#H2P... PITT IS IT! - A Pitt Panthers Dynasty (NCAA 14)

[moose141]

Around the NCAA: Week 7
Report by Matt Schmidlin | October 10, 2022



Reese Has All the Pieces

Former Pitt QB Acey Reese put on another star show, leading #6 Cincinnati past an overmatched Temple squad, 36-14. The fifth-year QB totaled 307 total yards (186 passing, 121 rushing) while tossing a trio of touchdown passes to push the Bearcats to a 4-0 start.

Loaded LSU Demolishes Kent State

Star QB Kauanoe Kelekolio paced an impressive LSU offensive attack, throwing for 287 yards and 4 scores as the Tigers blasted Kent State, 55-14. Freshman phenoms Kai Brooks-Jennings (74 yards, 3 TDs) and Raakeem Boone (53 yards, 2 TDs) shined, while Biletnikoff favorite Jakobe Sutton hauled in 9 catches for 110 yards and a pair of scores.

Hale Yeah! Backup QB Helps Oklahoma Bounce Back

Defending champion Oklahoma bounced back from their first loss with a rivalry romp over #12 Texas, 38-24, thanks to a two headed monster at QB. Star Taylor Savage scorched the Longhorns for 192 yards and 3 scores on 76% passing before leaving late in the 3rd quarter with an injury. Enter Tommy Hale. With the sophomore at the helm, the Sooners didn't skip a beat as Hale passed for 121 yards and a TD in the final quarter to push the game out of reach.

Doppelganger Alert?

Iowa State senior Michael Robinson was giving shades of the former Penn State star signal caller, as the QB passed for 311 yards and a score while adding an impressive 93 yards and 3 TDs on the ground in the Cyclones' blasting of Texas Tech.

Wolverines Steal Showdown of Star QBs

Steve Tate tossed 4 scores in a 376 yard performance as he led Michigan into enemy territory in Happy Valley and emerged with a 35-28 victory over #4 Penn State and star QB Marques Gordon. A pair of sensational performances from WR Danny Robinson (13 rec, 169 yds) and TE Jess Hooper (9 rec, 150 yds, 3 TD) helped the Wolverines knock the Nittany Lions from the ranks of the unbeatens.

Ducks Defy Odds, Top Unbeaten Huskies

An overtime scamper by Dre' Sears gave sputtering #22 Oregon a win over unbeaten Washington, 30-27, at Autzen Stadium. Three TDs from star QB Tristan Richards wasn't enough to push the Huskies past a resilient Ducks squad.

Notable Matchups in Week Eight

Houston (5-2) @ #17 Texas (3-2)
#21 Miami (5-1) @ North Carolina (5-1)
#16 South Carolina (5-1) @ #15 Tennessee (5-2)
#5 Iowa State (5-0) @ #22 Baylor (4-1)
#19 Maryland (4-1) @ #2 Ohio State (5-0)
#3 LSU (6-0) @ Ole Miss (4-3)
Kansas (4-1) @ #10 Oklahoma (5-1)
#8 USC (5-1) @ #11 Notre Dame (4-2) -- College Gameday Game of the Week
#7 Clemson (4-1) @ #24 Florida State (5-1)
#20 Cal (5-1) @ Oregon State (5-1)

Still Snubbed: Panthers Finally Enter National Polls After 7-0 Start

Pitt finally garnered some recognition on the national stage again this week, as the Panthers returned to the national rankings as the #23-ranked team in the Coaches Poll.

The Panthers hadn't been ranked since finishing their 2021 campaign with a loss to Georgia in the Russell Athletic Bowl, capping off a 9-4 season. Following some significant departures, including star WR Jay Keyes and SS Avery Heller, Pitt entered the 2022 season unranked in all major polls. Following some struggles early, the Panthers have pushed on to a 7-0 record and sit as one of only ten remaining unbeaten FBS schools.

However, Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi doesn't seem to be fazed by the pollsters' lack of confidence in the Panthers.

"We impress on our football team that all we need to worry about is what we can control," Narduzzi said. "Some poll ranking doesn't matter when you've got five games left in your regular season. We're 4-0 in conference play, and we're gonna focus all of our energy on getting that record to 8-0 by the end of the season. That's all we need to get us to achieve our goals, not somebody's opinion in a ranking."

The Panthers will have a week off (their first bye of the season) before returning home to Heinz Field to take on Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers are currently 3-1 in their first season competing at the FBS level.

