I keep beating this point into the ground, so I apologize if you are sick of me writing it. What Pitt has done this year has been amazing in light of the consistent treading of water for the last 5 years. At the same time, Pitt has done exactly what they should. Win games they should win.
They haven’t gone out and shocked the world. The Panthers haven’t staged huge upsets. They may have been slight underdogs in some games — GT, VT and even Louisville — but they weren’t shockers.
It is part of why Pitt has stayed out of the polls, despite an 8-3 record and everyone expressing admiration and respect for the season Pitt has had and the job done by Pat Narduzzi in the first year.
Pitt lost three games to top-15 teams. None of them ended as a real blowout. Even the ND game has a respectable score differential — even if Pitt wasn’t really that close. No bad losses. But no great wins either.
The teams that did make the bottom of the top-25 polls may have a bad loss on their record, but they also have at least one really good win. Something that can suggest a greater potential (or simply fluke) than what Pitt has done.
This is not a complaint about what the team has done. Far from it. This season has been such a tremendous step forward. The team has changed its approach. It’s attitude. The belief it has in itself. This has been one of the more enjoyable football seasons in years.
All Pitt can do is keep on winning the games it should — like this Friday. Things will take care of themselves.
Final note.
The Coaching Carousel is seemingly spinning wildly. Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports did a long piece listing 51 coaches either rising or falling that could/should be in play as soon as the regular seasons end. 51 coaches and somehow the only mention of Pat Narduzzi was in additional notes as a quote he had about Ejuan Price’s great game on Saturday.
It is a good sign that Pat Narduzzi’s agent hasn’t even let his name float out there for any of the open jobs — even to get a raise — in his first year. I don’t assume Narduzzi will never want to leave, or won’t be tempted by the prestige/money of some other job. But it is clear he likes the situation he has stepped into at Pitt.
One more reason to be positive about the football program going forward.
Can you imagine if these (3) returned to Pitt next year for one more season?
Ejuan Price DE for 6th season
Tyler Boyd WR
James Conner RB
Again, I can dream…
Price and Conner are probably, I think. Boyd almost certainly will be gone.
My dreams are centered on possible additions to this year’s recruiting class.
H2P
I love the quotes by Boyd and Price after the game. They believe that they should win. They believe that the staff does a great job of putting them into a position to win.
Credit to Miami, they haven’t packed it in. Friday will be a tough game and Pitt will need to be focused from the start. What an enjoyable season indeed!
A short three months ago there was a heated debate about the quality Nebraska players who the YSU had on their roster now. Enough to beat Pitt again now that the genius Bo Pelini was coaching the Penquins now.
We lose our 1st game to the Hawkeyes and the pessimists quickly evoked the SOP label for the Panthers professing that if Pitt can’t hang with a middling B1G team like Iowa how could they even get to a .500 record again in 2015.
Then GT was the team to beat in the ACC Coastal, Pitt had little chance in this one since the triple option was seldom seen and impossible to stop. GT was a sure bet for winning the Coastal Crown, yeah right.
All of a sudden we’re 6-1 and full of ourselves, winning at home against UNC puts us in the driver’s seat for the division title and we get schooled by the Tarheels, just when we get noticed for a slot n the top 25.
After the ND loss the dark cloud over the program predicts that the Panthers might just not win another game in light of how well the remaining teams on our schedule are playing. Duke still being a contender will be tuff to stop and can we hold them to under 40 points? Unlikely. How did that work out for the Blue Devils?
Then last Sarurday, the slow starting Panthers that play like anemic old men in the 1st half of games put up 42 points in the half and everyone is high on Pitt Koolaid until the Cardinals bring us back down to earth with a potent aerial attack to make a game of it in the second half, where usually Pitt comes on strong.
Now we are butch in and moaning since we’ve been dissed by the voters and remain lowly ranked in the high twenties rather than where other 8-3 teams reside in the top 25.
So exactly who are these teams that we are supposed to beat? Preseason the only sure wins were YSU & Akron, and those Ws were just on paper since they were both victorious over the Panthers in their last match ups with us. After beating VT & GT the thought was these are “quality” wins but then as both Techs continued their season tailspins they became “teams we should have beaten” really?
