It’s nigh time for a new post to get your minds off of whatever it is you have been commenting about.  To lockdown or not to lockdown?  Ask a hundred people and you’ll get one of three opinions:  Yes.  No.  No but wear a mask and don’t be an idiot because, you know, germs spread disease and somebody you care about might be susceptible.  All are valid for different reasons, and all have their pros and cons.  Nobody will be swayed to your point of view no matter how hard you argue.  So thanks for playing, I’m shutting down the COVID chatter.

And now that we’ve gotten that out of our systems, lets get back to talking football.

Two months ago I started alternating positional reviews/previews with Richard Hefner’s opponent previews.  While I only got through a couple of positions (maybe three…) I got through a lot of the Hef’s work.  There are three left and two of them happen to belong to the State of Florida.  We’ll have Miami at Miami of course, and we will rotate into Florida State, at Florida State.  And even though we have a better record than both of them over the last three years, Mr. Reaper pictured above represents our chance of beating them.  (Or if you’re an optimist, maybe it represents what our defense is going to do to them…)   Here’s a snapshot of the talent on each team.   Enjoy.

Florida State
A Way to Early Look at Roster Changes

by Richard Hefner

The object of this series of articles is to discuss & show the roster changes for the upcoming 2020 season. It will not be a player by player review. These articles will review All ACC team player losses/returners, Transfer Portal activity & recruiting results. If there is time, I may circle back to teams after the spring practice Transfer Portal rush.

I will be using Rivals recruiting data but 24/7 transfer portal activity. I was not able to find a Rivals transfer database but did find a 24/7 site. https://247sports.com/Season/2020-Football/TransferPortal.  So, any star/points ranking related to the portal are 24/7’s not Rivals.

Note: The 24/7 data base I am using runs from 8/1/19 until 7/31/20. Players who left a team after that start time are included. A Player who transferred to a team are included even if they played during the 2019 season (Ex.-John Petrishen) or could be a walk on. On my own, I do not include any transfer portal entry who was not ranked coming out of H.S. or was classified as a 2-star unless I can easily verify that he was a major contributor.

Let’s get started.

FSU is now on their 3’rd head coach in the last 4 years (the pikers). Mike Norvell, the new HC, has pulled in a 25-man class. One of his eight 4-stars was a Rival’s top 50 recruit while at least two or three) were in the top 250. The class overall ranked #21 and carried a 3.28 average star ranking which translates to an average 5.68 3-star.  Not bad by some fans’ measure.

FSU1

Per Rivals, below are the 25 recruits by position. Highlighted is the most/tied for that position in the ACC for 2020.

FSU2

Editor’s Note:  Notice the five offensive linemen.  FSU’s offensive line was historically bad last year and hasn’t been much to write home about for a few years now.  Also two quarterbacks.  One was Georgia’s own Tate Rodemaker, who was poached out from under Mark Whipple late in the recruting cycle.  Four Athletes also an intrguing number…wonder where these guys will end up?

This is a snapshot of the last 5 years of recruiting:

FSU3

For Tex, this is the number of 5.7’s and above for the last 4 recruiting periods:

FSU4

Looking at the last 5 years, recruiting prowess has declined in both Rivals ranking & average stars. Still good but not as good as you would expect.  The record over the last 5 seasons show this decline.

  • 2015 10-2 Peach Bowl Loss 10-3
  • 2016 9-3 Orange Bowl Win 10-3
  • 2017 6-6 Independence Bowl Loss 6-7
  • 2018 5-7
  • 2019 6-6 Sun Bowl Loss 6-7

Not only can’t FSU beat Pitt in coaching hires over a 4-year span but that last 3-year record isn’t as good as Narduzzi’s, and Pitt probably played a tougher schedule.

Editor’s Note:  Yes the talent level has clearly declined but 60%+ 5.7’s is still light years ahead of where Pitt is in recruting and seventeen wins over three seasons is a disgrace for a program with the Pedigree and booster support of FSU.  Either the prevoius coaching staffs’ evaluation was way off, or their players weren’t bought in, or the coaches weren’t putting in the effort.  Or any combination of the above.  

FSU grabbed two players off the transfer portal:

FSU5

If you thought Pitt’s offensive line was bad, FSU’s was worse over the last two years. Maybe the OT from Florida International who was an All-Conference USA honoree (like Millin was at Kent State in the MAC) will solidify the line.

Florida State has 4 returning All ACC honorees.

FSU6

Note: The Class shown is for the 2019 Season. For the 2020 season Jr. are now Seniors, So. are now Juniors.  Tamorrion Terry was expected to early entry into the NFL Draft. He was a HM All ACC as a R-Fr. In 2018.

The above was a brief snapshot of who Florida State added & returned for the upcoming 2020 season.

Who did they lose from the 2019 season?

Florida State did not lose any All ACC honorees to graduation, but they did lose 2 players with eligibility as early entries to the NFL draft.

Cam Akers is a big loss. In 2017 he made 3’rd Team All ACC as a true freshman. His sophomore year was marred by injury & missed playing time.

Florida State had nine (count ’em) Transfer Portal losses.  In total six former FSU players have found new homes including transfers to Oregon State & Georgia.

FSU9

I guess you can afford to lose 6 4-stars in a season when you recruited 40 over the 2017-2020 recruiting cycle.

Mike Norvell likes his passing offense. James Blackman was 5’th in the ACC in passing efficiency. Tamorrion Terry is a great target. The question is who will replace Akers at running back and is the O-line finally rebuilt after Jimbo Fischer left the well dry?

 

Miami

A Way to Early Look at Roster Changes

by Richard Hefner

 

Head Coach Manny Diaz 2’nd class (1st full recruiting class) was ranked by Rivals as the 12th best in the nation. The 21-man class had a 3.62 average star ranking which translates to a 5.75 3 star. While that looks good, it is not as good as Mark Richt’s 2018 lass class.

13 of the 21 recruits (62%) were 4 stars with 1 in the Rivals top 50 & another 7 in the 101 – 250 range in the Rivals top 250.

Per Rivals, below is the 21 recruits by position. Highlighted is the most for that position in the ACC for 2020.

Miami2

This is a snapshot of the last 5 years of recruiting:

Miami3

For Tex, this is the number of 5.7’s and above for the last 4 recruiting periods:

Miami4

Miami’s record over the last 5 seasons:

  • 2015 8-4 Bowl loss 8-5
  • 2016 8-4 Bowl win 9-4,
  • 2017 10-1 , Conference Championship loss, Bowl loss 10-3
  • 2018 7-5 Bowl loss 7-6
  • 2019 6-6 Bowl loss 6-7

Miami has added 3 transfers:

Maimi5

Three Grad transfers. The biggest name is D’Eriq King from Houston. Did Dana Holgorsen screw up?  Yep. To me Quincy Roche the Temple DE is the one to watch. Selected as first team All AAC (American) DE & selected as the 2019 AAC Defensive Player of the year. I like transfers from G5 teams that made their All Conference teams, like Stefano Millin from Kent State.

Editor’s Note:  Miami’s defense was never the problem and adding Roche is only going to make a good unit better.  Miami also hired a new OC during the offseason and wouldn’t you konw it a transfer QB followed shortly thereafter.  Kicker was the ‘Canes other defecinecy…I think they lost to Georgia Tech on something like three missed field goals.  Still can’t believe we lost to these jokers at home last year.

Miami is returning two All ACC honorees:

Miami6

Note: The Class shown is for the 2019 Season. For the 2020 season Jr. are now Seniors, So. are now Juniors.

Not many.  The TE – Jordan was a 2’nd team selection as a R-Fr. Rousseau is also a R-Fr. Both 2018 recruits. I expect both will early entry to the NFL draft after the 2020 season.

The above was a brief snapshot of who Miami added & returned for the upcoming 2020 season.

Who did they lose from the 2019 season?

Miami had two All ACC seniors:

Miami7

Quarterman was an All ACC honoree since his true freshman year of 2016 – HM, 2’nd, 1’st, 1’st.

Miami had 4 early entries to the NFL draft. I mentioned that Miami had 5 total All ACC honorees. I posted 2 as returners & 2 as graduating. Number 5 is an early entry.

Miami8

Deejay Dallas lead Miami in rushing last year. Jeff Thomas was a highly sought after 6.0 4-star 2017 recruit. After the 2018 season, he entered the Transfer Portal & said he was going to Illinois. Changed his mind & returned to Miami for 2019 season. Never lived up to his recruiting hype.

Miami has 13 players (and you thought nine was a lot) in the Transfer Portal:

Miami9

Editor’s Note:  If we could convince just one more player to transfer from Miami or FSU I’m pretty sure we could put together a 22 man starting squad that most C-USA teams would salivate over. 

Seven of these transfers have found new homes, one of them was a five star holdover from the Richt era (RB Wingard).  Jarren Williams was Miami starter for 9 games & led Miami to the win over Pitt coming off the bench. If you bring in a highly praised grad transfer at QB, you should expect an unhappy camper.

Miami will be the favorite to win the Coastal. Hype, recruiting, & the “U’ mystique makes them a favorite almost yearly and  that “one” Coastal championship in seven years is the proof of their dominance. One thing I do know, they are leading the ACC in Transfer Portal activity with 15 (12 out, 3 in).  And that’s in the face of some pretty heavy competition from Virginia Tech and FSU.  Go Canes.

I didn’t do a review of Pitt but here is Chris Peak’s review of Pitt.

https://duke.rivals.com/news/around-the-coastal-the-pittsburgh-panthers

 

 

 

 

Michaelangelo holds a degree in Travel Writing from the University of Pittsburgh. He was a former staff writer for InPittsburgh Newsweekly, and currently resides near Atlanta, Georgia. He has been a Pitt fan since 1997 after he witnessed Pitt upset #22 Miami on Thursday night at Pitt Stadium.

