The kids and I drove down to Zanesville, Ohio to rejoin the wife last night. And so the kids can see grandpa. This morning — really, really early — I headed to the ‘Burgh. That stretch on I-70 from Cambridge, OH into West Virginia remains one of the more desolate, dreary stretches to drive. Even in the spring and summer large patches are nothing but brown lands and burned out husks of ramshackle houses and barns. Fall and winter, you just hit the gas a little more frequently and try to get through the area quickly.
So, it’s an 11 am Homecoming game on ESPNU.
Louisivlle is ranked. Favored in the game. Has a quality coach and a potentially dynamic, young QB. But for the whole, stuck-in-the-Big-East-until-the-Big-12-decides-to-go-to-12-teams thing, things are going well for the Cards. Fully recovered from their exposure to the Krags N1N virus they contracted from Tulsa.
Pitt is…
Well that’s just it. No one knows. If there is a theme for this game, it is that no one is sure which Pitt team will show up for this game. Will it be the power-running squad with an imperfect but solid enough O-line that opens up the holes for Ray Graham and Rushel Shell to bludgeon defenses? Forcing defenses to respect the running game enough to not blitz so much and allowing Tino Sunseri to find his receivers. Efficiently passing and managing the game. Producing a potent and surprisingly balanced offense. One that went roughshod over Virginia Tech and Gardner-Webb.
Or will the O-line look like they never received any coaching before last Tuesday? Skillfully blending matador blocking techniques with brain-dead penalties. Creating an anemic rushing attack and forcing a game manager QB to be Ben Rothlisberger.
Yeah, I’m putting most of the questions and pressure on the O-line.
The defense — other than some lapses early or late — has been consistently solid for the last month. The receivers have been excellent. The running backs I trust. Even Tino Sunseri has been very good, when he doesn’t have to do too much.
It’s on the O-line. Coach Paul Chryst has said these are the best the team has this year. Frustrating as it may be, he’s right there are no better options without blind hope and burning a redshirt.
I’ll be tweeting from my seat at Heinz. A much needed break from reality.
And my son — out of the clear blue sky — has, for reasons unbeknownst to me, decided that he will ABSOLUTELY NOT put on pants today. Hence, pretty much couldn’t enjoy this beautiful day outdoors. (I don’t use physical force to discipline my 4 year old son.)
In any event, there is a positive note to leave here on:
The SnorgesT chick at top right of this page is a huge improvement. (Nice ad, Chas, keep ’em coming!)
look pitt is 2 and 4 penn state is 4 and 2
both schools have first year coachs .
penn state lost there starting WR they lost there starting RB and 8 outher players there depth to
transfer.
so what is the reason they are 4 and 2 and we 2 and 4 the coachs maybe i dont know there QB is all most as bad as tino.
we have are starting WR we have deep RB we lost no depth just saying they dont say wait till next year but we do every year.
Hey site manager: Why are you trying to ruin this day entirely?
Comment by dacs 10.13.12 @ 8:06 pm
“Give it time hopefully the d can catch up.” lol
Aaaaa… what about last week the d must have caught up, they gave up 7 points to Syracuse. This great offense mustered a staggering 13 points against Syracuse, even a D2 team, namely Stony Brook, managed to score 17 points against Cuse.
As far as the 35 points yesterday, not really, as 7 of those were scored on PITT’s last meaningless drive, when the game was in hand 45-28. Very reminiscent of PITT’s last meaningless TD drive against Cincinnati in that blowout lose. Those scoring drives are called mercy points. All those last possession meaningless drives did was, pad Sir Tino’s stats, as yesterdays added about 100 yards to his passing stats. So while 287 passing yds looks impressive, sort of(apparently to some ppl who don’t watch much college football), much like most of his game, upon further scrutiny, it was more like 200. Which isn’t much in today’s high scoring pass happy college football, where you have QB’s routinely now, passing for over 400 yds.
Our QB is more fit to play for IUP or Edinboro not a D1 program. As he’s been outplayed by just about every QB we’ve faced in his 32 starts. Yes, even by the D2 QB’s of Maine and Youngstown State.
I will say he did outplay the kid from Gardner Webb and VA Tech’s dreadful QB. And those God awful QB’s from Uconn last year, or was it the year before. As far as completion %, that has never been a problem, as the previous two seasons he’s posted a 65% completion %.