Well perception is reality and right now Pitt just hasn’t gotten any signature win this season. That’s the perception. Beating ND would have been that type of win. However make no mistake about it both the Duke and the Louisville victories are really good wins against teams that are definitely NOT in the category of teams that we were supposed to beat.
After our two game slide, there was such pessimism around after Notre Dame exposed our deficiencies that many thought that the Panthers might not see another win this season. Even Coach Narduzzi acknowledged that the current roster needed to be reinforced with future recruiting to address some of those deficiencies. Disheartening.
So here we stand at 8-3 and the evaluation is that we’ve simply beaten the teams that we should have. Hilarious. No one knows anything, ever, about the future. That is why they play the games.
The moral of the story? I’m not quite sure. But what I do know is that watching Pitt football has become fun again! I love this Coach, Pitt has now and my eternal hope that Pitt can win any game on their schedule is actually being validated by this gritty bunch of Panthers who are learning how to win under this coach’s guidance.
My prediction on the Miami game? Just like all of you, I have no frickin clue, that’s why they play the games. Just enjoy the process.
HAIL TO PITT!!!!. We will crush the Canes!!!
What a NOVEL concept!!!….winning the games you should win.
Hope that Coach Narduzzi stays longer than 1 year…2 years …3 years…..
It will be absolutley “AMEZEGA” (to steal a line from Bob Walk)…..to see what this team looks like when the Head Coach has HIS recruits playing for him….and puts his entire program into place.
Sheesh…..just like most “polished” football programs are used to – year after year – decade after decade.
It would be nice to get back … “to normal.”
HAIL TO PITT !
H2P!!
Now they seem as dangerous as ever. But so are the Panthers. Both the Duke and the Ville wins were pleasant surprises. A third one would be the perfect surprise trifecta to end the season, wouldn’t it?
No doubt a 9-3 Panther record gets us a visit back into the top 25 again and a Tier I bowl match up against a quality opponent. That would be quite a feat accomplished by a brand new HC, for sure!
If such good fortune befalls us then, for the month of December we can debate whether such a ranking is a jinx or not right up to our bowl game time. Got to worry about something, if you’re a Pitt fan. Haha.
Miami has won 3 of their last four, they are not coming here to lay down. Look for another tough hard fought contest.
We need to win one more for Tyler Boyd, the most prolific wide receiver to ever wear the Blue and Gold. He has set records that probably won’t be broken for many, many years.
Second behind the greatest Panther of all in all-purpose yardage.
I would enjoy the Sun Bowl in El Paso against UCLA, the Sun Bowl was a great location when Pitt last played there.
Jacksonville would be a good choice also.
Nashville and Charlotte would be okay. But please not the Pinstripe Bowl unless the opponent is Ped.
St.
His assistants are a different story. The only one I’d consider giving a raise to would be DC Josh Conklin. He’s young enough that he may even take a pay cut to get to a bigger program to bolster his resume’. But one factor for him would be to want to stay with Narduzzi for at least 2-3 years and learn from one of the best DCs in college football.
OC Jim Chaney isn’t going anywhere, he’s already a journeyman and his work at Pitt this season isn’t nearly good enough for another program to buy out his contract. We may like what he did at Pitt this season but football employers look at stats as well as results and ours just aren’t that great on offense to worry about losing him.
Everyone else is probably under one or two years contracts and can be expected to leave as assistants come and go at this level.
One more thing – don’t thing Pitt has an unlimited bucket of money for football – it doesn’t. We fans can throw around “we should give Tom, Dick and Harry a raise” but the administration isn’t thinking that way.
Fri Nov 27
Cloudy and warm
63°Lo 42°
As one of the old guys…. Could we please play somewhere
Warm!
“what’d they do”, I replied……….
“they won again!”
what a wonderful feeling to able to say that!!!!
A little disappointed. I know some of you are pining for a warm weather bowl, which would be great with me too.
However, I would love to see us in the Pinstripe Bowl, love NYC, especially during Christmas time.
I thought it was mid-December, or maybe 19th, 20th, 21st, something like that. I believe that’s what it’s been, because I thought of making that trip if it ever happened.
I see it’s now the day after Christmas??
