I went back and looked over my post on how it seems that the QB competition is over before it started. I certainly don’ t make the claim that Bostick should be the starter over Sunseri, or vice versa. I think most fans aren’t absolutely certain one way or another. That’s why it seems so surprising and confusing that it seems that Sunseri has the job this quickly.
That is how I look at it. Obviously I don’t know as much as the coaches. I don’t see the kids in practice. The amount of work Tino Sunseri saw last year hardly provides much to go on. Pat Bostick redshirted last year, so there is little to know about how far he actually has come. I took the coaches statements at face value that the competition was open and that no decision was made — and I think most people did.
Apparently I had a burst of naivete in that respect. So in less than a week after practices got underway — and even statements that the competition was absolutely open despite evidence suggesting otherwise — to have that be otherwise. Well, I can understand frustration and annoyance at Coach Wannstedt. Hate feeling like you can’t even believe the things your own coach is saying.
I really don’t buy the Western Pennsylvania conspiracy stuff. Nor do I buy the whole ties to Sunseri the elder. Putting all of it on Coach Wannstedt is not fair and seems to be a bit of a way to avoid pinning any of the decision on popular assistant coach Frank Cignetti.
Yes, Wannstedt is in charge and the final decision is his. I don’t think he’d ignore his coaches and what happens in practice just because of geographic or family ties.
P-G beat writer Paul Zeise concedes that it is now Sunseri’s job, but offers this caution.
Tino is the No. 1 quarterback because he is physically more gifted than Pat Bostick and has far more upside. But that isn’t any different than the way things were last year during training camp – he threw the best ball, could make all the passes, had the strongest arm and quickest release of any quarterback in camp. But when push came to shove, he couldn’t seperate himself from the other two so the coaches opted for the experience and grit of Stull and well, that worked out obviously. So while he is clearly on track to be the starter, when they put him in position to win or lose the job against a live pass rush, blitzes and changing defenses in the fall — will he be able to win it this year or will the coaches be in the position to opt for experience again? I’m thinking he’ll get it done but until it happens, you just never know.
That much I’m not buying unless there is an injury. Sunseri has the job now. He will have the job in the fall. Say this for Coach Wannstedt and even what we have seen from OC Cignetti. Once they commit to a QB, it takes something much more cataclysmic before they make the change.
Sunseri struggling in live practices in the fall will not cost him the job. At that point, the script becomes he has the chemistry with the starters and he will come around. Plus there just won’t be time at that point.
Hail to Pitt.
There is no doubt that they (Wanny and Cig) think Tino is the best option to step up and lead this team despite his inexperience …. and if anything, Wannstedt appears to be swaying from his norm in preferring the less experienced.
For me, and some other fans, it isn’t so much that it appears that Sunseri will be the starting QB in the fall – that had at least a 50/50 chance of happening. No, it is that after being excruciatingly loyal and hard working over the last three years Pat Bostick isn’t even getting a fair shake to compete for the position.
I agree that no one kid should be given the job without earning it based on a reward for past actions- and that Bostick would have to compete to win the QB1 position. That much is pretty apparent to any sports fan.
Well, then it goes double for a kid to be awarded that starter’s position without any history at all, especially if the party line from the Head Coach is that both are getting an equal shake.
I’ve been a big DW supporter since his hire but this leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It’s almost as if DW doesn’t have the guts to come right out and say he’s made his decision already. Believe me, the one thing Pat Bostick isn’t is dumb – that young man knows what is happening… don’t insult him by not being upfront with him. He deserves at least that much from the coaching staff in my opinion.
Sunseri was recruited by Louisville back when they had Brian Brohm and one of the best offenses in the country, and he has shown his ‘blue chipness’ last summer and fall. He just has to produce, which I think he will…but I like Bostick as a seasoned back up who can keep the machine moving while not necessarily being the hero…all kinds of kids like that on teams across the country, and should take pride in that.
As for Sunseri, he was also unimpressive in limited action last season. He seemed to be pressing and made a lot of mistakes when he was in there. Everyone says he has some of the physical tools, but we haven’t really seen all that much of him.
As Snala alluded to in an earlier post, I think at this time we should just rely on Cignetti’s judgment. What he did last year with the offense, and Stull in particular, was impressive.
We’ve still got a lot of spring ball left to try to sort things out. Even if Sunseri is the default starter right now it doesn’t mean that he isn’t being pushed by Bostick on a daily basis.