This question was posed to me last night. I summarily dismissed it, because I was on the couch watching the Oklahoma-Baylor game. I didn’t feel like grabbing my laptop to dig too deep. So why not now? Just for you, Pauly P.
Let’s start with the basics. Here are all the rankings from this past week. Just sticking to the AP and Coaches polls. Only 3 teams in those top-25s lost yesterday: UCLA (18/18), Temple (21/21) and Memphis (25/25).
It is possible that all three fall out. Even UCLA with the way they went down will likely drop out of the polls.
As much fun as yesterday was in CFB, most of the poll movement will be shuffling teams already ranked.
Pros: Pitt is 7-3. Second in ACC Coastal, and clearly the second best team in this division. Three losses by teams that are a combined 28-2. Two of the losses to top-10 teams, who are in the College Football Playoff discussion. Combined margin of defeat: 22 points (7.33 points average margin of loss). 5-1 on the road this year.
Cons: Only has beaten two power-5 teams with .500 or better records (Duke and VT). Combined records of 1-A opponents Pitt beat: 25-35 (.417%). Only two wins by double-digits. Average margin of victory: 8.57, with 3 wins by 4 points or less. The list of 7-3 unranked teams in the power 5 conferences include Oregon (with a big upset of Stanford), Washington State, USC, Georgia, Ole Miss and even Penn State. Then there is Arkansas at 6-4, but with a primetime road upset of LSU that will attract a lot of attention.
I’m sure the other 7-3 teams have similar holes in their performance. That’s the point. All very flawed teams with holes easily poked in them. Pitt, presently is one of the lower profile teams and with all the noon games this year, easily missed.
Basically, Pitt has beaten the teams it should and lost to the teams it should. It’s a step up for the football program from the past years. It’s progress. It has me very optimistic going forward. Win this Saturday, and I would expect Pitt to be ranked. Just not this week.
With the same record as us, the Creepy Valley Child Molesters are getting none.
So that cream puff schedule is not playing with anyone.
I know the Greenfield bridge like much of our infrastructure was in need of replacement years ago. I know no one wants to pay higher taxes, but I know that when you put the simple question, ” what are you willing to give up to solve the problem” everyone quickly stutters and then points to what OTHERS should give up.
I know the difference between PennDot and the Turnpike commission and what the roles of each agency are. I know the largest concrete supplier in Western PA. I understand the Commonwealth of Pa bidding policy, and I know that those who think they know usually don’t.
Still no trial date (as far as I know) for the 3 co-conspirators of Creepy Valley State.
Spanier, Curley & Schultz.
Wonder how the Okinawa lag will effect them ?
As for Pitt, if we win 2 out of the next 3 games I’ll be happy. I prefer a bowl win though to send the seniors home happy and impress the recruits.
The politicians in the central and eastern part of the state seem to be a major influence. Eventually, it will wane from the conscienous of the general public and. of course, people will look and blame the NCAA for everything.
BTW … same thing maybe for UNC. When the fuck are they going to be sanctioned for 20 years of academic fraud? Two successive death sentences are in order but sadly they will get slap on the wrists
On the game program .. it listed him as a WR from Bloomington, IN and for high school it listed (Home).
Especially after Miami’s 59-21 loss Saturday to North Carolina, the Panthers seem pretty secure as the ACC’s fourth-best team behind No. 1 Clemson, No. 12 North Carolina and No. 16 Florida State. That means that, come the end of the season, they’ll be better off than the past few years when they were picking at scraps for a bowl game.
Barring a collapse, Pitt should receive a “Pool One” ACC bowl, which likely means a trip to the Music City, Tax Slayer, Belk, Pinstripe or Sun Bowl against an upper-echelon Southeastern, Big Ten or Pac-12 Conference team.
Another stat that shows what a difference coaching makes. Last season House’s defense produced 17 sacks. Saturday got the Panthers back on the sack attack with three QB sacks against Duke. The total now for the year, 29! That’s a 70% increase in sacks from last season and we still have three games left in the season. The is so impressive that it brings Narduzzi’s name into the discussion for post season coaching award recognition already in the middle of November.