249 thoughts on “Yes There Will Be a Season and we Will be Playing in Florida”

  1. Remember Peak’s last sentence. “Serious questions about Narduzzi’s future are sure to follow!”
    But….the players love him. 7-5 at best.

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  2. Questions may follow on Narduzzi if the season flops but I don’t see any changes taking place for at least 3 more years. Narduzzi term at Pitt has a lot to do with the revolving door of Pitt FB coaches prior to his hire. Not wanting to go through a repeat of that scenario will keep him employed at Pitt for a much longer timeframe in spite of his record.

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  3. Miami always gets too much hype. No matter who the coach is, they play erratic.

    FSU has been a joke. I think Norvell will turn them around.

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  4. so what else is new. Miami and FSU are reeling in the talent. But what is new are the coaches … Diaz in his 2nd year and Norvell in his first. One of these times, the coach at one of these schools will be successful, and I think the odds are with FSU here. Norvell is more experienced, has a better track record, but more importantly, Miami is Miami ….. and they have been Miami for over 15 years now.

    Nothing scientific here …. any analytical procedure will reveal how badly Miami has performed in respect to its talent since 2004. On the other hand, FSU has underperformed since Jimbo Fisher left in 2017. Their record since has been slightly under 500. But that has only been 2 years so it has a better chance IMO to break the mold.

    Miami doesn’t have Pitt beat yet … Diaz is the 5th the Miami HC this millennium, same as Pitt if you don’t count Heywood. He is a popular native son so he may stick around a while.

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  5. Funny how people, Peak included, remain stuck on trying to give Narduzzi credit for everything Defense.

    Also how funny too that the Defense just MYSTERIOUSLY got better when Randy Bates took charge.

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  6. But I do agree with Peak that this is in REALITY “make it or break it time” for Narduzzi. The time has come for Pitt to at least KNOCK at the door of the ever elusive magic No. 10.

    It’s like Randy Juhl’s famous words from years ago “If Pitt can cure the Corona Virus and invent the vaccine, we sure as hell can win 9 football games!”

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  7. as far as HC hires go, Bates certainly appears to be better than M House. Partridge is also contributing greatly

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  8. My guess is that short of a complete collapse, Narduzzi is safe for a number of reasons. Firstly, this season is already unlike any other so preparation, drafting, etc are all different and whether Pat excels or struggles with coaching in a pandemic, I think he would be given more time knowing that this season is an outlier. Secondly, given the financial woes caused by the Corona crisis, I don’t think Pitt would be in a position to spend extra money to payoff Pat’s contract and hirer another. Given that Pitt finally has an easier OOC schedule this year, I really hope that they get to play them all as they have the potential for a special season.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Thanks Mike. As usual your editorial comments are spot on.

    Since I wrote this article these changes have occurred in the transfer portal.

    FSU is now up to 10 in the portal out.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Sorry, hit the post button in error.

      FSU is now up to 10 in the portal out. A grad transfer OG.

      FSU is now at 7 portal IN. Of the additional 5, 3 are because I didn’t copy & paste into word from excel when I sent the article to Mike. Of the 2 adds, the best is a CB transfer from FAU. He was All Conference C-USA & lead that conference in interceptions.

      Miami holds steady at 13 in the portal out. They have added I on the portal IN column. A 4-star transfer from Florida. He actually was a 2020 recruit. Originally committed to South Carolina. Decommitted & signed with Florida. He enrolled @ Florida in January 2020. Maybe he got homesick because he is from the Miami area.

      It is my opinion, some of portal IN activity is due to players wanting to be closer to “home” due to the covid activity.

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  10. just note that there are several different expectations. For example, current Pitt fans expectations are 9 or 10 wins. Expectations from sources like ESPN, CBS Sports and Vegas was 5.5 or 6 last year, and anywhere from 6 to 7 this coming year.

    This is not uncommon. Fans have a tendency to look at all the positives before the season (boy do I ever know this well from living in Cleveland for 8 years) and many times ignore the competitors. So-called experts looks primarily at talent pool as well as recent history and school rep (which can really distort their opinions).

    The answer is usually somewhere in between

    Liked by 1 person

  12. More good work by MM and Richard.

    Interesting the way things worked out with the Houston QB sitting out games and then transferring. Got to love the craziness that the rules have become…

    Now we need to beat him.

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 2 people

  13. Will the southern teams get an advantage of earlier practices? Even without coaches, QB’s throwing to receivers etc. is probably already happening. Their weight rooms should open before ours.

    Agree with wbb that fan expectations are always higher and respect for the other teams ability is always lower. I don’t expect a 9-10 win season since the offense still has no go to running back/game and a suspect O-line even though they have more experience than last year. We also lost our go to wide receiver and special teams guy.

    College football still requires scoring more than the other guy. The defense should make it easier by winning field position and scoring once in a while. Also a lot of talk about a shortened season and conference play only, which could wipe out a couple wins, if there is a season.

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  14. If Pitt cannot win ten games in 2020 it better be because they did not play a full schedule due to the pandemic.

    I’m sorry, but settling for mediocrity is not fun as a fan. The drop in productivity at season’s end the previous two years has a lot to do with not getting to 9 or 10 wins.

    Was it conditioning, coaching or player’s hearts? Or a combination of all three. It was not the opponents, except one with Clemson in 2018.

    In 2020, we have a new S&C coaching staff, all FB coaches return and the starters are seasoned veterans. No excuses, if playing is allowed…

    H2P!

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  15. while I certainly agree that this season provides the best opportunity for 10 wins in a long time, you should also know that UNC and VT have more returning starters and ND, Miami and FSU have more talent. So I don’t see where 10 wins is a given.

    Let me remind you that the last time Pitt won 10, they only faced two teams that finished ranked, and lost both

    http://www.cfbstats.com/2009/team/545/index.html

    and of course, you have to go back to ’82 for the next to the last time

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    2. It should be easy for Pitt to consistently win 8 games each year. And you only need mediocre coaching to pull it off. Go 3 and 4 in your ooc. Go 5 and 3 in conference. Seems very doable given Syracuse is always on the schedule. That’s like the Steelers playing Cincy. The Coastal is still one of the weaker P5 divisions out there. So what will it take to win ten…to just find two more wins out of 12?

      Solid QB play
      Solid offensive line
      Solid defense
      A play or two during the season

      Last season, Kenny was too erratic but has the tools and experience to have a solid 2020. The offensive line is still suspect. The defense is more than solid. Will pitt call a play like central Florida to win a game or will they decide to kick a field goal instead of punching it in from the one like the penn state game.

      That’s why I see a nine win season but in typical Pitt fashion Pitt will lose their bowl and a chance to be ranked in the top 20. Heather will probably give Narduzzi a lifetime contract then knowing how things work.

      Tex covid free

      Liked by 1 person

  16. If Pitt wins 9 or 10 games it would have overachieved based off where the recruiting classes have been ranked. Since when does Pitt overachieve on the football field? It doesn’t happen. Players usually fail to make plays to put Pitt over the hump since I’ve been watching the Panthers as a fanatic since 1987.

    Either hire Urban Meyer or see what stability can do for you with Narduzzi. Meyer doesn’t fit the Mission Statement and the cost of what he wants to build a winner doesn’t jive with the vision of the BoT.

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  17. Both of these schools are historical cheaters and I’m not sure if it’s really changed. FSU spends by far the most of any ACC school, is centered in a talent rich state and yet has underperformed on the size of Texas. I chalk that up to lack of a QB and all around coaching. It now appears both Miami and Florida State have decent head coaches and staffs and may finally have QB’s. I expect both schools to win ten games this year. But I expect Pitt to beat them both. So what does that say? Pitt wins 9 games this year and have a chance for ten by lose their bowl in Florida.

    Tex

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  18. PITT will have a better record and bowl game this season. (If we get to play) Defense is great, really great!. And Wimple has the offense and Kenny with a year of his system under their belts. Kenny is a good QB just needed some consistency of OC coaching. One big question is running back. Someone has to step up big time or we are in trouble.

    Yes Miami and FSU will be problems, but UNC is the school that gives us trouble all the time. And don’t forget Va Tech.

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    1. And Notre Dame

      Pitt has a tough schedule this year and teams within the division have improved

      But I can still see pitt beating the likes of Miami, Florida state and the domers yet still only achieving nine regular season wins. Probably lose to NC, va Tech and Syracuse. And then lose a tough bowl matchup and chance at top 20 ranking.

      But that’s assumimg all 12 games get played. Probably going to be more like 8 or 9.

      Tex

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  19. Pitt did not end last season looking like a 9 or10 win team that’s entering this season. For Pitt to win 9 or 10 IMO we had better see an offense averaging north of 28 points per game. And even that might not be enough to get us to 9 or 10 level.

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  20. Could be some crazy 4th quarters this season – if there is one – between the players being less well conditioned, the players getting tossed for targeting. and the players sitting out for testing positive…

    Go Pitt.

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  21. Great job Mike and Richard, another great job!

    Miami did lose a lot of players but then again, they always get the better recruits to restock. Fla State seems to be in a flux of some sorts. Maybe better to play them this year than a few years down the road? Having said that though, I agree with wwb that this years schedule is nowhere as easy as some are saying. Also, I agree with Erie Express, this is the no more excuse time.

    I just find it ironic that when PITT is set to field one of it’s better teams in years football is a state of the unknown. I just wonder how the big boys are playing this game behind the scenes and how far behind PITT may find themselves when it gets time for the opening kickoff?

    Oh and thanks for the call-back.

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  22. I am an old race horse owner and bettor. Past performances are published each day so that we can have expectations of horses performance today.

    What on earth in Duzz’s last 5 years of past performances gives any of you expectation of anything other than 6-6 or 7-5?