Which goes to emphasize the point, it’s NOT how many you complete, it’s when & where you complete them(as he’s somewhat adequate between the 30’s, except of course for long passes) and can you complete them to wide open WR’s for TOUCHDOWN’S.
As when you miss wide open for sure TD passes, those are just as much as MOMENTUM KILLERS, as a fumble or an interception is. Those deflate everyone in the game and players watching along the sidelines. Some ppl apparently don’t understand that ! Maybe cause they never played, idk.
This stmt, was made by alot yesterday and again today. Like somehow bad coaching decisions can just be fluffed off. On the order of “Oh well, we like his aggressiveness, playing to win, etc.”
I got news for you, bad coaching decisions isn’t playing to win, it’s guaranteeing you’re going to LOSE.
You don’t give your opponent the opportunity to seize momentum when there is no reason to do so.
That decision at the end of the 1rst half was something you’d see by a Pop Warner league coach.
And a not very successful one either.
1) You never want to let your opponent score right before the half to gain some momentum.
(and you saw how that momentum gained by Ville at halftime, played out in the 3rd quarter, did you not, as the game was lost in the 3rd quarter for the most part, as PITT never comes from behind to win, with this QB)
2) You never want to shorten the field for your opponent to score. Again ESPECIALLY BEFORE HALFTIME !
3) What exactly was there to gain, by going for it on 4rth down with 53 seconds to go in the 1rst half. Let’s examine that. What was to be gained, was a mid to long FG attempt by a very erratic FG kicker. So let me get this straight, you’re going to risk your 7 point lead and vital halftime momentum, for a FG attempt from FG kicker you know is very very erratic from 35 – 40 yds out. That makes no sense at all.
That decision there, effected how the game played out in the 4rth Quarter, as PITT would have been down by ONLY 7 points, not 10 when he made his next coaching gaffe. Which if the correct decision would have been made at the end of the 1rst half, it wouldn’t have led to his next coaching mistake. That is what happens when you make a bad decision, more than likely it leads to more bad decisions. Which is why they sometimes equate football with life.
Comment by Jon 10.14.12 @ 10:19 am
lol, if you’re going to go on a rant and lambast those of us who have witnessed debacle after debacle concerning PITT football since they let Jackie Sherrill walk after going 33-3 his last 3 seasons, at least get the Chancellors name correct. lmao
P.S. I’ve already re-examined my life btw. Thanks for the heads up though.
The thing that I don’t understand about him though is for a man who strives for excellence in all other areas to be satisfied with a poor athletic program, especially football.
The first play in the 3rd quarter had no bearing on the wrong decision being made by the HC at the end of the 1rst half. That obviously was something the Ville OC saw in PITT’s defense at halftime that they exploited immediately in the 3rd quarter.
The decision was wrong for all the reasons I stated. Again you don’t shorten the field for your opponent when you’re leading and certainly NOT right before halftime. Even if Shell makes that 1rst down,…it was still the wrong decision.
Again, what was there to gain, a long FG attempt by a very erratic FG kicker. Certainly not worth the risk. That was what you would call a Risk Adverse decision by PC.
You have to weigh what would be gained against what would be lost when making any decision.
The to gain category was a mid to long FG attempt by a very erratic FG kicker.
The loss category, was: 1) your 7 point lead.
And up until that point, PITT had the momentum, it was LOST on that decision. 2) So you lost your momentum in the game. And by the way, PITT NEVER regained the momentum from that point on
3) Ville was immediately in scoring position. So you lost your field position
4) You lost your best ally in that case, …which is the clock. Had PITT punted and pinned Ville deep in their own territory, the clock would have also worked in PITT’s favor. And against Ville.
Nope it was a really bad decision and NO NFL coach would EVER do such a thing, right before halftime.
I’ve been waiting for it since about 84′!!!
LMAO!!!
In the whole scheme of things and life PITT football is inconsequential. As are ALL college football programs. And way to much emphasis is placed on them. Chancellor Nordenberg has done a magnificent job at PITT where it counts. (now if he only would get rid of Stevie Boy, lol)
Academically, research wise and increasing our Endowment to over $2 Billion dollars, which will place us in the upper tier of the ACC. So with all this money, let’s get on with a campus football stadium, called what else PITT Stadium.
