PITT PREDICTIONS 2015 SEASON:
Rankings 1-Low - 10-Best
Coach Ranking: (?7?) Players Back Ranking: 8
Optimistic Expectations: 7
The Pitt Offense has the Players in the place to score big points in games. It will depend on Jim Chaney adaptation to Former Coach Chryst and Rudolph's Offensive Systems and Players. Chaney made changes whereby Conner’s will be used far more on Third Downs. The question is will this cause Conner's to be more vulnerable to being injured and growing tired. Or is Conner's able to handle the added work? If QB Voytik is given running designed plays, I will be very happy because that really p[ens the Offense. Boyd will be better than ever, but can Pitt find 2 to 4 others Wide Outs to help keep Boyd from being Doubled Teamed? I really expect big improvements using the Tight Ends. but we shall see if that happens under Chaney?
The Pitt Special Teams - Coach Pat was smart enough to bring in one of the finest Special Teams Coaches in College Football. This is a great move because quite frankly Coach Chryst & Staff simply ignored this aspect of College Football or worse were just terrible in coaching Special Teams? This error on Coach Chryst’s part cost Pitt 2 to 3 games each of his years as Head Coach at Pitt. It is not just coaching the Special Teams but finding the Players that can compete and execute Special Teams. Pitt should be better in this area this year.
The Pitt Defense is what every Pitt Fan is expecting instant success. I am not one of them in that camp or belief. The Pitt defense will be a work in process All Season Long, much like the Steelers! Pitt is bringing back many Defensive Upper Classmate Players but they all still have to learn a new system? They will need the entire season to become a better Unit but I really think this might be the Best Staff Coaching Unit on Defense and of course, Coach Pat is there to help develop it!
Three Concerns: 5
1. New Staff and Systems again...once again Pitt Players are still learning from New Coaches that have to learn about what they can and cannot do, and only game experience usually answers those questions. Although high expectations are here with Coach Pat & Staff, the facts remains there are more Unknowns than Knowns for the 2015 Season.
2. Key Injuries are expected from the New Coaches, New Systems, and Tougher Practices with Speed Hitting. Coach Pat's Defenses are known for quick hitting speed and that means quick hitting practices among the players and then in the games. Pitt does not have many 4 and 5 Star Recruits that have turn into Top Players that wins games. They have to do it playing together as Top Units without mistakes and great execution. Injuries cause’s replacements, and replacements cause mistakes, among Units playing together. Pitt cannot afford to lose QB Voytik, WR Boyd, and RB Conner’s! Already the Offense and Defense has some key injuries that can cause more concerns as the season develops under New Coaches? Since Pitt players will do harder and faster hitting Fans should expect more injuries not less.
3. Tough Schedule against good coaches and many Teams with Players coming back as well making it a tough season for Pitt. Coach Pat's Head Coaching & New Staff will need sometime to adjust from being a Coordinator towards being the Head Coach. Learning still happens when becoming a Head Coach and includes choosing a Staff capable of complimenting him. In the meantime, Coach Pat is dependent on his Staff while other Teams they oppose already have their Head Coaches and Staffs in place for a number of years. This is why it is another concern because Pitt Coaches and Players will have to learn more as other Coaches and Players already know each other. This is not a soft schedule as Franklin has at Penn State.
Youngstown State:
Coach Ranking: 7.5 Players Back Ranking: 8
Pitt is not just coaching against Bo Pelini but Jim Tressel as well, as far as I am concern. Both will help their YSU Players be ready for the Pitt Game. Meaning it is up to Coach Pat & Staff to have his Players ready for them? I just don’t know since Coach this will be Coach Pat & Staff first game? I expect the Pitt Offense will score points and win a closer game than many expect.
Preseason Prediction:
PITT-29 Ysu-27 PITT (1-0)
Game Day Prediction:
Game Day Result:
Akron:
Coach Ranking: 7.5 Players Back Ranking: 8
Terry Bowden can coach and has many of his players back starting at Akron. Pitt Players will come in confident, looking for payback, and may have a new attitude but it still comes down to execution. The Facts are Akron will have more players ready to execute better than Pitt Players. Pitt coaches are learning too, unlike the Zip’s Bowden & Staff. Another close game for a not so easy season for any coach let alone a first year coach at Pitt
Preseason Prediction:
PITT-19 Akron-17 PITT (2-0)
Game Day Prediction:
Game Day Result:
@Iowa:
Coach Ranking: 7.9 Players Back Ranking: 8
Once again, Kirk Ferentz is in his 17th year and has his staff and systems down as Coach Pat & Staff will be just in their third game? Pitt is going up against a Junior QB and that will not be easy. However, Pott matches up quite well against this team just like last year. There is mixture of sophomores and seniors with dabs of juniors. The problem for Pitt is may be playing 3 freshmen. There is an old coach adage for every freshmen that’s tarts expects to lose one game per freshmen as they learn the game by making mistakes. Yet, I sense the Pitt coaching Staff will take risks that Chryst was shy to take, so I am going with another close Pitt Win!