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    1. QB stability, strong defense, pass rushers, some more speed at receiver?

      Of course there is always another guy out there who can make us big winners. Problem is when the job is open that guy ceases to exist.

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    4. He went 8-4 in each of his first two years. If he had Syracuse’s OOC schedule in 2018, he’d have gone 10-2.

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  23. Dan72-

    Madden was 100% right on Narduzzi. Capel needs another 12-18 months to be judged.

    Narduzzi all hat no cattle.

    -Upitt

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  24. C’mon Mark, you think the corona virus is fake but Madden isn’t? 🙂 I forgot more about sports than that fat pig ever knew.

    Liked by 1 person

  25. if you base judgement on who is the underdog going into the game, I’m pretty sure that Pitt overachieves more than underachieves. But again, it is all based on your own expectations. I see no reason to expect 10 wins every season. Only done once in nearly 40 years, and local recruiting base is sparse.

    And please don’t tell me the reason is because of low expectations. Wanny went 27-12 his final 3 years and was axed. How did that work out? Yes, he only played about 5 ranked teams in those 3 years but 9 per year was the best that this program was able to produce

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  26. BTW, I never implied Pitt couldn’t do better than Duzz. If Billy Napier was willing, I would hire him in a NY second … but if he succeeded, he would be headed back down south in 2 maybe 3 years max.

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  27. By the grace of the football Gaads Clemson was able to survive a loss AT HOME against PITT and go on to win the national championship. Just because his bedside manner was/is a little off doesn’t make him a bad coach.

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    1. He’s mediocre not bad. Would be a better coach if he had better assistants and players. But he alone is responsible for hiring his staff and the recruiting strategy. Buck stops at the top. And how does heather get to decide the ooc for football but has no say for basketball. I feel for the hairy arm dog on this one.

      Tex

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      1. Pitt only pays for mediocrity. See alligator arms when it could have kept the best assistant the school has had in a long, long time. “Oh, we made a great offer to keep Matt, but we cannot compete with the likes of LSU.”

        College football is all about offense then it was comical the money to keep Canada wasn’t there to hire a better guy than Watson.

        That was so Pitt yet I trust that firing Narduzzi will lead to the school hiring someone better?

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  28. Pitt pays top 40. At least to the head coach. Pitt generally achieves this ranking. Saragin and rpi have pitt in the 50’s come season end. Pitts recruiting budget is good. Pitt has top third ACC spend. So pitt should achieve consistent 8 win seasons as long as the coach is mediocre at worst. Will more money help pitt get that ten win season. Yes and no. I had no problem with Canada leaving. He had a lot of nfl talent to work with. Plus teams now know how to stop the jet sweep.

    Tex

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  29. Same old debate different day. Third most wins in the ACC since he has been here.
    Toughest OOC. One of a very small club that has beat Clemson in recent years.

    The year we have an easier OOC and the best group of returning players the ACC stacks the deck with ND and FSU. I know, FSU and Miami have been down, but they still have players.

    Could this be a great year for Pitt? Does not mean it will be or even should be. A few key injuries always spells trouble. One year the center went down at a crucial time and last year the two best wide receivers went down and a brilliant return man.

    This should be our best D-line since the Hugh Green lines. I just hope we get to see them play, not worried about wins and losses at this point.

    Liked by 4 people

  30. imo I believe PITT has the best asst coaching staff assembled since the eighties. Unfortunately PITT is like the proverbial box of assorted chocolates. You just never know……… you know the rest…….. However, having a good idea that they may win 8 games with a chance to win one or two more regular season games seems like a good deal to me.

    Narduzzi isn’t going anywhere anytime soon……… Unless he wins 11 regular season games

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      1. So I guess that would that would be a win win for you Sonny. Then what? PITT loses another head coach that won double digit football a season. I know you kid plus I don’t think Narduzzi would leave even then . You guys are stuck with him. 🙂 << No cowboy hat.

        I have to admit, I enjoy he bothers some of you guys so much. you guys remind me of “the steve” trying to get rid of a head coach that wins football games.. haha

        Liked by 1 person

  31. KP with nearly a 62% completion rate and 3,100 yards passing last year. This with PITT leading the country in dropped catch-able passes. Oh and he is already projected as a 4th rd pick next year. Don’t hate on the kids because you don’t like hairy arms and Narduzzi may have been rude to someone.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hate on a kid because I say he is terrible as a QB?

      I am judging his on field results.

      He is a tough gritty kid but not a quality QB. Drafted? You being serious?

      We scored zero points against VT? Barely beat a MAC team in a bowl. A bad Miami team made him look terrible.

      Picket has played 4-5 years now and has regressed every year.

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      2. Kenny has more moxy in his pinky than tinos entire body. Tino the terrible that never had a fourth quarter comeback. Unlike Kenny.

        Tex

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        1. And lest I disagree with my good friend, Mark…. but… a big part of the reason that Pickett struggled at times was due to the poor play of the offensive line. Also, the dropped balls, as Iek pointed out, didn’t help. Kenny is pretty good. Could take another step this year.

          Liked by 1 person

      3. OK Mark, I gave you his stats from last year and he has not regressed in fact his number were improved. The 4-5 years is also incorrect. Pickett has only played 3 years and two games. Personally I wish he would get another year because he only played in a few games his freshman year. Which I think he only started one??

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  32. Well it finally happened……………….. In today’s Sunday edition of the Tribune Review there are 3 pages dedicated to sports and 3 pages of obituaries. Strange days indeed.

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  33. Good article in trib about Jackie regretting leaving pitt and how he thinks Heinz is a mistake.

    Tex

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  34. I take that back on Picketts career. He’s only played 2 full years and in four games his freshman year with only one start. Improving each year despite the country’s most dropped passes for a P-5 team.

    Liked by 1 person

  35. Where are the wins under Kenny the Great?

    He makes a lot of bad decisions and runs first. It is Year 4 and the good ones have it by Year 2.

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  37. I am with UPitt, KP has shown nothing other than average
    QB play. 13 TDs 9 ints. Drink that KPoolaid. He has no pocket presence, cant look past his hot receiver, never goes through progressions – watch his head and eyes, gets his RBs killed on dump off passes when primary is covered, can be solid at 15-20 yard to primary just like Tino but just like Tino only to the primary receiever, never extends a play, long passes still overthrown. Will it be OC, OL, or drops by portal TEs that holds him back from the Heisman this year? Maybe he and all of you KPoolaid drinkers will prove me wrong, I hope so.

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    1. I look at 4th quarter comebacks. Kenny can do it. Tino couldn’t. That’s moxy to me. He’s good in my book.

      Tex

      Like

  38. You can like KP or not like him.. Everyone’s entitled to their opinion. Hope he gets his chance to shine this year for two reasons, one, he’s going to start and play until or if he gets hurt. (hope that’s not the case) and two, he will have an OC for two consecutive years not named Watson. btw, an above average defense always helps an offense play a lot better. ok so that’s three.

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  39. While I’m on the subject I think Beville has a very big upside as well as Yarnell and I like Patti to. If they can outplay KP then put em in coach.

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  40. It is reasonable to think that KP will be a serviceable QB this year. With his experience, he will run the offense efficiently and will lead a balanced offense that is capable of putting up 28 points a game. With Pitt’s defense, that should be good enough to win 8-9 games. But he will never be a QB that can execute a big play offense.

    Liked by 1 person

  41. KP is the starter this year but with that being said if any of the back- ups show anything close or possibly exceed KP ‘s level on practice is see Whipple not hesitating I’m pulling his QB this year. Neville has his redshirt season under his belts plus the transfer from ASU who has seen some action…. I don’t think anyone in their right mind is totally sold on KP but we all agree he is a gamer…,We need to score at least 4 offensive TDs per game…. we were PITTiful last year- our opponents out-scored is.

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  42. Any AVERAGE 4-year Starter at Quarterback gives you a good chance to win some games.

    And Pickett is BETTER than average… everything considered.

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    1. Back up QB is a good living. Outside of reality TV how else you going to make $1M plus for doing nothing?

      Liked by 2 people

  44. the offensive scheme last year was entirely different from the year before (shades of 2011). I would hope that the 2nd year would not only benefit the QB, but also the OL and the receivers

    Liked by 2 people

    1. and maybe a better running game which did not exist last year,at least one good enough to keep defenses honest.

      Liked by 1 person

  45. I think that’s a safe bet. The only concern is that after years at the helm Narduzzi and Co. are still depending on graduate transfers to shore up the shortcomings with the O-Line.

    Based on the recent returns on investment, this does not offer a whole lot of comfort heading into what looks like a IMPORTANT season for the future of Pitt Football.

    Unfortunately, success will have to come despite the perennial “weak link” in the chain that Borbely and the O-Line has become.

    Like

  47. Pitt Notebook: Panthers dropping too many passes | Sports …

    http://www.sharonherald.com › sports › pitt-notebook-panthers-…

    In case the link doesn’t work, after 8 games last year PITT WR and TE’s had already dropped 26 passes.

    Like

  48. Yes Ike, the tight ends were disgustingly bad last year, dropped many third down passes.
    If Krull is good, it will make a big difference. Also the running backs need to provide an outlet,
    more shovel passes would be nice.

    Liked by 1 person

  49. right gc, No team is good enough to drop big important passes and especially PITT last year. PITT out-gained Miami 300 plus yards to 200 yards but still lost. The offense will be seriously improved this year.

    Like

    1. We sucked in the red zone and it wasn’t because of drops. We’d have won ten games and beat Penn State if we were even average

      Liked by 1 person

      1. True Mike but think of the time of possession lost on those drops. Keeping PITT’s defense fresher while wearing down the opponents defense. Lots of implications.