Won’t be able to do that one.
Besides, these contract extensions rarely keep a coach where he is. Just ask the Pedos about that $1mil raise they gave Bill O’Brien the year before he left.
and as many of you already know, Iowa St gave formed Pitt DC Paul Rhoads his walking papers yesterday
There are a lot openings so far with a likely a few more coming. Not implying that these will have any effect on current Pitt staff .. just making an observation
His enthusiasm is contagious and as Chet mentioned he has
what all great coaches have …. Attention to detail and the ability to instill it in his players!
This time last year we were in hot discussion about Chryst
not centering the ball so Duke. What a difference!
Narduzzi on Ejuan Price’s sixth-year application: “I might have to hand deliver that to the NCAA.” #Pitt
Sam Werner
Narduzzi said he talked to Dantonio after MSU win, too. PN was happy for Spartans’ win, and vice versa.
Narduzzi says he hasn’t talked to Boyd about NFL decision, but he’s “never going to recruit a guy to stay.” #Pitt
Brian Batko
Narduzzi on Tyler Boyd’s upcoming NFL decision: “We haven’t had one word about it. He’s been focused and that’s what he needs to be.”
Sam Werner
Narduzzi on Connor Dintino at fullback: “He’s pounded some people inside and created some great holes for Ollison to run through
Narduzzi on #Pitt seniors: “They’re my guys because they embraced me when I came into this room.”
Brian Batko
Narduzzi on his seniors: “They’re all your children, it doesn’t matter if they’re with you one year. … You love these guys. ”
Brian Batko
More Narduzzi: “That’s what I love about coach Chaney is he’s gonna be able to pound the football, and that’s how you win football games.
Brian Batko
Narduzzi on Ollison’s 1,000 yards: “Here in Pittsburgh, we’re gonna be able to run the football and we’re gonna be able to stop the run.”
Sam Werner
Narduzzi: “Here in Pittsburgh, we’re going to be able to run the football and we’re going to be able to stop the run.” #Pitt
All who have pointed to concerns about losing some of the staff: I’ve gotten the impression over the years, that most good head coaches think of it as a feather in their cap when a staff member gets a “promotion” to another team. As more and more of one’s staff leave for higher positions, it would seem to me to be easier to find staff replacements. You get a rep for teaching coaches, and increasing their marketability.
This is what I think we’ll see with HCPN. He will be very successful, in part, because he has very good assistants – or rather because he has trained very good assistants. And they will be in high demand. Success begets success!
Boyd might have gotten his third 1000 yd year if he had played vs. YSU. Still remarkable.
Look at the schedules of Iowa, ND, and UNC. Iowa’s best win is probably Northwestern and they not impressive. Notre Dame’s might be Temple; UNC’s might be Pitt. It could be argued that Pitt is the signature win for all 3, and Pitt is unranked.
I also don’t buy the logic that, “well Temple played ND closer than Pitt did, therefore Temple is better than Pitt” – as if ND’s performance is a constant. That makes no sense.
I don’t know if Pitt is better than Temple because they haven’t played them. But I’d be willing to bet that if Temple played in the ACC instead of the AAC they would have more than 2 losses.
I think something in Pitt’s favor is Narduzzi is a good fit here. Hell if someone told you he was western Pa born and raised you wouldn’t doubt it for a second. I think Conklin may want to learn under the master for a couple more years. If he would go Duzz is always going to be involved in the defense and is going to bring in a guy that plays his style.
I’m with Reed, don’t think Pitt needs to give him a raise or extension…yet.
I think the kid just missed it last year. There are many things that happen during a game we can all question on Sunday morning…or for the late owls, Saturday night!
It’s a new era. A new day! Forget the missed calls and missed opportunities. We are a new Pitt. I only worry about losing Harley. Very young and a go getter. They do deserve a raise, all of them. They are changing the culture and teaching the players how to win and the fans how to win again. Some can argue, that is their job and I respect that. I would argue that they have performed exceptionally where the past 5 staffs failed. Nice raise necessitated. 10%. Make it happen!
H2P
They don’t want to go through this again, I think they know what they have.
I think he is genuinely happy here.
He made friends and had relationships at Mich. State, but that is not “going home” for him.
