Yep as posted before we could be much better and still finish 6-6.

It’s a killer schedule, with not only Notre Dame replacing FIU, but Louisville replacing BC.

Those are 2 really substantially better teams, I mean come on. Louisville won 9 games last year and Notre Dame won 8 games and beat LSU in their bowl game. Both teams have oodles of talent compared to Pitt.

Then you add in the factor, we play five (5) of the first seven (7) games on the road.

That is a rough road for a good team, let alone a below average one, with a brand new HC.

7-5 would be an exceptional season for this team, with that schedule.

Last year was the year we should have won 8 or 9 games.

Had we had a good HC and a competent DC we would have.

No by line on this article but assuming Reed is the author I’m responding to his request for questions to the coaching staff form his previous thread. Here are my questions that involves the game day atmosphere.

First, will there be an athletic department “change in policy” for this season at Heinz Field that will eliminate the previously instituted security staff actions that demand fans to sit down if they are blocking the view of others? It always astounds me when such fan enthusiasm is discouraged simply because somebody else may complain about it. Second, will Coach Narduzzi & Co. Institute a team philosophy of the team bench cheering on the sidelines during the game? During the last few seasons it has been noticeable that the Pitt sideline has often been passive in their enthusiasm demonstrated by those players dressed on the sidelines. Often these guys actually seem uninterested and disconnected from the action unfolding on the field. If I was coach I’d let the entire team know that the bench is intended for those players who have just come off the field to get a rest and to catch their breath proper to their next series on the field. For everybody else you should be standing at the sideline cheering on your troops and paying attention to the game.

In regards to Pitt predictions in the conference. I’m glad we are being under estimated as a team. I much prefer playing the roll of the underdog. Yeah take us for granted, pencil Pitt in as an easy win. Hoping all of our ACC foes expect to just mail in their effort against us this season. Obviously the ranking that counts is the one earned on the field come season’s end. We’ll see how that turns out in good time.

Regarding Pitt’s defense this season, it will be a 180 degree change from last season. Aggressive vs passive, simplified vs complicated, coached by experienced vs neophyte coaching, game experienced players vs last season’s first year starters all over the field. We might have a big difference in defensive stats come season’s end but Narduzzi’s defense is going to bring to you rather than waiting to have the game take it to them this year.

I’m also predicting that two new guys both have an impact on the D this year, those guys being Scarpinato and Edwards. We’ll see soon enough if I’m right or not.

Narduzzi even seemed to indirectly question the previous head coaching staff not keeping Conner out there (at least the end of the quote reads that way):

“He can’t just be a guy that you put in a game when it’s going to be a run,” Narduzzi said. “As a defensive guy, I’ll know when James is in the game it’s a run and when he’s not it’s a pass. We have to get him the ball on third down — whether it be a draw or a pass out of the backfield. He’s got great hands. In the spring we did it, and it was like, ‘Why was this guy not in on third downs?’ So that was an emphasis in the spring and will continue to be an emphasis.”

Paulie the supposed offensive guru was telegraphing the plays.

Any of us who watched the games, by mid-season you knew exactly what the offensive calls were going to be, based on personal in the game.

If we knew, the opposing DC knew. And imo was one of the major reasons why Pitt usually fizzled in the 4th quarter of games.

^^based on personnel in the game ^^

I was the one who posted 1600 seats are left. If you go to the Pitt FB page on ESPN thats where they have it. We have to also keep in mind a bunch of PSU alumni are supposedly buying season tickets in order to make sure they have a seat for the PSU game in the coming years.

The new defensive end recruit definately has size but is late when his hand is in the ground on snaps and just was obviously much bigger than the offensive lines he played.

Frequent reader, but rarely post…

Agree with Emel at 9:00 AM… 7-5 with this schedule and new coaching staff would be great. This looks like a 6-6 team to me.

I’m going all in on 9 or 10 wins. Great coaches usually make an immediate impact. No devastating player losses from last season. Very young team. They will be good. Miami will be overrated once again. Duke and Tech too. I think UNC will surprise just by putting up so many points. Not the SOP. Think big not scared.

Once again I reiterate the Iowa game is a critical milestone in the Panthers season. I just don’t see this team losing to YSU or Akron again. This means Iowa is the first loss for this team, maybe. The ability of Narduzzi to get the maximum potential out of this team has everything to do with these guys totally buying into Narduzzi’s hype and enthusiasm.

When the results on the field demonstrate that there is genuine substance to the hype then a transformation begins to materialize in the team’s own expectations of themselves. College football is such a game of momentum that if Pitt ends September at 3-0, anything is possible going forward.

Look it, I don’t understand why but the Panthers always play VT and ND tuff. Catching ND at home helps as well. Hopefully we pull one of those out as a win. If it happens to be the VT game, then can you imagine the attention the Pitt vs Virginia game at Heinz will garner with Pitt at 4-0 coming off that VT win?

The old saying, “you are what your record says you are”, speaks the truth. A 3-0 start gets these Panthers thinking that they are the winners that Narduzzi is pushing them to be. He has set the bar high for this team already. Pushing for playing in the ACC Championship game starts to take on substance when you have the confidence of three previous wins going into your first acc contest.
I’ve seen it happen before with this program a one season complete turn around in attitude and expectations. When Pitt played to a tie against the Georgis Bulldogs in their season opener under the direction of Coach Majors in his first year, those few who still followed the train wreck called Pitt Football looked at each other and simultaneously exclaimed “WTF@?! The rest is history.