Preseason Prediction:
PITT- 27 Iowa-24 (3-0)
Game Day Prediction:
Game Day Result:
@Virginia Tech:
Coach Ranking: 7.9 Players Back Ranking: 9
Pitt Players going up against a very experienced Offense and Defense after bushwhacking them at home last year makes it a very tough game to win. There are just 4 Sophomore Starters on this team, and the game is away at VT. Sorry can’t see a Pitt win this time even if we beat them last year?
Preseason Prediction:
Pitt- 27 VIRGINIA TECH-34 (3-1)
Game Day Prediction:
Game Day Result:
Virginia:
Coach Ranking: 6 Players Back Ranking: 8
Tough game, let me say it again, this will be a very tough game. London has at least 6 players on Defense that will play on Sunday in the NFL. The defense will be hard to beat just like last year. The entire Virginia Offense is back but they will have problems at QB. Special Teams may be the difference and I will favor Pitt on that outcome by a squeaker? The Pott Defense should be playing better by now, but injuries could be killing Pitt by this time too?
Preseason Prediction:
PITT- 24 Virginia-23 (4-1)
Game Day Prediction:
Game Day Result:
@Georgia Tech:
Coach Ranking: 9.5 Players Back Ranking: 9
Ditto the Virginia Tech game…..Pott will struggle to beat Coach Johnson’s well coached and executed players that love playing like a Team. Only if Coach Pat & Staff are doing a great job at coaching can Pitt win this game. Until Pitt shows me they can beat Johnson’s Yellow Jackets the sting of defeat will be on Pitt being stung not just IT? Georgia Tech just has too much experience on the Team and Coaching.
Preseason Prediction:
Pitt- 24 GEORGIA TECH-37 (4-2)
Game Day Prediction:
Game Day Result:
Rankings 1-Low - 10-Best
Coach Ranking: (?7?) Players Back Ranking: 8
Optimistic Expectations: 7
The Pitt Offense has the Players in the place to score big points in games. It will depend on Jim Chaney adaptation to Former Coach Chryst and Rudolph's Offensive Systems and Players. Chaney made changes whereby Conner’s will be used far more on Third Downs. The question is will this cause Conner's to be more vulnerable to being injured and growing tired. Or is Conner's able to handle the added work? If QB Voytik is given running designed plays, I will be very happy because that really p[ens the Offense. Boyd will be better than ever, but can Pitt find 2 to 4 others Wide Outs to help keep Boyd from being Doubled Teamed? I really expect big improvements using the Tight Ends. but we shall see if that happens under Chaney?
The Pitt Special Teams - Coach Pat was smart enough to bring in one of the finest Special Teams Coaches in College Football. This is a great move because quite frankly Coach Chryst & Staff simply ignored this aspect of College Football or worse were just terrible in coaching Special Teams? This error on Coach Chryst’s part cost Pitt 2 to 3 games each of his years as Head Coach at Pitt. It is not just coaching the Special Teams but finding the Players that can compete and execute Special Teams. Pitt should be better in this area this year.
The Pitt Defense is what every Pitt Fan is expecting instant success. I am not one of them in that camp or belief. The Pitt defense will be a work in process All Season Long, much like the Steelers! Pitt is bringing back many Defensive Upper Classmate Players but they all still have to learn a new system? They will need the entire season to become a better Unit but I really think this might be the Best Staff Coaching Unit on Defense and of course, Coach Pat is there to help develop it!
Three Concerns: 5
1. New Staff and Systems again...once again Pitt Players are still learning from New Coaches that have to learn about what they can and cannot do, and only game experience usually answers those questions. Although high expectations are here with Coach Pat & Staff, the facts remains there are more Unknowns than Knowns for the 2015 Season.