        Liked by 1 person

  51. Ike – 3 1/4 drops per game? I think the counter must have missed several while fixing a ham sammich in Q3s and Q4s!!

    I would have guessed 5 or so per game

    Liked by 1 person

  53. So with Pickett the question becomes: do you want to accept a likely 8-9 wins this year with a seasoned QB and then start over next year with a new quarterback, or is it better to roll the dice with a new starter and risk maybe having a potentially big year with KP that could get Pitt to 10 wins and a nice bowl? I say 9 wins at least represents some progress for the program and we should stay with Pickett.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. You have to roll with Pickett this year. The value of a senior quarterback, warts and all is not to be understated. Also it’s his second year in the system. While hope is not a strategy, the odds are that overall execution will improve across the board.

      Like

  54. Agree that improvement in the red zone offense is a must. A decent red zone offense would have very likely ensured victories over Stanford in the bowl and Miami last season … two games where it seemed Pitt outplayed its opponent. And of course, it would have meant a tied game vs PSU late in the 4th quarter .. who knows how that would have turned out.

    Lastly, it would have prevented a few wins from being so frustratingly close which shouldn’t have been.

    Like

  55. The lack of a running game was a major factor in the lack of red zone offense. That was where James Conner was at his finest. The lack of a big back hurt.

    The dropped passes that hurt the most were the third down drive killers. As good as our defense was it seemed that when the other team got good field position our defense gave up points. So it is not just scoring few points that hurt, it was leaving the defense with poor field position.

    Like

    1. We have invested a most precious resource, playing-time, in Kenny Pickett. And he has shown he can make big plays to win games – and he’s done this with a downright poor offensive line and suspect receivers.

      IMHO, the Oline will be better, the TEs will be better, the RBs will be better, and Kenny P. will be better.

      That being said, remember the wisdom of Mark Twain:

      “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble, it’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.” 😊

      Go Pitt.

      Liked by 5 people

  56. I think PITT’s biggest problem with scoring TD’s was because they relied on long scoring drives where everything had to go as exactly planned. You know, where a dropped pass can really upset the whole drive. Look for KP to go downfield a lot more this season which will help open up some room for the running game. Get the linebackers to drop into coverage and off the line of scrimmage. Most importantly, PITT needs to move the ball and change the field position, giving the defense a long field to defend and keep them rested. A basketball coach such as Dan would agree, you rest on offense if you must but never rest on defense. But they cannot be conservative in doing so.

    Like

  57. The Pitt offense last year was just plain awful. And as I posted previously in Pitt’s last 4 games both the offense and defense digressed. Yes we will some good additions on defense this season that may help us be even better than last year. But I have my doubts about Pitt’s OL being as good as last seasons OL. And I’m still not convinced that Pickett see’s much beyond his primary receiver on the called play. All and all it adds up IMO to Pitt winning about 7 games at the most if all the games are played.

    Like

  58. Last year, I tired very quickly of 2nd and 12; 3rd and 8. In order to be effective in sustaining drives, we need to stay ahead of the sticks. To do that, you need to be able to run the ball 3-4 yards any time you want.

    Defenses stop the run first, to make it that much easier to defend the pass. Defenses against us last year didn’t need to stop the run first – we did that for them! We can’t run. (2-3 yard pass patterns does not a ground game replace!) And that too often led to giving opponents really good field position. Our D had to defend way too many short fields.

    Ability to pick up 3-4 yards per carry would sure make it a lot easier to sustain drives – to say nothing about improving Red Zone (TD) scoring. Personally, I hope we don’t have a FG attempt this year of less than 40 yards!

    Liked by 3 people

  59. And one more thing: I am sick and tired of reading we brought in a grad transfer to give us “More Depth”.

    I wanna read, “we brought in a grad transfer to give us BETTER DEPTH!”

    (Sorry for yelling, Mike. Please don’t discipline me!)

    Liked by 1 person

  61. If games are played, it will be interesting to see how the band marches and seats at stadiums. We will always have plenty of room for that at Heinz. We have to remember to cross our TTs and dot our I in PITT. Also the sideline players will need to be stretched. Vendors will have to be in great shape.

    Like

  62. there are good points being made here. The spread offense is designed for opponents to defend from side line to sideline instead of from LOS to goal line. And the running game is often supplanted by the short passing game. I have never been a fan

    But it can work, especially when you have Joe Montana or Tom Brady at QB. Walt Harris ran a modified spread but never abandoned mixing in the long pass. But most of us remember the heartache of 2002 when Rutherford led the offense right down the field vs WVU in final minutes only to have the drive stall after 4 straight incompletions from the 10 yard line.

    I only remember one really long run from scrimmage last year …. V Davis vs GT. I remember a short pass in the opener vs UVa to AJ Davis which turned into about a 75 yard gain. And I’m sure there may have been a few others …. I just can’t remember any.

    Like

    1. Woah woah woah. I thought Whipple was a west coast guy?

      Like

      1. Mike, you are correct. And Walt was definitely a West Coast guy. I got my terms mixed up, however. the West Coast offense led to the spread .. .many of the same principles. Short passing game, the pass sets up the run, etc. I guess the main difference is the WC doesn’t go sideline to sideline like the spread.

        I guess I was confused by the lack of a TE used last year. In fact, I have seen spread offenses with no TEs as part of the offense. (see Grant Carrigan below). One thing that Walt did very well was to use the TE very effectively, especially Kris Wilson. Steve Buches also.

        BTW, Grant Carrigan was rated the #3 TE prospect in his senior year at Pine Richland despite the fact he was a OT / DT. He had previously played at Bishop Gorman and Weirton before transferring to PR, which doesn’t use a TE in its normal offense.

        Like

        1. Makes sense. Actually you kind of inspired me they. I. did a little reading up on it to make sure I wasn’t talking out my a$$ And I might just post a “what is a west coast offense?” article if I can find the time.

          Liked by 1 person

          1. I can tell you that the WC offense was devised by Bill Walsh, former Stanford / 49er coach and before that, the OC for the Bengals. It was most popular in the 80s/90s especially with the success of the 49ers. But I don’t pretend to know all the X and Os.

            Like

          2. Walt used a variation of the west coast at Pitt. His tenure gets better with age like a fine wine. Given Pitts spend, he did more with less than any Pitt coach. It’s not even debateable.

            Tex

            Liked by 2 people

            1. I don’t disagree. His issues as I recall was (1) his girlfriend and (2) his agent

              Like

                1. and as I recall, he was the first to bring Charlie Partridge to Pitt and recognize the value of recruiting FL

                  Like

  63. Now that we are back to football and not music videos and cooking tutorials. 🙂 …….. I think we will see a big difference in the PITT offensive strategy. You can’t run the ball if you don’t throw down field and you can’t pass the ball if you don’t engage the linebackers downfield (off the line of scrimmage). The middle of the field is the most important territory on a football field. Most importantly is first down and clipping off at least 4 yards but and even bigger point is PITT has to be a threat to score from anywhere on the field on any down. Let’s hope Kessman is not an All American this coming year if you get my meaning? .. whenever that happens. I think Pickett shocks the college football world if he gets half a chance.

    Liked by 1 person

  64. Any chance of winning more games this year will rest mostly on an improved OL. Pickett can play better if he can sit in the pocket more, which again depends on the OL. But don’t expect Pickett to carry this team on his shoulders, he is a serviceable QB, no more, but he can get Pitt to 8-9 wins. And ike, I’m still thinking about that swiss steak recipe!

    Liked by 2 people

  65. Our opposition has plenty of film on Pitt’s offensive deficiencies from last season. They will attack and blitz Pitt for most of the game. And expecting the same cast of OL characters to improve greatly is sheer folly IMO. If Pitt can get some good play from our new TE and hopefully from whoever is playing slot receiver we may have a chance to move the ball on some quick timing plays. But getting Pickett the time to execute the long pass will be difficult absent being able to do so on broken plays. That unfortunately is not the type of play Pickett is very effective on.

    Liked by 1 person

  66. I to liked Wlat Harris but wtf?

    Walt Harris was 27-31 his first five years at PITT with ONE bowl win. Harris went 14-21 in conference games after 5 years.

    Narduzzi in his first 5 years stands at 36-29 with ONE bowl win. Narduzzi so far is 24-16 in conference…

    Look in the mirror, if you don’t like Narduzzi fine but hells bells see if you guys can’t see the prejudice I sure can.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Ike
      Walt had no budget for recruiting. He was paid peanuts. Couldn’t hire assistants at market. He had little support from Pitt. Narduzzi has the 4th highest spend in the ACC and heathers full backing. Walt did far more with far less. The man was genius with quarterback play and offense. His defense was lacking but it still produced some nfl talent. He recruited Fitz. For that alone, he deserves a statue. Again, it’s not debateable. Walt saved pitt football. Narduzzi is doing a stellar job at stable mediocrity.

      Tex

      Like

      1. Right Tex and the difference in their records reflect just that. Except for the fact that a 36-29 record is a little above mediocrity.

        Like

      2. I would agree that Walt Punched above his weight class.

        I would argue that Narduzzi is performing at the level he is compensated. No more, no less. With of course some maddening losses thrown in. 4th highest spend in the ACC? Well wouldn’t you know it pitt has the fourth most ACC wins during his tenure. That’s slightly better than mediocre (the midpoint of a 16 team division would be 7th – 9th) but not quite great. We all know your frustrations Tex, but by the numbers Pitt is (just…) getting what it pays for.

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Yes, Duzz took over a .500 program and had remarkably tough OOC opponents in his first 5 years, but Walt took over a program in 97 at its lowest point. Remember 72-0? In fact, I recall a lot of talk back then for Pitt to drop to D2. The 3 year record before Walt took over was 3-8, 2-9 and 4-7.

      As I had been saying for some time …. Pitt FB has never really recovered from this era. And any small hope of a resurgence was quelled by Steve C / Nordy … cutting back recruiting budgets and firing Wanny which began a period of embarrassments. Like it or not, the program has not been considered as a national player since the 80s.