[moose141]

#PantherNation News and Notes
Report by Matt Schmidlin | October 12, 2022

Pitt shot for the stars this past Saturday, and ended up landing with 18 of them.

The Panthers' dramatic 34-27 come from behind victory over Virginia Tech had the desired effect, as five of the eight recruits being hosted on official visits for the contest ended up committing to Pitt immediately following the contest.

Highlighted by star QB Robert Brown, the haul featured three 4-star recruits and a pair of 3-star prospects to fill up the first five of the Panthers available scholarships for the class of 2023. Brown, starring this season for Class 6A Chambersburg (PA), could be the heir apparent to current star QB CJ Kirk. The 6'5", 235 lb Brown is an incredibly imposing figure in the backfield, with the speed and elusiveness to run past almost any defender. He's shown off a fairly polished arm as well, with many saying he looks more ready for FBS football than Kirk did in his senior year.

Interestingly, Pitt nabbed a second quarterback as well this weekend, with 3-star Cole Parsons choosing the Panthers over significant interest from Michigan. The nation's #31 QB recruit is more of a prototypical pocket passer and possesses a very strong arm, though his accuracy and technique could use some seasoning. With Kirk and backup Austin Penney as the only scholarship quarterbacks eligible to return next season, both Brown and Parsons will get opportunities to earn mop up duty, though Pitt would likely prefer to redshirt the pair and give Brown as much eligibility as possible should Kirk depart early to the NFL after the 2023 season.

Scranton HS product Spencer Thomas adds depth to the offensive line, though the nation's #15 OT has had an extremely underwhelming senior season. The 'Electric City' native has shown off impressive athleticism and mobility, particularly in the passing game, but has had issues with durability and staying on the field. In addition, while he has a large frame (6'5"), he will likely need to bulk up to be able to add significant push in the run game. Expect Thomas to be given plenty of time to mature with a few bodies in the fold ahead of him.

Defensively, Pitt continues to add quality youth to a veteran-laden secondary, securing the signings of both Danny Leonard and Eddie Williams. Leonard, the #29 ATH from North Miami Beach (FL), is a tremendous athlete who has slotted in all around the field for local powerhouse Cardinal Gibbons HS, using his athleticism to feature primarily at corner and free safety for the Chiefs while adding 4 scores in 7 games as a receiver. Williams, the #15 SS nationally, is a local product from Moon HS in the Pittsburgh area, and will have already endeared himself to Panther fans for spurning rival Penn State, who were believed to be the main contender for his services. The 6'2", 200 lb Williams doesn't cover speedsters well, but he has good burst to make plays in short spaces. He's also an excellent tackler, and could project as a combo box safety/linebacker in the future if needed.

With starting safeties Sedric Granger and Matt Emery out of eligbility after this season, last year's star signees Cameron Taylor-Smith and Matt Wright will be the pair's primary competition for playing time in the secondary.

Fun fact: Pitt went back to the well to snag Leonard and Williams: Pitt WR Keith Onyango also played at Cardinal Gibbons, while reserve LB Aubrey St. Solomon is a Moon HS product.

Also visiting this past week were DE Jeremy Childress (****), OLB Victor Scott (****), and WR Nick McCoy (***). Childress, the nation's #98 overall recruit in the ESPN300, and Scott are both said to be heavily leaning towards Pitt following the weekend, but are still considering their options ahead of a possible commitment. McCoy has yet to be offered by the Panthers despite the visit.

A pair of players the Panthers had been keeping tabs on did commit elsewhere this weekend, with MLB Marcus White-Frank (****, #3 MLB) choosing Oklahoma and ATH Brandon Tolbert (****, #11 ATH) ending up at ACC rival Syracuse. White-Frank is a thumper who tackles everything that moves and should be an immediate contributor for the Sooners, while Tolbert profiles likely as a dual-threat QB option for the Orange to be the successor to star QB Cornell Washington, who is draft eligible after this season.





Take a look at the below table for a full overview of the Panthers current offer list for the Class of 2023:

[studbucket]

I just wanted to say how much I am enjoying this.

I am currently on post #840 - so a little over halfway through. You just lost the natty to Alabama on a missed field goal.

I have no clue what's happened since then, and probably won't even see your response to this for a few weeks/month, but I've had a blast following along. Keep up the great work.

I have no Pittsburgh connections, but my primary dynasty is centered around Pittsburgh - 2 immigrant brothers who attend Robert Morris and Duquesne for college - so it's been interesting for me to learn about the area and see how many folks on these boards are connected to Western PA.