This team is at a much stronger position to begin with. The leap to the next level is not that huge. You just have to find that emotional magical ingredient called “momentum” to get the ball rolling. 3-0 provides that impetus to start the bolder rolling downhill. Iowa is the key.

I still think 8-4 with losses to ND, Miami, GT and IA

Read where the new recruit, Hargrove was 3rd team all-state in Ohio in basketball.

That is better than most of Dixon’s recruits, so maybe he should also lace up the Chuck Taylor’s to play some hoops for us.

6’6″ 260, that’s like one of our old style players from Howland days when we outmuscled the opposition.

My concern about the Akron game is one of the recent links posted here showed the Zips as the #2 most improved team.

I don’t expect a lot of high ranked recruits to commit or flip until they see the results on the field. A difficult schedule for the team.

Dr. Tom,
Why not propose a fan standing section to the AD ?
Or have the last 2 or 3 rows in a section for fans that want to stand ? Whether I’m sitting or standing does not influence how much noise I make at the games or support I throw towards Pitt.
I’m one of the older guys with a bad back that can’t stand for extended periods. Why block my view of the game? if faced with fans blocking my view of the game I guess staying home is your prescription for my pain.

The biggest difference weave between this season and last year is the “goal setting” established by this new staff.

Remember last year’s mantra, “why not now”? Really? During WWII the battle cry against the foe in the Pacific was “Remember Pearl Harbor”! Not “Do Tou Remember Pearl Harbor”???

Nard Dogg & Co. Is all about goals. This IS a Championship team, we ARE going to win the ACC Championship this year, etc. Psychologically this is a tremendous difference in focus when it comes to getting positive results. Any motivational speaker, who is worth his weight, will tell you that the first step in obtaining success is establishing clearly defined goals.

The coaching this team is exposed to now is getting immersed in this new goal setting atmosphere. It will produce results sooner or later, sooner if they start winning right away. (See my previous post).

Hoping this is the start of our next Pitt Football revolution, it has been a three+ decades wait. Hail to Pitt!

+1 Emel

Glad predictions are on the low side and glad so many early games are away. Instead of playing half a game, maybe the Pitt team will have to play full games. If Narduzzi can put an end to half ass efforts by the team, we can win wherever we play.

@@@@@@

Have given up trying to predict Pitt’s record. Scarred by too
many head coaches, assistant coaches, and too many
YSU, Akron, Navy, Bowling Green, Utah, Houston, etc etc etc

@ Spindler’s Spirit, I’m not arguing with you here but simply offering alternate solutions to your’s of staying home on game days. First, I assume that your back problem is not so severe that it interferes with you getting to your seat at Heinz. If I’m mistaken on that point, then I apologize and have a perfect solution for you at the same time, show up in a wheelchair and you will be granted ideal handicapped locations along the elevated promenade walkways around the stadium, all of which provide more unobstructed views.

Another option is to change your season ticket seat location From year to year. Over the years I changed my seats three times, with my 1st priority being getting closer to midfield and my 2nd being getting closer to the railing above the walkway that circles the field in the lower sections. Got to the 40 yard line and only three rows back behind the rail. Provided for a shorter walk to the concessions & bathrooms too. Obviously, the closer you get to the rail the less people you potentially will have standing up in front of you. In that regard. When the ticket office staff discussed this moving my seats option, there was the opportunity to get right on the rail if I wanted to sacrifice my position closer to midfield. By that I mean I was offered rail row seating but it was situated on the 5 yard line to the end zone sections instead of the 30 to 45 yard line options that I preferred.

Anyhow, really atHeinz field how much standing actually goes on during the game? During a three hour game it probably involves 10 minutes of standing during big plays or key drives. So I’m suggesting you could stand up too during these intermittent occasions and join in on the excitement by standing up yourself during short periods. Plus, at Heinz Field, how much can you really miss when they replay the plays two or three times on the jumbo screen, especially the game changer and scoring plays?

Just be aware that the poor game day atmosphere that so many complain about on the Blather is really the result of those who attend the game. It is one of those situations of “we have met the enemy and they are us”? Just be glad you’re not a season ticket holder at a place like Texas A&M where the Twelfth Man contingent amounting to the entire fan base ends up standing for the entire game while they cheer on their Aggies to victory. Yeah, they have a great game day experience.

They will beat Iowa by 30. PN has a grudge against them for a tough loss where he erred by being to aggressive.

Too many of you are in SOP mindset. Better coaching this season fellas. More experiences assistant coaches. A young team older and wiser. Two top ten players in the ACC. Don’t worry about the schedule. The players and coaches won’t be using that as an excuse anyways.

Predictions are just analytical dreams. I say if ya all gone dream then go ahead and dream, no reason in fabricating a nightmare. That $hit transpires on it’s own soon enough with DUIs cropping up, injuries occurring and the ball bouncing the wrong way during the actual games.

The season always progresses in a series of fits and spasms, a mini soap opera from August to January for the avid sports fan. That being said, I love the vibe surrounding the program right now. Narduzzi and his staff has it all over HCPC and his staff regarding PR and playing all facets of the mass media to the max. Loved the “Panthers on the Prowl” events. Everyone that I talked with who attended one of those events enjoyed it and came away energized.

I think Narduzzi fully appreciates the importance of winning right now to build on this initial hype that has thus far been created. In fact, I think that Nard Dogg is going to be his own harshest critic when he can’t bring home the victory.