      Like

      2. What Posvar and the BoT did to football to begin the 90s was devastating, only for it to compounded by the next chancellor, who doesn’t get much talk, J Dennis O’Connor. That guy literally let football rot and didn’t give a damn.

        I’ll always appreciate what Nordy did to resuscitate football and basketball, but shame on him for how he handled football in 2010 and soon after the basketball program.

        And kudos for what Walt did for football. If only he wasn’t so loyal to Tom Freeman. People complain about the O-line now but must forget Freeman’s lines that never could run block or would up 8 sacks in any big game.

        Like

    4. iek, wlat harris. Are you inventing a new spell check based on Ligonerese? Thank goodness I dont make typos but yours are the best 🙂

      Like

      1. Actually Russ that was an Homage to our good friend Missing Wlat. But you’re right. If it doesn’t have a squiggly red line underneath the word I just press post comment without any proofreading. It’s how I ending up with a nickname for my nickname. iek.. 🙂

        Like

  67. Speaking of Walt’s girlfriend.- ESPN has an article on Kentucky firing the Director & staff of their cheerleading squad. Supposedly Kentucky is the combined Clemson/Alabama of the college cheerleading competition world. Nudity, hazing & alcohol.

    Tried to link the article a few minutes ago. WordPress still like me to do that.

    Like

    1. I should have gone to Kentucky. Actually was accepted there for grad school. Was never serious about it. It was my fall back school. But it had this strange attraction for me. I now know why.

      Tex

      Like

      1. Thank you very much. To paraphrase Blanch DuBois, I rely on the kindness of POVerts in posting links to articles I find interesting.

        Like

  68. Say what you want about his ACC record and Duquesne fiasco, but the man can recruit. And I don’t think uncle Bernie is bringing the money bags.

    Like

    2. Unlike football recruiting, where we have factors like location and game atmosphere working against us, we can check all the boxes for basketball players (except maybe payoffs…).

      So a coach like Coach Capel, who is extremely comfortable and impressive going into any players home, should be able to bring Pitt back to being consistently in the upper third of the ACC and consistently in the NCAA tourney, IMHO.

      Go Pitt.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Right on Major, I’d much prefer recruiting for ACC Pitt BB to the Pete than I would for ACC Pitt FB to Heinz. Capel’s ties to Duke and Coach K helps him greatly when recruiting for Pitt BB.

        Like

  69. Are we sure those UK cheerleaders weren’t BB recruiters? Wonder where Huff stands on nudity as a strategy and if Tex would rate them 5.7 or above.
    Capel was a good hire but when Coach K retires, bye bye.

    Like

  70. We could be on the verge of a new successful era in Pitt basketball! Can’t wait for the upcoming season to start.

    Like

  72. The Domers early start and no fall break. Finish the semester by Thanksgiving. Will only impact a game or two. USC for sure, maybe one more. Crazy stuff. Talked to an exec from there this afternoon.

    Like

  73. There are going to be so many variations. Private schools going back early versus publics that have different influencers. Will that mean the domers get to practice more than our team? Are teams practicing or are coaches partaking in activities already that perhaps they shouldnt be?

    I know of some professional hockey players that may or may not have been skating in areas where they may or may not have been permitted to do so according to the state. Is that wrong?

    Like

  74. From what I gather, it sounds like a good portion of the upcoming football season will be played. I’ve got better vibes today than I had 10 days ago.

    Like

    1. I certainly hope so but IMO there are still many ifs. If the caseloads continue to decrease, then I have little doubt we will see a FB season. It might be a shortened one with no fans, but there will be at least the start of a FB season.

      Then he issue is, what happens if the players or officials start testing positive? Yes, a few here and there can be expected, just hope it doesn’t become a trend. And I still see teams in certain areas …. like Temple and Rutgers … not choosing to or being barred from participating.

      Like

  75. back to BB recruiting … Pitt’s present 17th ranked class geographically includes Cleveland, Erie, eastern PA, Brooklyn and Mass. Just like Pitt FB putting a focus on the Southeast, I think Capel now realizes where to focus

    Liked by 1 person

    1. btw, Point Park just landed a 7 footer from India, Jagshaandir Singh Jhawar, but you can just call him Jags

      Like

  77. Here’s why I think the Panthers will be much improved on offense this season:

    —Second season for OC Whipple should be helpful for everyone.
    —Lucas Krull. At the LOI event, Coach Whip was feeling pretty good about getting Krull – was impressed with how he can run routes.
    —Keldrick Wilson. I don’t think Pitt will make the same mistake in back-to-back years. Ulizio struggled. I expect Wilson, who had some decent schools after him, to be decent.
    —Carter Warren probably won’t start. At least IMHO. I think they should try him at guard, where he could be pretty good.
    —We have candidates for the other OT spot. I like Van Lynn’s chances, but a younger guy like Goncalves could win the job.
    —Morrissey, Hargrove, and Kradel/Houy/(Warren) should be strong in the middle of the line…
    —We have good WRs in Mack, Wayne and Jacques-Louie— and with talented frosh coming in (a couple of whom sound very promising)…
    —We have an experienced QB, and maybe very important this season, we have some talent behind him. (Teams will certainly need depth at every position this season for when players may have to isolate for a spell…)

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 3 people

  79. Notre Dame is making the smart move. Keep kids on campus. You don’t want them heading back home on fall break or thanksgiving and then coming back with something. Pitt should do the same although I hear only frosh and seniors allowed back on campus.

    Tex

    Like

  81. Right Tex, what a way to blow your career. Who are these coaches again? Loyalty is a man’s best friend…

    Like

  83. A bit late here, but thanks Maestro and Richard. Good stuff as ussual.

    The Norvell will have the Seminoles plaing better ball this fall, but I still think we can beat them as they’ll be going through an adjustment and will have a new OL going up against our DL. Miami is not an automatic loss and won’t be surprised with any outcome.

    Agree with someine above who said our challenges will be UNC, VT and Miami (Happy to hear the Hokies lost a highly ranked QB commit).

    Liked by 1 person

      2. ^^ LOL, Honestly JoeL I didn’t notice the misspells until you mention them. Goes to show where my brain is at.

        Like

  87. Trust me this isn’t meant to be political but it makes me laugh… The Mayor wants to shut down two streets in Pittsburgh including Walnut Street in Shadyside and make them pedestrian with tables for diners to sit at. Yet PITT can’t get permission from the city to get Bigelow Blvd shut down and protect PITT students and help the campus have a greener look to it? Guess it’s easy to tell he’s a nitter without the knitter sticks.

    Liked by 1 person

  88. MM – am I blocked or is the Grim Reaper sitting on the Life Guard chair keeping me out?

    I tried posting several times today – I’m trying one more time as anonymous…

    Pitt FB has two important things going for them heading into this COVID-19 interrupted season –

    (1) Sharing practice facilities with the Steelers – IKR
    – the NFL will play a full slate of games. Pitt should benefit with the South Side Facilities being open earlier than most.

    (2) The ACC and SEC will play FB this Fall. ACC commissioner Swofford has said that numerous times in the past two weeks.

    We may get to see Duzz’s best team (on paper) perform after all. I have first hand knowledge that the players are being directed by the S&C coach with regards to individual player workout programs “at home”.

    Some players have equipment, some don’t. Some players are motivated, some aren’t.

    With or without equipment, a good S&C coach can create a good workout routine. It is the face to face accountability & motivation that is lost while players are at home. The individual player is who makes it “great” or not.

    Who will be the leaders on this team? My way to early picks for team captains are:

    C Jimmy Morrissey
    QB Kenny Picket (🤞🏼)
    DE Rashad Weaver
    S Damir Hamlin or Paris Ford

    H2P!

    EE

    Like

  90. So I have a really really dumb question. Is Minnesota considered a southern state? They must be and they must have a better football history and academics than Pitt. That must be why they won 11 games last year and are recruiting so well.

    Ranked # 9 overall for 2021 with 2 four stars and 6, 5.7 ranked kids. It’s so warm there.

    They built an on campus stadium 10 years ago and committed to athletics.

    PJ Fleck first year 5-7, than 7-6, then 11-2. He was available when we gave our guy the 26 year extension.

    Oh wait, they compete with professional football, professional hockey, professional baseball and professional basketball.

    Please don’t say it can’t be done. Those are all EXCUSES.

    Like

    1. All great points. For all we know we may have tried to get him. Would be a shame if we didn’t.

      FWIW they built that stadium ten years ago and it took em that long to get to ten wins.

      Like

    2. Huff – thanks for pointing this out regarding Minnesota – the big difference IMO between Minn & Pitt, besides the OCS, is the coach. Minn spent the money to go get a proven winner as a HC in PJ Fleck. Pitt hired a coordinator who was NEVER a HC.

      As MM points out, it took Minn ten years after building the stadium to win 10 + games. It took HC Fleck three years. Pitt is entering year six with HC Duzz, and we have no OCS and no 10 + win seasons.

      One of the teams I pointed out as a program on the rise at mid-season last year was Minn – many on POV shot me down and said they didn’t play anyone and their schedule was fluff. Well, Minn went on to beat the nits, a team that Pitt lost to earlier in the 2019 season.

      Look, I lyke HC Duzz and I’m pulling for him to succeed. Reality is, I wanted Pitt to hire a proven HC and not an assistant coach. I was very outspoken about that “want”. Being in charge of everything in a program requires experience. I believe a HC at the P5 level should have experience and not learn on the job.

      Learning on the job takes time, usually requires mistakes and frustrates a fan base. PJ Fleck won 10 + games in his third year. Pitt has won 10 games in ONE season since 1982. Thank you Dave Wannstadt.

      Come on – we should be better than that!

