This will be Sanders' year to show what he has. Barkley probably won't see a whole lot of late-game action, quite possibly. It's hard to describe how poor the offensive line was at times the last few years, at least until things settled down towards the end of the year. Barkley's good enough to make do himself, but when Sanders was in the backup OL was also in, and they weren't helping much. As a freshman, he wasn't going to be able to rise above that. This year the OL should be significantly better, and the backups are also a lot better, as Franklin redshirted some guys who could've been playing. And really, not many freshmen RB's really stand out all that much. This year will provide a clearer picture. As well, even though he was a freshman last year, he had the second best season record all time for kickoff returns at Penn State. Calling him a bust at this point is not rational.
And before you all rip me as a Nitter, let me state that I have a foot in both camps. Pitt faculty and season ticket holder, and a kid in school up in State College. Not a grad of either school, but fan of both.