The thing that will need to be demonstrated however when those inevitable loses occur is that it is evident that the Panthers got beat fair and square and have not “pitted” and lost the game by their own ineptitude. As long as that is avoided, Narduzzi’s benchmark for first year success should be externally set at about 7-5 with a minor bowl bid. I don’t think Narduzzi will label that “success” though, and for a truly elite program that is the way it should be.

We ain’t there yet so That lower expectation will pass mustard for me for this season anyhow. Hoping for much, much more however. If I was binging on the Pitt Koolaid, like Tossing is apparently is, then I could see a 9-3 season too. What the hell, remember, we’re dreamin here!

Tossing – it’s just that we are conditioned to see a lower result than hoped for with new HCs.

This goes back to at least 2004 with DW and even back to Harris but he inherited a poor team. We can be excited as anyone but until the results start showing up there will always be wariness about the new HC.

This all goes back to “show me” and I’ll believe. I’m one of those. It wouldn’t shock me to be 2-2 in Sept…. and .500 from then on.

Next year may be the first time we get really excited about the Narduzzi era.

But lets wait on predictions until fall camp is almost finshed.

Glass is half full

link to post-gazette.com

No offense to you guys who have been around for a while, but what does it say about Pitt’s fan base that the team has to institute a “no standing” rule. Great football atmosphere people.

Steve1, great link, thanks!
The post gazette must of goofed and thought Adam played for PSU! Glad to see an article in our hometown Pittsburgh paper that highlights one of its own instead of one of the dairy school kids over a 100 miles away. Just say’n…….

Atlanta Panther, I see your point and totally agree. It would be like passing a “no popcorn” rule at the movies.

I may have mentioned yeaterday early in the afternoon that Andrew Pryts would commit to OSU when offered if he performed well against Ahmir MItchell in Columbus last night. Pryts did not show. The question from OSU is whether he can cover and last night was to be his test. Everyone knows he can hit. Time will tell.

Also, TE Luke Ferrell committed last night as predicted. This puts 3 TE’s verbally committed to
OSU. If I was PN and staff, I would go to the NE Ohio TE prospect and recruit him hard, siting playing time.

Finally, Hamlin,Ford and Wade were in attendance. It is becoming more obvious to me that OSU is not the place for them as they will not be able to all succeed and play together at the same time. Urb talks smooth, but when these guys actually think about it, their only option of all playing together is at Pitt. Granted, they could all commit to OSU and go to school there, but they all wouldn’t play together. OSU is too “national” right now and picking who they want from elite players. Urb always favors Ohio players. Pitt coaches need to understand this and play the quotes from Urb to each recruit contemplating OSU. Urb commercials are all about making “OHIO” proud, not the 412 and 724, or Pennsylvania. OHIO! Pat NArduzzi and Pitt marketing should jump on making “Pennsylvania” and Pitt alumni proud in all his commercials….before Franklin jumps on it.

I did wear my old mustard and yellow Pitt Script t-shirt as I walked through some of the athletes yesterday. One of the player’s had a Michigan backpack, so I assumed he wasn’t going to be treated well.

Erie Express and BigB,
I live in Durham and it’s a wonderful city…I’ve been here for 18 years. Don’t sell drugs or buy them and you will be just fine.

Nice to see Joe Bendel’s byline. Have missed him since he lost his show.

While I have a bad back and am sympathetic to Spindlers Spirit, you got to be able to stand and cheer for your team. The Oakland Zoo stands and jumps for the whole game for a reason. While I can no longer jump, I understand the rationale. While I don’t recommend that us old farts stand for a whole game, there are times when it is needed.

Tossing – Will Muschamp (He was one of the Best D coordinators of the last 15 years. He lasted 4 years at UF.

IA is a middle of the pack B1G team. If PITT is to have a great year it beats teams like IA.

Here is what the team has been doing for volunteer work:

link to post-gazette.com

“Twenty-five Pitt freshman and incoming transfers made their annual trip to the Mel Blount Youth Home Friday in Claysville, Washington County, to work on football drills and lend some advice to the 40 at-risk children who live there.

“It’s crazy just to see the whole team working with the kids,” receiver Tre Tipton said. “It’s just good to see these smiles, man.”

Sometimes, though, it was tough to tell who was enjoying the day more — the kids or the players.”

Here is a Red Shirt Diaries on Bryce Hargrove our new DE recruit. link to blogs.post-gazette.com

“It’s exciting,” Hargrove said. “I feel like I’ve found my place.” (Good for you Bryce, as long as it isn’t sitting in the passenger seat in a car driven by your DE competition Rori Blair.) Hargrove, a two-star recruit according to 247 Sports, chose Pitt over his other two finalists, Rutgers and Cincinnati. He is the fourth defensive player to join the Panthers’ 2016 class, and first defensive lineman.

Hargrove visited Pitt twice over the summer, once for a prospect camp and once for a visit. He said those two visits helped seal the deal for his commitment.

How about this stat… and stats don’t lie. Check out city #2:

link to msn.com

Dr.Tom,
I was not seeking to argue with you either. I suggested some alternatives for those who might want to stand – last couple rows of section or an entire section devoted to those wanting to stand. My seats are on the 50 yard line and I have been to every home football game dating back to the 1971 season. I’ve placed my priority on Saturday afternoons to be Pitt football, my family knows to check the Pitt football schedule before planning anything. My back is such that I can walk anywhere but standing in one place (or in line)for any length of time is painful.
I think an area portioned off for (the want of a name Pitt Thunder) those fans could liven up the stadium and should be looked into by the AD.
We Pitt fans need to stick together and pull together since we are limited in numbers.

