Pitt has lost 14 games by 3 points or less since 2009. 2nd to Iowa. They’ve also had crazy 4th qtr leads blown. Every coach during this timeframe has had the same problem. This tells me it’s not the coaching, it’s the players. Pitt does not have the depth or talent to close out games. You can blame the play calling all you want but the one constant is depth and talent. Pitt’s been ravaged by coaching changes that has severely depleted the roster. You just can’t overcome recruiting deficiencies in college football. Especially a conference like the ACC.

It catches up to you. Pitt’s at least two years away from being a complete team. Most likely 3 years.

Pitt will still be favored in 5/8 and most likely 6/8 of the final games. Outside of Miami and Clemson it’s not a murderer’s row slate.

It rue Pitt fans are upset with the loss We will get better over time. I feel confident in the coach as it takes time to change the system. We have players who will play that are on the bench. We lost to a good NC team and went toe to toe most of the game. If we play them at home with less heat and the same with Ollahoma State we ma win. I’m positive on at least seven wins. Hamlin hopefully returns and being in tune. And believing in his system is important I hope all of you negative people who contribute here give them a chance there young men who make mistakes. I will be at the game Saturday as I am every home game no matter what the record to root for Pitt. For you who live far away I hope you watch and if not go watch ant game you wish and enjoy. HAIL TO PITT

When Chuck Noll became head coach of the Steelers, they had been losing for decades. He called a team meeting, and started off by saying that after observing the team, he knew why they weren’t winning. You could have heard a pin drop. He said the players weren’t good enough and most wouldn’t be around long. Note that he didn’t start winning until he had Bradshaw, and didn’t win much after he left.

It wasn’t long ago we worried that Narduzzi would be so successful he would leave. I’m not seeing that concern much anymore.

Give him some time. You can’t win championships without champion players.

66Goat – The NFL isn’t college and it’s not 1970 anymore. Steelers also drafted 4 HoF’rs in the same class I think.

If you’re going to reference the same era, Johnny Majors inherited a bad Pitt team and went 6-5-1, 7-4, 8-4 and finally 12-0. Year 4 was when pay dirt happened.

I’m willing to bet there was a lot of bitching and moaning about play calling in 1973 and 1974 too … but in reality Pitt just didn’t have the players to succeed.

66Goat – that may come across like I don’t agree with you. I 100% agree with you.

Tossing – we are making the same point and you don’t agree with me?

Tossing – sorry, our comments passed in the mail.

All of the concerns I posted following the Penn State Win… SADLY… have been thrust out into the Open.

This Team is ONE DROPPED Pass from being 1 and 3.

@Boo Boo, apologies for the sarcastic comment from me…anyone at the keyboard at age 84 deserves a lot of credit rather than sarcastic remarks thrown his way.
Hope you stick with us here….I for one will appreciate your posts differently.

And by the way, Reed handled the start/announcement of his blog site in a most respectable way. I too was concerned as to his doing so after dominating this site for a long time while Chas was “off”. I am glad to have both available and recommend you open up a 2nd tab and check out POV also. Good posts both places – except for Upittbaseball being there too.

And Yes, it is the Offensive Line.

You are OVER-hyped OVER-Rated when you can’t put together a Game-Winning Drive when it matters.

@POD – and 2 changed play calls from being 4 and 0

And by the way, am I the only one who saw Narduzzi losing his head on the sideline?

Not the first time.

TVax… Despite the closeness of the Games, don’t think you can overlook the numbers.

This Team is a lot closer to 1 and 3.

And it shouldn’t be this way. Plenty of Talent to win with the right Schemes and Play Calling.

TT – there was not a lot of bitching and moaning in ’73 and 74′. Pitt had winning records, albeit modest. Prior to that no winning. The contrast was so stark, everyone was happy with a winning team.

