Mid week thought....

[GT74]

After a mid-week discussion at breakfast, I thought I'd post a thought about Pitt that sometimes is overlooked. The top recruiting schools are expected to win, and win big, while the 'average' ones are expected to be mediocre or so. Well, Penn St is a top recruiting school and barely beat the Panthers, and UCF won 27 straight regular season games before this one. Pitt seems to upset programs (or have a chance to) that are rated better than them more often than most other teams. So, is Pitt being coached better, developing players better or more motivated than those schools that get highly ranked recruits? I know their overall record is mediocre, but Pitt seems to be surviving a tough OOC schedule. Narduzzi has taken hits for the bad decision at the goalline against PSU, but he seems to get them up for the big games. Let's hope this is the start of a good finish to the season.

 

[joefromlancaster]

GT
Pitt has a real history of winning one game it should lose on paper (ucf).
They also have a great history of losing a game they should win on paper.
Until we overcome that loss to a weak team. we will be viewed as middle of
the pack, unfortunately.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

They also have a great history of losing a game they should win on paper.
Until we overcome that loss to a weak team. we will be viewed as middle of
the pack, unfortunately.

under Narduzzi? I cant recall to many head scratching losses the last 4 years under Narduzzi.. Games where we were clearly better on paper and lost. under chryst and Wanny, absolutely but Duzzer has done well eliminating the terrible losses..

 

[joeydavid]

After a mid-week discussion at breakfast, I thought I'd post a thought about Pitt that sometimes is overlooked. The top recruiting schools are expected to win, and win big, while the 'average' ones are expected to be mediocre or so. Well, Penn St is a top recruiting school and barely beat the Panthers, and UCF won 27 straight regular season games before this one. Pitt seems to upset programs (or have a chance to) that are rated better than them more often than most other teams. So, is Pitt being coached better, developing players better or more motivated than those schools that get highly ranked recruits? I know their overall record is mediocre, but Pitt seems to be surviving a tough OOC schedule. Narduzzi has taken hits for the bad decision at the goalline against PSU, but he seems to get them up for the big games. Let's hope this is the start of a good finish to the season.

This is probably Narduzzi's most complete staff to date. That's helping in both recruiting and game day preparation.

I have said this before - the roster is probably the most talented 1 thru 85 that we have seen at Pitt in a long while. That depth is what has allowed the Dline to excel even without their top 2 pass rushers being out for the season.

Obviously it's never going to be a straight line but program is moving a positive direction.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

under Narduzzi? I cant recall to many head scratching losses the last 4 years under Narduzzi.. Games where we were clearly better on paper and lost. under chryst and Wanny, absolutely but Duzzer has done well eliminating the terrible losses..

Narduzzi still does not have 1 "WTF" loss. All previous HC's managed around 1 per year. This is 1 reason I said to keep Narduzzi. He's a decent coach. Not great, not bad. He has avoided bad losses and won some games we werent supposed to. He just needs better players to take that next step.

 

[Rockyhound]

Narduzzi still does not have 1 "WTF" loss. All previous HC's managed around 1 per year. This is 1 reason I said to keep Narduzzi. He's a decent coach. Not great, not bad. He has avoided bad losses and won some games we werent supposed to. He just needs better players to take that next step.

I think the closest would be the last two UNC games. But at least those are conference opponents and not some FCS or lower G5 team. What has impressed me is overall the team seems prepared for those types of games, save for YSU a few years ago which they still won.

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

I think the closest would be the last two UNC games. But at least those are conference opponents and not some FCS or lower G5 team. What has impressed me is overall the team seems prepared for those types of games, save for YSU a few years ago which they still won.

ok, good call. i think that unc game is definitely a wtf game..

 

[caleco's]

i think PN and staff are developing talent and coaching up what they have. his assistants are the key. unc last year is the only bad losd on his resume IMO

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

ok, good call. i think that unc game is definitely a wtf game..