I know guys, weird to say the least, but it has occurred with me personally in all three of my seating areas over the years. I’m standing up screaming on for my Panthers at Heinz and some jag off starts yelling to “sit down”!!

I don’t sit down and security shows up and threatens ejection if I don’t with their substantiation that I’m negatively effecting the enjoyment of the game by other fans that were complaining. WTF??? That’s just a screwed up policy that should be eliminated as long as the guy standing isn’t drunk, obnoxious, yelling profanities, etc. (which I wasn’t,,, 90% of the time) LOL!

Although,,, I should give a shoutout to the Yinzer homers from the North Hills that had my back in my second seating location. That same thing ONCE occurred there but after some yelling to sit down these three guys who always sat next to us stood up too and actually started standing backwards to encouraging others do the same, just to piss off the guy that originally was complaining. Funny, no security shows up when over a half dozen or more fans are all standing up!?!? By season’s end we had established a little cheering section behind our row where we could get a pretty good rendition of Let’s Go Pitt going! We all had a pretty good time at the Cincy game back when we were playing for the Big East Championship at the end of the season. We had the our crowd going! It was really an exciting time for about 59 minutes of the game. The last minute was a serious downer though. Come to think about it, I should have stayed right there, that was a good section. H2P!

Bottom line it is a new staff and the early road games didn’t do them any favors. I think 7 wins is realistic. Would love to see 8 or 9 including the bowl game. These next couple WPIAL classes are loaded and Duzz needs to show he has this thing on the right track.

I sit in section 532 and I try to make as much noise as possible and hope it gets others engaged. The Syracuse and Akron games last year were hopeless. 2 of the more depressing atmospheres I’ve ever sat through.

@tedsptman sorry if it seemed like a questioning you about the amount of tix left for YSU game. I wasn’t able to find it on ESPN. Hoping there is a nice crowd to welcome in this new era. A new regime is in place and Pitt fans that it is logistically possible to attend need to do their part.

Heading down to the north shore soon for the Bucco game. Let’s go Bucs and Hail to Pitt

It’s all good SS. We “true Panther Faithful”‘ always hang tight together.

Hey Spindler’s,
For a beer and a Primanti’s sammich, I’ll give you an epidural steroid injection in the parking lot before each game.
In fact, scrap the Primanti’s. Just toss me a cold one.

7-5 this year would constitute a decent season. We *think* we’ve upgraded our coaching staff, but until our untested, first-year head coach has a season (or more) under his belt we won’t *know*.

If you went back into the Blather archives, you’d find the same kind of optimism for the hires of Wannstedt, Graham and Chryst. Nobody will be happier than me if we with nine or ten games, but I have no rational or historical reason to expect it.

link to wisconsin.247sports.com

This bugs me… I’m really optimistic about this upcoming season, but between the above link and the current PSU class, I still have some major concerns.

Winning should help, but flipping recruits from our central PA farm neighbors will not happen as much as us fans are hoping. Duzz may be a good recruiter, but right now we are playing with a small name program compared to our surrounding competitors.

I think Franklin is a bad coach, and living in central PA i know that even a lot of cult members think it too. But his recruiting is going to carry him. You can be a bad coach and win with top kids. Maybe not a championship, but enough to keep future recruits rolling in.

I’m just afraid Duzz will be that exact opposite (good coach but misses on talent simply because of our surrounding competitors) and unfortunately it may only go so far in being able to praise him to an audience outside of us fellow Pitt fans.

Here’s to my optimistic yet anxious waiting for this season. I hope everything I said is proven wrong. But I do know that even if we end up 3-9, there’s gonna be some incredible plays to watch with our star players.

God bless Pitt and no other campus. H2P

If you believe you are are mediocre team, you are a mediocre team. Believe that you are the best. You will be the best. No reason why Pitt can’t win the Division. Predictions matter not. Results matter. Players and coaches control results. I believe Pitt will SURPRISE these so called experts.

Correction burger……you can win with top kids against inferior high school scheduling, which is what he will do. If he is smart, he learns a lot of lessons during the games that MSU, Michigan, OSU and Wisky are kicking his tail.

Good recruits need to understand that PSU has been greating great talent and not winning, despite the cream puff schedule.

I agree completely. I never said he would win anything meaningful, but the cult does not see it like the rest of the world. Therefore football players keepp their God status and the facilities keep getting insane amounts of money pumped into them to stay attractive to kids coming out of high school.

Where does all this’ we’ll be flipping’ anyone at all come from? The only time we got PSU recruits at a late date was when the sanctions were levied on them.

We ain’t in the position to flip recruits and why would they want to anyway? What exactly does PITT have that would draw them away from the school they already verballed to.

Pat Narduzzi? A first time untested HC? Got news for you guys – the 2016 recruits, and many others, aren’t overly impressed with the new staff yet, certainly not as much as the Pitt fans are. Next year? different story maybe. This year not so much.

Reed – that’s such a lame way to watch sports. No offense but what fun is that? Show me? Show me what? It’s a football game. It’s entertainment. It’s meant to be enjoyed not stressed over. PN and crew aren’t backing down from expectations. They’re talking about winning the Coastal and playoffs which will take 9-10 wins.

Dr. Tom – I love the hire and did from the get go. I’m expecting big things and really good coaches have quick results. If he’s as good as I think he’ll be, he’ll hit the ground running. So I’m going in to the season with the same mindset. Sure, I expect some bumps with a new coach but that’s why the experience he hired is so important. My favorite thing about PN is he seems like the type who really learns from his mistakes and is not set in his ways … like Wanny and Chryst were.

