Everyone knew Pitt was likely to take a step back this season with all the personnel losses, but the feeling was different heading into the season. Perhaps, just perhaps, the program was now at the point were it would reload, particularly on defense. Just plug in the next men up and Pitt would continue to be top 25ish competitive the way big boy programs do it. Perception was changing locally and nationally, evidenced by still being picked in the top 3rd of the conference, just outside the national top 25, with ticket sales and buzz climbing locally.
That hope, of course, was dead wrong. More disappointing than anything is in year 9 of this coaching regime, the defense, which is supposed to be the hero of this program, and the side of the ball which the HC admittedly spends the vast majority of his attention, looks lost and is getting shredded by, not good teams, but bad teams.
What is clear is that the program was no where near the point anyone was hoping, and for the first time in a while, it doesn't even seem like there is hope down the road. No one is saying "wait until next year" or the "future looks bright," and that type of defeatism can be a death knell for a program.
Mediocre, at best, recruiting, seems to caught up with Pitt. Most coaches will tell you, its more about the talent than the schemes. If we didn't recruit raw talent, we were supposed to develop it in house. Where is it? Is the alternative that the coaching is just that poor? Perhaps more troubling for year 9 of a regime, there just seems to be poor coaching and fundamentals all around. That is very disconcerting.
And make no mistake, all the coaches and players are professionals now. This is not your father's college football student-athletes. These are straight up professionals. And as other programs have shown, NIL and the transfer portal are tools that can afford fixes much more quickly than ever before.
It is always a lot easier to destroy a program than build one up. Major changes have to be made at the end of this season. Top 25 type of programs don't go from 11 and 9 wins down to 2-10 or 1-11, and that is were this is heading baring some unexpected miracle turnaround.
And with conference realignment swirling around every corner, this is a terrible, terrible, time to be terrible.
To save its recently new found credibility, the athletic department has to show that the type of season we are looking down the barrel of is unacceptable. Accountability is needed. It won't happen in-season...that is not realistic. But after, and again, these are professionals, so don't blow smoke up anyone ass pretending they are not. Staff changes are needed, and the new tools in college football to plug holes have to be used.
That hope, of course, was dead wrong. More disappointing than anything is in year 9 of this coaching regime, the defense, which is supposed to be the hero of this program, and the side of the ball which the HC admittedly spends the vast majority of his attention, looks lost and is getting shredded by, not good teams, but bad teams.
What is clear is that the program was no where near the point anyone was hoping, and for the first time in a while, it doesn't even seem like there is hope down the road. No one is saying "wait until next year" or the "future looks bright," and that type of defeatism can be a death knell for a program.
Mediocre, at best, recruiting, seems to caught up with Pitt. Most coaches will tell you, its more about the talent than the schemes. If we didn't recruit raw talent, we were supposed to develop it in house. Where is it? Is the alternative that the coaching is just that poor? Perhaps more troubling for year 9 of a regime, there just seems to be poor coaching and fundamentals all around. That is very disconcerting.
And make no mistake, all the coaches and players are professionals now. This is not your father's college football student-athletes. These are straight up professionals. And as other programs have shown, NIL and the transfer portal are tools that can afford fixes much more quickly than ever before.
It is always a lot easier to destroy a program than build one up. Major changes have to be made at the end of this season. Top 25 type of programs don't go from 11 and 9 wins down to 2-10 or 1-11, and that is were this is heading baring some unexpected miracle turnaround.
And with conference realignment swirling around every corner, this is a terrible, terrible, time to be terrible.
To save its recently new found credibility, the athletic department has to show that the type of season we are looking down the barrel of is unacceptable. Accountability is needed. It won't happen in-season...that is not realistic. But after, and again, these are professionals, so don't blow smoke up anyone ass pretending they are not. Staff changes are needed, and the new tools in college football to plug holes have to be used.
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