Lets not kid ourselves

[Sean Miller Fan]

Talent.

I keep hearing UNC had 18 players out and that they were on a 3rd string QB. While that's true, lets look at the players who actually played tonight, starting with the QB. That kid is flat out better than Dinucci. Fedora is a QB guy and UNC is always going to have good QBs. But its not just that, where else would you say Pitt had a decided talent advantage?

Yes, Pitt could have and should have won but there was very little, if any difference in talent and that may be what is most depressing. I don't care what UNC's record is. You could look at our common opponents and see fairly similar results. A play here or there is the difference in our win totals.

Some of this is on coaching and playcalling but more of it is on recruiting. As I've been saying all year, the late Chryst classes were bad and we are paying for it. On paper, the early Narduzzi classes were better but they are young. They have to start being productive the next 2 years because recruiting has taken a turn for the worse.

As this team heads for our worst season this century, we also may finish with the worst recruiting class in the internet recruiting age, not counting coaching change partial classes. It also may be the first time we don't sign a 4 star player.

Starting with that NW game, this is going to be the worst 14 month stretch up until signing day that we've gone through. But next season is a new season. So, lets stop with the Fire the Coach crap. He is losing because we lack talent and that is not fully on him yet. Next year it is. Much more frightening to me is this year's recruiting class. Narduzzi is going to have to completely reevaluate everything when it comes to recruiting.

 

[KennyTheKangaroo]

The young excuse doesn’t cut it with these Narduzzi recruiting classes. If a guy can play, he shows that he can play sooner rather than later. If you look at the guys that have been first or second team all conference players in the past decade or so, they were all contributors early on. And they were all worthwhile contributors early on. Top end talent doesn’t take time to develop....those guys are good right away.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

The young excuse doesn’t cut it with these Narduzzi recruiting classes. If a guy can play, he shows that he can play sooner rather than later. If you look at the guys that have been first or second team all conference players in the past decade or so, they were all contributors early on. And they were all worthwhile contributors early on. Top end talent doesn’t take time to develop....those guys are good right away.

I agree that it is concerning that we haven't seen many or any breakthrough players from his first 2 full classes and that they can't beat out Chryst's players but they ARE still young. If there is no improvement next year then there's real trouble.

 

[KennyTheKangaroo]

Bisnowawty, Johnson, Price, Whitehead, Boyd, Ollison, Clemmings, Conner, Rotheram, Donald. Those are all of pitt’s First and second team all ACC players. Clemmings is the only one of those guys that did not contribute early on in his career. If you aren’t contributing early on in your career at a place like pitt, you aren’t going to be an impact player.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Bisnowawty, Johnson, Price, Whitehead, Boyd, Ollison, Clemmings, Conner, Rotheram, Donald. Those are all of pitt’s First and second team all ACC players. Clemmings is the only one of those guys that did not contribute early on in his career. If you aren’t contributing early on in your career at a place like pitt, you aren’t going to be an impact player.

Yes, and that is why its alarming that guys like Flowers, Pine, McKee, Pugh, Miller, Coleman, Reynolds, Wheeler, etc cant even get on the field

 

[BFo8]

Bisnowawty, Johnson, Price, Whitehead, Boyd, Ollison, Clemmings, Conner, Rotheram, Donald. Those are all of pitt’s First and second team all ACC players. Clemmings is the only one of those guys that did not contribute early on in his career. If you aren’t contributing early on in your career at a place like pitt, you aren’t going to be an impact player.

Right, and Clemmings was dealing with a position switch.

 

[Pittx9]

UNC is horrible this season. They can squeak out a win against pitt because they've consistently recruited better. It doesn't even need to be said their qb tonight is better than DiNucci, it is that obvious.

For the record I think DiNucci was worth a shot, had he gone to an Ivy League school even (his other options out of high school) and tore it up people would be screaming how we let a western pa kid go. I put very little blame on the kid, not his fault he lacks in many areas. I think it's blatantly obvious at this point some new blood at the qb position is needed if they plan on taking next season seriously.

 

[Mikefln]

Bisnowawty, Johnson, Price, Whitehead, Boyd, Ollison, Clemmings, Conner, Rotheram, Donald. Those are all of pitt’s First and second team all ACC players. Clemmings is the only one of those guys that did not contribute early on in his career. If you aren’t contributing early on in your career at a place like pitt, you aren’t going to be an impact player.