When PC was hired, we got the results I expected. It was a boring hire and he was a boring coach who hired other boring coaches and had boring teams on the field. ZERO emotion is a sport that is all emotion. You can’t call PN boring and you can’t call his defenses boring and you can’t call Jim Chaney or Conklin boring. And all of them have the emotion element needed to win in college.

Look – Pitt was the youngest team in the country last year and have two top 5 players in the COUNTRY at two skill positions returning. Regardless of what people say, Voytik improved as the season went along and looked like a D1 QB by season’s end.

They were a 6-6 team that could easily (easy is debatable but just go with me – sugar rush from the Kool Aid) have been 10-2 with better coaching … guess what? We have better coaching now with a new attitude and culture emanating from the athletic department and school.

Jump on board now … otherwise I’ll be saying “I told you so” all season long.

Pitt’s D has the same “star rankings” as those top 5 MSU teams the last few years. The defense will be better. The offense will be more diverse … and Special Teams will be leaps and bounds better too.

Regarding the schedule … a bunch of road games is tough but it can also really help this team gel and embrace the me against the world mentality needed to win. Looking at the schedule pre-season is always risky anyways. We have no idea who will over-perform (Pitt!!!!) or under perform or be about what we expected.

They hype is on Miami right now, but what has Golden done at Miami to make you really really believe they’ll make the jump that is expected?

UNC is the team that scares me. PN has been going against Iowa for years. He’ll have them figured out, especially since Ferentz is trending way down right now.

upitt – regarding Muschamp, FL has different expectations than Pitt. I’m trying to convince y’all to have the same expectations. Soon we’ll be disappointed over championships within our grasps, not 6-6 seasons and whether we’ll lose to freakin’ Iowa or Akron or YSU. Come on. Time to start expecting to win those games.

New attitude coming from Pitt football … some fans need an attitude adjustment too. I understand it’s hard but time to break free from the SOP attitude.

As I explained in a post a while back … when Pitt has been all in on football, historically Pitt is up there with the greats.

Right on TX!!!! Keep drinking that Kool Aid.

Reed – regarding recruits, no one who has a clue thought 2016 would be great. 2017 has always been the year to aim for anyone who says otherwise is delusional. New staff with no inroads and recruiting different players than Chryst did. It was always going to be a slow start. But PN is going after bigger fish and, despite what you say, the recruits and parents are impressed with Pitt … they just don’t have the relationships built to trust making the leap after going down the road with other teams for so long. This staff will hit some HR’s down the stretch. Watch. 2017 will be when we start flirting with top 20 classes though.

@ Navy Panther, I hear you man, that was my HCPC chant, “show me”! MAC quality recruiting classes filled with good character kids that can be ” coached up, “show me” the coached up kids that are killing it. Promotions from within for our DC, thinking he’ll come along and do fine, “show me” that improved defense. Bringing in a S&C coach whose resume is lacking, “show me” a stronger team that has improved endurance that doesn’t get gassed in the fourth Q and can finish games. I get it.

There are a lot of recruits that get it too. That’s not going to chance unless Narduzzi shows us and the rest of the public that he can turn this program into a consistent winner and that starts in about six weeks.

In the meantime let me offer you some hope that Narduzzi can do that based on rational thought and some historical perspective. True our coach is untested as a HC but he has proven himself as a very successful DC at MSU. This is a similar situation that we saw with Chryst with him being a successful OC at Wisky. So why should we be confident about Newbie Narduzzi like we were with Chryst, even more so really. Here’s why:

It starts off with addition by subtraction, no more Smilie Steve. Plus we now have a Chancellor in place that has made athletics a high priority again at Pitt. Add an up and comer AD that is proven his worth turning around the Utah State athletic programs and you end up with an organization with a vision that are all pulling in the same direction striving for success.

Next look at what Graham or Chryst inherited compared to Narduzzi and there is no comparison. Chryst in fact HAS himself upgraded and built the Pitt Offense into a strength. He has created a deep powerful Offense line and has two all American weapons locked and loaded ready to produce this season. Sure Chryst screwed the pooch on defense with inattention to recruiting and bad hires but who better to fix that right quick than Pat Narduzzi?

Now let’s look at what that guy has done in his first six months on the job. First he mostly held together a recruiting class that could have fallen apart or had followed Chryst to Wisky like Chryst’s only QB recruit in the class did. Then Nard Dogg even added to it bringing in key needed players at positions of extreme need. The names you should know, Peterman, Edwards, Scarpinato and Hendrix plus true HS recruits that he closed the deal on like McKee, Brightwell, Stocker and Dinucci. Peterman and Dinucci being guys who can build depth at the most important position in football while Peterman can provide real immediate competition to push Voytik to his ultimate potential.

There also is No Debate that this staff has injected a ton more energy into the program with their enthusiasm and events.

So there are plenty of rational reasons to be hopeful, yet again, that this time it’s for real. This was SUPPOSED to be the year Chryst’s efforts produced results anyhow, so why not be hopeful considering everything that I have just eluded to? You might still need the “show me” wins to get on board yourself and that’s understandable, but please don’t attempt to persuade me that there’s little rational reasons to be hopeful and energized in anticipating this season of Pitt football. It just might be a memorable one.

More on game day seating etc. could I make a simple request?

