Article - 10 Breakout teams for 2016
- Thread starter pittmeister
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5. Pittsburgh
As a first-year head coach, Pat Narduzzi laid the ground floor with the Panthers a year ago. This season, he continues to build around a team that has the mindset and right mix of talent on both sides of the ball to win the ACC Coastal. Defense won’t be an issue as long as Narduzzi is pulling the strings, and the offense will get a physical and emotional boost from the healthy return of RB James Conner. If a receiver steps up to supplant the lost production of Tyler Boyd, look out. This program is in the embryonic stages of becoming Michigan State on the Monongahela.
As a first-year head coach, Pat Narduzzi laid the ground floor with the Panthers a year ago. This season, he continues to build around a team that has the mindset and right mix of talent on both sides of the ball to win the ACC Coastal. Defense won’t be an issue as long as Narduzzi is pulling the strings, and the offense will get a physical and emotional boost from the healthy return of RB James Conner. If a receiver steps up to supplant the lost production of Tyler Boyd, look out. This program is in the embryonic stages of becoming Michigan State on the Monongahela.
I think we can be MORE than Michigan St. We have the resources and our recruiting is more fertile. I am one that thinks we can be a main player again and soon
We'd be fortunate to reach the level Michigan State has in recent years.
Yeah, I think to expect more than that is pretty lofty, but maybe it is really just semantics. Michigan State was one win away from playing for a National Title last year. Sure they weren't real close to getting that win, but in 1 or 2 games anything can happen. Just getting to that game is a pretty huge accomplishment.
Pitt football doesn't have anywhere near the resources that MSU football has. Start with athletic dept. budget, donor money, coaching salaries and program revenue and go on from there. It's not even close.
There's not one item on your list that is incapable of changing though is there? Nope not at all. Things are on the right track and I believe there is a dramatic attitude change from the top on down. Once the winning comes the money that feeds all those things will come as well.
I don't know the answer to this, but for all those items you listed, where do you think MSU was about 10 years ago?
The Pro Football team that Michigan State shares its city with, not to mention stadium is?????
Stadium = giant who cares? It's already been shown if Pitt is winning the stadium will fill regardless...see WVU 2002...see VT 2004...See Cinci 2009...45-44 game... Larger crowds than anything at Pitt Stadium other than ND final game... When are people going to stop this excuse making? It's not the stadium ...it's the wins.. And no program goes in some linear fashion to success... But I do feel they are heading in the right direction with the right coach and facilities changes and most importantly the right people at the top who demonstrably have shown they want to win...
Actually their stadium I think holds about 70,000...same as ours now.
Difference is they fill it much more, which equals more revenue.
Pitts game against them....and Iowa to boot....hovered around 50,000.
I think msu drew 63,000 for the game against us, and that was following the John L Smith era....this outdrew our game against Cincy, think about it.....
That's my point though ...it's not the stadium...it's the never ending litany of excuses...look I said years before Pitt hired Narduzzi that MSU was a great model.. Before their recent string of success your average Spartan season started hot they would beat ND then sputter out losing their last 5-6 always losing to PSU (not even good PSU teams either).... But their fans showed up for such mediocrity. Pitt fans come up with any excuse...too hot ,too cold ,early kick off ,gotta wash the car ,Steve Pederson , logos , Stadium, hemoroids acting up, Stadium giving me hemoroids & indigestion....at some point that has gotta stop.
It doesn't hurt MSU that the Detroit Lions suck every year, and we all know that fickle fans are more likely to gravitate toward a winner.
Meanwhile, contrast that with Pitt and the Steelers: when the Steelers aren't playing in Super Bowls, they're usually in the hunt.
I'd like to know how many times since 2000 Pitt has been listed as a breakout team? How about actually doing it and maintaining excellence for five or so years.
The only truly accurate thing I read there is that Narduzzi has Pitt in the embryonic stages. Where else would it be?
Okay, so the embryo looked alright last year. There's no guarantee that in 5 or 6 or 7 years the embryo will be a strapping youth that can smack around the older, bigger boys in the neighborhood.
Okay, so the embryo looked alright last year. There's no guarantee that in 5 or 6 or 7 years the embryo will be a strapping youth that can smack around the older, bigger boys in the neighborhood.
Exactly. Lansing is about 100 miles from Detroit, and State College is about 140 miles from Pittsburgh. Big difference though, the Steelers are the Steelers. They are like the Notre Dame of Pro Football.
Lefty - how true. Each time we get the big preseason accolades we tend to shoot ourselves in the foot. However, Narduzzi and the team didn't lose to any markedly inferior opponents like DW and PC seemed to have done each year so that's a start.
The fact that Narduzzi came in and in Year 1 as a HC and as the Pitt HC he not only had a winning season but keep the team on a more of less even keel throughout 13 games was a good thing IMO. He did what he was paid to do with a little gravy added to the win column.
However, I can't help but think that all these national pundits haven't really taken a good look at our schedule. Those games from Sept 10th to Oct 8th are all tough match-ups and we'll lose some of them. I am especially concerned with Marshall as that is exactly the type of team we have blown in the past. Plus they are a solid program and pretty darn good every year... 10-4, 13-1 and 10-3 over the last three years.
I don't care what level of college ball they are in or who they play facing a team that was just 33-8 is something to worry about.
Five years in a row is a lot to ask from Pitt but who knows - maybe the worm has turned for good this time. I'll take five winning years in a row and be pretty happy with that given our track record since Majors 1.
I know exactly where they were-similar to Pitt but with more league and TV money, and a lot more big donor money and fan interest/involvement. What they didn't have was institutional commitment to football. At some point the big money people that wanted to field a real football program, including a couple of the trustees, finally broke through and MSU hired Mark Hollis as AD. They had witnessed what a strong hoops program did to elevate and benefit the whole university and set about trying to do the same with football. Just before getting the AD job Hollis had been instrumental in getting Dantonio to MSU. Facilities were hugely upgraded fueled by big private money. Once Dantonio proved he was the man to get the job done, they made him the second highest paid HC in the NCAA. They also made Narsuzzi one of the highest paid assistants in college football. Now they are a major factor most years. Since Hollis became AD MSU has upgraded all sports and its brand hugely.
First step here is to get winning consistently and keep the coach after that happens.
Yet another brilliant contribution from a know-nothing poster who equates cold,hard facts to some kind of anti-Pitt sentiment.
Actually it's your constant negative posting of all things Pitt that lends itself to an anti-Pitt sentiment. Click your handle and look for the last positive comment you made regarding Pitt.
Badby is 100% right on this. I live in East Lansing and follow MSU after Pitt and this post is totally accurate.
Pitt can be more than Michigan St if it chooses, already has been more. There is a big market out there to tap into , need right people to take that on. The last administration was clueless.
The thing Pitt can control right now is winning, and more commitment to on field product. Once you win more , then you make plans to build bigger and better everything. Easier to ask for donations to help a winner than an also ran.
The thing Pitt can control right now is winning, and more commitment to on field product. Once you win more , then you make plans to build bigger and better everything. Easier to ask for donations to help a winner than an also ran.
