Pitt, PSU, etc.

[WPIAL~Titan]

Here are some random thoughts...

-Pitt is not a very good football team, and I knew this prior to the season, and certainly know it now. Whoever said Pitters here were talking NC and a Heisman for Dion should not be including me in that group. Despite this, Pitt is as talented as any team in a weakened BE, but they are also capable of losing some close games in thie league. The performance was poor last night, but not at all surprising to me. Pitt was out-coached, out- planned, out-played, out-athleted...They were out-EVERYTHINGED. As a gameday coach, Wanny is inflexible in gameplanning, overly traditional in philosophy, and conservative in decsiion making. When talent is less to or equal than Pitt, this translates into a lot of close games. When the opponent's talent and athleticism at key positions is superior, it translates into 31-3.

-In addition to last night's poor performance, it seems as though Pitt has developed an alarmingly unsavory element on their team over the past year or so. Elijah Fields, and now 4 others arrested. It seems as though Wannsteadt is controlling the damage by trying to do the right thing and disciplining players. However, it doesn't make me feel any better that this needs to be done in the first place. Bottom line: Major D1 college football programs have this type of element on their teams (some programs much more than most, see my PSU list), and just like other fans of other programs, I'll accept that thuggish element IF PITT WINS. This needs to be reversed. And fast. And I'm talking about both player decorum AND wins.

-Wanny's "best available player" philosophy in recruiting has killed Pitt's talent and depth at certain positions, namely OL and LB. Honestly, while Pitt has recruited outstanding talent at skill positions and DL, their offensive line could be switched with and mid or lower level MAC team's OL and their would be no discernable difference in talent/performance except for PInkston and Nix, who will be pros. Same goes for the slow, unathletic LBs and safeties. The CB's are barely adequate as well. Pitt did recruit a few excellent corners this coming season, so I expect and upgrade there in coming seasons. The coaching staff, although doing a solid job at getting talent, especially from PA, needs to develop a strategic plan based on needs and recruit players based on these needs, starting with OL, LB, and S, while landing enough skill players and DLs to maintain strength there.

-QB is another story. Pat Bostick was highly regarded out of HS, but was overrated and although an intelligent young man, is athletically very limited. Sunseri isn't as bad as he has shown, and is more talented than Stull, but is so inexperienced and is bull rushed virtually every time he drops back. I think Sunseri can end up being serviceable as a QB, but he's far from the savior. I am excited about the kid from the Cleveland area and see what he will bring to the show next year.

-Hey, Nitters on this pro-Nit messageboard, as you bask in the glory of Pitt's 31-3 embarassment last night, please don't for one nanosecond let this point get lost: Penn State is not a very good football team either. They are ranked due to reputation only. If their ranking was based on performance, they'd be ranked somehwhere around the middle of the D-1A pack or lower, with Pitt. Indeed, PSU's performace thus far has been grotesque. The YSU and Kent performances were disgusting. Alabama is light years more talented than PSU and it showed. Temple is better than you think, and a trip to and overrated Iowa team that owns your program next week is looming. It's looking like 3-2 after next week. An upset loss at home to Temple is not entirely out of the question for the first time in a LONG time.

-PSU has always recruited and landed major league talent, but it is poorly developed and utilized. As much as I bust on Bolden, in all honesty he is a very talented player. With that said, you Nitters have to be cringing when they think of how similar talent has been developed and utilized over the past decade+, particularly by Jay Paterno. If you aren't concerned about this, you're kidding noone.

-You all know how I feel about this: Joe Paterno was at one time (prior to the 1990s) a coach who seemed to pratice what he preached. Now, Joe Paterno is nothing more than a selfish, senile, cantankerous, arrogant, sanctimonious, stagnant, ineffective leader who is stubbornly impeding the progress of your football program. He is embarassing to your football program as a person and as a coach. Paterno's behavior and egocentric ways are starting to have a significant adverse affect recruiting, and they will have a deep and lasting impact on the program because they will be allowed to continue as long as Paterno is permitted to coach PSU football. Paterno does and says what he wants, when he wants to, and to who he wants to say it with no repercussions. His Grand Experiment has proved to be a Grand Failure, a smoke and mirrors show not even worthy of being dignified by comment. Case studies in Navorro Bowman, et al. prove my point.

-Although I have no direct proof of this, there has to be serious dissention on that coaching staff as well, as about 4 different people sit and jockey for position, and worry about their futures A.J. (After Joe). It has to be an unhleathy and uncomfortable, most likely even cutthroat atmosphere in which to work. This has to be negatively impacting the program, recruiting, etc.

-Pitt and PSU should be focusing on FIU and Temple only, To do otherwise would be foolish.

[ham55]

Very valid points. I applaud your objective look at Pitt and Penn State (to some extent).

