It’s all very superficial. It has nothing to do with the present coaches or players. It’s just the vibe. It’s the expectations are all there for Pitt to win this year. Maybe it is just a contrarian nature in me. Maybe I just don’t like to keep reading all these expectations as it can make the fall hurt that much more. It is giving me a very 2003 feel.
Remember 2003? I do. Coming off a big bowl win. ACC expansion dominating all spring and summer. Pitt looking like it had the talent to win. Everyone picking and talking up Pitt. Then came Toledo. And then ND. Building, building and a debacle at WVU. No showing against Miami. I still feel scarred from that season.
Well, if the national publications like Athlon, Lindy’s and Sporting News all picking Pitt wasn’t enough…
The UConn beat writer for the Hartford Courant, Desmond Connor, has almost all the Big East beat writers weighing in with their picks for the Big East. Top three picks
Brian Bennett, ESPN.com: Pitt, Cinci, WVU
Paul Zeise, P-G: Pitt, WVU, UConn
Dave Rahme, Syracuse Post-Standard: Pitt, WVU, UConn
Nolan Weidner, Syracuse P-S: Pitt, WVU, Cinci
Greg Auman, St. Petersburg Times: Pitt, Cinci, Rutgers
Bill Koch, Cinci Enquirer: Cinci, Pitt, USF
C.L. Brown, Louisville Courier-Journal: Pitt, Cinci, WVU
Dave Hickman, Charleston Gazette: Pitt, WVU, Cinci
Connor also picks Pitt (followed by Cinci and UConn).
A few other UConn beat writers.
Neil Ostrout, Connecticut Post: Pitt, UConn, Cinci
Chip Malafronte, New Haven Register, Pitt, Cinci, UConn
Ed Daigneault, Waterbury Republican-American: UConn, Pitt, Rutgers
So, yeah, expectations.
Whether national or conference rankings, pre-season rankings are a crapshoot. A year ago, Rutgers was picked on more polls as BE pre-season champ (the BE media picked Pitt) … not to mention the pre-season national rankings had Ole Miss in the Top 5 with Oklahoma and USC in the Top 10.
It was the 04 season that ended in the debacle of the Fiesta Bowl … winning a BE tiebreaker as one of 4 teams tied for 1st place in a watered-down 7 team league.
What misery.
The reason I bring this up is how disappointing the defense was at times last year .. although not a total disaster.
link to collegefootball.rivals.com
and the bidding wars begin!