This is after all, is a football post on a PITT athletics blog.
@Dan,
Yes, we’re part of the instant gratification generation, didn’t you know that Dan-o.
Which is why I’m always upgrading my I-phone every 3 months. NOT !!!
* attendance was no more than 35,000, I don’t care what the paper said.
* Having attended Pitt Football games since 1962, I don’t think I have ever seen a more angry, frustrated, doom expecting crowd than Saturday’s and that was before the game. At halftime, there was simply rage and outrage. And that’s when we were ahead.
* We all had a good time discussing what was “Wannstedtean” and what wasn’t, and it was determined that the play right before halftime that went for 27 yards and set up a fieldgoal, was NOT Wannsteadian as it would have gone for a TD under Wannstedt!
* I sat with all Pitt fans and all strangers to my wife and I as I have given away my season tickets to friends.
* Not one of us at halftime thought Pitt had any chance to win the game and most thought we would be blown out in the 3rd quarter..prophetic!
* At halftime after the homecoming court was announced, Chancellor Nordy came on and announced that Pitt had set a record of $2 billion dollars in giving and thanked all of us alums. That immediately set off a discussion of “let’s use some of that money for a stadium on campus” and can we buy out smug Steve’s contract. or maybe we could get some new UNi’s with names on the back that don’t make our team look like Navy on the field. What utter classlessness!
* Back to the crowd…and the tone and vitrial of the previous comments. If you think you were angry, you should have seen the Pitt Fans, young and old who attended! As most of you know, I have never been shy about expressing my anger toward Pitt and this football program and had a quiet 5 hour ride home to think it over.
Here’s the deal…I have been attending Pitt Football games since 62, did not miss a home game from 62 -82 and made a lot of the road games too.
I, at least had the pleasure of the 75-82 winning years, but like the rest of you, have suffered mightily over the last 30.
As I sat with my best Pitt friends, frat brothers and wives at dinner and looked around, I realized that next year, maybe one or a few of us would not be around. We are at that age where we are all losing friends and loved ones…and then it came to me, THAT IS why I am so Fucking Mad at this program, the clowns at Pitt who have set these wheels of mediocrity in motion and continue to make Pitt a laughing stock in the world of collegiate football. Beano Cook, a great Pitt man who I met only once but admired for his frankness on the total idiocy which inhabits the Pitt administration year after year said it best and I quote “same old Pitt”.
That’s why WBB et al. are angry… why the majority of loyal, faithful fans who attended yesterday sat on their hands on third down and refused to get overly enthused with what they were witnessing. Not a one of us had ANY doubt about the out come of the game or the futility of the coaching and play on the field. Imagine another college team passing up a 29 yard FG ,down 10pts because they not only had no faith in the kicker but were not even sure the snapper could get hime the ball! Don’t think Bama or Notre Dame…think Bucknell, Towson State, Duquesne.
SAME OLD PITT…and not only are we all tired of it, we aren’t sure we may EVER see it change.
PS – The band was as good as I’ve ever seen it. Jack Anderson is retiring after this year and has done an amazing job with very little support from the Pitt Admin. We used sit with his wife. He is a class act and a terrific director. Several of my friends played in the alumni band in honor of Jack. Typical of Pitt Admin, not a single announcement was made over the loud speaker of who those 87 guys were in blue jackets and tan slacks playing instruments with the Pitt Band. Utterly classless as usual.
I will second your band “atta boy”. Told my sister that she missed the Pitt band arches finest the last two home games, but damn they sounded superb on Saturday.
Absolutely they BEST they have ever been.
By light years.
Jack is going out in style. Wonder if Mel Orange will get the nod next?
.
The football team seems to lack fight when they lose the lead. Comeback seems to hard a hill to climb.
Still 6 games to go. Maybe this year but probably next year.
Oh ya, he got to kick that FG by throwing a 30 yd Hail Mary on 4th and 8 from what his 40…..guess that’s the difference between being a genius and incompetent.
Driving home from the game listening to the postgame show on The Fan, Tino was heard saying something to the effect of “They (Louisville’s Defense) played us different than what we expected. We need to do a better job of making adjustments.”
