I’m paraphrasing, but it is something of the question that keeps getting asked. Whether it was before the season:

Hi Stewart. As you know, there is no clear-cut favorite in the Big East this year. You called Rutgers your “gun-to-my-head” pick to earn the Big East’s BCS bid. My question is — Why Rutgers over Pitt? Pitt has had the best recruiting class in the Big East for four straight years under Wanny. At some point, don’t you think that talent starts to equal wins?
— Dave Moser, Pittsburgh

It’s pretty simple: I don’t have faith in Dave Wannstedt. I want to. Really, I do. He’s a great guy who bleeds Pitt football. But every time I think the Panthers are about to turn the corner (upsetting West Virginia in 2007, winning nine games last year), they follow it up with something mind-numbing (losing to Bowling Green in last year’s opener, losing a bowl game 3-0). The Panthers probably do have the most talented roster in the Big East at this point; I just don’t have faith in Wannstedt to maximize that talent.

Honestly, no one likes to read that from a national writer or some “outsider.” At the same time, that echoes the thoughts of many fans.

Q: Is Dave Wannstedt the right coach for Pitt?

ZEISE: I think I mentioned this the other day — Pitt is 11-4 in its last 15 games. The Panthers have acquired a lot of talent. There is depth on this team. This team should be able to compete with every team in its conference. I think there is no question the talent base has been rebuilt to the point where this team should be a perennial bowl contender again. So Dave has certainly delivered all of that and has the program moving in the right direction. The bigger question, the one I think you are asking is this — he was hired to get the program to the “next level” and he has yet to do that. Well there is no way to know this and just when I think I know the answer, it changes. The one thing I will say is that this is a very big season for Wannstedt because I think he needs to prove last year was not a fluke and, more importantly, that he can indeed build on last year…

Whether fleeting or just full-grown belief system (I’m somewhere in the middle), this seems to be a disturbing issue at this this point.

In Wannstedt’s 4th year at Pitt the view is starting to harden, so even when Pitt doesn’t flub it seems like a surprise (Insider subs).

In the same spirit, nice win for Pitt routing Buffalo. That felt like the kind of game the Panthers used to botch.

Also known as the backhanded compliment. As also seen here.

In previous years, Pitt goes to Buffalo and either A.) loses, or B.) plays so badly it should’ve lost. A different Pitt team, a different attitude.

We hope. We will see.