FOP,

You say we have a good coach. The verdict is still out. He has to show me that he’s a good coach and he hasn’t done that to date. Third game in a row where he had a chance to win or put it away, and didn’t. Only PSU ineptitude enabled us to win one of the three. 4Q offense does not resemble Q 1-3. In the 4Q they play to not lose, rather than win. For as suspect as his D is, they should have the offensive pedal to the medal in the 4Q.

@POD, talent on the D? I see 2 positions with talent and maybe 3 others that are serviceable. I see weakness everywhere else with 2 glaring. Coaching can do some to hide 1 position, but not much more than that.

I am willing to give HCPN time, but want to see or at least hear something different from him. No doubt this takes time, and I am not a Chryst hater or now worshiper but hoping for more. HCPN is certainly a different communicator who displays emotion and also seems to get total effort from his guys better than PC. Not sure that some of the criticism on stubborn with adjustments and IMO game time management/adjustment along with that emotion is the right thing.

I DO see talent, just not sure I trust the coaching yet to make the best use of what is there and more importantly to recruit well enough to make things happen in the next 2 to 3 years. Maybe I am reading too much into things with PN pressers, but right now I am just not feeling it.

It is interesting how we all watch the same game and can see things so differently. Many have called for Canada and Peterman’s heads. We may never know who is truly responsible for the conservative playcalling on the offense in the 4th qtr, but I suspect it is Narduzzi (for the 3rd consecutive game) so I place his responsibility above theirs. I like Canda’s playcalling much better than Chaney’s, at least for the first 3 quarters.
As much as it seems inconceivable that Narduzzi would want to put the game’s outcome in the hands of such a porous defense, it seems he can’t help himself, coming from a defensive background. Regarding defensive responsibility/accountability, again it ultimately lies with Narduzzi but assuming that he is safe for this year, I would hope that Conklin and Hill may be held responsible if this defensive cluster shows no improvements over the next 8 games. (as compared to the previous adminstration that held noone accountable). Finally, I would hope that by this time a pecking order for running backs is coming together. Should be using Conner, Moss, and Ollison with Hill as the odd man out unless there is an injury. Okay, I feel better getting that off my chest!

TVax… Sure, outside of Whitehead… the talent of the Secondary leaves something to be desired.

But there’s plenty there to work with for a “Defensive Guru” like Narduzzi.

It’s REALLY on him. No excuses.

Odd man out was supposed to be Darren Hall , not Hill 2 posts up….

everybody thinks pitt will be better when we get elite talent.. from where, oz??? someone tell me where this endless pool of elite talent is that wants to come to pitt. pod was right, we had the talent to win, our coaching staff blew it.

Hey whatever happened to the phrase ‘coach em up’ ? That was thrown around a lot when Paulie was here!

I mentioned this earlier, so here goes again…

Narduzzi can’t wait 3-4 years to let his stubborn defensive system take place because by the time it’s ingrained in the players after having their round heads pounded into the square holes, Pitt will be a national laughing stock of a defense and no 3-5 star recruits will be interested in coming here. Get it?! (BTW, we’re laughing stocks already….but I digress)

He has to adjust his defense UNTIL he gets his players in place, not before. The only reason he’s getting any decent defensive players to come here is because he has that defensive genius tag from MSU. Another year of this and he will be a national joke….if he isn’t one already.

Of course he’s learning on the job….but sadly still making the same mistakes….especially in the 4th quarter where Pitt has to be at the bottom of the D-1 heap.

And his not taking responsibility for his bad play calling and his always blaming the players (like Wanny did) at his pressers will cause the team to quit on him. Then it will only be a matter of time before we’re reading another Pitt’s New HC Hire thread here.

^amen jackagain.

Coaching is like Teaching. You help the Kids to SUCCEED not fail.

^^^^^+1000 @Jackagain

@POD

Correct, coaching is a teaching profession, Narduzzi and company should take a lesson from Bill Belichick.

Belichick is a great teacher, hires assistant coaches who are great teachers and he adapts to the talent that he has on hand and wins consistently in the toughest business of them all.

I thought Narduzzi “got it” but apparently he is playing a defense scheme that requires personnel that they do not currently have or may never get.