Now, if for arguments sake Alabama, ND, USC, Texas came calling with 10 million dollars or some other boat load of money, well, what are you gonna do.
However, I don’t think a “regular” Power 5 school is gonna be able to come in and throw a buck or two his way, without Barnes and Gallagher handling that.
We may not have a never ending supply of money, but no one is going to be able to come in here and nickle and dime him away. I believe those type of offers will be answered.
especially, if say for example he puts together 3 or 4 seasons, getting progressivly better, Pitt becoming a solid 9-3, 10-2 team, always in the top 20 type of team………..
if he does that, and in year 3 or 4, looks up and still sees 20K empty seats for the non
ND-PSU-WVU type games.
That would be disconcerting to anyone.
Sore subject, but the truth. Not fun.
Conklin has a good situation now, and I’m glad he’s our DC! However, the reality is that Narduzzi may get the credit for our defensive progress, so if Conklin did want to leave, he’d have to overcome that stigma…
Hail to Pitt. Beat the U.
For his part, HCPN says this is his dream job.
With the above in mind, its not time to bum Narduzzi just yet. Lets win a Coastal Division title first or perhaps finish a season in the Top 15. Until then, we wait.
When a bigger school courts him – and they will someday – with buckets of cash, we can seal him up with a new deal then. And if Pitt is where he wants to be, he will take it instead of moving on.
HCPN got a very nice budget to work with to bring in assistants. More than Pitt had paid in the past and what was necessary to land the folks he wanted. If he wants to keep one who is being lured away by $$ and asks for a budget increase to match/beat an offer – I give it to him to do just that.
In the meantime, lets be patient and enjoy the show.
Interesting note about attendance. It needs addressed at some point. Start funding it now and when we are ready to make the next move, we will have funding in place. Gator Bowl would be nice. Dak is probably as big as most of our DL.
Comment by Chick 11.23.15 @ 4:07 pm”
Intriguing. I would travel from Central VA for that game/venue.
The Pinstripe Bowl would be great too – NYC during the holidays is fun.
Invites to Dee-troit, Shreveport and Houston should be turned down. And for God’s sake, no Birmingham. Even if they have drive-thru dacquiri places in Shreveport.
We’ve earned something better this year.
Great comment Iron
One only has to look over the west of Pitt….in Ohio Fake land.
Just who is the Bucknuts signature win ?
Va Tech, Pedo St., Northern Illinois, Minnesota, Illinois ???
They FINALLY played a ranked team in their creampuff schedule, and lost at HOME. To a team playing a 2nd STRING QB who had thrown 3 entire passes in his career at Mich State.
Why are they still ranked #8 ?
And then it’s at the tailend of season, so that they don’t fall much in the totally bogus rankings.
As I say…The Big Joke.
64% of ppl that voted believe Pitt is ranked too low !
One of the few team where ppl voted a team was ranked…..too low.
Werner was not one of them apparently.
So, for our bowl, my wish is to play (and beat) a brand name Big 10, SEC, or Pac 12 team that plays real football. Nebraska, Michigan?, USC or UCLA, LSU, Georgia…
If only we could get the local media whores to reflect the National Sentiment.
Not exactly sure what you meant by this “We love to rag on the SEC, but they can’t manipulate their schedules down there, like they do in the Big Joke, so that the Top teams don’t play anyone of consequence, except maybe once or twice in 13 games.” If you’re talking in conference, fine.
Florida played East Carolina, New Mexico State and Florida Atlantic at home this year. Two of those were decided by a touchdown.
Georgia played Louisiana-Monroe, Southern and Georgia Southern at home.
Alabama played Louisiana-Monroe, Middle Tennessee and Charleston-Southern at home.
Mississippi played Tennessee-Martin, New Mexico State and Fresno State at home. They did actually challenge themselves a bit a scheduled Memphis on the road and lost. Memphis now has three conference losses.
Those are your top two teams in the SEC East and West. I hope your point wasn’t that the SEC doesn’t schedule cupcakes.
What I am overjoyed with are (1) the fact that this team is still primarily fueled by underclassmen, (2) seem to finally have adapted to the new offense, and, most importantly, have adopted a winning culture.