#1 Pet peeve!
I suspect this applies to few Blatherites but could we all make a concerted effort to be in our seats 5 minutes before game time and stay in them at least thru the first quarter!! I have 2
sets of tickets and in both locations kickoff and the first quarter are like ” grand central station” with folks coming in late and then going out for condiments or whatever 2/3 x during the first quarter. Up and down we go so many times that it really makes me wonder if some people even care about the ” live” game in front of them.

#2 pet peeve…I love the Pitt Band and would really like to hear them but the acoustics at Heinz are atrocious. Could we mike up the drum section, especially at the beginning as well as the coronet section that plays the opening theme?? If the wind blows the wrong way, the sound disappears.

I remember at Pitt Stadium…the opening coronet section would led play and cut thru any noise including ND and WVUCC asshole fans. And yes, I have written many x to Pitt about this!!

One of my absolute tenets in running a company or a non profit is that any time you interact with the public, do it in the most professional way! Pitt has always done the cheapest and the opposite. Hopefully “it’s a new sawn” w reference to Grace Slick!

“Dawn”

@ Dr. Tom, don’t get me wrong, I’m looking forward to the season (as I do every year) and I’m cautiously optimistic about both our HC and AD hires. But neither is anything close to a slam-dunk, especially when you’re talking about a rookie HC. I still think, with our first-year staff and a tougher schedule, 7-5 should not be considered disappointing.

We need to be prepared to cut Coach Narduzzi slack in Year One because I think he will have a learning curve to master and may require time to grow into the job, both as a game-day coach and as a recruiter. I’d be happy to be proven wrong though.

“Reed – that’s such a lame way to watch sports. No offense but what fun is that? Show me? Show me what? It’s a football game. It’s entertainment. It’s meant to be enjoyed not stressed over. PN and crew aren’t backing down from expectations. They’re talking about winning the Coastal and playoffs which will take 9-10 wins.”

Lol ‘Commander’ I’m with you 100% — And I do not have a ‘Bad Back’. In fact I can do a true standing back-flip on the spot, on command, as long as I have about 9 feet of Head-Room and a 2-foot radius around me (Yeah, learned those dimensions once by kicking a hanging-light and falling on my chest, and once by almost knocking-out my Aunt on an inebriated Thanksgiving lol — she was shell-shocked and refused to talk to me til the next day.)

—— Akron was an embarrassment and Syracuse was probably not much more talented —- why the He*L would anyone want to stand and cheer when the team is embarrassing themselves and Pitt like that??

****And NO, sports are not just “entertainment” — otherwise Sports would not hold a thousandth of the weight they hold in American Society. Football is about men pushing themselves physically and mentally to their maximum limits and Pushing their abilities and potential of performance to their maximum, all for these brief windows where they Face-Off against another Team for a Battle of Wills….

Paul Chryst’s teams wilted like Gentle Flowers when the Heat and Pressure got turned – up — and Wanny’s teams now in retrospect were just Hot-Messes with no In-Game Leadership (Except 9-3, 9-3 with Bill Stull in retrospect was decent). Lol Tino Sunseri was a total joke on-campus in those years and was an embarrassment.

Pat Narduzzi seems to be the “Full Package”, but he will have his chance to prove that he has spread his Passion and Panache into the team (a la Michigan State’s huge comeback against Baylor this year, and last year’s Huge B10 Championship game win against OSU and beating Stanford in the Rose Bowl) —– We play Akron again, huge Demon to Exorcise there. Then we get some ACC “Big Boys” like Bobby Petrino leg- Louisville, Way-Improved North Carolina, and a Huge Game At Georgia Tech in ‘Hot’ – Lanta.

We shall see —– but the Athletes and the Leaders (Narduzzi + Chaney / Conklin, in Pitt’s case also, Chancellor Gallagher and ‘Mr. Amazing’ Scott Barnes) have to Pour their passion and Energy into Pitt Football to make The University of Pittsburgh, the City of Pittsburgh, and all of the supporters Proud.

‘Til then, I still only think of Manasseh Garner’s comments after losing at Home to Akron and that will represent the Attitude’s of the Pitt Football Player’s til I see otherwise — “We don’t play for the fans…..we don’t really play for anyone, actually….we don’t have much pride in what we do.” —– or did I quote him wrong, because that’s pretty much what a R.S. Senior Leader said between-the-lines hahaha.

P.S. Voytik is terrible, dude needs to Ride the Pine. Don’t I know he’s from the South but with a lot of nice ACC Away games in Warmer Climates and the nice heaters on the sidelines at Heinz he will stay Toasty — along with his nice white Golf glove on his left hand his wittle-hands (that can’t grip the football haha) will be okay!

Camp in 16-Odd Days!!! The Benevolent-reign the Nathan Peterman begins!! Peterman will make your Bad-Back feel energized when you finally see a REal-QB out there at Heinz not named Roethlisberger!!

I don’t get the Peterman thing. His recruiting tape was even worse than Voytiks IMO. And I finally watched his college game film. All throws were atrocious. Only completions were screen passes.

I’m all for him if he comes and is better. I like Chad, but my loyalties lie with the team not one QB. But absolutely zero evidence shows Peterman will be better (college or high school)

This might be long, but it is a great read in my opinion.

Paris Ford on he and Damar Hamlin :

There’s about a 95% chance of us going to the same college. It’s highly possible. We talk about it almost every day. He’ll be committing before me. Then I’ll make my final decision – if we are going to finish this package deal after this season.

“Ohio State is high on my board right now. I consider them in my top three. The prestige of this school speaks for itself. It’s Ohio State University. They are always winning and possibly competing for a national championship.”