[Hellisan]

I can't believe the journey that this season has been. Spanning 3 real-life calendar years (Right?) I bet you're looking forward to finishing it up and continuing. From some health problems you mentioned and a prolonged absence etc... The process of moving over to essentially a new game, and then (have to congratulate you seriously for this) using Kawkeye's system to randomly progress players. It's funny I always thought he was KHawkeye... WRONG!. What was that experience like for you? Agonizing? Great? God sometimes in the offseason where I'm rolling the progression for each guy one by one is a very emotional time lmao. So pumped for you on that one. When I was watching the video on that, you made the point that they all increase about the same amount. What I didn't like almost as much, is that they all increase the same way too. It's even progression across all of the ratings, almost all across the entire roster. Players would come in and be exactly the same guy essentially, 4-5 years later, just higher rated.

Going back a little bit as I wanted to more fully understand the roster, I'm probably most intrigued with the Dio Langston / Leroy Estes battle as I'm a lot more comfortable with 83 spd / 96 ACC out of Estes.

Granger's move made so much sense also because of his size, probably not a huge hitter but a big dude that's not gonna stay with a typical receiver as well in one-on-one coverage as you outlined.

Bouncing ahead, you've gotta be excited about the signing of Robert Brown. With that size and speed, what I like is the key of being elusive. That to me is what allows for those big runs, and his throwing arm looks like it'll be good enough. Sounds like he will have competition moving forward in the form of Tolbert. Unlike us, you've got a plethora of options at that position so it won't be easy for the guy.

You mentioned the pancakes on one of the last episodes. I'm finally getting them, not much has really changed, I don't really know why other than we have more talent.

Let's finish strong! This thing is such a pleasure to follow

Oh yeah, my favorite player is the one I call C-Note.

[moose141]

Quote: Originally Posted by studbucket

I just wanted to say how much I am enjoying this. I am currently on post #840 - so a little over halfway through. You just lost the natty to Alabama on a missed field goal. I have no clue what's happened since then, and probably won't even see your response to this for a few weeks/month, but I've had a blast following along. Keep up the great work. I have no Pittsburgh connections, but my primary dynasty is centered around Pittsburgh - 2 immigrant brothers who attend Robert Morris and Duquesne for college - so it's been interesting for me to learn about the area and see how many folks on these boards are connected to Western PA.

Studbucket, I greatly appreciate you enjoying things! What an incredible matchup that was to get to relive, honestly, I think that may still be my single best broadcast in this dynasty as far as the drama of the game and my own commentary on the call. That one may be my best! Always striving to live up to it.

I have actually checked out your 'chise from seeing the link in your signature and was greatly intrigued by the Pittsburgh connections and the great storytelling! I will definitely have to read through things, as I popped through a couple pages and really was enjoying it.

You're absolutely right, it is pretty crazy how many PA ties that we've seen on these boards! It's pretty awesome to keep up with everyone's virtual Western PA exploits, especially because everyone does such a great job creating an immersive experience and bringing in some fun trivia and information about all of the schools.

Quote: Originally Posted by Hellisan

I can't believe the journey that this season has been. Spanning 3 real-life calendar years (Right?) I bet you're looking forward to finishing it up and continuing. From some health problems you mentioned and a prolonged absence etc... The process of moving over to essentially a new game, and then (have to congratulate you seriously for this) using Kawkeye's system to randomly progress players. It's funny I always thought he was KHawkeye... WRONG!. What was that experience like for you? Agonizing? Great? God sometimes in the offseason where I'm rolling the progression for each guy one by one is a very emotional time lmao. So pumped for you on that one. When I was watching the video on that, you made the point that they all increase about the same amount. What I didn't like almost as much, is that they all increase the same way too. It's even progression across all of the ratings, almost all across the entire roster. Players would come in and be exactly the same guy essentially, 4-5 years later, just higher rated. Going back a little bit as I wanted to more fully understand the roster, I'm probably most intrigued with the Dio Langston / Leroy Estes battle as I'm a lot more comfortable with 83 spd / 96 ACC out of Estes. Granger's move made so much sense also because of his size, probably not a huge hitter but a big dude that's not gonna stay with a typical receiver as well in one-on-one coverage as you outlined. Bouncing ahead, you've gotta be excited about the signing of Robert Brown. With that size and speed, what I like is the key of being elusive. That to me is what allows for those big runs, and his throwing arm looks like it'll be good enough. Sounds like he will have competition moving forward in the form of Tolbert. Unlike us, you've got a plethora of options at that position so it won't be easy for the guy. You mentioned the pancakes on one of the last episodes. I'm finally getting them, not much has really changed, I don't really know why other than we have more talent. Let's finish strong! This thing is such a pleasure to follow Oh yeah, my favorite player is the one I call C-Note.

