Camp opens tomorrow for Pitt football. Today is generally a minor media day.

So, why not start with the position everyone will be watching intently: quarterback.

There are plenty of questions at various positions. God, are there questions. There can be a case made for the importance of various other spots, but in modern football it is foolish (or Wannstedtian) to pretend that the QB spot isn’t the most important position.

It’s the center of the offense. He helps to dictate the pace of offense, which in turn influences how long the defense is on the sideline resting. It’s not that you can win without good skill players, strong lines and all the other parts. But any one of those can be papered over a little more than if you don’t have a good QB.

Officially, this is still an open competition between Tom Savage and Chad Voytik. You will not get Coach Paul Chryst or QB Coach Brooks Bollinger to say anything to contrary.

Unofficially, it is anything but. Going all the way back to the end of spring and the Blue-Gold scrimmage.

Savage, who has been practicing with the first team all spring, played three series and sat out the entire second half.

Voytik, meanwhile, got eight series, including several with the first team, and looked like a quarterback intent on competing for the starting job.

In front of 3,642 fans at Bethel Park High School, Voytik finished 27 of 33 for 358 yards and three touchdowns. In limited action, Savage connected on 6 of 11 for 80 yards.

Chryst said the plan going in was to limit Savage to three or four series, since the fifth-year senior had received the bulk of the first-team work in Pitt’s spring practices to this point.

“[Our goal was to] just give [Chad] snaps,” Chryst said. “I didn’t care if it was [with the] ones or twos, just give Chad a lot of work.

“Tommy’s done a lot of good things this spring. We like where he’s at and just thought it’d be good for Chad to get some good work tonight.”

Yeah, there was nothing to read into things. And as well as Voytik played, it was still an incomplete evaluation when four members of the 1st team defense (Aaron Donald, Jason Hendricks, Shane Gordon and Ray Vinopal) didn’t play in the game.

And of course the QBs weren’t admitting a decision has been made.

“I’ve never really thought it was over,” [Voytik] said. “I’m doing everything I can. We are all working together. It’s been good for all of us.”

He believes he is improving.

“The reads are starting to come to me a lot better,” he said. “But I have a lot of work to do.”

That was the theme back in the spring. That grizzled Savage was about knocking the rust off on his last chance while young Voytik was itching to begin his reign.

Voytik describes the competition as “unique.”

“(Savage) has had more background,” he said. “He’s already played in some college games, had more time to learn the game. But as far as the (Pitt) offense goes, we are going through it together We both help each other out.”

Voytik has four years of eligibility remaining and may enter another competition next year with freshman Tra Chapman. Savage is in his last year.

“I don’t have time on my side,” he said.

He points to Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, who transferred in 2011 from North Carolina State to Wisconsin and flourished in one season under Chryst, who was the Badgers’ offensive coordinator.

In a conversation with former Pitt quarterback Pat Bostick, who is part of the game-day broadcast team, Savage said he admires what Wilson accomplished at Wisconsin.

“If he can do it in one year, so can I,” he said.

The other advantage working for Savage, is that last year he at least got to run the scout team. So he at least got more action in practice going against the defense.

Voytik credited a good deal of his growth to the redshirt he took.

“When I came in, you’re thinking ‘Compete, compete,’ ” Voytik said. “You’re going to do all that you can, but realistically there was a redshirt senior [Tino Sunseri] who had started for [two] years, so you don’t come in thinking, ‘I should have the job.’ You have to be realistic with yourself and don’t let that limit the work that you put in, but just let it push you even harder. Throughout fall camp, you realize what it’s heading toward, but I try not to let that affect my work ethic.”

Looking back, Voytik said he appreciated the year off. With Savage serving as the scout-team quarterback, Voytik was able to work with Pitt’s playbook and learn Pitt’s offensive playbook.

Even though he was originally recruited by former Pitt coach Todd Graham to play in his spread offense, Voytik said he has gotten comfortable with Chryst’s pro-style system.

“Of course everyone wants to play, but [the redshirt year] was good for me,” Voytik said. “I feel like I made the most of that time and it really helped me as a player, especially in this offense, there’s a lot to take in. If there’s a system to redshirt in, I feel like this is a good one.”

Back in the spring, Savage said about his final year: “I don’t have time on my side.” Now, he’s trying not to sound quite so desperate with regards to a window.

Even with only one year of eligibility, Savage doesn’t view this season as the window closing.

“I can’t look at it that way,” he said. “Everything is a blessing right now. It is very, very rare for a kid to transfer twice and end up at a dominant school.

Still…

“I have to play like I have nothing to lose. I can’t play timid.”

Now back to reality. Barring injury, Tom Savage is going to be the starting QB.

During ACC media days last month in Greensboro, N.C., senior receiver Devin Street praised Savage as if the decision had been made.

“Tom has been working his tail off this summer,” Street said. “I can’t say enough about Tom.”

What Voytik has done is pushed Savage. Voytik has added mass, while Savage has been slimming down. In the Pitt media guide the “preseason depth chart” (PDF, pg. 15) Savage is listed ahead of Voytik. There is no “or.”

The only question regarding Voytik is how much and when will get some playing time.

This is Savage’s final go and he should play with some edge of desperation. At the same time, Voytik — more so than in the spring — is vital to Pitt and Chryst’s tenure.

Barring a huge 5th year senior transfer or a stud JUCO, Voytik is going to be the starting QB in the following year. It will be imperative for Chryst to manage working Voytik into games for some experience. To get a better idea of what he can (and cannot) do at the 1-A level.

It isn’t an easy balancing act. You can’t just put him in there to mop-up and hand-off at the end of games. At the same time no coach wants to create a controversy.

For the development of Voytik there are two games that really matter. New Mexico and Old Dominion. These are the easiest games on the schedule. They are at home. Realistically the only two games on the schedule where you can look at them and think that they could be over by halftime — in a good way.

These are the games where Voytik has the best chance of playing for at least a solid quarter without real controversy happening. To have that occur, though, Pitt needs to put those games out of reach early and decisively.