      EE

      Liked by 1 person

    3. Huff, all good points and facts. At the risk of starting yet another drawn out discussion on an OCS, any discussion comparing UMinn to Pitt and a stadium should also include the following facts:

      For a number of years, the Gophers had an on campus stadium which was getting run-down. Big donors pushed the university to move to the Humphrey Dome in 1981 with the NFL Vikings. Anyone who went there knew it was a crappy building, located in downtown Minneapolis and an almost 2 mile walk from student housing and campus.

      Supporters of the move claimed a better atmosphere, particularly during bad weather for football and the chance to play in an NFL venue., help with recruiting, etc. Even then HC Lou Holtz pushed for the move. (Steve Pedersen was not there btw). The university tore down the OCS and built other athletic facilities on the site.

      Sound familiar?…a long term mistake made by the people controlling the purse strings which took much more than 10 years to correct. They moved to the Metrodome in 1981 and it was clear by the end of the 80’s that it was a mistake.

      It took several years for Minnesotans to understand the need for public funding of stadiums/arenas. They lost the Minnesota North Stars in 1992 to Dalls because of facility issues. A replacement for the Humphreydome was made after the roof caved in due to heavy snow. They risked losing the Twins as a result.

      As a state school, the Minnesota state legislature had to vote to fund the new OCS. It was a long drawn out process and both houses weren’t in agreement until the end. Here’s a nugget for Tex – a good bit of funding came from adding to student fees.

      Then there is the issue of topography. Anyone who has been to Minnneapolis knows its flat as a pancake. There was plety of undeveloped land adjacent to the university as well.

      The point (finally)….we should not expect that an OCS issue gets resolved everytime Heinz Field is not filled or just because some folks see the problem. The success in Golden Gopher football wasn’t just because UM Administration emphasized athletics and hit a HR with PJ Fleck. An entire mindset in the state government had to change as well. It took years.

      So one dumb question begs another…why should anyone expect change soon with Pitt FB just because we can see what is needed?

      Like

      1. A on campus stadium may attract some elites but it’s mainly done to boost revenues and provide a great game day atmosphere which leads to future athletic donors. My idea for a MPC is purely economics. It will be a revenue engine. With higher revenues you can often ‘buy’ wins across every sport. And it also helps better connect fans and alumni with the school. A strong connection is key for donations.

        Tex

        Like

  91. The Minnesota Golden Gophers football team represents the University of Minnesota in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Their football program currently is coached by P.J. Fleck. Founded in 1882, the program is one of the most dominant programs in the country. Minnesota has been a member of the Big Ten Conference since its inception in 1896 as the Western Conference. The Golden Gophers claim seven national championships: 1904, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1940, 1941, and 1960.[3] Since 2009, the Golden Gophers have played all their home games at TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota.[4]

    Like

  92. At this time of the 2021 recruiting cycle, making comments that a particular school is better than another is premature. For example Minnesota with 16 recruits is Rivals ranked #9 with 1286 points. Pitt is ranked # 24 with 12 recruits & 826 points.

    Do you know that just adding four 5.4 2-stars would vault Pitt into the # 17 spot just due to numbers. None of us would like 2-star unless they all turn out to be Patrick Jones’s or Rashid Weaver’s

    These number games work both ways. It wasn’t to long ago some commenters made light of Pitt’s recruiting when Pitt jumped into the top 25. Their point was it was due to numbers.

    As for number of 5.7 & above I add that to needle Tex. It is a good indicator of potential wins. But if you look at the article chart for Miami, they average 70% in that metric. Miami has won exactly “one” more ACC win over the last 5 years than Pitt & just as many division titles.

    Liked by 4 people

    1. Miami has poor coaching and have lacked a QB.

      I always caveat recruiting that talent wins unless coaching gets in the way and or you don’t have a competent field general.

      No school that has won a national championship in the last 20 years has won it without elite recruits. All have had at least one five star. All have 65 percent plus 5.7 rated recruits. It’s all about talent. And high end talent in skilled positions that matter most.

      Narduzzi is an excellent mediocre recruiter. He needs to outrecruit other coastal schools. Last year his results placed him right in the fantastic middle. So unless he becomes some great coach, expect more stable mediocrity.

      Tex deep in the heart of Texas.

      Like

  93. Pulled this offer list from PSN for a 2021 OL prospect out of Orlando, FL –

    (Kyjuan) Phillips also holds offers from East Carolina, Colorado State, Florida International, Florida Atlantic, Liberty, Kent State and Coastal Carolina but at this point, the Panthers seem like the clear leader to land him.

    EE

    Like

  94. “I think Fleck has plateaued at 11-win seasons. Don’t see him getting us over the hump. Heck, it’s been 60 years since our last National Championship!” — Minn POV fan

    Liked by 2 people

  95. There is no question that PJ Fleck was a better HC candidate at the time he was hired and remains a better HC than Narduzzi. But also know that he took over a program that went 9-4 in 2016 led by an interim head coach Tracy Claeys,

    It also doesn’t hurt to be in a league where the TV payout per school is nearly twice of the ACC. And oh yea, here is the OOC for the Gophers 11-win team last year (all wins)

    28-21 South Dak St — Note that SDS usually has a real good D2 team but finished 8-5 last year.
    38-35 Fesno St (2 OT) — Fresno St finished 4-8
    35-32 Georgia Southern. — GS was 7-6

    But you must realize…. you can always find some coaches that are better than Duzz — I won’t argue that. But at the same time, you can also find a heck of a lot more who aren’t.

    Liked by 4 people

  96. The Fighting Gophers had an excellent season last season, however, they had 3 decent teams on their schedule and lost to 2 of them. The good news was they beat the Nitwits, but they lost to Iowa and Wisconsin.

    My guess is they hit the jackpot with a QB – but looking at the OOC scores, they were fortunate to get those wins. But that’s the name of the game, so hats off to them.

    Their recruiting looks pretty similar to Pitt in where they recruit and the stars they get.

    Go Pitt.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. They had a pretty good receiver and their o line was solid

      ALSO – I believe they were one of the least penalized teams in the FBS.

      Like

  97. I’d take 11 wins against an easier schedule right now and so would just about everyone here. My point was that it can be done and is being done. Recruits will go to that southern school where it competes against professional sports so long as they believe in the coach and program. Excuses.

    As for whom they played : Only common opponent was dairy which beat us by 7. Minn beat dairy by 5.

    Pitt played 3 ranked teams and lost 2 of them (Dairy, Ranked 13, L by 5; VT Ranked 25, L by 28; UCF Ranked 15, W by 1 early.

    Minn played 4 ranked teams and lost 2 of them. (Dairy, Ranked 5, win by 5; Iowa, Rank 23, L by 4; Wisconsin, Rank 13, L by 21; Auburn Rank 9, W by 7). Not sure our schedule was more difficult at all.

    2021 recruiting is early and i agree, but they are currently ranked #9 with an average star of 3.13. When you win, recruiting becomes alot easier. Some here will argue schedule, but my argument back about 4 ranked teams is strong. His recruiting message is “i need you mr recruit, so we can turn those two losses into wins and win a national championship”. That is kind of a believable pitch. Our guys can’t sell national championship and can barely sell a coastal. Too many losses to be believable.

    You can argue that the coach inherited a team that won 9 games 4 years ago, which is true. Equally arguable is that he undid that and put in his own system and struggled out of the gate. He went 5-7, 7-6, 11-2. He might struggle again, who knows. Pitt hasn’t sniffed 11 wins in a season, except in basketball (joke), since Wanny came close. It’s doable. It’s all about how you go about your business. Our 40 year model has been to prioritize mediocrity and we have achieved it.

    I am not saying I am a minnesota supporter at all. Just saying that what most say on here as not achievable for a myriad of excuses, actually is achievable.

    Like

    1. Pj fleck’s mantra. If you consistently do your things better than your opponent you win 78% of games.

      “Take culture out of it. Take team out of it. Take schedule out of it,” Fleck said. “Lets just talk strictly facts about football.”

      “There are four legs to this chair: 1. turnover margin; 2. margin between your offensive players breaking tackles against your defenders missing them; 3. accruing more explosive plays (25 yards or more the offense, 20 yards or more for defense); 4. both teams punting from within their own 4-yard line.”

      78% of 13 games (12 + bowl) is 10.1

      It’s math.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Sounds a lot like S&P or S&P+ & the 5 factors. Be better then your opponent & chances are you win. Bill Connelly @ SBNation & now ESPN. Reed used to use his review of Pitt as an article.

        Like

    2. I’m not one who says 10 wins can not be achieved, it’s just a tougher task for a school with the huddles that Pitt has to overcome.

      Go Gophers!

      Like

    3. Huff – I responded to your original post above as it relates to the stadium matter. Agree with your coach comments.

      That said, using UM as an example of how PItt can achieve similar success is certainly inspiring, but a detailed look at the facts shows that UM’s path was many decades in the making. If we are to use them as a reason to critique the Pitt Administration & BOT, we should at least be willing to align time scales in doing so. To do otherwise isn’t objective.

      Liked by 1 person

  98. Every year there are a couple teams that beat the odds. Syracuse last year, TCU and Houston in the recent past. The question is can they sustain it over a decade? Each year there are also a few teams that underacheive, even with decent recruits and an easy schedule. Almost every year Notre Dame fails to live up to their pre-season rankings.

    The big Florida and Texas teams have been underacheiving for the last several years, even with the most high school players and highly ranked recruiting classes every year. Same with USC and UCLA.

    Meanwhile the same very small group makes it to the playoffs most every year.

    Liked by 2 people

  100. 11 win seasons are GREAT! Until you have three in a row. And the loss is to your rival in the final game of the season. Then they’re not. I know. I was there. It’s all relative.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. 10-11 wins a year is so fleeting. We fans are so fickle. Remember a year or 2 ago all the grumbling in Tuscaloosa that Nick Saban was too old. He was out of touch…today’s game was passing him by. You’re right Farmer; big win seasons are GREAT, and then they’re not. Well said.