Narduzzi has a defensive mentality similar to Wanny and that is scaring me.

Play to your strengths regarding the players you have now. Pitt’s defense is based on pressuring the QB with your down lineman with LB help, safties concentrating on run support and isolating the CB’s in one on one coverage.

With our LB’s slow of foot and our DB’s exhibiting a very limited ability on press coverage, this defensive philosophy is a recipe for disaster for the current personnel they have.

If Narduzzi can’t see this then he has a major problem regarding strategy and or game plan development because our pass defense is the worst I have ever seen and is on pace to finish in the lower 5% statistically in the NCAA FBS for this season.

So lets see what adjustments will be made regarding coverage schemes moving forward because they better do something or it is going to be a long and losing season.

I was at this bucket of shit game…..Dan 72 said it best “Chinese Water Torture is a walk in the park compared to Pitt football. I sweated my balls off in Chapel Hill for that shit. Don’t feel sorry for me…I’m a moron.

It’s a Good thing Pitt TOTALLY aligned itself with the Roonies.

What FIVE STAR Recruit wouldn’t want to sign on with Pitt just to practice next to the Steelers?

Pitt falls to #8 in the latest ACC power ranking – one behind #7 Wake Forest. VT and Miami move into the top 5 ahead of unc.

A lot of work to do to win the Coastal Division after that dumpster fire yesterday.

We won’t be favored in the VT nor Miami games, let alone the Clemson Death Valley trip.

Duke and cuse could be toss ups and maybe we’ll be favored against uva and Marshall.

Forgot the GT game – toss up as they’ll throw for 200 yards on top of the 300 rushing yards Nard will hold them to.

Don’t buy this, ‘when this coach gets his players’ we’ll be ready.

Good coaches can coach anyone.

I could name many examples of coaches going into a program (many of whom were in a far lesser position than Pitt’s program) and immediately get results. Again with the current crop of players already there.

Also this ‘we don’t have the elite players bs’.

Did TCU ?
Did Baylor ?

Did Mississippi State ?
Did Ole Miss ?

Did Cincinnati under Brian Kelly?

Does Boise State ?

Does Houston ?

I could go on and on those are just off the top of my head.

I call bs on that theory.

The definition of coaching itself belies, what that means.

If it only applies to….’when he gets his players’.

That means he can’t coach, he can recruit.

So far I have seen little of either.

And btw as I posted on POV, I like the Nard Dog for several reasons, including his enthusiasm and his antagonism towards Pedo State.

But I also liked Wanny and Foge for the exact same reasons.

But hey they were us, Pitt men. Still love them and Foge is up there in Pitt heaven.

And anyone that doesn’t it not truly a Pitt man.
And we have many on these boards that are not.

Posers.

Emel… you are OFFICIALLY the “KING OF PITT FAN CORRECTNESS.”

One of the worst disasters to befell Pitt football, was the day Norderberg sided with Cornhole.

Wanny was giving exactly what this program needed over EVERYTHING ELSE. Winning and stability and a coach that wasn’t going to leave us high and dry.

Wondering why anyone would choose some place in the desert, filled with illegals, crime ridden place over a great city like Pittsburgh and a world-class university over some State university diploma mill.

And to me, the embarrassment of being left ‘high and dry’ is one of the worst feelings one can have.

Every insult and embarrassment that seems could have happened to Pitt ppl, happened after these two clique clowns sided with eachother over a guy who truly did bleed Blue & Gold.

Pitt got what they deserved. To bad we have to live with that continuing blunder.

I doubt many of us will be alive when Pitt wins 10 games again. Hope you enjoyed 2009.

lol PoD

Hey PoD, do you post on POV ?

Emel – are you saying we have no chance to beat Clemsonthis season? lol

I have not given up on this season – then again I also haven’t given up a TD pass in the resent air raid attacks we’ve endured.

Emel… That would be a no. As in, not yet.

Loyal to the Blather.

Emel – smh. A little bit of a revisionist slant???