Now my understanding is that “adjustments” implies changes coming from the coaches… not the players… and usually at halftime.
That being the case did Tino just throw Chryst and his staff under the bus?
That would be a shame considering how Tino should know a lot about how it feels to find yourself on the underside of a Greyhound given the way he was treated last year by Graham.
It’s one thing for the fans to criticize the Coach for failing to make needed adjustments.
It’s a quite another to hear it from the starting quarterback.
Now, before all the unabashed Tino supporters jump in… let me say that he may have a point.
Watching from the fifty yard line of Saturday’s game, it was quite obvious that there was more than one failure to adjust on the part of Chryst and his staff.
Still, I hold back just a little here simply not knowing how much of the lack of “adjustments” might have to do with Tino failing to call the right audibles at the line. Like he hasn’t done that before?
If… and I say if… Tino is throwing Chryst under the bus after this one… what does that say about Tino?
Seems to me there is a story here that needs to be fleshed out by the local press, if it indeed is true. Sounds to me that it very well could be.
To me, the game changer Saturday was the failed run on fourth and two at the end of the first half that lead to Lousiville going the other way and getting three. What was Chryst thinking?
If you’re determined to go for it, a better play would have been to throw it to Shanahan who was completely isolated out left with a single defender. The other smart play would have been to punt and pin Louisville down deep.
Last year we had a coach who loved punting the ball on third down. This year we have a coach who doesn’t even think fourth down is for punting.
Obviously, I was wrong in believing Pitt was going to rebound after the “stumble” in Syracuse. Not to mention beginning a three-game win streak going into Notre Dame.
Looks like the three-game win streak will have to begin next week.
Well coached teams find a way to win and overcome adversity. When was the last time Pitt beat a more talented team? WVU …5 years ago. and that’s it.
Also, no doubt that the jury is/and will be out on this coaching staff. After all this program has been through, it’s a wonder they even came to Pitt.
What bothers most of us, is the kind of crap that happens to Pitt Football teams that seems, year after year, to be unique to us.
For instance, I thought K-wan Williams #2, played a terrific game agaisnt Syracuse but he got torched 3x vs L’ville. After the game, Coach Chryst made a point of saying that K-wan was playing on a bad ankle. Now, c’mon coach, surely there has to be another d back/linebacker we have that could have played against one of the finest receivers in the country? Surely, except at Pitt.
We had our longsnapper go down with an injury. Surely we have a # 2 longsnapper on the team? No, in fact we don’t and it cost Pitt a TD and kept Chryst from kicking a “Must” 29 yd FG when it was needed.
Surely we have some uniforms somewhere that are not Navy hand me downs?
Surely, like most Div 1 programs, we have a QB that can throw a pass over 30 yards with a decent arch to hit an open reciever who is running 8 yards beyond his defender. Or who has at least brought us back from any deficit one X in 3 years?
and this rant could run on forever….
In fact, no we don’t. Vince Lombari said it first and I use it in business all the time “take care of the little things and the big things will take care of themselves!”
It’s not the losing to a better team that bugs us, it’s the “same old Pitt” crap that infects this program year after year, coach after coach
that infuriates so many of us who live,eat and breathe Pitt Sports.
And by the looks of the crowd Saturday, that number is dwindling rapidly.
Actually myself and others said it on Saturday a little after noon before the ball was snapped.
I guess we might as well just shut down the Blog and call it a season.
The only highlight of the weekend was Groucho Marx winning Pitt Homecoming King.
This is a Pitt sports blog. 99% football and basketball and 1% whatever else people bring up.
This is where people vent, talk about the game, discuss the game, the season.
What has gone right, what has gone wrong.
Give their opinion on the games and seasons. Opinions on the future, on the past.
That’s what this is. Don’t you get it?? THAT’S WHAT THIS IS!!!!!!!!!!!!
If not, then why have the blog??
I will also suggest, that we are no different than any other sports fans, college, pro, football, hoops, hockey or baseball.
After a win, you will see many more positive posts and people getting pumped up to maybe the team is on the right track.
After a loss, negativity, and what’s wrong.
If you’re looking for something else, this is not where to find it.
It’s a sports blog about Pitt athletics, and peoples opinions on them.