Yeah, this season certainly has been a journey... both on the field and off! Definitely great to finally have things moving again, really enjoying get back into the swing of things and updating again.

On the Kawkeye progression, while it was a smidge more work than the random roll based 12 player progression I had been doing, it felt so much more rewarding to be able to see every player be impacted by the system! It really makes you feel like every player on the roster matters, as one big progression either way could make them a stud or put a contributor on the bench. Plus, I like seeing a progression that could affect various pieces of a player's abilities, rather than like you said just seeing the same generic general type of progression for every player on your roster. It really breathes so much variety into the dynasty and can make things interesting as the seasons progress, depending on what happens to a certain position group or however the luck of the roll strikes.

Definitely have enjoyed the roster building in the last few years when the entire team is made up of recruits, you can really see guy's strengths and weaknesses and build a lineup around it. Having athletes is a huge plus for sure, so Estes will definitely be in the mix for this team as time goes on. What was great about Langston is he was kind of a perfect plug and play middle linebacker where he's just solid and always seems to be in the right position, which has allowed the other linebackers, especially Mitchell, to flourish. With Mitchell se tto graduate, it should open things up for some other guys like Holland and Estes to have bigger roles next season.

Granger has been a huge player moving into that safety role for us. We got hit hard by the transfer/draft stealing 2 safeties from us, so Granger was just a plug and play guy who had the athleticism to move over and like you said was actually probably a more natural fit at safety anyways. He's kind of this season's Quel Hampshire, moving to a place to both get himself more playing time as well as filling a huge need for the roster and giving our couple young stud safety recruits some time to develop.

Brown (or whatever his name ends up being) was a super lucky find for us. To have a QB in-state who was that athletic and still have a solid arm, that will really give us a great transition option from CJ whenever he decides to move on to the next level. Just having the mobility is huge, as I've tried not to exploit Kirk as a good runner and make him at least stay in the pocket, not cheese read option every other play, and things like that, so Brown will hopefully be more of the same. But, with the progression, you never know we could see another Acey Reese/CJ Kirk scenario with Brown/Parsons in a few years!

Appreciate all the comments guys, can't wait to see what the rest of the season holds!

[moose141]

Around the NCAA: Week 8
Report by Matt Schmidlin | October 16, 2022



Tarred and Feathered

North Carolina made a statement in the ACC Coastal race, blasting out to a 28-7 advantage before holding on for a 28-21 victory over #21 Miami (FL). The win puts the Tar Heels to 3-1 in ACC play, with a matchup against currently unbeaten Pitt looming in a few weeks that may be a decider in the division title race.

Tigers Take Inside Track in ACC Atlantic

Junior QB Will Alford starred as #7 Clemson held off #24 Florida State in a high scoring shootout, with the Tigers topping the Seminoles, 41-34. The junior gunslinger tossed four TDs while passing for 341 yards in the victory, with a pair of fourth quarter touchdowns providing the deciding scoring in the win.

Baylor Busts Cyclones' Bubble

Backup QB Brandon Barnes played a massive part in Baylor's upset of previously unbeaten Iowa State, as his two fourth quarter TD passes in relief of injured starter Quetin Jackson pushed the #22-ranked Bears past the #5 Cyclones.

Hoosier Hangover?

One week removed from a massive victory over Penn State, #13 Michigan faltered in the Big House, falling 23-21 to an upstart Indiana squad. The Hoosiers kicked a field goal with just 34 seconds left to seal the win, after QB Eric Rutledge led them on a 14 play, 65 yard drive that ate the majority of the final 7 minutes of game time. Jared McKenzie scored a pair of touchdowns for Indiana, catching a TD pass from Rutledge while also scampering for a 96 yard punt return score.

Razorbacks Can't Solve Tide Reliever

Brandon Allen relieved injured and ineffective starter Matt Perry (5/11, 45 yds, 1 TD), throwing 3 second quarter TDs while compiling 124 yards on 12-of-21 passing as #1 Alabama stayed perfect, knocking off Arkansas, 31-13.

