The Big East Preseason Media Poll just blew my mind. They picked the team losing their top offensive and defensive player to win the conference. A team with questions regarding the O-line and a QB position that could be considered wide-open at best.

Yes, that’s right, they picked Pitt.

BIG EAST Projections: Pts

1. PITT (8) 161
2. West Virginia (5) 151
3. Cincinnati (8) 144
4. USF (3) 130
5. Rutgers 126
6. Connecticut 74
7. Louisville 51
8. Syracuse 27

First place votes in parentheses

I really don’t know what to say. I had to double check and see that this wasn’t a mistake.

Obviously, the fact that 4 teams received 1st place votes says how wide-open everyone views the conference. What stands out is that it means that more often than not, Pitt was seen as one of the top-3 teams in the conference. It’s really the only explanation as to how they garnered that many points.

I don’t know. Every contending team in the Big East has so many questions and impact players to replace that it is defensible. Still, this is a stunner.

Some more things with no specifics.

Sean at Troy Nunes is an Absolute Magician (Syracuse) has the latest Octonion to kick off Big East Media Days.

In a feverish dream, I saw you and your mustachioed leader.  I was bewitched by a prophecy.  It was December.  I saw a football field.  And upon it, the Pitt Panthers did battle.  And that field was in Birmingham Alabama.

NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

Also rules for writing on Big East Media Days.

Still no word on Bowl deals for the Big East, and Coach Wannstedt expects a few more commits in the next couple of weeks.

The Cinci Enquirer actually bothered to send a beat reporter this year.

Some local Cleveland area stories on Dan Schneider’s verbal.

“I’m excited about everything they have to offer at Pitt,” he said. “It’s been a rollercoaster ride – there’s times that it’s been great and times that weren’t so great. It’s also very time consuming. Once you do the research and get to the bottom of everything, it’s not too difficult to make a decision. But the time I put in was incredible, so I’m glad that’s off my plate.”

Schneider also needed to join a program at a school where he felt like he fit academically. He is one of the top students at Avon Lake, and Dlugosz said his grade-point average is just over 4.4.

“I was looking into all the academic scholarships before the football offers came along,” Schneider said. “It’s something I would have looked into had this not come about, but it’s so hard to get academic scholarships these days I don’t know how that would have gone.

“I’ve always wanted to play football in college though, so this is fulfilling a big dream of mine.”

So at the very least, he will help the team’s GPA numbers.