I’m going to draw two parallels here, each relative, each coming from the 2010 season:
LOUISVILLE 2010
Six games into the 2010 season – his first as Louisville’s head coach – Charlie Strong was 3-3.
He had wins over Eastern Kentucky, Arkansas State
and Memphis. He lost to Kentucky (HUGE rival), Oregon State (ranked #25 at the time) and Cincy.
Were Louisville fans panicking in mid-October of 2010, wondering if their program misfired on a guy who was supposed to be the hot young assistant? I’m sure some were. I’d also love to know if any of those same people were among the Louisville fans sitting at Heinz on Saturday morning talking about how their Cards should be national title contenders (as some allegedly were) and how they’re terrified that Strong is going to jump for the Auburn job if Chizik gets canned?
PITT 2010
Let’s also remember that our Pitt program at that same time in 2010 was also 3-3.
That was the last Wannstedt-coached team. It featured Dion Lewis, Ray Graham, Jon Baldwin, Henry Hynoski, Lucas Nix, Chris Jacobsen and Jason Pinkston. On defense, it had the veteran defensive line led by Sheard, Romeus and Myles Caragein, and then Dom Decicco in the secondary.
You could make that argument that the 2010 team from top to bottom was the best team on paper of the Wannstedt era. They lost the opener at Utah, which I think was excusable, given it was Tino’s first game and it’s a tough place to play. They struggled to put away New Hampshire, lost at home to Miami, beat FIU, lost at ND and then blew out a bad Syracuse team.
3-3 at this same point of the season, with what was very likely his best overall team, top to bottom. And that was with a coach who had already built up four full seasons worth of evidence as to his head coaching acumen at this level.
The truth is you don’t know. No one knows how this is going to turn out. There are a lot of things that Chryst has done well. There is very visible progress being made by individual players, and you can see big differences in the way they were used from last year. You can also see shades of the offenses he ran at Wisconsin, which is encouraging as long as he’s able to get a better QB (which happens almost by default next year) and develops a better offensive line. The defense has made some improvements here and there. They’ve struggled against spread offenses, but that seems to be the norm with most teams this day and age in college football.
The situational play-calling needs to improve, but that’s part of the learning curve any first-time head coach gets.
This year I see a team improving every game, still making mistakes but improving.
Lack of depth and a QB who when the game is on the line folds and fails miserably. If Tino could only play at the end the way he has been playing for the previous 3 qtrs, we would be fine.
From my observations, I like Coach Chryst and staff.
I may be wrong but that is my opinion.
By the way I thought the year would pan out just as it is, growing pains and learning new system.
I believe we are allowed to discuss particular game strategies and calls on a game by game basis.
I was a little disappointed by several of his calls this past Saturday.
This doesn’t mean I want him fired or cheering for him to fail.
It just means I raised my eyebrows a couple times wondering where he was coming from.
He is just a first year head coach, however, I thought a couple of the moves were no-brainers that shouldn’t need a learning curve.
I’m still on his bandwagon though.
I can’t believe some of the very good recruits we’ve had over the last 10 years, knowing that they’re gonna play in that stadium, that is mostly empty, most of the time.
Some talk of getting better recruits, realisticly looking at it, if I’m a 17 or 18 year old hot shot, I wouldn’t even give consideration to coming to Pitt solely on the gameday atmosphere at Heinz Field.
No, I’m not trying to start an on-campus debate, there’s no where to put it. I know that.
But, wow, those yellow seats would turn me off immediately.
So, kudos to Walt, Dave, and Paul for getting anyone really.
+1
LOL
@frankarms Last year was the worst football you ever saw? Are you kidding me. Pitt was basically 3 plays away from being 10-2 and in a BCS game. This year Pitt is 2-4 with losses to bad teams. Last year’s team would easily beat this year’s team.
I think the coaches will be great here. In the 4th quarter, Harper has been pushing long field goals all year and our long snapper has been hurt (see the botched snap on the punt). We would have made the first down had Tino been able to put the ball anywhere near a wide open Saddler. Also, the play before Shanahan dropped what my be his first pass of the year.
Just beat Buffalo, South Florida, and UConn on the road (they all stink) and Temple at home and we’ll make a bowl. If we survive Notre Dame’s defense, that is!
Put blue Pitt sweatshirts on them, and fill in.
