Pitt plays at Oklahoma State in the 3rd game next season. OkSt is currently 10-1 and ranked in the top-10, and considering they are a pass-happy team who returns 9 of their starting offensive players next year including their QB who averages 326 yards/gm, they will likely be ranked in the top-15 to start the 2016 season. They play 2 cupcakes to start the year, so by the time the Panthers roll into town they should be top-10, maybe even top-5.
Pitt will be underdogs, even if we win our first two games (Villanova & Ped State, both at home). Here's the thing, though, OkSt is not a scary team and really won't be at that point as well. Here's why:
1) They are barely getting past ho-hum and crappy teams this year. They had to come from behind in the 2nd half against Central Michigan and score a TD in the 4th to win by 11. They were losing to 4-6 Texas with 1:45 left. They were losing to 4-6 KSU with 1 minute left. It took OT to beat 6-4 WVU. It took the final few minutes to beat 6-5 TexTech. They were losing to 3-8 IowaSt by 2 scores in the 4th.
2) They caught their only 2 good opponents to date, TCU and Baylor, at the perfect time as their seasons are becoming unraveled (losing 3 of their last 5 combined). OkSt split with them, giving up 1360 yards, but were +7 on the turnover margin to make their W over TCU a big W, and their L to Baylor much closer than it could have been. OkSt currently has the 2nd-best turnover margin in the country at +15; good luck maintaining that next year (these tend to fluctuate wildly for teams, especially when you consider #4 below).
3) OkSt's offense is completely 1-dimensional, and they're not particularly amazing at it. They have no real rushing game, and their QB is not a running threat at all. They lose 2 of their starting 4 WR's this offseason, both of whom are good enough to possibly make it to the NFL. The QB guns it all over the field for big yards, but he's had plenty of interception and accuracy issues all season. He is a statue back there with a mediocre OL in front of him so he's taken his hits, which Pitt is designed to dish out (Baylor just sacked him 6 times, and Baylor's D only had 19 for the season before the game).
4) OkSt's defense is bad, and they're about to lose their far-and-away best defender to the 1st round of the NFL draft (DE Ogbah -- 1 of the 2 most disruptive linemen in the country). They also lose arguably their next 3 best defenders as well. Again, even with Ogbah and those 3 they're currently bad; it's only going to get much worse.
I'm not scared of Oklahoma State right now, and I'm certainly not scared of them in 2016 as Peterman becomes a 2nd-year starter, our OL improves, our D improves, and they lose their only star defender.
Pitt will be underdogs, even if we win our first two games (Villanova & Ped State, both at home). Here's the thing, though, OkSt is not a scary team and really won't be at that point as well. Here's why:
1) They are barely getting past ho-hum and crappy teams this year. They had to come from behind in the 2nd half against Central Michigan and score a TD in the 4th to win by 11. They were losing to 4-6 Texas with 1:45 left. They were losing to 4-6 KSU with 1 minute left. It took OT to beat 6-4 WVU. It took the final few minutes to beat 6-5 TexTech. They were losing to 3-8 IowaSt by 2 scores in the 4th.
2) They caught their only 2 good opponents to date, TCU and Baylor, at the perfect time as their seasons are becoming unraveled (losing 3 of their last 5 combined). OkSt split with them, giving up 1360 yards, but were +7 on the turnover margin to make their W over TCU a big W, and their L to Baylor much closer than it could have been. OkSt currently has the 2nd-best turnover margin in the country at +15; good luck maintaining that next year (these tend to fluctuate wildly for teams, especially when you consider #4 below).
3) OkSt's offense is completely 1-dimensional, and they're not particularly amazing at it. They have no real rushing game, and their QB is not a running threat at all. They lose 2 of their starting 4 WR's this offseason, both of whom are good enough to possibly make it to the NFL. The QB guns it all over the field for big yards, but he's had plenty of interception and accuracy issues all season. He is a statue back there with a mediocre OL in front of him so he's taken his hits, which Pitt is designed to dish out (Baylor just sacked him 6 times, and Baylor's D only had 19 for the season before the game).
4) OkSt's defense is bad, and they're about to lose their far-and-away best defender to the 1st round of the NFL draft (DE Ogbah -- 1 of the 2 most disruptive linemen in the country). They also lose arguably their next 3 best defenders as well. Again, even with Ogbah and those 3 they're currently bad; it's only going to get much worse.
I'm not scared of Oklahoma State right now, and I'm certainly not scared of them in 2016 as Peterman becomes a 2nd-year starter, our OL improves, our D improves, and they lose their only star defender.