      Like

    1. LOL and a haha Russ, thanks for the heads up. My things to do list is growing smaller and smaller by the day. Just got an email from the Cook Forest spit puddle contest and it now looks like it may be done virtually. This is not going to go over big around here with the wife. 🙂

      Liked by 3 people

    2. I did see a ufo once near the power plants in elderton. Was traveling home early evening from ford city visiting the grandparents. Saw a slow moving bright object in the sky around 5000 feet that suddenly accelerated. Then it kept zig zagging at very high rates of speed while changing altitude. Until finally it super accelerated up and away. No man made object to me. Plus man could not survive those g forces. Was back in the 80’s so no drone tech yet. Just like what the navy pilots saw.

      There is life out there and it’s watching us. But we really need that technology for Pitts offense.

      🤠

      Like

  106. hey Huff, as I indicated above, PJ Fleck is a better HC than Duzz. And how about Matt Rhule? In 3 years, he went from Temple to the Carolina Panthers.

    But on the other hand … you know who is the 2nd highest paid HC in the B10? Jeff Brohm ($6.6M). And do you know who was the 2nd highest paid HC in the ACC last season? Willie Taggart ($5M) fired at FSU. Texas HC Tom Herman ($6.75M) makes more than the Oklahoma HC. Mark Richt was the 2nd highest paid in the ACC when he was at The U. And the sad fact is that FSU, Texas, and Miami is surrounded by FB talent in their backyards not to mention these schools have a much more recent tradition of success than Pitt

    The fact remains that Pitt has ONE 10-win season since ’82. And that’s with 11 different HCs. And now the biggest asset that Pitt FB has had in its history …. talent in its backyard …. has pretty much dissipated.

    Like

    1. Hard to keep talent when that talent has parents that need to work and those in office complain about a NFL QB who looked like a Caveman getting a haircut. Gotta go where the work is and business friendly parts of the south. Simple Math if you ask me.

      Like

      1. But even business friendly Texas is becoming more like New York more every day. A high sales tax, high property taxes, toll roads. Twenty years ago, you didn’t have these things. At some point expect a state income tax because the oil and gas money won’t be able to subsidize the budget. Cost of living is still decent though. But I still can’t find a good pizza or fish fry.

        Tex a former New Yorker.

        Like

          1. Not with oil at $30 and it needs to be $50 to drill in West Texas. The oil and gas money are the only things that allow this republic to avoid a state income tax. But our property and sales taxex are relatively high. It’s still affordable to live here though but every new highway is a toll now. Congestion and pollution rule the day. Great state to recruit players but few if anyone is thinking ACC. It’s big 12 and sec here.

            Tex

            Like

  107. It can be done at Pitt but can it be sustained.

    It’s tough to sustain with coaching changes, injuries, bad luck. But it can be done. Pitt has no excuse for what only two 10 win seasons since 1982. It has fewer excuses for only a top 25 ranking every year. On that metric, pitt should be consistently achieve since you only need 9 wins to do it. Win your damn bowl game and don’t fall apart come years end. Finish strong.

    Will pitt ever be elite again. Probably not unless they spend more money, change the culture and think of football as a business.

    But all I want are consistent 9-10 win seasons. That at Pitt is very reasonable. No valid excuses why it can’t happen. Many on here know what the solutions are. All of them are generally pragmatic with some shoot for the moon like mine…fire Narduzzi and build a MPC. 🤠

    Like

  109. BTW, do you know who the hot hire this past season was … Mike Norvell. Does his name sound familiar?

    His first HC assignment was at Pitt in the 2011 bowl … and he applied for the HC job but wasn’t considered. But I don’t seem to remember any of you ‘know-it-alls who always think Pitt should do better’ advocating for his hire. You’d rather just wait and complain that the coach with 6 wins should have 8, and the coach with 8 wins should have 10

    Pat yourselves on the back … you are always right

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Norvell was a young guy at the time. Didn’t have enough experience running a P5 program. Like I’ve always said, the best coaches are found in the Mac. Pitt should not be a place that provides paid on the job training. Should be experienced enough coming in with a track record. That’s why I’m a big advocate of hiring previous head coaches only. These young assistants are overwhelmed and it takes time to gain experience, comfort and build a staff you can trust. Pitt can do better than 8 win seasons.

      Tex don’t cry for me Pitt

      Like

      1. From the Mac like Haywood/haygood whatever. Tex get out of the sun now, hydrate and put on a hat.

        Like

    2. I said Norvell should be hired and anyone with a brain knows he coached at Pitt with Graham before he went to AZ State and then turned Memphis into a power. I said he should be hired.

      Like

    3. Norvell was never a HC until the 2011 bowl game. He would not have been on my hire list.

      Experienced HC’ing matters and successful experience is even better – see PJ Fleck and Matt Ruhle.

      EE

      Like

  110. For players and staff to be safe this coming season I’m assuming that all will be tested often, all will get temp checks, they will practice social distancing outside practice and games, they may be required to wear visers, there will be constant sanitation of equipment, all will be vaccinated for the seasonal flu.

    But what happens when the positive tests come. A team can be very easily and quickly infected. If a team develops herd immunity, does that mean they resume practice and games. I’m assuming some schools will be forfeiting games given inevitable outbreaks. And I’m assuming the infections will happen from making contact with other teams players and by socializing outside practice and game days. I’d place ankle bracelets on players to trace their movements. I wouldn’t want them off campus or outside their compound.

    I still think fans should be allowed at games if certain conditions and criteria are met.

    Tex

    Liked by 1 person

  111. tOSU players to return to campus June 8. Maybe going for herd immunity before the season.

    Like

    1. Let’s just hope they don’t infect older staff or the adults who support the program. It’s pretty cavalier to go with the herd approach.

      Tex

      Like

  112. NCAA Division I Council voted to approve voluntary athletic activities for football, MensBB and WomensBB to start June 1st. I’m sure Pitt will need the approval of the University and State authorities to comply with that schedule.—As previously posted Ohio State is calling for all athletes to come in for voluntary workouts on June 8th.

    Like

    1. Would love to know the details on how they plan to keep everyone safe and more importantly the plans when outbreaks happen.

      Tex

      Like

    2. will never get approval of Wolfe and his Medical Secretary “Rachel” who today made the brillant announcement that yellow is more cautious than green as to sports starting up and the NCAA ruling so it cant be approved yet. He/she is book smart common sense stupid. This woman told pa residents nursing homes were safe and immediately got an order to get her mom out of an out of state nursing home. My dentist who had to wait since March to fill a missing tooth with only the root left, that he/she has never consulted with the PA Dental Association. My whole point is not meant to be political and if so sorry just feel free to delete MM ‘but that Pa is all in on isolation and I dont think, sadly, they will approve football just to show they are in charge.
      Again Tex – best coaches from the MAC – Michael Haywood? Get out of the sun son.

      Like

  113. 3-star Ramon Walker Jr of Alvin TX just verballed to Houston. His dad is someone I always forget about despite the fact I thought he was one heck of a DB

    Like

      1. I’d offer this kid a scholarship in a heartbeat. A football scholarship that is. His dad is in my top 5 all-time favorite list.

        Like

  114. get this … the Big Butler Fair has just been canceled for the first time since the Civil War … seriously!

    Like

  115. Ohio State AD Smith said he think a plan could be implemented that would allow 20,000 to 30,000 fans to attend Ohio State games this fall. Knowing their rabid fan base they probably could get their fans to pay $500 per ticket for those limited tickets. Pitt might have to discount their tickets to get 30,000 to pay to see Pitt this fall if the pandemic is still not under control;.

    Like

  116. I’ve said it before and I’ll continue saying it when the OCS question is raised. It is not fiscally feasible to build an OCS in Oakland, that’s just a fact. No parking, no empty land, continued expansion by well-funded UPMC, horrendous traffic patterns that can never handle 45k-50k crowds.

    Its easy to live out of state and attend a game or two every 5 years and completely ignore all these insurmountable problems. There is way too much competition for concerts, NCAA tournament games, etc. to get enough to support the OCS cost.

    Pitt BBall brings 14k to the Pete and it takes 20-30 mins to get from the Oakland exit off the parkway to a parking spot. Multiply this by 3 to accomodate 42k spectators and your talking about more than an hour traffic jam to travel a mile in Oakland to a stadium.

    Also, Wanny never EVER wins 10 games if he coached in the ACC, especially with the OOC Duzz has faced.

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Excuses

      Every problem has multiple pragmatic solutions

      The problem is there is no sense of urgency, desire or plain will

      No leaders with a vision and understanding of money

      There are at least 7 viable sites and parking and transportation are issues with most on campus venues. Even in dairy country. Heck the domers bus in half their fans from remote lots.

      I’ve waited over two hours to leave morganhole and creepy valley.

      Tex

      Like

    2. Cmon tax, you cant definitively state something as truth that can never be proven…….unless we hire him back! For the rest, i defer to Don’t Tex and Drive below.

      Like

  117. That’s about 25 percent capacity. Sounds right. It can be done. And they could get away with $500 ticket. Pitt would have to make their tickets free to get 20k.

    Tex

    Like

  118. Pat Jones’ sister had contacted Covid 19 but has since recovered J Twyman stated that it’s his understanding that the FB team will probably be split up in groups when (and if) they report

    Like

  119. Joel, read your comment and agree. It takes a movement. Why can’t Pitt do that too? I don’t like excuses generally, but hate them for a mediocre result. I feel great for Minnesota but admit I am a bit jelly about it. Jelly is a term for today’s kids meaning jealous.

