The Pitt Athletic Department recently trumpeted the CBSSportsline.com college football preview that listed Tyler Palko as a Heisman Trophy potential candidate. This was the subject of an incoherent column I mocked a week or so ago.

So, what’s in this preview. I suspect many of the articles will eventually be published online, leading up to the season. Right now, most of them are only in the magazine. Most (if not all) of the featured articles are written by their College Football columnist Dennis Dodd.

There is an article titled “The Main Attractions.” It is about key players and their team. Tyler Palko gets featured in the article. Friendly stuff.

Another article, “New Beginnings,” talks about the coaching changes in short one hitters. On Coach Wannstedt, the summary is essentially that he is home and the team has a great opportunity.

In the bowl predictions section, they have Louisville, as the Big East BCS rep, facing Virginia Tech from the ACC. Continuing the, uh, irony, Pitt would face Miami in the Gator Bowl.

In the magazine’s ranking of the teams(page 51) , Louisville gets ranked #12 and Pitt comes in at #15. Others to note: ND #33, PSU #43, Syracuse #46 and @VU #55. Dodd’s top-25 has been subject to continual revisions. In early July, he updated the top-25 and dropped Pitt to #20.

For the All-Big East team (page 40), they have Palko as the QB and offensive player of the year; Greg Lee at WR; Charles Spencer, OL; H.B. Blades, LB; Josh Lay, DB; and Adam Graessle, P.

As far as the individual evaluation of Pitt (page 67), the preview expects Pitt to compete but not be able to win the BE from Louisville, coming in second. The offense is expected to be very, very good. Palko to Lee leading, but with much more balance and a better running game. The concern is on the defense. Not with the starters who are considered to be good, but with the depth. A fair point, Pitt is kind of thin. The defense should still be better with Wanny’s impact as a coach being felt there.

You can watch some brief interviews from Big East Media Day (click the link “Media Day Overview,” the two links beneath are from the 2004 media day). From Pitt they talk to Coach Dave Wannstedt and QB Tyler Palko (Windows Media). Wannstedt appears about 3:15 in and Palko follows at about the 4:45 mark. Amusing, perhaps only to me, they mute out the actual question being asked of the interviewees. Likely so the media outlets that used the clips can do a voice over of their own or even pretend they were asking the question.

South Florida’s head coach is very excited about the future.

“It’s something you can’t even measure,” Leavitt said of joining the Big East. “Because now you have taken away the last obstacle from getting the very best players. Now you can tell them that you have a legitimate opportunity to play for a national championship.”

Leavitt said he didn’t sense feeling any pressure as one of the three schools replacing Boston College, Miami and Virginia Tech, who have bolted for the ACC in the past two seasons. How the Big East performs in the next two seasons could dictate whether the conference will remain Bowl Championship Series eligible when the current BCS contract expires in 2006.

“I didn’t feel it as much as some did in the Big East,” Leavitt said. “I got more of a sense of excitement and energy at Big East media days with the NFL coaches (Dave Wannstedt at Pittsburgh) returning to college.”

As for new coaches getting the area to drink the kool-aid, it isn’t as easy when you are Ohio University, but there are flashes.

Miami, Bowling Green, Toledo, and Marshall have dominated the MAC picture over the last decade or so. Hopefully, Solich can build Ohio into a contender. He has a great reputation despite his demise at Nebraska.

Solich coached under the highly successful Dr. Tom Osborne and played under the legendary Bob Devaney at Nebraska. And he’s an Ohio native from Cleveland, knows the state, and shouldn’t have difficulty recruiting once he becomes fully acquainted with the state’s high school coaches.

Hey, it’s important to keep an eye on what is going on at some of the other teams Pitt will face.

Speaking of other schools, WVU is finally getting some more depth back at Wide Receiver. Three of their WRs who were academically ineligible last year have qualified.

Finally CollegeFootballNews.com has some more way early predictions of some big games in September.

Saturday, September 17th – Pitt at Nebraska
It’s a rematch of last year’s mistake-filled 24-17 Nebraska win with Dave Wannstedt taking his Panthers to Lincoln for a big early season showdown. The Big East needs this win to help in the national respect department, while Nebraska could use this win before Big 12 play starts. As tough as it is to win in Lincoln, Pitt will pull it off thanks to Tyler Palko, Greg Lee, and the Panther passing game lighting up the young Husker secondary. The Pitt run D will keep Cory Ross in check.
Predicted score in late July: Pitt 27 … Nebraska 24
Oasis Line: Nebraska -3

This actually conflicts with their Pitt page, where they mark this one as a predicted loss for Pitt.