Sean of Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician — the best Syracuse blog, and the best Big East blogger out there — and I traded questions, answers and self-pity ahead of the Pitt Syracuse game tomorrow. My responses to his canny questions are here.

1. Okay, so exactly who is healthy for the Orange? Seems like on top of everything else, there are injuries and curious attempts to maintain redshirts. What running backs can Pitt expect to see? I understand it’s the Cam Dantley reign at QB.

When you ask who is healthy are you asking from a physical standpoint or a mental one? Big difference. Assuming you mean physical, there’s really only one player you might not see and that’s Delone Carter. Before straining his knee a few weeks ago Carter was entrenched as the #2 back on roster and good for 10-15 carries/game behind Curtis Brinkley. The good news for SU is that we have Doug Hogue ready to step in and cover the role until Carter is up to speed again. My guess is that you’ll see a little bit of Carter, a little more of Hogue and whole lot of Brinkley.

There’s also freshman Averin Collier who was said before the season to have a shot at some serious PT. Combine the success of Brinkley et al and a leg injury in the summer and Collier hasn’t seen play #1 yet this season. A smart coach might redshirt this future star so that you can maximize this potential. But we’re not dealing with a smart coach. So Collier is still active. And unless Curtis Brinkley is run over by a tank and Delone Carter’s leg arbitrarily falls off, Collier won’t see very much action this season, if at all.

Cam Dantley is indeed the quarterback. He doesn’t exactly do a lot to convince us he is the man to lead us back to glory but he’s certainly doing enough to warrant holding on to the starting job for now. It was a surprise to SU fans when Andrew Robinson was benched so quickly but in retrospect it was a long time coming. Robinson was having mechanical problems all pre-season and if Greg Robinson actually based his decisions on who deserves it and not on what the nice thing to do is, Dantley would have been the starter at the beginning of the year.

2. AlmostFest? WTF? For a noon game? Exactly how many people actually show up for any sort of concert at 10am?

I’ll have you know that StormFront is Upstate New York’s PREMIERE Billy Joel cover band. You haven’t heard Downeaster Alexa until you’ve heard it filtered through six guys from Albany who’ve never set foot in Long Island.

I don’t know much about the greater Pittsburgh area but what I know about Syracuse is this…this is PRIME cover band territory. These people LOVE Billy Joel, KISS and Van Halen. But how often do Billy Joel, KISS and Van Halen make it up to that part of the country? Once every five years? If that? Cover bands are like nature’s pacifiers in Central NY.

Of course, there is no KISS cover band this year. Worse than that, there is no midget KISS Cover band this year. If you’re not gonna do it right…don’t do it.

3. Everyone and their dog knows Greg Robinson is dead coach walking. Is this going to go the distance for the season or does the good DOCTOR end it early?

I have been saying for the past couple weeks that, assuming we lose, he’s getting fired immediately following this game. Syracuse has a bye coming up, it’s perfect timing. So naturally, that won’t happen.

I’m beginning to come around to this theory that he’ll get the Zook Treatment and be allowed to finish the season. If he doesn’t get fired after this one, you might as well let him finish out the season at that point. It won’t make a difference either way but I guess you won’t look entirely heartless if you let him stick around and try to get a sympathy win over Rutgers.

What will NOT happen is Greg keeping his job all season long only to be fired when its over. There’s just no possible way, it’s too late.

4. Dave Wannstedt is hanging mousetraps around the practice facility to let the players know this is a trap game. What is Greg Robinson doing to motivate the Orange this week?

You can keep your stinkin’ moustraps. You know what we use? Arbitrary, ultimately-meaningless catchphrases. We’re fightin’ the fight. We’re working on our want-to and we’re improving our have-to. We’re really flashing. We’re turning corners and pushing through ceilings and giving more than 100% which seems impossible but you would be wrong in thinking so.

5. So, after Lane Kiffen, and possibly present OC Mitch Browning, who are the names that the DOCTOR is supposed to be considering with the “first pick of the draft”?

Well, first I’ll give you the list of coaches who are apparently being pushed on us by our own alumni:

Marty Morninwheg, Kevin Gilbride, George O’Leary…

I’d add more but I passed out just writing that list. For the people who think they’re doing us a favor by pushing these people for the job, I hate you all.

Who are the legit candidates at this very moment in time?

Turner Gill, Al Golden, Lane Kiffin, Skip Holtz, Florida OC Dan Mullen, Illinois OC Mike Locksley and UCLA OC Norm Chow.

Now, all of this could change vastly by the time December rolls around so I’m not one for getting too worked up about it just yet. As long as its eventually not a lifer NFL assistant desperate for a head coaching job, I’m probably gonna be fine with it.

6. Aside from seeing a slimmed Pat Shadle, what unexpected sights can Pitt fans expect from Syracuse?

You can’t underestimate how good Pat Shadle looks, no homo. It’s something to be seen.

I think you’ll be surprised with how good our running game is.

I think you won’t be surprised with how bad everything else is.

I think you’ll be surprised how good our punter is.

I think you won’t be surprised that he’s the best player on the team.

I think you’ll be surprised at Cam Dantley’s arm strength.

I think you won’t be surprised.to see we only take advantage of it once or twice all game.

I think you’ll be surprised by the assortment of signs that SU fans bring to the game displaying their disdain for the current status.

Then again, I think you won’t.

Sean will almost certainly be doing his own liveblog/chat tomorrow. Read TNIAAM regularly for the latest on the end of the Greg Robinson era.