Penn State stands a real chance of losing to Temple tomorrow. I'll be at that game hoping that it doesn't happen, but I wouldn't be the least surprised if it does. The offense needs to score. Evan Royster needs to show up.

I really hope this is Joe's last year.

[WPIAL~Titan]

Thanks ham55...When I eliminate all of the sarcasm and outspokeness in my posts, I can be objective. I actually like Bolden as a player, he's very raw but athletically talented. The issue will be can PSU develop that talent? They've proven not to be able to in recent history.

PSU has had much, much better talent than Pitt over the last 20 years or so. My contention in PSU's "dark days" from the late 1990s-mid 2000s that they woefully underachieved on the field. That team with Lavar Arrington had the best talent in the country and they lost 3 games that season.

Conversely, Pitt has done about what I would have expected them to do, given their lack of talent and depth at so many different positions, despite good talent at others. It started with Gottfried, then Hackett was an utter disaster, and the Majors II era was worse. Heck, there was talk that Pitt would DROP football around that time period...Walt Harris, like or hate him, did a good job of somewhat resurrecting the program, despite his erratic recruiting, particularly of OL and DL and one track mind (offense and passing game). Walt's personality, and inability to develop and maintain relationships with key people, including most western PA HS football coaches and members of the media, led to his downfall. Walt also had some personal issues that contributed to his loss of favor amongst the Pitt administration.

I like Dave Wannsteadt and he's very committed to Pitt and I believe that he gives his best effort. he is certainly far from the brightest or most articulate guy in the world, but he's sincere and he has integrity.

However, in Dave's 6th season, I would not expect to see some of the flaws that I am seeing now, such as a lack of strategic recruitment of players based on team needs, and the character issues of players that are surfacing. Knowing his philosophy, I have always expected a conservative approach in terms of preparation and planning for and on game day. As a fan, I feel that Wannsteadt needs to reverse these trends...However, he is very revered by the Pitt administration, and will have to really have the team regress or commit such serious transgressions before Pitt would look to replace him. Even then, I am sure that Pitt would allow Dave to leave with dignity.

PSU SHOULD beat Temple comfortably because they have much better athletes and much better talent. Did I read somewhere that a kid from Hollidaysburg was Temple's starting safety? Hollidaysburg, for God's sake.

I am sure that Al Golden considers this his game his first job interview for the PSU position, so he will be throwing the kitchen sink out tomorrow.

The trip to Iowa will be difficult too, even though Iowa is a prototypical Big, unathletic, physical, slower Big 10 team. I think Bolden could give Iowa's D some problems, and I think that the score will be higher than, say 6-4...

[ham55]

I'm so worried about tomorrow that I can't stomach to think what might happen in Iowa City next week. Bolden, I think, could be the real deal. But you're spot on with your assessment on how PSU has developed talent over the last 10 years. Granted I was younger then and didn't know much about the inner workings of college football, but having been following it closely the last 6+ years and looking back on those teams and the results, well it's sickening.

That 6-4 game. I was there. Talk about a long day at Beaver Stadium.

[nLions1]

WPIAL, after reading this post, I now have a newfound respect for you. A post that wasn't 100% sarcastic and wasn't a complete rip on Penn State. Congratulations.

However, you cannot deny what JoePa has done for PSU. There is no doubt in my mind that JoePa should have been gone a while ago, but how can you get rid of somebody that has been there for your program like he has?

Did you see the reaction not only from the Florida St. community, but the entire nation when they got rid of Bobby Bowden? How he was "pushed out" by the school? The man wanted to coach one more year, but they said no way. All it takes is a press conference from Paterno saying how he was "pushed out" and just wanted one more year, and there is a negative spotlight on the program for getting rid of such a prestigious coach.

The thing is though, Bowden had losing records 2 out of the last 4 years he was there, in which his last year was quite a struggle. JoePa's last 5 years are all winning records and lost only one bowl game. How do you get rid of a coach who is only doing his job...winning?

Paterno will know when it is his time to go, and when his contract is up, he won't look back.

I hate talking Pitt vs. PSU crap, and deny to do so any further as it just ends in a stalemate. For obvious reasons I will leave Pitt out of this post. Pitt has my blessing for the rest of the season. You can thank WPIAL for that. (And that was hard to type)

[The Ancient Enemy]

It wasnt just the losing records, it was the fact that they continued to land 5-star talent and couldn't get anything out of those kids. FSU built their empire playing the worst teams in college football every year. That ACC was a disaster when FSU was strong.

[KirkHerbstreit]

That was a very well written and thought out post Titan. I respect you alot more for writing that instead of just posting criminal records.

I agree with you 100% that Penn State does not develop talent like it should. I have always felt that Joepa should have retired after the 94 rose bowl. I think Penn State could really be something special if Joe were to retire and they would hire someone like Chris Peterson from Boise or an up and coming proven coach. Instead, they will hire from within and it will be someone with no head coaching experience that has learned off of conservative joe over the years.