The only frustrating thing about that final week before the start of the season — aside from just waiting for Saturday — is just getting everything in place and finished before it. Add in the fact that this is the start of sending the kids back to school, and all that crap. Well, it makes it hard to get to the posting.
Teaser: site announcement tomorrow morning. I’m very happy about it, and it does not involve me (further) selling out or putting up more ads.
Last week, congratulations were offered to the four Pitt players who made it from walk-on to scholarship players. Here are the stories on how they felt, and heavily implied — how relieved their parents were to not have to spring for tuition this year. This is a good one focusing on the Wuestner father-son bond.
Never quite got into it last week, but Lloyd Carrington decided to transfer. He would have been the #2 CB behind K’Wuan Williams — and likely would have started this opening game as Williams is questionable at best with an undefined “arm injury.” But, he wants to go back to Texas.
Coach Paul Chryst said he talked to Carrington, a sophomore from Dallas, and he wants to transfer to a school closer to home. “It was a tough talk for me because he is a guy, in the short time, I have come to like,” Chryst said. “We wanted him here, but I also felt good (because) it was a well-thought out plan. He is thinking straight. He said, ‘I was able to grow (while at Pitt), but I know what I really wanted to do is be closer to home.’ ”
Hatve not heard of a landing spot, though. He might want to hurry. Classes are starting.
You can’t tell me that the Trib’s headline writer wasn’t trolling Sunseri just a little on this one.
Former Pitt QB and now the former Big East football color guy for the telecasts (he’s been reassigned), John Congemi, believes Sunseri can have a good senior season with a little help.
“It depends on the 10 guys around you and the five guys who put their hands in the dirt up front,” said Congemi, who threw for 6,467 yards from 1983-86 and is No. 5 on the all-time list at Pitt. “He needs those (wide receivers) not to have average years but to have solid, consistent years when they are not putting the ball on the ground.”
And that’s the kind of analysis that we won’t be getting from Big East games this year.
Nice story about how Ryan Schlieper managed to get his scholarship to Pitt — and just how poorly Wannstedt managed recruiting needs.
Schlieper, a North Allegheny graduate, settled for a scholarship offer from Maryland in 2009 when Pitt — his first choice — ran out of scholarships.
Two days before signing day, he got a call from the Pitt coaching staff: A scholarship had opened up when [Kevan] Smith was forced to choose between baseball and football. Schlieper quickly canceled his Maryland plans.
Smith, a catcher, became one of the best players in the Big East and was drafted in the seventh round last year by the Chicago White Sox. This season, he’s hitting .276 with 10 home runs and 77 RBI in two Single-A leagues.
Schlieper started eight games last season for Pitt and looks to be permanent fixture this year.
A 3-star OT who wanted to come to Pitt — and Pitt was without a scholarship for him until the last minute. A recruiting class with 3 offensive linemen until they added Schlieper. And one of those players is suspended for the year, while the other was kicked off the team for good after a little incident with the police. And we wonder about the lack of depth on the O-line.
At least the O-line is “stable.” Even if it lacks depth and questions abound regarding whether it can stay healthy and how good it will be.
Meanwhile, Cinci has the week off, so they are just working on preparing for Pitt.
Pitt has short week to prepare for Cincy who has been game-plannig for opener for maybe 10 days. On the other hand — a college football axiom is that a team usually improves the most during the season between the 1st ad 2nd game.
Good point wbb. We’ll be picking up speed with a game under our belts ironing out our issues exposed during our home opener and Cincy will be finding out on the fly if they’re as good this season as last year. Most likely they will be needing us to come out slow in the first half, hopefully we won’t cooperate with that game plan of theirs.
I don’t think there is much difference along the lines. As such I expect this to be a closer game (Less than 21 points), then many think. YSU also signed Dylan Colucci on the offensive line. He was a Fab22 pick and at 6’6″ 300, with a wrestling background, sure would look good in a Pit uniform to provide depth and athleticism. I know, he was only a 2 star, but has size and apparently good feet if you look at his wrestling skills. This one scares me because our LB’s may not match well against smaller backs out of the backfield.
Pitt goes vanilla so they don’t give much away to Cincy, but they throw in some trickeration to keep them honest. That’s how I see it. I hope I am wrong and it is a blowout.
It is a big advantage having a game under your belt..even bigger in a short week.
ASU blogger slamming PITT.
Perhaps that is true.
But when does an employee who bolts under cover of darkness get game film? That is company property and belongs to Pitt. It isn’t a damn pencil either.
Add “thief” to the list of descriptions applicable to ole flat top…
If I were Pitt, I would send a shot across his bow and send him a letter demanding return or face a suit…leak it to the press….you make choices in life and if Graham had left like a man, sure you give him the tapes…he didn’t earn that measure if respect.
Not with these coaches.
I’m very worried about injury because the front 5 will be getting so many snaps and the depth behind them is such that it is hard to have one of the big fella’s be replaced for even a little to rest up.
Also, I can’t wait for saturday… the pregame should be wonderful as long as the weather holds up. I’m excited for some ribs at the festival!