Notable Matchups in Week Eight

#23 North Carolina (6-1) @ #6 Clemson (5-1)
NC State (5-2) @ Florida State (5-2)
#4 Oklahoma State (7-0) @ #11 Iowa State (5-1)
#2 Ohio State (6-0) @ #8 Penn State (5-1) -- College Gameday Game of the Week
#19 Michigan (5-2) @ #21 Maryland (4-2)
#9 Oklahoma (6-1) @ Texas Tech (5-2)
#18 Cal (6-1) @ #10 Washington (7-1)
#22 Tennessee (5-3) @ #1 Alabama (6-0)

Panthers Creep Up in Polls, Moving Up to #15

Despite their off week, Pitt crept up 8 spots in the latest Coaches Poll, with the Panthers slotting in at the #15 spot after occupying the #23 slot in last week's ranking. The Panthers, currently 7-0, are the second highest ranked ACC squad behind #7 Clemson (5-1).

5 unbeaten schools (Alabama, Ohio State, LSU, Oklahoma State, Cincinnati) occupy the top 5 rankings, with Pitt the next unbeaten way down at 15. The remaining unbeaten programs nationally are #20 Louisiana, #24 Western Kentucky, and unranked Ball State.

[moose141]

Growing Pains for Pickett in De-Facto Year One
Report by Matt Schmidlin | October 16, 2022


Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett (8) throws a pass in the Steelers' season opening win over the Cleveland Browns.

Everything is now in Kenny Pickett's gloved fingertips.

After a year of serving as the understudy to legendary quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, the former third round pick took over as the Pittsburgh Steelers' starting signal caller this season following Big Ben's retirement.

Pickett's debut was stunning, as he displayed the resilience that endeared himself to the Steelers' brass prior to them calling his name in the 2021 NFL Draft. Facing the rival Cleveland Browns on the road, Pickett bounced back from a pair of early interceptions (including one returned for a score just before halftime) to mount a fourth quarter comeback and lead the Steelers to what eventually became a 30-13 victory.

"We knew exactly what that guy [Pickett] was from when he was training next door to us at Pitt," Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said. "Kenny's a gamer, and he's just a winner. He's a guy you can trust to lead your team."

In his starting debut, Pickett threw for 263 yards and a pair of scores on 28-of-41 (68%) passing. He followed that up with two home wins against the Saints and Dolphins as the Steelers opened up the season 3-0, but the growing pains soon followed.

"We couldn't have asked for a better start," Pickett said. "But you're always gonna have to deal with adversity in a season, even if it's self inflicted. You just have to learn from it and move forward."

In the last two games (both Steelers losses), Pickett has struggled with turnovers, and is up to 5 interceptions in the first 5 contests. The struggles were capped by an interception to Cincinnati LB Von Bell late in the fourth quarter, derailing Kenny's attempts to replicate his opening night magic.

Overall, Pickett has thrown for 1122 yards and added 8 TDs (1 rushing) in the Steelers' 3-2 start, but has only completed 58% (102-of-173) of his passes and does have 6 interceptions. With the Steelers set to host NFL legend Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers tonight on Sunday Night Football, Pickett sees this as just another game.

"Primetime, it's cool. Brady on the other sideline, it's cool. But coming from Pitt, we had some intense matchups, won some championships; this is the next step in that journey and it's just another day to just go out and win."

[Careless Whisper]

Lot to catch up on over the last couple of days!

First off, what a comeback against Virginia Tech. That has to be so demoralizing for the Hokies - to play that well and have one mistake completely flip the script. That also goes to show how battle-tested this Pitt team is and how they're never out of it with the playmakers the Panthers have on both sides of the ball. That juke by Ceno on the 64-yard dash was *chef's kiss*.

And with a big comeback win like that, it's good to see Pitt rewarded with a haul in recruiting. Brown is a MASSIVE pickup, particularly with how unclear the post-Kirk future was at quarterback - with his skillset, he could take the baton as soon as Kirk leaves and there not be too much of a drop-off. Parsons is a good get to add depth, and who knows, you could have your own Wilson/Culver conundrum with those two in the coming years despite the overall gap. Loving the Eddie Williams signing for obvious reasons - he's guaranteed to be a star.

Love the Pickett article and seeing the NFL world in this. He seems to be playing pretty well for a third-rounder, and hopefully he builds on his early performance and becomes the guy for the Steelers moving forward!