So who else would be in Ford’s top three?

“It’s kind of hard to tell,” Ford said. “But if I had to throw some out there I would say Pitt, Penn State and Notre Dame.”

The 6-foot-1 and 180-pound Ford is a 4-star prospect in the 247Sports Composite. He is the country’s No. 90 overall 2017 prospect, the No. 6 safety and No. 3 prospect in Pennsylvania.

And now how a head coach get’s these kids all hyped up, when in reality, he is just taking advantage of them.

Meyer talked to Ford and Hamlin about being Buckeyes.

“He was talking about how the future is and how we could come here and change Ohio State,” Ford said.

What and how will the pair “change” Ohio State??? These kids listen to the dribble of a top coach and actually believe what he is saying. Those two player’s aren’t changing Ohio State. That program doesn’t need them and in fact, if they don’t get them, they will be replaced by two other 4 stars. A good response would have been, hey coach, how will we change OSU? Tell me now and how because I am interested! These kids get goo goo eyed when they talk to Urb and don’t even realize he is not telling them anything concrete. At Pitt, these two could change Pitt. Local hero’s getting early playing time together at Pitt. It doesn’t happen at any other school on their list. Study the two deep. Study Ohio tapes of Urb proclaiming how OSU makes the state of Ohio proud first, and the choice becomes clear in my opinion.

Yawn – are we still talking the tired trope of the back up QB? Voytik was ranked higher, played better as a college QB and one of the true respected leaders on the team. Peterman will be third string and a grad assistant next year.

Voytik and his wittle hands had more yards passing in one half of the Pizza Bowl than Nathan’s Hot Dog Peterman did in ENTIRE 2 YEAR CAREER at middling Tennessee.

Check it out:

Voytik 5 of 9 for 108 yards in the Pizza Bowl
Peterman 20 of 43 for 94 yards in his 2 year career.

The more you post you the more foolish you look.

(omit 2nd you)

Again in 50 years of watching football, never heard of one QB with the name Nathan who was any good.

43 attempts and 94 yards.

That has got to be about the lowest number of yards I’ve seen with almost 50 passing attempts.

Good thing the kid knows Chaney.

+1@dhuffdaddy

Urban is feeding them a line of shit. They are defending National Champs. What exactly would they be changing? He sells his shit to all these 4 and 5 star kids. Only so many positions to fill.

If Hamlin and Ford want to go to the same school and both play and possibly make a big impact, it is a no brainer…Pitt is it!!!!

Stay home guys, make a real difference. Whitehead, Wheeler, Hamlin, Ford, McKee, Brightwell etc..this D could be a real force in a couple years…

Jamie Dixon has tweeted 6 times in last 4 days. Not sure he averaged 6 a year. May be new AD Scott Barnes pushing him in the social media direction…

This Jamie Twitter explosion brings his total tweets to over 50..in a little over 6 yrs.

The average American probably tweets 50 times before breakfast.

I do check some people’s Twitter accounts. Me personally I don’t have a Facebook page, nor do I tweet, and Instagram is the most nauseating narcissistic of them all. Just my worthless opinion…

Everyone who hasn’t yet, please check-out this Junior Year Highlight Film of newest recruit from Ohio Bryce Hargrove —- (his only higher level D-1 offers were from Cincinatti and Rutgers, so maybe the “Offer-Divas” might as well-check out here —- “Another Paul Chryst MAC recruit, bah!” hahaha)

link to hudl.com

Young-Buck is a large-human! At least a real-life 6’4” and he looks like he can put-on 30-40 lbs of ‘good weight’ with no issue whatsoever.

But I disagree with someone here earlier who said he’s either a Wuss / or has zero Athleticism if he’s so big and not-ranked.

******Watch the tape — The kid looks like he isn’t even trying. Half of his highlight plays he is essentially just walking-through people like he’s wading through waist-high water haha

**** Gotta consider, when you’re just naturally 6’5”, 250, and wayyy stronger than these other kids, it can be hard to be *Nasty* with zero mono-y-mono competitive-motivation.

*** Alex Bookster went through the same thing in H.S. from all-accounts — dude just had zero real Competitors to go man-on-man against. And when your coaches and every single kid in your High School are also probably *kissing your Tush* guys get lazy / complacent —

Even Rocky got soft in “Rocky 3” facing softies until he finally got ‘wupped’ and woke-up!!

When Hargrove gets to Pitt, and he sees that this is where he makes his NFL case, then it’ll get *Real*, as it does to many of these youngin’s.

This kid seems like a T.J. Clemmings-type, who big body and smooth athlete, who knows if he might eventually be a TE / OT / OG / DE / DT

This kids shouldn’t listen to Urban, who bailed on Florida as soon as Bama started kicking his ass regularly. He’ll get sick again if I’M starts beating OSU and bail on them as well.

I’m just happy we got a D-End, need several more.

Pitt needs to somehow find a way to get Hamlin and Ford to attend the VA game when we are 4-0 or 3-1 in front of a packed Heinz Field.

Then HCPN and staff need to destroy VA in a convincing manner – no let up at all for 4 qtrs. It would also be a benefit if Lafayette Pitts was having a career year with all the credit going to the D staff.

I also say this staff should throw a bone to Kahleke Hudson and agree with him that he can play both sides of the ball. It’s been done before – look at the success UCLA has had recently with the LB/RB two way player. If that gets him to commit and bolsters our depth on both sides of the ball, I say do it now before Franklinstein does.

