In anticipation of the Panther’s summer training camp Paul Zeise of the Post Gazette has written a long article about the team and its expectations for the season. No real earthshaking news here but he touches on the cost of the new program direction which for a school like PITT is a big step forward:
University administrators hope Graham can deliver the kind of exciting football he is selling because they have made a huge financial investment in him. Graham is making about $2 million per year and was given a pool of $2 million for his staff. The school has made him the focal point of its marketing campaign, going so far as to create a glitzy website called highoctanefootball.com.
As talked about over the offseason the question comes up whether a team of players built for Wanny Ball can succeed in Graham’s offense:
His answer, consistently, has been “absolutely.” “We took over a team at Rice and changed them from the wishbone to our system in one season,” Graham said, “and, by the end of the season, we were rolling. And here I think we have a lot of very good pieces to work with.
“Do we have everything we’d like? No, not yet, but I think we have an excellent quarterback, a lot of good receivers and at least one running back [Ray Graham] who really has a chance to do some special things in our system.
Joe Starkey over at the Trib-Review opens his pre-camp article with a bang…
Pitt’s motto under Dave Wannstedt should have been: “We’re not as good as you think we are.” Nearly every year, his team would fulfill the prophecy.
Wannstedt’s severe allergy to expectations manifested before his first season, in 2005, when he told anyone within earshot that Pitt’s No. 23 ranking was unmerited. At the Big East meetings last August, after Pitt was deemed a prohibitive favorite, he delivered this beauty: “That makes no sense to me.”
He then goes on to chastise fans that hold the same argument for a first year coach to not do well in his first season. One thing is for sure; our HC isn’t shy about his expectations for the team. He put it succinctly Friday, reiterating what he has been telling people for months: “Our expectation is to win the Big East. Anything less and we’ll be disappointed.” Starkey then goes on to describe just how bad the Big east is and has been. He doesn’t pull any punches.
The HighOctaneFootball.com site has some good info and they just put up a bloopers video that will make some laugh and others more worried. Here is a quick piece on Five Reasons to be excited for 2011. Reason #3 is a tossup at this point I think and I wonder if #5 is an advantage. You commenters may want to list your own 5 reasons to discuss.
Until there is more real football news to talk about…this might get you in the mood.
First Practice: Tonight, August 8th.
#4….I think is the biggest reason to really get excited. If Tino can make that “Bill Stull 2nd year jump”, this team could be something special. Let’s just hope that it works out that way.
#5….I guess it’s addition by subtraction. At least you won’t have a stadium completely filled with the opposition fans. I’m not bashing anyone here honestly. I was an undgrad @ Pitt at the tail end of the Walt era. Say what you will about Walt, but Larry Fitz leading a top 15 team against ND and Va Tech filled that stadium. Attendance and energy just never felt the same when we had talented yet dissapointing squads.
as far as the the 23rd pre-season ranking in 05 .. note that this was following a BCS appearance and the morons who pick pre-season usually base it on the name teams plus who was involved in the bowl games the previous year. I’m sure they had no knowledge that Pitt would start 3 nantural freshman in the opener vs ND (2 of them linemen.) Further, it is doubtful that the pollsters at that time ever heard of the names of Pat White and Steve Slaton, who in the Sugar Bowl that year ran roughshod over the SEC champs.
There is nothing wrong with high expectations and ‘talking the talk’ … provided, of course, that you …..
I get the idea, temper excitement so you don’t look as horrendous when you flop. Personally I like the confidence that Graham carries, but like you said it doesn’t really mean anything if you can’t back it up.
Echoing wbb he states: “How much more can we hear the words “high-octane” and “fast-tempo” before actually seeing some results?”
And talks about position changes… “Brandon Lindsey had moved to Panther, as have Bryan Murphy and Shayne Hale. There was some talk about Lindsey possibly playing both the Panther and staying at the down position late in the spring. Will Lindsey stay at Panther, play both, or did Murphy make enough of a case in the spring to claim that Panther spot?”
Something is going to happen to get Murphy an the field full time.
I used to scoff at coaches from other schools with this style, so just because he coaches the school that I follow doesn’t stop me cringing virtually ever time I hear him speak.
On a more serious note, I believe the players will start to tune him out after a while especially if things aren’t going so well … which I hope will never occur.
Agree that it sucks about Murphy … 2nd year in a row that he was injured, and by all acounts, he is a player.
It’s time for Shayne Hale to step up and fulfill some of that potential that he came in with. Big opportunity for him to show his stuff and share that position with Lindsey.
I’m having trouble understanding the academic problem. Bosco is a top notch prep school in Northern N J. I have never heard of their students having a problem with academics in college.
This is a concern we may have to watch about the new coaching staff.
GoPittFootball.com looks like it was produced in 2005/2006 and HighOctaneFootball is a Tumblr ripoff: why not just use Tumblr?!
Ashton’s using Tumblr, for crying out loud!
smh
Sadly, the amount of money used to keep GoPittFootball.com live has got to be high, with the amount of Flash being used. Who would want to spend any time on that site, with the load times between content?
Zheeesh, we must be all jacked up on High Octane around here lately.
Excellent job as always Reed, thanks for taking your own personal time, to help keep this blog the best Pitt blog out there! Always much thanks to Chas, of course.
So much for all the “high octane” talk. Now it is time to produce. Expectations are high and the time frame is short.
Success now rest at one man’s feet… Graham. Here’s hoping that he is successful immediately.
HTP