I love all those players, but let's be real if they went to a real blue blood program they wouldn't have played till their RS Soph year at the earliest. The only reason why they started so early here was because of lack of talent in front of them.

 

[KennyTheKangaroo]

I love all those players, but let's be real if they went to a real blue blood program they wouldn't have played till their RS Soph year at the earliest. The only reason why they started so early here was because of lack of talent in front of them.

You aren't wrong, but your argument is not relevant to this particular discussion. Pitt won't ever have the depth where NFL-draftable players have the luxury of riding the bench until they are redshirt sophomores. So if these defensive backs cant beat out motely and briggs, what does that mean?

 

[Jpripper88]

I love all those players, but let's be real if they went to a real blue blood program they wouldn't have played till their RS Soph year at the earliest. The only reason why they started so early here was because of lack of talent in front of them.

You realize at the blue blood programs they play young players early and often and rarely redshirt now, right?

 

[revampedpanthers]

The young excuse doesn’t cut it with these Narduzzi recruiting classes. If a guy can play, he shows that he can play sooner rather than later. If you look at the guys that have been first or second team all conference players in the past decade or so, they were all contributors early on. And they were all worthwhile contributors early on. Top end talent doesn’t take time to develop....those guys are good right away.

At most positions I agree. Exceptions are dl O'L TE and qb. Those positions require most kids to add significant size and most don't play well until they have 2 or 3 years in the system.

 

[Mikefln]

You realize at the blue blood programs they play young players early and often and rarely redshirt now, right?

Play not start and only the absolute best skill position players. The Linemen are still redshirted.

 

[BuffetParrothead]

It's not a talent or young issue its a coaching issue!
Guys were missing assignments, out of position, missing tackles ( no technique), play calling was just plain bad, game management in the last 3 mins was terrible no sense of urgency, D schemes were ineffective.

All of the above is coaching not talent!

 

[Jpripper88]

Play not start and only the absolute best skill position players. The Linemen are still redshirted.

Some of the OL are redshirted, sure. We aren't playing those players in almost any capacity even though the players starting are bad.

 

[Deer Head]

Pitt wins last nights game 9 times out of 10.

That doesnt change SMFs argument. My problem with this staff is not this year, its last year. They only won 8 games with the most talented team they most likely will ever have. For sure out best team on paper since 2009.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Pitt wins last nights game 9 times out of 10.

That doesnt change SMFs argument. My problem with this staff is not this year, its last year. They only won 8 games with the most talented team they most likely will ever have. For sure out best team on paper since 2009.

No they don't. Pitt and UNC are even.

I agree on last year though. Best offense in school history. If the defense is just bad and not the worst D in school history, we might have been in the CFP

 

[sappycrease]

You're making excuses for Narduzzi. The truth is - Narduzzi won 16 games in his first two seasons with Chryst's players. Chryst has moved on to Wisconsin where he has put them in the Playoff hunt for the past two seasons. Narduzzi is a fraud defensive mind and he can't recruit/scout for sh*t. How to fix it? I have no idea. I do agree that it doesn't make sense to fire him because who the hell else are going to attract?

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

You're making excuses for Narduzzi. The truth is - Narduzzi won 16 games in his first two seasons with Chryst's players. Chryst has moved on to Wisconsin where he has put them in the Playoff hunt for the past two seasons. Narduzzi is a fraud defensive mind and he can't recruit/scout for sh*t. How to fix it? I have no idea. I do agree that it doesn't make sense to fire him because who the hell else are going to attract?

Much more concerned with recruiting than anything else. Narduzzi may not be a big-time coach but he's good enough to win with good players....but his recruiting is not allowing us to have enough good players

 

[revampedpanthers]

Much more concerned with recruiting than anything else. Narduzzi may not be a big-time coach but he's good enough to win with good players....but his recruiting is not allowing us to have enough good players

I have two major concerns. First is the defensive scheme, I don't know if PN will ever recruit well enough to run this system, which means he will need to find a ton of diamond in the rough players or the D will continue being exposed as crap. This is his scheme and its not changing no matter how much we bitch about it. For me the buck stops next year, if there isn't significant improvement its time to start over.
Second is recruiting. First two full classes were good enough on paper, but so far there haven't been a ton of guys from those classes flash talent to make you think they might be stars. Most RB's and WR's if they are going to be studs will show it early on. I think the same with LB's and DB's. The linemen, TE and QB's shouldn't be judged at all yet. Add to it that a mid 30's class(what we average PN first two full classes) is only good enough if you do it consistently. You can't have the 29th, 38th, 50th and 45th class and have a good team, if mid thirties is the best they can do they need to do it year in year out. Also local recruiting has been really bad since PN got here. They have done pretty well outside the area the last two seasons but to be consistent they need to do better at home.