I’d like to see Pitt get a commitment from Kazon Pugh to start the Aliquippa pipeline up again and the fact that he is a very good athlete at LB/RB.

As far as predictions for the 2016 season, I expect much more than 6-6 or 7-5. Win now and the recruits will follow. Anything close to 6-6 and I’ll proclaim SOP. The offensive talent is in place – Chaney needs put his hands on the wheel and steer – this vehicle is gassed up and ready to roll. Please, no wrong turns… As for the D, the new infusion of talent (transfers & recruits) seem to be good and our coaching staff has to be better than the HS coaches we had under former HCPC.

YSU opener could be an energized packed house with the team motivated by their HC “wanting” to beat his former hometown team, former opposing B10 coach and getting his first HCing victory. The following three road games could be beneficial in bonding this team and priming them for a run at the ACC Coastal that this coach has publicly expressed he wants.

The “script” is written and camp starts in about two weeks – who will be the cast members – the “Dark Knight” is way out on a limb with Peterman – but it is great to finally have competition at the QB position. May the best player win and help this team get back to some sort of national prominence.

HTP!

On another subject … Don’t know if you saw it, but the Atlanta Hawks announced they signed swingman, Lamar Patterson to a contract this past week.

He started all 7 games in the Las Vegas Summer League. He averaged team bests; 13.1 ppg; 3.4 assists; 1.6 steals. He spent last year playing in Turkey. “the Hawks are looking for swingman depth after losing DeMarre Carrol to Toronto.” (Savannah Morning News). Good luck, Lamar!!

^I’m a big fan of this move too Sav!

On Hargrove, last year was his first playing football. He said he was clueless.

I can’t imagine not playing football until you are a junior. Most kids play from peewee on up.

I want to see game film for this coming year. Obviously PN is going on his potential.

Also, I remember someone on here caliing Blair a useless handicap recruit or something similar. Was that Upitt, lol. Maybe it was the guy in his mom’s basement in Carrick.

Just catching up after a couple days away and wanted to comment on ticket availability for YSU and the notion that PSU fans are buying season tickets. I work with lots of PSU fans but 3, in particular, are fanatics….409 stickers on their office windows, picture of poopy pants state in their office, etc. All three bought season tickets (total of 7) and will either leave their seats empty or sell only to opposing fans. They “claim” many of their friends are doing the same. Dn’t know if others here have heard the same.

@Pap76, don’t be so self critical. Your opinion is not worthless, I give it at least your 2 cents worth.?

In the first two years of the ACC era Pitt went 7-7 at home and 5-5 on the road. That is how these kids played in the last two years.
We have 6 games on the road this year so 4-2 is not out of the question with the returning talent and possible better coaching.
We have 6 home games and again 4-2 is possible with better support from the administration and fans.
That gives a realistic chance of an 8-4 season. Football success is based on talent, coaching and momentum with a dash of luck and injuries. This group of kids is easily as talented as the prior two years with seasoning at the skill positions. Coaching is a bit of unknown but it is hard to imagine they will be worse than the last crew on game day. There are a lot of people who could jump on the band wagon of a winning college football program. So that brings us back to Tom’s bit about Iowa being the real key to the season.

@htp123, does your firm have a policy to encourage hiring the mentally handicapped? Please explain to me the rational of nitters buying Pitt season tickets again? So it makes sense to them to invest a minimum of $100 for a shitty upper level or end zone season ticket for this season just to have the priority to queue in for at least a mini package next season that includes the Pitt/penn state game which will end up still being in the same shitty seats section. The alternative would be to spend even more money for better lower level sideline season tickets, some of which require contributions to the Panther Club for the privilege to buy these season tickets, then doing the same again in 2016 for good seats for that one game?

Wouldn’t the rational alternative be to just spend the 100 bucks or so to buy the tickets you want ala carte on Stubhub, eBay, Craigslist, etc. that will inevitably become available next summer when tickets are available to the general public?

Now if the argument is that that the game will be a sure sellout, which I agree it will be then you just pay a little more for the same ticket since it’s more in demand. In any case, these coworkers of yours are simply improving the Pitt athletic financial bottom line by purchasing Pitt season tickets. Thanks!

I guess they actually might be smarter than they appear, realizing that Pitt is at the threshold of a new era of success that will blossom into a escalation in ticket demand for games as our season progresses. That would be a very savvy investment for them and result in some profitable individual ticket sales for ND and Miami games. Oops I forgot these people are penn state grads, never mind, they’re just stupid.

DR. – agree with you completely and told them so.

Dr Tom … Exactly! Htp123 – tell ’em “Thanks for the support!” They must really be delusional ( not “Happy”) if they think:
1.) Anyone will notice 100-200 empty seats in a sellout, or:
2.) Opposing fans will see their ads for tix, when they will be using the usual tix outlets – or their school’s visitors seats for tix.

SO GLAD to be a Pitt alum with a brain! I would NEVER consider buying a ticket to any game (Pitt included) at “The House That Sandusky Built”. I work too hard for my money to contribute to their cause!

To borrow from the UNC faithful:
Duke is puke,
And Wake is fake;
But the team I hate ….
Is Penn-n-n-n State!!

more name calling sad

I think 4th or 5th is probably right, unfortunately. We play 10 P5 schools this year including at Iowa, GT, and VT. Thrown in home games against ND and Louisville. That is not an easy schedule. I say we win the first two games, thereby going a season without an embarrassing loss and go 5-5 against P5 teams for 7-5.