Another reason why we blew our best chance at a national title in 2021:

[HailToPitt725]

If we beat WMU/Miami and finished the season 13-0, we would’ve leapfrogged Georgia to #3 and played #2 Michigan in the Orange Bowl (an undefeated P5 champion has never finished #4 seed in the CFP era).

If we faced the Wolverines, they wouldn’t have been able to steal our signs because Mark freaking Whipple made Kenny run over to the sideline for the play every down. Do they beat us without that competitive advantage? Hell no!

Who woulda thought he was playing chess while everyone else was playing checkers?

Spoiler

/s

 

[DruidTM]

Lol

Excellent take

 

[Upg bobcat]

I always said 2021 was our chance, and we blew it in two games we should have won. Some folks were so disappointed last year after Tennessee saying that ruined our chances, but we didn't have the same talent last year as 2021.

 

[JD1976]

This is so true… there was no stealing Whip’s signals

 

[CJsE]

If we beat WMU/Miami and finished the season 13-0, we would’ve leapfrogged Georgia to #3 and played #2 Michigan in the Orange Bowl (an undefeated P5 champion has never finished #4 seed in the CFP era).

If we faced the Wolverines, they wouldn’t have been able to steal our signs because Mark freaking Whipple made Kenny run over to the sideline for the play every down. Do they beat us without that competitive advantage? Hell no!

Who woulda thought he was playing chess while everyone else was playing checkers?

Spoiler

/s

I don't know, given how poorly Michigan seems to have been trying to hide their activity I half expect that we'd have been watching the game only to hear

Play-by-play announcer : "And it's 3rd and 5 for Pitt, Kenny Pickett making his way over to the sidelines to get the play from his offensive coordinator...wait what's this? There appears to be a Michigan assistant coach army-crawling across the 40 toward the Pitt sidelines. Does he think he's blending in with the field?"

Color commentator: "Little known fact, Michigan Blue is not a shade of camouflage that works well against green grass. I'm being told that since 1927, there have only been 2 other teams to successfully infiltrate a Coordinator-QB huddle, can you guess who they were?"

 

[Pitt79]

It wasn't just the talent in 2021, we had the right kind of offensive philosophy for college football, throw the ball, score fast and often, we won most of our games, 42-38, not with running the ball to rest the D, but by scoring fast and throwing 4 TD passes per game. So clearly, since it lead to an ACC Championship and an 11-3 record, Duzz saw that we weren't running the ball enough and had to put an end to that to try to get back to the typical 7- or 8-win season.

 

[CJsE]

It wasn't just the talent in 2021, we had the right kind of offensive philosophy for college football, throw the ball, score fast and often, we won most of our games, 42-38, not with running the ball to rest the D, but by scoring fast and throwing 4 TD passes per game. So clearly, since it lead to an ACC Championship and an 11-3 record, Duzz saw that we weren't running the ball enough and had to put an end to that to try to get back to the typical 7- or 8-win season.

Fun Facts. Our smallest margin of victory was 7 points and our average margin of victory (Not including New Hampshire) was 19.5 points. Only 3 teams scored more than 35 points against Pitt, and we lost 2 of those.

 

[pittdan77]

If a frog had wings it wouldn't bump it's ass a-hoppin', either.

 

[Rupart33]

It wasn't just the talent in 2021, we had the right kind of offensive philosophy for college football, throw the ball, score fast and often, we won most of our games, 42-38, not with running the ball to rest the D, but by scoring fast and throwing 4 TD passes per game. So clearly, since it lead to an ACC Championship and an 11-3 record, Duzz saw that we weren't running the ball enough and had to put an end to that to try to get back to the typical 7- or 8-win

How many times in 2021 did they face a 3rd or 4th and short and throw the ball for a TD or big gain? I thought with CV completing the late TD in the Louisville game the coaches were starting to at least get back to that approach. But no, against Wake, they go completely conservative in those situations and run the ball with zero success, I think 0-6 converting. And this despite CV having success in those situations earlier in the game.

 

[The Ole Six-Fiver]

How many times in 2021 did they face a 3rd or 4th and short and throw the ball for a TD or big gain? I thought with CV completing the late TD in the Louisville game the coaches were starting to at least get back to that approach. But no, against Wake, they go completely conservative in those situations and run the ball with zero success, I think 0-6 converting. And this despite CV having success in those situations earlier in the game.

It was similar to the cameras catching Matt Canada grimacing when Pickett called successful audibles. These coaches have giant egos associated with their PHILOSOPHIES. They want to win, sure, but they REALLY want to win with the full use and glory of their PHILOSOPHY.

Duz (and Cig too , though possibly by Duz’s insistence) don’t WANT to win by “throwing the ball all over the place” as Duz frequently spits out in contempt in interviews. That throw in the Louisville game was the most exciting play of this dismal season, but I bet Duz DESPISED the call and likely scowled at Cig later for it. Would Duz have preferred to run a line plunge that come up short, turn the ball over on downs, and then see Louisville come back and win the game? No. He’s not that crazy. But he definitely does NOT want to win the “passing” way vs winning HIS way, basically the Ground Chuck method.

