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January 18, 2008

It’s nice but hard to take seriously. With football season over. The BCS hashed, rehashed and playoffs pumped then torn down. The head coaching carousel done. Recruiting stuff has already gotten tiresome for many — or they don’t want to sully their hands with the discussion. That leaves precious little to write. That means it is time for sports writers to predict 2008 polls.

Dennis Dodd at CBS Sports puts Pitt at #22.

Stewart Mandel at SI.com has Pitt at #25.

Yeah, it has little meaning. On the other hand, Pitt has been absent from even the discussion since the 2004 season. So, there is the fact that Pitt is still somewhere in sportswriters’ minds.





These predictions and 50 cents will buy me what…………..?? LOL

Comment by Mtoolmn 01.18.08 @ 8:09 am

Not much Mtoolmn, but if Pitt doesn’t go to a bowl game in 2008, Wanny will be run out of town.

Comment by Johnny Walker Red 01.18.08 @ 8:44 am

Actually, the pre-season polls have alot of meaning. One of the major flaws (and there are many) of the current BCS system, is that unless you’re ranked in the top 25 (maybe even more like top 18), it is nearly impossible to jump into the #1 or just as coveted, #2 slot at the end of the year.

Being pre-season ranked in the 40s, 50s, 60s seals your fate before the season even starts.

Comment by matt'shouse 01.18.08 @ 9:47 am

Maybe it has to do with us getting fasterrr??

A.J. Alexander 4.4
Jonathin Baldwin 4.4.
Chris Burns 4.44
Antuan Reed 4.4
Shariff Harris 4.4
Aundre Wright 4.4
Lesean McCoy 4.4
Anthony Jackson 4.4
Rick Gary 4.4
Lowell Robinson 4.4
Aaron Smith 4.49
Aaron Berry 4.49
Maurice Williams 4.47
Jared Holley 4.48
Ronald Hobby 4.45

Kevin Collier 4.5
Dorin Dickerson 4.5
Elijah Fields 4.55
Sherod Murdock 4.5
Greg Williams 4.5
Greg Cross 4.55
Shayne Hale 4.5
Manny Williams 4.55

Comment by Ironhead 01.18.08 @ 9:48 am

That’s a great point, Matt. The poll numbers are factored into the BCS ranking. It’s a lot harder to jump up the rankings when you’re outside looking in, than if you’re there to start.

Let’s hope the Panthers do soemthing with this!

Comment by colt_convert 01.18.08 @ 9:59 am

Good list ironhead. All this is making me want to move back to the ‘Burgh!

Comment by Greg in Columbia 01.18.08 @ 10:01 am

My point is, I agree that the pre-season polls don’t mean anything just that unfortunately they do mean something in the BCS-thus those that are out of the pre-season top 25 have no chance to win.

College football is not alone, as there are inherent competitive disadvantages in other sports too:

Baseball-the salaries put any small market teams with no chance at winning starting in spring training (pirates, royals, etc.)

Basketball-the guranteed contracts coupled with team salary caps makes it impossible to improve from one year to the next-even if you get a high draft pick-it usually takes 4 years (sixers) or a magical trade (celtics) with a dumb trade partner (Mchale).

Comment by matt'shouse 01.18.08 @ 10:29 am

The polls do mean alot. This is a way for dave wannstedt to sell pitt to recruits. Last year he had little to sell guys on at this time. Right now wanny can go into a kids house and say look we are turning it around. We are ranked. people respect Pitt.
I agree that rankings dont mean anything else, but a five star or four star player is going to look at that ranking favorably.

Comment by Adam 01.18.08 @ 10:33 am

WVU plays Auburn this fall so it’ll be interesting if Rhoads can stop them.

Comment by Fcuk Paterno 01.18.08 @ 12:52 pm

I’m going to die of laughter if WVU runs all over them…i can’t wait…

Comment by Stuart 01.18.08 @ 12:59 pm

We just lost our WR coach to Miami…

Comment by Stuart 01.18.08 @ 1:55 pm

I wonder about Hill leaving since 4/5 of our current recruits are wrs this could kill our class, if he takes some of them to the u w/ him.

Comment by Kurt 01.18.08 @ 2:56 pm

None of them were recruited by him, we won’t be losing any of them. No worrys about that…i just don’t like changing half teh staff when things were finally looking up…i don’t mind rhoads and dunn going, but the rest i wish would stay.

Comment by Stuart 01.18.08 @ 3:37 pm

Stuart – I can almost guarentee that none of these highly recruited players picked PITT because of a position coach. No, there is two overwhelming reasons we have heard time and again from these kids…

1. They want to be a part of PITT’s future, and

2. They felt great in the recruiting process with DW and want to play football for him.

I’ll be shocked if any of these recruits decommit over the next four weeks.

Comment by Reed 01.19.08 @ 7:24 am

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