Yea forgot about that but that's a little tricky because I dont think we were that big of favorites and some of us thought we were going to lose.

 

[RingDinger]

Narduzzi still does not have 1 "WTF" loss. All previous HC's managed around 1 per year. This is 1 reason I said to keep Narduzzi. He's a decent coach. Not great, not bad. He has avoided bad losses and won some games we werent supposed to. He just needs better players to take that next step.

North Carolina had two conference wins in two years - both against us. Those are WTF losses.

Edit: Never mind; I see someone else already mentioned that.

 

[runshadyrun]

under Narduzzi? I cant recall to many head scratching losses the last 4 years under Narduzzi.. Games where we were clearly better on paper and lost. under chryst and Wanny, absolutely but Duzzer has done well eliminating the terrible losses..

See UNC

 

[4Mark_Marty]

This is probably Narduzzi's most complete staff to date. That's helping in both recruiting and game day preparation.

I have said this before - the roster is probably the most talented 1 thru 85 that we have seen at Pitt in a long while. That depth is what has allowed the Dline to excel even without their top 2 pass rushers being out for the season.

Obviously it's never going to be a straight line but program is moving a positive direction.

Since the 80s, 1-85 is deeper now, even deeper than 2009.

 

[pittdan77]

After a mid-week discussion at breakfast, I thought I'd post a thought about Pitt that sometimes is overlooked. The top recruiting schools are expected to win, and win big, while the 'average' ones are expected to be mediocre or so. Well, Penn St is a top recruiting school and barely beat the Panthers, and UCF won 27 straight regular season games before this one. Pitt seems to upset programs (or have a chance to) that are rated better than them more often than most other teams. So, is Pitt being coached better, developing players better or more motivated than those schools that get highly ranked recruits? I know their overall record is mediocre, but Pitt seems to be surviving a tough OOC schedule. Narduzzi has taken hits for the bad decision at the goalline against PSU, but he seems to get them up for the big games. Let's hope this is the start of a good finish to the season.

PSU versus UCF is apples to oranges when you discuss recruiting. PSU is going to live in the top 20 and UCF is having a good year when they get in the 50's. It's tough to say that PSU winning by a TD against Pitt is an indictment on their talent, necessarily, because we know that Franklin has bombed some big games and lost some games he shouldn't have. UCF, on the other hand, has gotten good mileage out of their limited talent but they're also recruiting at the top of the G5 pack. The one or two P5 games they play end up being a super bowl and they had a nice run. Scott Frost struck gold but I'm betting they'll come back to earth under Heupel. It's just too hard to sustain when you can't keep a good coach.

Pitt doesn't recruit poorly as much as Pitt ends up filling the bottom of the class with poor recruits. That really hurts your depth. Narduzzi seems to be in a position to reverse that trend with this class. No real superstars but there aren't any big reaches. And he has built depth at a few positions that were really in need of help. He has to put it all together now.

There's no reason why Pitt can't be a 9-win-average program with the way the Coastal is set up.

 

[TreyCampbell]

under Narduzzi? I cant recall to many head scratching losses the last 4 years under Narduzzi.. Games where we were clearly better on paper and lost. under chryst and Wanny, absolutely but Duzzer has done well eliminating the terrible losses..

U N C

 

[Zeldas Open Roof]

U N C

yes, i got it. 2018 was bad, that was a bad UNC team. they were 0 and 2 with two bad losses to two garbage teams. we should have won. head scratcher indeed.

I was wrong, unc is included. thank you to everyone that pointed this out.

 

[4Mark_Marty]

U N C

LOL. So true.

 

[4Mark_Marty]

yes, i got it. 2018 was bad, that was a bad UNC team. they were 0 and 2 with two bad losses to two garbage teams. we should have won. head scratcher indeed.

I was wrong, unc is included. thank you to everyone that pointed this out.

We have 2 coordinators now that can game plan and are familiar with their own strengths. We should be able to pressure their QB and rattle him.