and understand how to win. In short, Pitt has a program, not just a few good teams. Dixon needs to resolve the Levance Fields situation, but even without Fields, this is an NCAA Tournament team.

The questions remain about what will happen with Levance Fields. Damn. Now I need to take a few more deep breaths.

Still has to happen this weekend. After everything that has happened this past week, I actually still think Pitt has a chance.

Virginia has squeaked a couple out, and find themselves atop the ACC Coastal Division. Still, their offense is not in great shape. They have serious issues of depth and talent at WR.

As a group, UVa wideouts caught four passes in a 28-23 win over Georgia Tech last week. They also had four drops. The tight ends, by comparison, caught 12 passes.

“We certainly would welcome any production or any firepower we can get there,” Virginia head coach Al Groh said. “Obviously, the (touchdown) Staton Jobe came up with the other day highlights what that can do for a team.”

Covington wasn’t an explosive receiver in the mold of a Kevin Ogletree or Deyon Williams, but his nine receptions led UVa’s wideouts. Jobe, the other starter, has eight catches for 104 yards.

Maurice Covington is out for the Pitt game with a wrist injury.

Also likely out for the game is the Hoos left offensive tackle who was hurt late in the GT game.

Offensively, they will be running the ball a lot with Cedric Peerman. Obviously the passing game won’t exactly be a vertical game, with the TE’s being the main targets. The real danger for Pitt will be containing Sophomore QB Jameel Sewell, is also a threat to run the ball — a terrifying prospect for the Pitt defense. He’s been sharing the QB duties with Freshman Pete Lalich who is a better pure passer and has shown promise.

On defense, they may have two of the best DEs in the country (definitely in the ACC) in Jake Long and Jeffery Fitzgerald.

All he did last season was lead Virginia with 5½ sacks, tie for the team lead with 12 tackles for losses, rank second with two interceptions and finish third with 64 total tackles — as a freshman.

But even though Fitzgerald got his due as a unanimous freshman All-American, he won’t be the first name in defensive ends at Virginia for at least another year.

That’s because he plays across from senior Chris Long, he of the famous father and the media-guide cover, the projected first-round NFL draft pick whose average of 1½ sacks per game this season is second in the nation.

I’m sure the Pitt O-line is looking forward to the challenge of trying to keep Bostick upright.

Oh, and of course, the Cavs haven’t forgotten last year.

“They kind of embarrassed us on national TV,” defensive end Jeffrey Fitzgerald said. “So we kind of have that in the back of our minds, to try to get back and bounce back from that. We’re just looking forward to going out there and showing them that last year was not indicative of this season.”