Of course not all coaches are that entrenched in winning their way. There are coaches who flexible, creative, adjust based on the talent they have. We don’t have that. Unfortunately we often seem to PLAY teams that have that. Not coincidentally they often beat us with ‘inferior’ talent. WF beating us last week with that meatball backup LB playing QB is but one of many embarrassing examples.

Talent is not talent if it’s strengths aren’t fully leveraged. Pitt has minimal talent this season but it is also not being leveraged adequately; guys like Bart, Johnson need to be focal points not afterthoughts. One of the many fails by Duz this season.

 

[Pitt79]

How many times in 2021 did they face a 3rd or 4th and short and throw the ball for a TD or big gain? I thought with CV completing the late TD in the Louisville game the coaches were starting to at least get back to that approach. But no, against Wake, they go completely conservative in those situations and run the ball with zero success, I think 0-6 converting. And this despite CV having success in those situations earlier in the game.

They were running up the gut on 3rd and 7 and 3rd and 4! To me that's like giving up, not even trying!

 

[PANTHERAN]

How many times in 2021 did they face a 3rd or 4th and short and throw the ball for a TD or big gain? I thought with CV completing the late TD in the Louisville game the coaches were starting to at least get back to that approach. But no, against Wake, they go completely conservative in those situations and run the ball with zero success, I think 0-6 converting. And this despite CV having success in those situations earlier in the game.

Play calling was inexcusable in that game and generally inexcusable during the cignetti era.

 

[Upg bobcat]

How many times in 2021 did they face a 3rd or 4th and short and throw the ball for a TD or big gain? I thought with CV completing the late TD in the Louisville game the coaches were starting to at least get back to that approach. But no, against Wake, they go completely conservative in those situations and run the ball with zero success, I think 0-6 converting. And this despite CV having success in those situations earlier in the game.

We tried throwing it long on a 3rd or 4th and short against Wake. CV did not throw a great ball and it was incomplete.

 

[Rupart33]

We tried throwing it long on a 3rd or 4th and short against Wake. CV did not throw a great ball and it was incomplete.

Yeah, you aren't going to convert every one, but 0-6 running the ball in those situations.

 

[MarshallGoldberg]

Lol I like the call back to the Whipple run, solid post.

I will say we actually benefited from losing to Western Michigan because it finally forced Narduzzi/Bates to adjust how they defended the RPO, allowing us to win more games later in the season.

 

[Pitt79]

Yeah, you aren't going to convert every one, but 0-6 running the ball in those situations.

For example, they had a 3rd and 7 at the Wake 32, or somewhere like that, and they run it up the gut for a loss, to me, not passing in that situation, in plus territory is inexcusable, it's like giving up, IMO THE ODDS OF PICKING THAT UP WITH A RUN ARE VERY LONG, AND IN THAT SITUATION, YOU SHOULD BE THINKING TD! They ended up punting.

 

[Rupart33]

For example, they had a 3rd and 7 at the Wake 32, or somewhere like that, and they run it up the gut for a loss, to me, not passing in that situation, in plus territory is inexcusable, it's like giving up, IMO THE ODDS OF PICKING THAT UP WITH A RUN ARE VERY LONG, AND IN THAT SITUATION, YOU SHOULD BE THINKING TD! They ended up punting.

The worst part is, they start the game by being aggressive and successfully throwing in these situations. But if they happen to get a lead, the conservative nature takes over and they run up the middle, until forced to come from behind. Then they are aggressive again and score. Look I understood when PJ was the QB that they had zero trust he could complete a 3rd and 5 pass for a first down. But CV had some success, start playing to win.

 

[PittFan717]

The Miami non safety call cost us a 1 loss season.

 

[Pitt79]

The worst part is, they start the game by being aggressive and successfully throwing in these situations. But if they happen to get a lead, the conservative nature takes over and they run up the middle, until forced to come from behind. Then they are aggressive again and score. Look I understood when PJ was the QB that they had zero trust he could complete a 3rd and 5 pass for a first down. But CV had some success, start playing to win.

It's Stillers/Rooney/Tomlin BS too, it's why Big Ben is 3rd all time in 4th quarter comebacks behind only Brady and Peyton, he always had to come from behind after not being allowed to play aggressive for most of the game on purpose, to be safe.

 

[upj87]

I always said 2021 was our chance, and we blew it in two games we should have won. Some folks were so disappointed last year after Tennessee saying that ruined our chances, but we didn't have the same talent last year as 2021.

There was no chance...I think with the way things are going this year everybody is getting punchy and say irrational things.

 

[Joe the Panther Fan]

I'm being told that since 1927, there have only been 2 other teams to successfully infiltrate a Coordinator-QB huddle, can you guess who they were?"

That's sounds like this week's Aflac Trivia Question.

 

[Pitt79]

There was no chance...I think with the way things are going this year everybody is getting punchy and say irrational things.

They did have a chance to get into the 4-team playoff, Cincy made it, Pitt as a P5 conference champ would have beaten them out at 13-0, after that, they probably lose, but you never know?