Another very important recruit attended the Duke-Pitt game, Zack Gilbert. You would have to think that after experiencing Pitt’s win on Saturday that he is seriously considering committing to the Panthers. First off his Dad who is his current HS coach, Sean, is a Pitt football alumni so Zach coming to Pitt continues his legacy. Second, Zach had VT as a serious contender for his commitment, with Beamer announcing his impending retirement from coaching, you have to think that Gilbert is reassessing that interest considering the upheaval that a HC change usually implies.
Zach Gilbert would be a major cog in reinforcing the troops that are thin to start with at the DE position. With these last couple home games close at hand, Narduzzi will be focusing on reeling in those recruits that remain uncommitted. Nard Dawg’s decision to allow Chaney to utilize Whitehead’s skills on the offense is genuis from a recruiting perspective. Some of these talented recruits that have played multiple positions in HS have to be intrigued by the fact that Pitt is utilizing a true Freshman on both sides of the ball with the result being the creation of a hometown hero in Whitehead removed from HS by only a short six months.
If Pitt continues it’s winning ways I feel confident that the recruits will fall like succesive dominos resulting in a deluge of quality recruits by LOI signing day. That is a very real possibility even if we don’t win another game this season but the chances for success on the recruiting trail improve with each additional win. Therefore plenty for this team to play for even if a Coastal Division title becomes unattainable this weekend.
I was really getting down on Chaney the last few games. After the first drive on Saturday, he didn’t show me much until the refs gifted us the first TD of the second half. After that the offense got clicking. Was it do to using Boyd and adding Whitehead to the backfield, or that the receivers started catching everything and the O-line was opening holes for the backs.
In any case it was the first time that the offense was dominant all year. Hopefully we see more of it and this is the Chaney offense.
Obviously Duke’s defense is not their strong point and without Sirk their O was less formidable, but great to see things go our way for a change. We are finally catching some teams at the right time, VA Tech, G Tech and now Duke.
Louisville should be a stern test for our hopefully improving team. Would be really great to have a strong performance at Heinz, it has been a while, and our fans certainly deserve one.
The emergence of Ford and now Challingsworth are real positives for the rest of this year and life after Boyd. I wonder what is up with Winfree?
Off topic, but sad to see the demise of Manning, Father time has caught him by the short hairs.
What a treat to watch Ben to Brown, what a combo!
link to pittsburghpanthers.com
Also, if we are into Pitt trivia at the moment…
* Peterman’s multiple 3-TD games is the first by a Pitt QB since Sunseri in 2012. I would have thought Savage would have done i 2013 it but he didn’t, he had a six TD game then the rest were two or less.
* Dontez Ford’s 20.0 yards per catch average with 21 catches is great. If he can keep this going he will have Pitt’s highest YPC average (with 20 or more receptions) in at least the last 15 years (probably much more also – I only went back 15).
The next best contenders were:
Baldwin 2009 19.5
G. Lee 2005 19.6
G. Lee 2004 19.1
A. Bryant 2000 19.1
BTW, with your recent absence from the Blather, an obvious void has appeared in regards to timely football threads. I’m really kind of surprised that the next man up hasn’t submitted contributions to fill that thread void. Where is Justin and Chas?
Not that I consider myself worthy to follow in your footsteps but if Chas has considered recruiting moderators for the Pitt Blather from the rank & file Blather its contingent, I bet he would find a few willing volunteers to help carry the load. I know I would be one of those raising my hand if called on.
Based on your comments as of late, I’m assured that your “wait and see” policy with Narduzzi & staff has converted you as a believer. Upcoming recruiting successes that are on the horizon should convince even the most apprehensive Pitt fan that the Panthers are headed in the correct direction presently! Now, on to the task of game planing a way to Kill the Ville.
As always Hail to Pitt!
We need to win out (2 wins) and then hope a lot of teams lose.
We are like 33rd or so in the Coaches Poll, a little higher in the AP.