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, PittsburghIt’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.
I think Dave W. and Pitt are well on the way to this long-term stability that will lead to the program being thought of as a national contender in the same way that Va. Tech is now.
I’m not saying I agree with everything he does on game day, but this program is really taking big steps forward.
I think the tone alone from the two quotes in the above pieces at least acknowledges that Pitt is serious about competing and raising the level of play. Sometimes just the acknowledgment of a program is a tip of the hat; back handed, or not.
We’re all tough on Wanny, but he bleeds our colors and he certainly has the heart to take us where we want to go. That being said, we can only hope that he doesn’t hang himself by letting his ego get in the way of W’s in the results department. One of Pitt’s biggest perceptual problems is striding forward (WVU in 2007) and stepping backwards (Bowling Green). I anticipate Pitt eliminating the steps backwards on our quest to ‘the next level.’
Who knows, maybe in the future we’ll have some catchy phrase ESPN analysts use on Thursday nights, like ‘Stache Bash.’ “Wow! That is TOTAL ‘Stache Bash’ football right there.”
HTscriptP
– Pitt is 3 and 0 vs Va Tech the last 3 times they met
– Just like his counterpart up in State College, I think Dave is realizing that maybe he should rely more on his coordinators with College experience. He brought in DC Bennett primarily because of his college background, although he did have some pro coaches to hire … and the same goes for hiring Cignetti over that guy from the Jets that Wanny was supposed to hire. I really believe (more likely hoping) that Wanny is seeing the light about the differernces in pro and college.
– The more you read these national blogs, the more uninformed you realize that these guys are; their focus is much mre on the Tebows, Secs, USCs and NDs of the world.
– lastly, they picked Schiano over Wanny but (1) did they notice last year when RU started 1 and 5 before realizing that they should use their strong-armed QB and 2 pro-caliber receivers, and (2) did you ever see anyone so unprepared in the opener as RU was this year? (at least last year vs Bowling Green, Pitt won the stats battle, just turned it over 4 times)
I do believe Cincy Coach Kelly (like Rodriquez) is a college offensive guru, but unlike Wanny, he is not long for the BE … all in all, I think the positives outweigh the negatives with Wanny here, and I believe he is adapting more to the college game
It is what he has done his whole head coaching career. The question is, what do the decision-makers at Pitt want. I think a 9 win season, selling the potential for next year, a decent influx of cash from a bowl payout, and a “Pitt guy” as the face of the team is all they want (and should expect).
It is going to be really tough for anyone to make Pitt a BCS Championship program year in and year out as long as they play in the sad east, don’t get 5 star national recruits, and do the little things that garner your program national attention. I think the administration realizes that and will take what it can get – consistency.
As long as there is no playoff, any team outside of Florida, Alabama, (insert annual “Stars aligning” SEC team here), Texas, Oklahoma, (insert annual “stars aligning” Big 12 team here), USC, Ohio State, (insert annual “stars aligning Big 10 team here), and Notre Dame….you will not have a shot at a NC.
I don’t care how much they sell the WAC, Beamer Ball/ACC or the “resurgence of Miami” or the BCS system…if you’re not the aforementioned, you are playing for pride and a better cash bowl, not a NC. A 13-0 Boise State is not going to a superceed a 12-1 Florida, not now, not ever… A 13-0 Pitt will not superceed a 12-2 Oklahoma or a 12-1 ND for that matter. It sucks, but it is true. Maybe after a 5 year run of BCS wins to improve our perception, but not for a while.
We should hope to have 10 win seasons regularly, occassionally an undefeated (to help break the BCS system), and respectable cash influx to help sustain our athletic traditions. There is no reason why we can’t!
Harris: 4 years 2 bowl bids no top 25 finish
where are we?
The next 2 years will tell the full story.
Suffice it to say, Dave is a HC, Harris isnt. that should say all that there needs to be said.
Personally, i dont think either is the answer for any program what wants to be a national power.
There are tons of variables to becoming and staying a national power, schedules, injuries, some luck and talent, talent is key but the coaching must be there in some form. Paterno is a figurehead, but he allows the OC and DC the freedom to run their own show.
Being a headcoach is like being a CEO in the business world, micro-managers have problems because they become to involved, you hire a staff to do a job and you hire the best and pay them, you trust that staff and give that staff everything required to win. I think Wanny has finally moved in this direction and now he has an OC/DC that fully understand the college game.
Fundamentally this team has a good OL with skill players in place and a good DL with good LB’s but this year will be a constant struggle because of a mediocre QB and a weak secondary, but 8-4 is a realistic possibility, next year Pitt is vastly overscheduled and could actually have a better overall team but due to their nonconference schedule have a 7-5 season.
There is hope Panther fans, Pitt does have some talent and some depth, but they need talent and depth in every areas to really raise the bar.
Regarding Walt, Walt is a good coach, he made the most with the talent and budget he was given, Walt was very good developing QB’s and good regarding the offense. After Walt’s 4th season he was very consistent and took Pitt to mid-level bowls year in and year out, the administration wanted something more.
The administration had critera for its next football coach and Wanny was hired by Jeff Long to go to the next level, what the next level is and the timing remains to be seen.
Only time will tell…..
All we can do is hope…..