That’s a hideous scene down there.
Comment by rayhpgh 10.15.12 @ 9:44 am
Sorry rayhpgh, I have a hard time believing Youngstown State and Syracuse are better than us.
Those two aren’t better than Va Tech, who we dominated. So…draw your own conclusions.
As for Louisvlle, that game was lost due to poor coaching decisions on the field and the lack of adjustments in the locker room at the half.
And draw your own conclusions to that as well.
LOL
Not sure what games you are watching. YSU dominated us on both sides of ball. Syracuse beat us so they are better too. And we have since found out VT is not a good team this year. Conclusion – we are somewhere between a poor and an average team. We won’t know until the end of the season.
a 12 yr old playing Madden would correctly make.
He’s making these decisions based on what an Offensive Coordinator would do. And those guys always think their plays are gonna work, and they invariably want to go for short 4rth downs.
It’s the Head Coach who has to weigh the enthusiasm of his OC and his ambitions of always thinking his plays are going to work and almost always ‘wanting to go for it’ with the reality of the consequences of that play and decision, should that play NOT WORK.
A Head Coach is sort of like a Judge, in that he has to listen to all these voices, consider what they have to say and then apply some sanity to the proceedings. And apply the law. And in that regard there are certain laws (axioms) in football that most successful Head Coaches tend to follow.
So what PC needs to do is start thinking like a Head Coach and not an Offensive Coordinator.
HTP
VEV
GRP
lol, Yes I watched the YSU game and the Cuse game.
Just because you lose to a team, doesn’t make them better than you. Appalachian State beat Michigan the other year, do you seriously think App State was really better than Michigan ?
Last year James Madison beat Va Tech, were they better than Va Tech? I could list lots of these examples, the point is, the better team didn’t win, for whatever reason. In most cases these teams weren’t prepared to play (see YSU vs PITT).
For all of these teams that won were 2-4 TD underdogs, so according to the experts, they were not better. They were not even expected to be in the game.
So I know what I’m watching, and I’m watching PITT lose to teams like a D2 team(YSU) and Syracuse, who are not better than PITT. Which is why we are ALL SO MAD. Get it !
I live in reality. Seems like you may not. Odds are set to balance the betting, not determine who is the better team. Pitt is not a good team.
Bill Parcells
Would you expect anything above average with a QB who can’t complete a 20 yard pass, hit wide open receivers on go routes or play with any semblance of a 5th yr senior in the 4rth Quarter.
And we knew that before the season started.
After losing to YSU and Cuse, which EVERYONE had as a W, I revised my prediction to 5-7. But 4-8 is more likely now.
You might live in your reality, which I have no idea of what that is. Odds are set on who the experts think is the better team. For the most part the favorites win. Sure there are upsets, but for another example, since it seems you need some more.
The Steelers lost a couple years ago to a 3 win Oakland Raiders team, were the Raiders better than the Steelers in the whole scheme of things?
I await your answer to see exactly what kind of reality you live in.
@Emel you are spot on. A loss to a team doesn’t mean you are the worse team. It just means you played worse on that given day and they played worse on that given day. There is no way the Cuse are a better team than Pitt. They scored half of their points on a flukey fumble recovery. Chryst was happy to run a ton with Graham until the very end of the game when Pitt was in FG range.
However, Chryst is a gambler. That was evident while he was still at Wisconsin.
Here’s what I’m hoping. If Chryst is able to find a QB who is a playmaker, enough of the gambles will pay off to pull off some wins.
For instance, had Pitt had Bridgewater on Saturday… does anybody here think Pitt would not have won the game?
My thoughts. Hold the horses cowboys! It is the first season for a new head coach with players that were recruited by three different coaches. That is akin to three different people going to the supermarket and coming home with redundant supplies / food. “You got what you got” which isnt exactly what the new cook might have ordered. Can’t make filet if the shoppers forgot the filet.
We all knew that this year was going to be a bust. Why are we all decompensating like we were on our way to the national championship (See WVU) and then the floor fell out? This is a learning year for the coach and the young players. Next year will be better and so on and so on (as long as we stick with one head coach and allow him to succeed). Coaches need 3-4 years to prove themselves as do players. Consider this year 1!