    Pitt can do it. They won’t. That is leadership or lack thereof. After C-19, watch state funding for schools with larger endowments shrink even more. Pitt Admin needs to pre-plan for the 2021-22 reduction.

    Ramon hit man Walker. Maybe number 27. He left early, right and got drafted by Houston. He was smallish and may have got injured, but that Akron dude could lay the lumber. He is one of the player’s i referenced for years when I say Pitt’s defense was soft and when was the last time our guy hit their their guy and you yelled “wow” or “ouch” or insert term here _____.

    I am refraining from talking covid other than to say, the science is not in agreement with anything at all. I hang with infectious disease/epidemiologists every day and to hear the opinions is fascinating. Kind of like here on any topic. Everybody has an opinion and at some point someone will be more right than the other. I told my employer that I will not wear a mask for personal reasons and if they ask, I’ll sue them. Funny responses on zoom! I may have been kidding but the responses were awesome. No executives were prepared for that, which qualified as my learning for the day.

    Games will happen this year. Fans will happen. Death will happen. Call me crazy but from a liability perspective I would not take anyone’s temperature before admitting them to a game. I wouldn’t require mask wearing or contact and trace technology. Good luck to that person proving where they contracted it from! You only test to make people feel better about their own safety, but we have 50 states and 50 different opinions on this stuff. Just don’t test and let those that are fearful of it stay home and those that aren’t go out. Personal choice. I wont judge you either way.

    Like

    1. I think we can agree though that Pitt should not hold any ‘senior citizen days’

      Like

  120. R Walker ruined his shoulders knocking the snot out of people. Very under-rated by the younger crowd here, if they even know who he is. Paris Ford has a way to go to catch up to Ramon’s ferociousness. Most definitely a game changer on defense.

    Liked by 1 person

  121. As I’ve mentioned before, the players and coaches for fall sports will probably all receive antibody treatments that will immunize them from the virus. Sports must go on!

    Liked by 2 people

  122. As I’ve mentioned before, the players and coaches for fall sports will probably all receive antibody treatments that will immunize them from the virus. Sports must go on!!

    Like

  125. — Uncle Jimmy passed away for you alums who may remember his tavern

    — The D1 Council which approved voluntary campus activities in June for FB and basketball teams included our favorite AD

    David Teel@ByDavidTeel
    Division I Council includes William & Mary AD Samantha Huge and Pitt AD Heather Lyke.

    Like

    1. so I fully expect Pitt FB and BB players to report to campus in about 10 days or so. One thing to think about is how the practice facility will be used by Pitt and the Steelers. Pretty sure the weigh room is shared …. I could be wrong. Also, would expect any workout areas would be regulated in regard to a restricted amount at any one time.

      I’m sure things will be worked out

      Like

  126. Forty Members on that Committee. 6 from P5 powerhouses Colorado, WVU, Pitt, Iowa, Indiana and Florida). They actually list her as Heather Lyke Catalano. Cool to be rubbing shoulders with the Patriot League, Sun Belt…..and probably the Eastern Eight Conference Reps. There were 18 females on that “Council” which I found most interesting.

    We are blessed.

    Like

  127. ^^ Huff the Third. Honest to goodness question here and not trying to be a smart-ass at all. You have made it quite clear to all that you don’t like Lyke. What isn’t so clear are the reasons why. You have pointed out the OOC schedule and a few other things but I really don’t see where she has done a bad job in imo, I think she has done the opposite. You seem to be connected in some way and thought you could elaborate a little more on why you think Heather is wrong for this job? again, not trying to be a smarty pants. ike the First.

    Like

  128. Losing over ten million dollars each year and having to borrow from the general fund to balance the budget

    One of the lowest revenues in all P5

    Last in directors cup and it wasn’t even close

    Football ooc schedule

    Free fantas and other stupid marketing tricks.

    Advocating the build of a stand alone lacrosse field

    No feasibility study for a MPC or advocacy for hockey

    Lack of transparency and honesty from the announced attendance to the meet and greet functions

    Last in ACC donations

    Poor fundraising for Victory Heights and it being scaled back as a result

    Stallings buyout

    Probation for both football and basketball

    Bending over for the media

    I can go on but I’m driving on a freeway at 90 mph

    Tex Andretti.

    Like

  129. Losing over ten million dollars each year and having to borrow from the general fund to balance the budge++++++++++++++++++++++++

    ‘ike” I have no proof of this?

    One of the lowest revenues in all P5
    ++++++++++++++++

    “ike” What does this mean?

    Last in directors cup and it wasn’t even close
    ++++++++++++++

    “ike”I don’t think this is true.

    Football ooc schedule
    ++++++++++++++++

    “ike” Look at who is on the OOC schedule this year

    Free fantas and other stupid marketing tricks.
    ++++++++++++++

    “ike” Heather didn’t invent this giveaway. It’s been in place for years.

    Advocating the build of a stand alone lacrosse field
    ++++++++++++++

    “ike” Yet you complain about Director Cup standing?

    No feasibility study for a MPC or advocacy for hockey
    ++++++++++++++

    “ike” You and that MPC business.

    Lack of transparency and honesty from the announced attendance to the meet and greet functions
    ++++++++++++

    “ike” This is not new news.

    Last in ACC donations
    +

    “ike’ even you don’t donate to football.

    Poor fundraising for Victory Heights and it being scaled back as a result
    +++++

    “ike” I don’t think that’s true.

    Stallings buyout
    ++++++++

    “ike” She fired the deadbeat.

    Probation for both football and basketball
    +++++++

    “ike” What? Show me the punishments and what happened on her watch?

    Bending over for the media
    ++++++++++++++++

    “ike” on this is a good one. Going around in circles here. It’s her job.

    I can go on but I’m driving on a freeway at 90 mph
    ++++

    “ike” Slow down there Son There is nothing important enough to kill yourself getting to.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Now, now Ike….

      You are going to get all of us characterized as kool-aid drinkers for not simply buying into Tex’s vinegar-laden sales schtick. Of course, simply agreeing and accepting Tex’s schtick would ironically be its own form of kool-aid drinking.

      And according to the favorite baseball playing son from the base of Chestnut Ridge….the pride of Hopwood… and man who copyrighted the nickname “Rockports” – you are guilty of ruining what used to be a great blog space.

      And all for the high crime of trying to keep the dialogue balanced, objective and fair. Shame on you.

      Liked by 2 people

      2. Couple things JoeL.

        I get your comment about buying into 100% of everything you read or what someone says. I honestly try and not do that and I also believe you understand that.

        Correct…. I’ve also been told off the record that I could have been a part of the ruination of this very POV. again, I’m not easily insulted and forge ahead two steps at a time even if I have to take one backward every not and again. Not to mention the POV is now much better than ever!

        Like

        1. On your first sentence – very much so Ike.

          I think calling BS actually improves this space and separates from a lot of other message boards, where folks are allegedly more enlightened in the art of “give and take”. Offering counter points is not “making excuses” or being an apologist. Its about raising the standard of the discussion and a key part of give and take. Our buddy Tex is fairly reasonable in that regard IMO.

          Liked by 1 person

        2. And I will take issue with that off the record comment you heard…no one person was or is able to ruin the space, except possibly for those who can shut the site down or use a heavy hand in moderating discussion (the latter of which has never happened IMO). Everything that happens here is the result of a group culture. At least thats how I see it.

          Liked by 1 person

      3. Dad and I don’t see Eye to eye from time to time. But we’re all family. And we all want what’s best for Pitt. I just prefer the vinegar and can be a hard Arse who never backs down.

        Tex the wolverine.

        Liked by 1 person

  130. Dad, your defense of her is admirable. But I speak truth and have posted evidence previously. Not going to rehash the facts. But everything I say can be validated. Oh, and she extended a mediocre football coach. Can’t forget that one.

    Tex your loving but not seeing eye to eye adopted pitt son.

    Like

    1. Among so many problems I have been afflicted by, I admit to having a bad right eye. Maybe that is our problem? 😉 Slow down and let life come to you Son.

      Like

  131. Huff – “Jelly” is and has been a part of my vernacular for a number of years (I have daughters in the early to mid 20’s).

    Here’s a joke that will test your hipness:.

    Why does Snoop always carry an umbrella?

    Fo’ drizzle

    Like

  132. Nice Joel, good stuff. Glad your daughters are keeping you fly.

    When Hays Road beats his medical bump in the road, I am coming to help celebrate if he can golf. I am a terrible golfer, actually, just awful, but will rent some sticks and shoes, find some range balls and join yinz all at the golf outing. I know hays road golfed n nat at the last shindig, so that was my commitment for when he beats this thing.

    My wife still laughs because I dressed up in a penguins costume for the roundtable with Reed and company during my second appearance during the week of the Youngstown Penguin game. That was fun. Actually, Upitt and I jumped on and had a blast with everyone.

    Ike – Dont Tex and Drive and I see things the same on most things Pitt athletics, sorry. It’s just not football although the blunders continue when you recently schedule Tennessee and WVU. No upside except those teams will buy tickets in steeler stadium. Embarrassing when 30% of the fans are cheering for the other team in your rented stadium. It’s supposed to be a home field advantage. Neither game helps your brand, expands your brand or helps recruiting.

    Schedule me some FIU and FAU, USF and Georgia States to get these kids back home in front of their families and expand your footprint where you are recruiting. The years you play Miami in Steeler stadium, you need to schedle two of the following away FIU, FAU, USF or Georgia St. away. When Miami is at Miami, you schedule one of those schools away and one at home. Two to three games a year should be florida/georgia schools. Miami is always on schedule so don’t say the others cant be done. Tennessee is just stupid. That is a bad Administrator, with a bad plan.

    Speaking of scheduling there will be an announcement about some future big games coming between perennial heavy hitters. Actually its quite funny if you peel back the onion and understand what is really happening.

    Like

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