Bunch of things needed to be done this morning, and then I will have the monitor duty on the AOL Fanhouse — watching and posting on all the college football games — this afternoon and evening (yes that includes making snarky comments on the Michigan-PSU game).
So, the media write-up is going to be lots of link and little commentary and excerpts.
Starting with the locals, which I’m sure most of you have already scanned.
It’s hard to play up the “bad luck” angle of Friday the 13th when the game was over so quickly. The road blowout by Pitt was their biggest in years.
H.B. Blades had a great game and impressed the Butkus Award Committee — which happens to be run by the Orlando Downtown Athletic Club — which is a nice coincidence. The watchlist gets cutdown from 66 to 10 next week.
I’ll skip analyzing the Smizik column that hardly skimps on backhand slaps at Pitt, to simply observe the abject shock he is experiencing at the idea of a Rutgers-Pitt game that really matters.
The AP story has Coach Wannstedt apparently answering a question about trying to score again before the half.
The second kick came as the clock ticked off to halftime, when despite a 38-point lead, Pitt pushed for a TD.
“We had 30 minutes of football left,” Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said. “We would never intentionally run the score up, but it was the same play we ran last week against Syracuse to run the clock out against them. And he was open.”
I don’t think anyone can really accuse a team of running up the score when it is still in the first half. I was happy with it, because it was about putting UCF away. The stepping on the throat that you want your team to do.
Now for the Florida media. They were in a surly mood.
UCF couldn’t stop Pitt on Friday night.
Not on the opening kickoff.
Not on the Panthers’ first possession.
Not on the Panthers’ last possession.
Not anywhere in between.
Pitt never punted. The Panthers converted 10 of 12 third downs. George O’Leary, UCF’s frustrated coach, couldn’t remember another game in which his defense failed to force a punt.
Now, when you get trounced you can play up the “bad luck” angle. But that can only account for so much.
The only problem was that from the very first play of the game Friday night, it was clear to almost everyone in the announced crowd of 35,858 at the Florida Citrus Bowl that UCF’s woes had nothing to do with simple bad luck.
On the bright side, UCF seems to have found another WR to compliment Mike Walker.
This seems to have upset the media to some degree because of who was coaching Pitt.
Wannstedt, a flop as head coach of the Chicago Bears and the Miami Dolphins, has energized his alma mater into a powerhouse once again. Pitt improved to 6-1 and is riding a four-game winning streak. The Panthers, whose lone loss was to Michigan State, could play a major role in the national championship race as they close the season with consecutive home games against No. 5 West Virginia and No. 7 Louisville.
More later.
Reed, I agree with you, we have a great chance in beating Rutgers. The key will be stopping Rutgers running game and making them throw.
Does anyone remember Rutgers head coach last year acting like an asshole on the sidelines when they were crushing Pitt during the first half of last years game?
During the second half of last years game when Pitt made the game respectable he stopped his antics and puckered a bit.
vanderbilt (3-4) @/over #16 geogia
indiana (4-3) over #15 iowa @
however, I don’t see a supposed BC (5-1) “upset” over #22 VT @ (4-2) helping the cause to much at this point Sat. afternoon (BC did beat a ranked Clemson team (#18) on 9/9/06.)
But, with Rutgers having all but wrapped up Navy (convincing, on the road)) — 27-0 4th Qtr. with -7min. remaining it looks like we’ll get another natl. broadcast next Sat. 5:45PM ESPN2. And with that pretty much set, it wouldn’t surprise me if Pitt were to slide in at #25 …if the media has any influence over the polls, that is….
Anyone else have a similar – or not – take on it?
Read Smizik’s column, and while he makes some valid points, he proves again that he confuses being a curmudgeon with being a good journalist. Apart from being a Harris apologist, he’s shortsighted on how very different this team is from the one Wanny inherited. Even the people close to PITT’s program are finally voicing just how dysfunctional the team was in 2004 – and how much that carried over into last season. It’s no coincidence that certain players have either quit the team or transferred out.
Look, I’ll give Harris credit for what he did here, and I have no problem if a coach wants to go onto a job where he feels he will have a better work/life/family situation – for whatever the reasons. But I also believe Harris tried to manipulate the University’s administration, and the local & national media to spin things in his favor. How much more obvious can it be when he has an agent denigrating PITT for being second rate, and then lap dogging Bill Walsh (who also took some shots at PITT and Pittsburgh) and the Stanford administration for a contract there. We might come in second to some aspects of comparison to Stanford, but its football program is not one of them. It smacked of underhanded politics, and, to me, was very distasteful. There’s something to be said about a man standing up and telling the truth – and we all could have accepted it if he just said that he had an offer from Stanford and he had always wanted to coach there. Finally, he burnt a lot of bridges with the local football community – almost like he knew he wasn’t going to be here for long and didn’t care. So, as much as it goes against my nature to gloat when another man’s down, I’ll be honest and say I love seeing the Stanford scores every Sunday (hey, I even root for Penn State to do well!)
Off my soap box, go PITT!
He and Cook would have a hard time finding a good column with a flashlight and a map.
BTW: I’m getting pretty sick of bloggers critizing DW’s Pro coaching record… He actually did very well:
“Chicago Bears
Years/Position: 1993-98, head coach. Highlights: Finishes as third-winningest coach in Bears’ history…named 1994 NFC Coach the Year by UPI and Football News.
