The two topics covered in the news regarding Pitt.
This has to be one of the best parts of being a head coach. Getting to reward walk-ons with scholarships. These are kids that either took a chance on themselves or needed to be at the school because of family or some deep desire for that particular school. They earned the scholarship for the work they have done since coming into the program.
There was a little twitter kerfuffle yesterday. I’ll do a little recap and then get to my point.
It started with an article on Clairton High School Senior, 5-star recruit, possibly the top national recruit and the holy grail of the recruiting battles in PA for 2017: Lamont Wade.
Wade is a defensive back and is being recruited as such. He also plays running back on the other side of the ball. Not surprising when you are the best athlete on a team. You will get maximum exposure.
Wade is moving to outside linebacker for the season. Not because he wants to play that position later, but because that is where the need is for his team.
I noted this on twitter a few days ago, but I wanted to expand on it a bit further. 2016 could potentially be a special season for Pitt. All of the elements are there: experience, leadership, talent, depth, coaching, and opportunity. The national spotlight will be on Heinz this Saturday with the return of James Conner and it won’t leave with Penn State visiting the following weekend. Back to back road trips against ranked teams, Oklahoma State and UNC, pose big challenges.
Hypothetically, what if Pitt starts 4-0? A win over a rival and two ranked teams on the road plus the emotional angle of Conner would make the national media nuts. That would lead to a top 15 ranking with the easiest stretch of the schedule ahead.
Why is this not crazy? (more…)
Game Notes (PDF) came out yesterday with the first real depth chart for the 2016 season (pg. 3).
I wouldn’t say there are a lot of surprises. Maybe a couple eyebrow raises, but not any, “Wait, what?” moments in the depth chart.
A few basketball related things.
Last week I noted the ACC schedule for basketball will go to 20. Really didn’t dig deep into that side of it, and I still don’t think I am right now. One thing to consider is how that lessens the impact of the non-con schedule in terms of RPI, BPI, KenPom, etc.
On the one hand you now have a portion of the schedule shrunk by over 15%. That same side of the schedule that we and the punditry will harp on for bubble teams come March. With the increase to the conference schedule, the value of the non-con should reasonable shrink as it is only 33% of the schedule.
The decrease in the non-con schedule will also flatten the difference — at least among ACC teams — in their non-con strength of schedule.
I can’t even bother to work up some requisite outrage over a dumb name, a likely dumb trophy and corporate sponsorship.
The Pitt vs. Penn State football series will be tagged as the Keystone Classic presented by Peoples Gas as announced Friday by both institutions. The first meeting in the newly dubbed series will occur Saturday, Sept. 10 in front of a capacity crowd at Heinz Field 12 p.m. – ABC or ESPN). The Panthers are also scheduled to play at Penn State Sept. 9, 2017 in the second meeting of the four-game series that will continue in 2018 and 2019.
“We are extremely excited about renewing this great series and grateful to have Peoples Gas on board as a presenting sponsor,” said Pitt Athletic Director Scott Barnes. “The Pitt-Penn State matchup will serve as a marquee game of the early football season and I know our fan base will be out in full force for the matchup. This has been a great collaboration by the two institutions both in scheduling the game and securing a corporate partner.”
Pitt media rights holder IMG worked closely with Penn State media rights holder Learfield to secure Peoples Gas as the presenting sponsor of the series. The partnership includes Peoples Gas’ corporate mark embedded in the series logo as well as various branding, social media, activation and community assets. In addition, both schools are working with their licensing partner CLC on creating a line of merchandise featuring the Keystone Classic logo.
/shrugs
Here’s a fun statistical anomaly:
ACC highest % of team’s scrim yds:
Cook #FSU, 35.1%
Mizzell #UVA, 30.3
Boyd #Pitt, 26
Yearby #Miami, 24.7
Ollison Pitt, 24.4
Ford #VT, 24.3— David Hale (@DavidHaleESPN) August 11, 2016
We all knew that Tyler Boyd was the receiving corps last season. So, I guess it shouldn’t be a shock that he was over a quarter of Pitt’s yardage — with Qadree Ollison getting nearly the other quarter.
As deep as Pitt’s running back situation is. As much as we will all cheer every time James Conner touches the ball. Pitt will need to throw the ball.
The No. 1 receiver position is set in Dontez Ford. Who is not the biggest or fastest receiver, but is the most consistent, toughest and reliable receiver on the roster. The lost spiritual successor to Derek Kinder.*
Have to start somewhere…
Most of the offseason around the ACC has been about the speculation that the ACC Network was never going to happen. That the losses in the last year at ESPN over cord-cutters and a shrinking subscriber base meant that the Mouse Monopoly was not going to add another channel devoted solely to a conference. ACC schools would have to just accept the extra $3 million/year each on the present deal.
Never should we count out Ninja Swofford. Last month came the surprise announcement by ESPN and the ACC of the long-discussed, but seemingly doomed to never happen ACC Network.
ESPN and the Atlantic Coast Conference will launch the ACC Network – a comprehensive linear and digital network, it was announced today by ACC Commissioner John Swofford and ESPN President John Skipper at the conference’s annual Football Kickoff media event in Charlotte, N.C. The 20-year partnership will provide ACC fans unprecedented access to live events via a comprehensive, multi-platform network. It also provides for the extension of the conference’s existing rights agreement with ESPN to 2036. ESPN is the ACC’s exclusive worldwide rights holder.
Beginning in August 2016, fans can access more than 600 exclusive live events from across the conference via a digital live-events channel ‘ACC Network Extra’, immediately available to users who have access to ESPN3 via WatchESPN and the ESPN app, with that number growing each year. More than 1,300 ACC events will be distributed across the platforms in 2019 when the linear network launches.
Sure the cable channel won’t roll out in 2017… or 2018. But, it is coming.
I’ve had it hit before. Usually it goes away. Maybe take a week or two off to reset. Sometimes I just pushed through. Do quick hits. Kind of easy. Just get a rhythm and routine going and eventually all is well. Not this time. This time it has been miserable. The words in my head, but can’t get them out on to the keyboard.
Yeah, there’s been the increased workload in the offline world. There’s been other stuff. But the truth is, when you want to write you find the time. You make the space in the day or the evening. Instead it has been blankly staring at the computer. It’s been making excuses for not getting to it. It’s been ignoring people and things related to the site, because of a sense of shame at not being able to write anything.
I let Reed carry the load with not a word. Nothing. I owe Reed the biggest apology, and maybe a bottle of something. I’m sorry Reed. I didn’t do right.
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