Look, I am as disappointed/frustrated as anyone about yesterday's loss. While I knew the odds of us going to the CFP were very very low, it was so fun to really feel relevant in the CFB landscape. To have KP on every network and Pat Narduzzi on Sportscenter, etc... it was fun to dream. Even if we were inevitably going to lose again, it would've been nice to win yesterday, and then beat Duke to get up near the Top 10 and enjoy having the whole country's eyes on Pitt for a few more weeks.
With that said, there's been a ton of overreactions (as usual). A loss to Western Michigan is INEXCUSABLE. A loss to Miami? It happens. We should have won that game but that's a talented football team with a QB who's much better than King. And we lost by 4 in a game that we could've easily won.. it's not like we came out and looked like we didn't belong. It's really hard to go undefeated in conference play unless you have the talent of say Bama, UGA, OSU, or Clemson... literally every other school, whether it's PSU, Michigan, MSU, Florida, VT, UNC, Miami, FSU, Texas, USC, Oregon, NC State, UVA, etc., has frustrating losses to teams equal to or worse than them. It's why those schools and Pitt are who they are and aren't Clemson/Bama/OSU and in the playoff every year.
When it comes to our defense, I think at times people tend to be lazy with their analysis. I'd be curious to hear from guys like RoadToNumber10 and Xander, but I think we make more adjustments and mix up coverages more than some on here say. And while the bubble screens were extremely frustrating, the players were in position to make the tackle... you can focus more on taking that away but then you're making yourself susceptible to longer runs up the middle. Pick or choose..
On that note, I think it's just hard in general to stop people in CFB. Look around the country. I mean... everybody loves to just say it's "the scheme"... but Miami had the same success last week against NCSU who is known for their good defense. We also give up more points because we can score fast and throw the ball a lot. If things were flipped and we ran the ball as good as we throw it, maybe we lose 28-24.... is there really a difference?
And don't you think other fanbases are equally as frustrated that we score at will on basically everyone against all types of schemes?
That's what I think is the theme of this post and what really frustrates me about this board. People are so hyperfocused on Pitt that the second something goes wrong, immediately the grass seems greener elsewhere. First, it was GT who was going to beat us as Geoff Collins was building this awesome program. Then VT's defense was going to shut us down... now people are basically making UVA out to be Bama... when they gave up SIXTY-SIX points to BYU last night. 66!
I just wish people on here could be angry and disappointed with losses and analyze where things went wrong without immediately turning to firing the coach and predicting losing out the rest of the season. I mean we saw it after WMU... the usual suspects predicted things like 4-8 or 5-7... and then after last week, we were all dreaming of the CFP.. then a close loss that could've easily gone our way and now suddenly UNC and UVA and Syracuse are going to beat us..
Which leads me to my questions.. what was your predicted record for Pitt going into the season? What before the season would you have considered successful? And then, now, what would you consider a successful finish?
I ask because most of the posters ready to jump off the ledge predicted 7-5/8-4 before the season. I vividly remember it. Yet we're sitting here at 6-2 as the clear favorite to win the whole conference and it's mostly doom and gloom.
And that's not to say things are all well. There are clearly flaws and we still could finish something like 8-4 which at this point would be very disappointing. I really want to see us run the table but 9-3 with an ACC Championship win is definitely a successful season.
Either way, have some perspective. No we aren't going to go to the CFP. But every program who's not the 4-5 main CFB teams has losses and frustrations. I mean PSU just lost to Illinois at home last week. UNC started out in the Top 10 and is already out of the Coastal race. Miami has Top 15 recruiting classes annually and is .500. VT has probably more going for them as a program yet is going to have for fire their coach soon...
So yeah. 6-2 in the driver seat to win the conference with a QB who is really special. We have our flaws, but many of them are magnified because of how closely we follow the program. The loss yesterday was deflating... but let's go beat Duke and get ready for what could be a special finish.
H2P.
With that said, there's been a ton of overreactions (as usual). A loss to Western Michigan is INEXCUSABLE. A loss to Miami? It happens. We should have won that game but that's a talented football team with a QB who's much better than King. And we lost by 4 in a game that we could've easily won.. it's not like we came out and looked like we didn't belong. It's really hard to go undefeated in conference play unless you have the talent of say Bama, UGA, OSU, or Clemson... literally every other school, whether it's PSU, Michigan, MSU, Florida, VT, UNC, Miami, FSU, Texas, USC, Oregon, NC State, UVA, etc., has frustrating losses to teams equal to or worse than them. It's why those schools and Pitt are who they are and aren't Clemson/Bama/OSU and in the playoff every year.
When it comes to our defense, I think at times people tend to be lazy with their analysis. I'd be curious to hear from guys like RoadToNumber10 and Xander, but I think we make more adjustments and mix up coverages more than some on here say. And while the bubble screens were extremely frustrating, the players were in position to make the tackle... you can focus more on taking that away but then you're making yourself susceptible to longer runs up the middle. Pick or choose..
On that note, I think it's just hard in general to stop people in CFB. Look around the country. I mean... everybody loves to just say it's "the scheme"... but Miami had the same success last week against NCSU who is known for their good defense. We also give up more points because we can score fast and throw the ball a lot. If things were flipped and we ran the ball as good as we throw it, maybe we lose 28-24.... is there really a difference?
And don't you think other fanbases are equally as frustrated that we score at will on basically everyone against all types of schemes?
That's what I think is the theme of this post and what really frustrates me about this board. People are so hyperfocused on Pitt that the second something goes wrong, immediately the grass seems greener elsewhere. First, it was GT who was going to beat us as Geoff Collins was building this awesome program. Then VT's defense was going to shut us down... now people are basically making UVA out to be Bama... when they gave up SIXTY-SIX points to BYU last night. 66!
I just wish people on here could be angry and disappointed with losses and analyze where things went wrong without immediately turning to firing the coach and predicting losing out the rest of the season. I mean we saw it after WMU... the usual suspects predicted things like 4-8 or 5-7... and then after last week, we were all dreaming of the CFP.. then a close loss that could've easily gone our way and now suddenly UNC and UVA and Syracuse are going to beat us..
Which leads me to my questions.. what was your predicted record for Pitt going into the season? What before the season would you have considered successful? And then, now, what would you consider a successful finish?
I ask because most of the posters ready to jump off the ledge predicted 7-5/8-4 before the season. I vividly remember it. Yet we're sitting here at 6-2 as the clear favorite to win the whole conference and it's mostly doom and gloom.
And that's not to say things are all well. There are clearly flaws and we still could finish something like 8-4 which at this point would be very disappointing. I really want to see us run the table but 9-3 with an ACC Championship win is definitely a successful season.
Either way, have some perspective. No we aren't going to go to the CFP. But every program who's not the 4-5 main CFB teams has losses and frustrations. I mean PSU just lost to Illinois at home last week. UNC started out in the Top 10 and is already out of the Coastal race. Miami has Top 15 recruiting classes annually and is .500. VT has probably more going for them as a program yet is going to have for fire their coach soon...
So yeah. 6-2 in the driver seat to win the conference with a QB who is really special. We have our flaws, but many of them are magnified because of how closely we follow the program. The loss yesterday was deflating... but let's go beat Duke and get ready for what could be a special finish.
H2P.