I personally am simply looking to see what type of character this team displays as that is best indicator of the type of coach we have. Remember the feeling after the YSU game? I thought that we would not win one game. Then came the opening 5 mins of U.C. and I was certain that we were doomed for Paul Hackett like defeats. To my surprise the team has become competitive. They have been in every game that they have played since the UC game. That shows me a lot about the character being instilled by the coaches on these players.
I am patient and will give it time. I expect growth in year 2,3… I expect a good solid competitive recruiting class. This year is a bust and we knew it from the outset. Let’s continue to provide the support and get through the season.
I am going to go with the wings suggestion. When in Buffalo.
Thanks TX. anyone care to join me?
Oh yeah…”Where could we have gone”…
Some people on this blog say Pitt is not a good football team; in my opinion, some Pitt fans are fair weather fans at best. If Pitt is your school you should back it, win or lose. Besides, it’s only football. Some people on this blog go way over the top with their comments on why Pitt football is this or that but usually condemn Pitt when they lose.
For those too critical on Pitt football, give Pitt’s opponents some credit for playing better and coming out a winner. Let’s be good sports here. Imagine what we would do in the fall if Pitt administrator’s decided to drop the football program all together.
Pitt football enjoyed many succesful years; there have also been many not so successful years. BUT we are Pitt and let’s support our team, WIN or LOSE. Otherwise, you’re only a fair weather Pitt fan.
Hail to Pitt!
I hate mediocrity as much as the next guy. Actually, what I hate more than mediocrity is what we currently are…below mediocre. However, no program in the country has been through more coaching changes over the past two years than we have. The changing of systems, new coaches, negative press, etc., etc. all takes a toll.
We bitch and moan about empty stadiums, the lack of an athletic budget and everything else under the sun. Yet, we contribute to the problem by coming on here and focusing on every single negative thing we can get our hands on. How about we try an opposite approach for once? How about we support the program? Oh wait we won’t do that because Pederson is the AD and we think we sucks. I understand he sucks. But there’s not much many of us can do about it (some of you may have some pull, I frankly have none) and that’s not the players fault either. I know Chryst handled the clock management before halftime poorly. Does he need to get better? Hell yes! But overall what did we expect? He is a first year coach. Did we think he would walk in and be Nick Saban? Hell, even Nick Saban wasn’t Nick Saban in his first year at Bama! The list goes on and on.
I know we are all tired of the same old Pitt. But these players have been dealt a rough hand and the current coaching staff isn’t responsible for the past 30 years – they’ve been on the job less than a year. We need to vastly improve fast! But I’m not sure what everyone expected 6 games in the Chryst era.
You are totally right druc, I haven’t a clue. We all should celebrate getting shredded in the Fiesta Bowl by Utah after a stellar 4 way tie atop a depleted Big East…after all, we should aspire to being “competitive” and playing in 5 straight years of meaningless exhibition games in December.
Walt was allowed to walk for the same reasons Wanny was canned, and Foge, Hackett and Majors2 before him over the last 30 years…they didn’t win enough in general and didn’t win enough of the important games in specific.
I seriously can’t believe that some people look back on a shared championship and a bowl game slaughter so fondly.
Walt did a very good job resurrecting a program that was left for dead. I genuinely like Walt and saw first hand how he injected life into the team. But, if by your opinion he was such a great coach and was poised to steer the Pitt program to continued “BCS level success”…why is he unemployed now? Why couldn’t he find success at Stanford? Why was he unable to keep an OC job at a D2 school?
This bullshit myopic backward comparison of one failed coach vs another is part of the problem. This shouldn’t be a Wanny v Walt debate. That is pointless. It should be about what gets the Pitt program to the higher level of college football that those two gentlemen were not able to accomplish.
Good point, I think Pitt made 5 million from their football program last year, conversely State Penn made approximately 60 million. I’m curious how 2012 revenues turn out for both.
A big gap between the two programs, my point is Pitt struggles to turn a buck and its going to get worse because of people are just tired of the same old shit because we have hired a poor or mediocre coach over and over again who needs time to install their system and get their players.
After the Wanny, Haywood and Fraud fiasco someone should have lost their job but the Pitt administration is inept and it shows. The administration needs change until that happens we will be mediocre at best. I fear we are going to go into the ACC on a low point in football.