Pitt Football - An offensive explosion or a mirage?

I've gotten a number of e-mails this week which have started off something like "what do you think of the Panthers offense now you negative cynical stinking media hack?"

And believe me that is only a paraphrase of the ones I can publish in a PG-13 newspaper!! Some of you need a hobby and a hug or something, let me tell you that. Relax, take a deep breath and repeat after me "at the end of the day, we're talking about 19-22 year old kids playing football. It isn't life or death and certainly isn't worth getting that angry about just because you don't agree with my assessment of your favorite team.

I guess the 54 points has some of you blinded a little bit but I can assure you, the offense has a lot more to prove before anyone, including a lot of people on the inside of the walls over there at the Southside facility, declares it fixed.

Now, then, let's take a closer look at this offensive explosion and see if it was indeed that. I maintain it was an impressive display of being opportunistic but it wasn't a display of offensive dominance.

Pitt had 27 points handed to it by Bulls thanks to turnovers, including 13 points which were defensive scores (I know, Fields interception return stopped at the 2 but let's be honest, that might as well be a defensive score). Pitt also had a one-play drive -- an 85-yard touchdown run by Dion Lewis.

So in other words, Pitt really only had three touchdown drives -- two of those came in the first quarter and none of them came after the half. And it wasn't like Pitt called off the dogs after the half -- the Panthers led by only 13 points in the fourth quarter and Buffalo had two opportunities to get it to 6.

Yes, the offense was efficient in some ways and showed some different looks.

Yes, the offense made Buffalo pay for turnovers and that is a good sign because it shows a killer instinct. 

Yes, we saw some very creative play-calling by Frank Cignetti and he did a good job of using Dorin Dickerson.

Yes, Dion Lewis ran the ball extremely well.

But the offense didn't get the ball down the field at all. It didn't sustain many drives (again three touchdown drives but five punts). It didn't put the game away until late though it had several opportunities in the third quarter. It was also only 3-for-9 on third downs and achieved only one first down in the second half (technically two because Lewis's run gained one but the point remains the same).

So what's my point?

My point is pretty simple -- I wouldn't just rest easy that the offense has solved its issues and I wouldn't get too excited just yet that the offense is "high-powered" or dominant because even though we saw plenty of encouraging signs on Saturday, we still saw some troubling ones and there is no objective way to deny that.

The Panthers have some tougher games coming up - I'm not completely sold that Saturday is one of them, at least not for the offense -- against tougher defenses and if they continue to put up points at a good rate and continue to move the ball then we'll have something to really talk about.

Until then take my advice, look closer at the numbers and proceed with caution when declaring the offense to be fixed.

** Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt talked at length today about the way Navy cut blocks at the line of scrimmage. He said the tactic is as old as the wishbone/triple option/mid-line option/flexbone offense (call it whatever you want and whatever version you want, I think Navy's is actually a flexbone) but he's not a fan of it.

But interestingly enough it isn't the linemen he's worried about -- it is the slotbacks cutting his linebackers that he thinks should be outlawed. The rule, however, is simple - if it happens inside the tackle box and less than five yards from the line of scrimmage, it is legal. That means a guy like Adam Gunn needs to be on alert because there will be plenty of plays where he is focused on what is going on in the back field and he won't see a guy coming through to cut his legs.

This is something to keep an eye on -- not only do you hope the Panthers stop the Midshipmen, you hope they get out without any major knee or ankle injuries to their defenders. It is also a technique that makes it very difficult to prepare for Navy because there is no way to simulate it at practice and if you do it the right way and at full speed enough times, you risk getting your own defensive players hurt.

** Speaking of the triple-option flexbone -- Did you watch Miami versus Georgia Tech tonight? The Hurricanes (by the way, you think the "U" might be back?) showed the blueprint for how to stop that offense when you are physically and athletically superior to your opponent. Remember, Georgia Tech's coach was at Navy and the offensive system they are running is the same one the Panthers will see Saturday at Heinz Field. And like the Panthers against Navy, the Hurricanes are the superior team.

And they took it right to the Yellow Jackets to the tune of 33-17 (it should have been a lot worse).

They scored on offense but more importantly -- they beat their blocks and made tackles. Their defensive tackles blew up the middle of the line and their linebackers and defensive backs never let the plays get outside. They ran faster and were quicker to the ball and once they got there, they made the tackles. That really is what it boils down to -- make the plays when you have a chance to make them and get off the field on third down. I haven't seen the statistics but I think the Yellow Jackets rushed for only about 110 yards, which is way below what you'd expect from them in that offense.

Pitt needs to have a similar performance on Saturday. The Panthers need to use their athletic and strength advantages to beat blocks and get to the ball and make tackles. It sounds easier than it is but when you are faster than the other team, it can and should be done. 

** To say this is a big weekend in the Big East would be an understatement. A lot people ask me what the Big East needs to do to get respect -- here's a short answer:

West Virginia, go beat Auburn at Auburn.

Cincinnati, go beat Oregon State at Oregon State.

Syracuse beat Northwestern.

Louisville, go beat Kentucky at Kentucky.

Connecticut, go beat Baylor at Baylor.

Pitt, make sure you beat Navy solidly and South Florida use your final tune up to get ready for Florida State. 

Oh, and of course, Rutgers, just don't lose to whatever embarrassingly weak cupcake you call an opponent this week....

In other words, you have two games against the SEC and one each against the Pac-10, Big Ten and Big 12 so go win them. These are the games you have to win with regularity in order to get respect.

It will be very interesting to see what we are discussing after the weekend -- either a conference which fell flat on its face or a conference which proved that maybe it isn't as bad as some of the "experts" predicted it would be.

Of course, even if the Big East goes 0-8 it couldn't possibly wrestle away the title of worst BCS conference from the ACC, could it? I mean, my goodness, talk about a conference that is full of junk......

** Speaking of the Big East -- here is an article which has the Memphis-to-join-the-Big East conspiracy theorists of the world buzzing.....

http://espn.go.com/blog/bigeast/post/_/id/2652/memphis-hopes-tranghese-is-ticket-to-bcs

The cliff notes version is this -- Memphis hired former Big East commissioner Mike Tranghese as a consultant at a price of $5000 per month. Tranghese's job is to take a look at Memphis's athletic program from top to bottom, evaluate it and make suggestions as to how the school should go about making the necessary upgrades to become more attractive to a BCS conference looking to expand.

Before we get ahead of ourselves, read the comments of Tranghese himself in the Star-Ledger....

http://www.nj.com/rutgersfootball/index.ssf/2009/09/former_commissioner_mike_trang.html

I think if you read this article it brings a little better perspective to the whole story.

I've asked a number of people within the Big East about Memphis and they all say the same thing - what does it add?

That's a great question -- what does Memphis add? A basketball team on probation? A mediocre football program? Certainly not a major television market. And what about the academic fit of Memphis in the same conference with schools like Georgetown and St. Johns.

And more importantly -- are Big East schools really willing to slice the "money pie" up one more time just to add another school? And if you think there is a scheduling nightmare with only eight football schools - draw me up a Big East tournament bracket with 17 teams.....

I think ultimately the only way Memphis would make sense is if the football schools in the Big East decided they had enough of a conference being run by people with basketball on the brains and split out and formed their own conference. But there doesn't seem to be much sentiment for that either so while it is admirable that Memphis is making an investment to take a step forward, at this point, there just doesn't seem to be any place for them to land.