2. Key Injuries are expected from the New Coaches, New Systems, and Tougher Practices with Speed Hitting. Coach Pat's Defenses are known for quick hitting speed and that means quick hitting practices among the players and then in the games. Pitt does not have many 4 and 5 Star Recruits that have turn into Top Players that wins games. They have to do it playing together as Top Units without mistakes and great execution. Injuries cause’s replacements, and replacements cause mistakes, among Units playing together. Pitt cannot afford to lose QB Voytik, WR Boyd, and RB Conner’s! Already the Offense and Defense has some key injuries that can cause more concerns as the season develops under New Coaches? Since Pitt players will do harder and faster hitting Fans should expect more injuries not less.
3. Tough Schedule against good coaches and many Teams with Players coming back as well making it a tough season for Pitt. Coach Pat's Head Coaching & New Staff will need sometime to adjust from being a Coordinator towards being the Head Coach. Learning still happens when becoming a Head Coach and includes choosing a Staff capable of complimenting him. In the meantime, Coach Pat is dependent on his Staff while other Teams they oppose already have their Head Coaches and Staffs in place for a number of years. This is why it is another concern because Pitt Coaches and Players will have to learn more as other Coaches and Players already know each other. This is not a soft schedule as Franklin has at Penn State.
Youngstown State:
Coach Ranking: 7.5 Players Back Ranking: 8
Pitt is not just coaching against Bo Pelini but Jim Tressel as well, as far as I am concern. Both will help their YSU Players be ready for the Pitt Game. Meaning it is up to Coach Pat & Staff to have his Players ready for them? I just don’t know since Coach this will be Coach Pat & Staff first game? I expect the Pitt Offense will score points and win a closer game than many expect.
Preseason Prediction:
PITT-29 Ysu-27 PITT (1-0)
Game Day Prediction:
Game Day Result:
Akron:
Coach Ranking: 7.5 Players Back Ranking: 8
Terry Bowden can coach and has many of his players back starting at Akron. Pitt Players will come in confident, looking for payback, and may have a new attitude but it still comes down to execution. The Facts are Akron will have more players ready to execute better than Pitt Players. Pitt coaches are learning too, unlike the Zip’s Bowden & Staff. Another close game for a not so easy season for any coach let alone a first year coach at Pitt
Preseason Prediction:
PITT-19 Akron-17 PITT (2-0)
Game Day Prediction:
Game Day Result:
@Iowa:
Coach Ranking: 7.9 Players Back Ranking: 8
Once again, Kirk Ferentz is in his 17th year and has his staff and systems down as Coach Pat & Staff will be just in their third game? Pitt is going up against a Junior QB and that will not be easy. However, Pott matches up quite well against this team just like last year. There is mixture of sophomores and seniors with dabs of juniors. The problem for Pitt is may be playing 3 freshmen. There is an old coach adage for every freshmen that’s tarts expects to lose one game per freshmen as they learn the game by making mistakes. Yet, I sense the Pitt coaching Staff will take risks that Chryst was shy to take, so I am going with another close Pitt Win!
Preseason Prediction:
PITT- 27 Iowa-24 (3-0)
Game Day Prediction:
Game Day Result:
@Virginia Tech:
Coach Ranking: 7.9 Players Back Ranking: 9
Pitt Players going up against a very experienced Offense and Defense after bushwhacking them at home last year makes it a very tough game to win. There are just 4 Sophomore Starters on this team, and the game is away at VT. Sorry can’t see a Pitt win this time even if we beat them last year?
Preseason Prediction:
Pitt- 27 VIRGINIA TECH-34 (3-1)
Game Day Prediction:
Game Day Result:
Virginia:
Coach Ranking: 6 Players Back Ranking: 8
Tough game, let me say it again, this will be a very tough game. London has at least 6 players on Defense that will play on Sunday in the NFL. The defense will be hard to beat just like last year. The entire Virginia Offense is back but they will have problems at QB. Special Teams may be the difference and I will favor Pitt on that outcome by a squeaker? The Pott Defense should be playing better by now, but injuries could be killing Pitt by this time too?
Preseason Prediction:
PITT- 24 Virginia-23 (4-1)
Game Day Prediction:
Game Day Result:
@Georgia Tech:
Coach Ranking: 9.5 Players Back Ranking: 9
Ditto the Virginia Tech game…..Pott will struggle to beat Coach Johnson’s well coached and executed players that love playing like a Team. Only if Coach Pat & Staff are doing a great job at coaching can Pitt win this game. Until Pitt shows me they can beat Johnson’s Yellow Jackets the sting of defeat will be on Pitt being stung not just IT? Georgia Tech just has too much experience on the Team and Coaching.
Preseason Prediction:
Pitt- 24 GEORGIA TECH-37 (4-2)
Game Day Prediction:
Game Day Result:
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