Miami Dolphins
Years/Position: 1999, assistant head coach; 2000-04, head coach. Highlights: 2000 AFC East champs with 11-5 mark…named 2000 NFL Coach of the Year by FOX’s Terry Bradshaw (annual “Terry Awards”)…Wannstedt’s 41-23 mark from 2000-03 ranked fifth among all NFL coaches…one of only three teams from 2000-03 to win nine or more games each season…2000 & 2001 Florida Sports Awards Pro Coach of the Year.”
At this point I just hope we can stay healthy, it seems like we lose someone every week. The young guys are playing great and there is a ton of potential there for the future.
Finally, I remember Chas laughing at DW’s offseason morning runs and team building exercises but most everyone else on this board thought that it was agreat idea and it looks like it was. The players seemed to really respond to it and there is no doubt they are playing as a team this year and playing full speed for 60 minutes regardless of the score and thats the mark of a winner.
Hail to Pitt
FSU impailed Duke (0-6), but not as convincing as Pitt routed Central Fla. who at least a couple wins going into the game; UCLA is getting knocked around pretty good by Oregon at the 1/2 way mark, and if PSU gets the b*tch slapping they deserve in Ann Arbor… and Miami allows Fla. International to stick around and make it close…and the Huskies flounder v. Org. St. at home, … then it’s not impossible for Pitt to break into the Coaches Poll, though not so probable when considering the AP.
…Last, if A&M v. #19 Missouri — 17-19 (respectively) in the 3rd Qrt. — could actually find a way to finish a game for once, it is going to be all the more possible that both next Saturday’s game at Pitt will showcase to ranked opponents.
…can’t get too hopeful or excited about the polls these days, but that would be kinda nice to see IMO. (Very nice to watch the BE looking stronger while the ACC continues its nose dive.)
Really, his time in Miami wasn’t nearly as bad as people want to make it out to be. He won every year there except for his last season, aka The Ricky Williams Fiasco. I’m not saying Wanny was a great NFL coach, but he certainly wasn’t as terrible as he’s often made out to be.
As for Harris, it always seemed like there was a ceiling for Pitt Football when he was here. Sure he took us out of the crappy 90s and made us somewhat respectable again, but I could never honestly see us being a REAL power with Walt at the helm. It seemed like we were doomed to have nothing better than 7-4/8-3 records and finishing ranked no higher than the low-teens/high-twenties at best every year with Harris.
With the Wann-‘stache it legitimately seems like there is no ceiling for how high Pitt can go. He’s recruiting blue-chippers at all positions, and he’s successfully turning Pitt into a hard-nosed football team, something Harris was never very interested in.
And while this year is good, this isn’t even nearly as good as it’s gonna get. And that’s the thing, with Wanny I can see Pitt competing for and maybe, possibly, actually (knocking on wood right now) WINNING the whole enchilada in the not-so-distant future. It’s not too far fetched when we’re winning recruits from schools that are already National Title contenders.
Consider my big tall glass of Dave Wannstedt: Pitt Head Football Coach Kool Aid drunk.
That’s why I love The Blather, because the exchange of thoughts on here (and Doke’s Blog also) are pretty well balanced, well written, and – for the most part – informative for us fans. There’s been many times that I’ve posted something, had someone rebut my thoughts and I’ve had to re-think my position, and I’ll agree or disagree depending. But, it’s all good natured and I appreciate that. When I start reading posts that are so insulting and far fetched it just turns me off.
I’m starting to think that this week’s game might take on more importance that we would have thought in the beginning of the season. Rutgers continues to impress – as does PITT. I said I was shocked at the Rutgers-Navy final score and it’s made me think Rutgers is better than even my high opinion of them warrants. Living here in Maryland, and being in the military, I pay close attention to the Middies, and Rutgers whacked them in a way I didn’t think would happen. I still think we’ll win, but anticipate nail biting while watching the game.
Am glad that the BE is starting to get positive press in the national media, and feel that, while it’s not the strongest conference, it might be one of the most competitive top to bottom. Six out of eight teams are .500 or better, and five of those have two or less losses (for a combined 29-3 record). Regardless of the quality of the opponents, that’s an excellent mid-season record. Key will be seeing where the bowl slots shake out, and if we can win most of our bowl games the controversy should die out.
1) QB knocked out early
2) Horrific punting, and
3) Still being in the game well into Q3
Is there anything more satisfying than Pitt ripping apart an opponent on the road and 110 thousand psu fans crying in the cold with their white faces? On the good side for psu, Joepa did make it through the game without soiling himself.
Rutgers – now #19 – got some justice in the AP Top 25 w/ Pitt (noted above) just missing the cut @ #26; 73 votes. (Perhaps I shouldn’t have been rooting for a TAMU victory afterall.)
…Opposite Rex, though, I’d like to see Pitt gets some love in the Coaches Poll (deservedly, or not, is debatable). Going into next weeks game as a ranked opponent would definately raise the stakes v. Rutgers and a win in week 8 would definately bring some recognition the program and, perhaps, make the difference to recruits yet undecided.
CBSportsline’s inclusion of VT (4-2) without a significant win to date (to say the least) is laughable.
Luoisville was very unimpressive yesterday I think they can be knocked off. Yes VT being left in is laughable, typical Beamer Ball chokies.
Steve, correct about your three reasons above – still, a 34-0 win over anyone is pretty good.
So, halfway through the season and the BE has three teams in the top 20. This has been, and looks to continue to be, an interesting and fun football season.
