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.