 

[MonkeyBoy32]

The recruiting is only going to get worse. Franklin is DOMINATING PA and Urb and Harbaugh are taking the PA kids PSU doesn't get. It is going to get way worse for the Duzz and quickly. Why would a high school kid choose Pitt over WVU or any BIG Ten schools within a 5 hour drive? There is no path to relevancy under the Duzz.

 

[cupkafan]

every game we go into with DiNucci as the qb. WE WILL HAVE THE LESSER TALENT ATQB.

 

[Pitt79]

Talent.

I keep hearing UNC had 18 players out and that they were on a 3rd string QB. While that's true, lets look at the players who actually played tonight, starting with the QB. That kid is flat out better than Dinucci.

I was thinking that the whole game, how their #3 QB was to me, a lot better than DiNucci.

 

[DiehardPanther]

You're making excuses for Narduzzi. The truth is - Narduzzi won 16 games in his first two seasons with Chryst's players. Chryst has moved on to Wisconsin where he has put them in the Playoff hunt for the past two seasons. Narduzzi is a fraud defensive mind and he can't recruit/scout for sh*t. How to fix it? I have no idea. I do agree that it doesn't make sense to fire him because who the hell else are going to attract?

Chryst does not win 16 games the last 2 years at Pitt. Nate is a lot better than Voytik.

 

[jtownknowitall]

Pitt wins last nights game 9 times out of 10.

Why? Because Pitt beat Duke and Virginia?

 

[President Stache]

The young excuse doesn’t cut it with these Narduzzi recruiting classes. If a guy can play, he shows that he can play sooner rather than later. If you look at the guys that have been first or second team all conference players in the past decade or so, they were all contributors early on. And they were all worthwhile contributors early on. Top end talent doesn’t take time to develop....those guys are good right away.

I have no idea what this means.

Are you trying to say that a team full of freshman and soophores that were rated in the 20-30s recruiting classes should be national champions?

Just turn off the car ignition in your garage, and walk out please. No team should expect this to happen, if you do expect it to happen, I say, good luck on having a good life, you will be a mess.

 

[Deer Head]

Because they gifted UNC 14 points on 2 plays. 38-27 is a win and cover.

Im always amazed that the average fan cannot grasp luck factors in sports. Especially in a single game.

My favorite example of this is the WVU game on 2010. Pitt dominates the game but goes -5. Prob wins the game 7 out of 10. SP in his wisdom decided it was cause for a new staff.

 

[gfour18]

https://247sports.com/Season/2017-Football/CollegeTeamTalentComposite

pitt came in to the season ranked at 34 with 11 composite four stars and 1 five star
NC came in to the season ranked at 26 with 12 composite four stars

Obviously those rankings are not the end all be all because they don't account for the experience of the talent, positional talent , etc. but they are a good jumping off point. There is definitely a correlation between these rankings and on field success. Bama and Georgia are the top 2 sec teams in talent........and the top 2 sec teams in rankings.....btw bama 51 four stars and 18 five stars

 

[Odin97]

The recruiting is only going to get worse. Franklin is DOMINATING PA and Urb and Harbaugh are taking the PA kids PSU doesn't get. It is going to get way worse for the Duzz and quickly. Why would a high school kid choose Pitt over WVU or any BIG Ten schools within a 5 hour drive? There is no path to relevancy under the Duzz.

Bingo!

 

[Odin97]

I have no idea what this means.

Are you trying to say that a team full of freshman and soophores that were rated in the 20-30s recruiting classes should be national champions?

Just turn off the car ignition in your garage, and walk out please. No team should expect this to happen, if you do expect it to happen, I say, good luck on having a good life, you will be a mess.

No Genius he is saying they should be better than 4-8

 

[Odin97]

Pitt wins last nights game 9 times out of 10.

That doesnt change SMFs argument. My problem with this staff is not this year, its last year. They only won 8 games with the most talented team they most likely will ever have. For sure out best team on paper since 2009.

Clemson wins 99 out of 100 Times what’s your point?