*TCU/Gary Patterson: 1st full year 2000 … 6-6, 10-2, 11-1, 5-6. He was DC since 98′ so there was the always loved continuity … but he killed it … but struggled later with his first full class.
*Baylor/Art Briles: 4-8, 4-8, 7-6, 10-3
*MSST/Dan Mullen: 5-7, 9-4, 7-6, 8-5, 7-6, 10-3
*Ole Miss/Hugh Freeze: 7-6, 8-5, 9-4, 10-3, 2-2
*Cincy/Brian Kelly 2007-2010 hit the ground running 10-3, 11-2, 12-0 but hit ground running after Dantoni set ground work.
*ND/Brian Kelly: 8-5, 8-5, 12-1, 9-4, 8-5
*Cincy/Dantoni 2004-2006: 7-5, 4-7, 7-5
*Dantoni/MSU: 7-6, 9-4, 6-7, 11-2
*Chris Peterson/ Boise – 13-0, 10-3, 12-1 … killed it but inherited a program that went 11-1 two years earlier from Dan Hawkins who was really the mad architect there.
*Chris Peterson/ Washington: 19-12
*Tom Herman/Houston – killed it but Houston was 10-1 as recently as 2011 and is 20th for total wins the last 20 years. Houston gets talent but can’t deny what Herman did was great.
*Narduzzi/Pitt: 8-5 (most wins since 2010), 2-2

Like it or not, you have to have patience. Most of the schools above had to even though Emel would try to tell you differently.

Not many of those won big right away and some that did inherited winning traditions or programs on the upswing.

Want to try again?

Yes, some coaches hit pay dirt immediately. VERY rare.

Even the GOATS have taken their time …

*Nick Saban/MSU: 6-5-1, 6-6, 7-5, 6-6, 9-2
*Nick Saban/LSU: 9-4, 10-3, 8-5, 13-1
*Nick Saban/Bama: 7-6, 12-2 …

Urban Meyer has killed it everywhere.

There’s no magic bullet Pitt fans. Pitt lacks a lot depth and talent, especially on the defensive side of the ball. The o-line and rb’s mask the problems on offense. Luckily Canada has been able to get the ball into his playmakers hands … exactly what you want a college OC to do.

The defense is really just this bad. No smoke and mirrors to fix it. No quick fixes. No different schemes to implement. Just a bad group that is not ACC or P5 ready.

And look at the trends up above. Even the ones who killed it in the lower level conferences struggle when moving up.

~ TT

I was more referring to this theory that you have to have elite players to win big. If you noticed those schools were listed below:

Also this ‘we don’t have the elite players bs’.

Did TCU ?
Did Baylor ?

TCU – No
Baylor – No
Ole Miss – No
Miss State – No
Cincy – No
Boise – No
Houston – No

Sure Baylor,TCU, Ole Miss, Miss State might have a couple like Pitt does. The others not so much.

So while you’re claiming I’m a revisionist, you’re taking my post and rewording it, for your slant ! lol

Nice bro !

@tossing,

it wasn’t the lack of talent that lost these past two games, we were up 13 with six minutes to play. it was the stupid conservative play-calling and the stupid defensive of schemes that cost us both games. that is the concern here.

emel,

don’t forget western michigan who is now 4-0 under pj fleck.

Haha – Emel. Maybe I misunderstood. It took those coaches until they had their own players to win though. That’s my point. PN isn’t there yet and inherited a really really average team talent wise overall with the defense being almost completely neglected.

Goalie – I agree coaches bear responsibility for the conservative play calling. I think Peterman deserves some criticism too for missing to open passes in the flat … badly. He makes those two 3rd down throws and it’s a little bit of a different discussion.

I, personally, hate the, as Chas calls it, defensive coordinator approach in the 4th QTR. I think the most successful coaches never stop attacking. Hopefully, PN leans this. Especially in the ACC vs. Big 10. I really think it’s more of a byproduct of the QB situation than strategy but they need to get creative and do something.

agreed tt!