PITT FOOTBALL SEASON END RECAP

POST SEASON PITT FOOTBALL REVIEW(LONNNNNNNNNNNNG)

QUARTERBACK: Well the one position that never fully developed was the quarterback position. Bill Stull never ended up getting it done. The Big problem with this, he will most likely be the starter next year. We burned Pat Bostick's redshirt season albeit legit because of the concussed Billy Stull. All Pat Bostick did again was win. If you actually go back to the ND game, you will see that Pat Bostick actually threw the ball solidly in that game. Sure he had a couple of bad throws, but he also didn't play much before that. If Pat Bostick started all year, Pitt would be a better team heading into '09. Now we are pretty stuck with an average 5th year senior that probably won't take us anywhere next year. The Floss has a solution here, play Tino. Cut your losses and give a kid 4 years to play. It will help your future. College football is a weird game, you need to be prepared for the future. Tino will let us be prepared. The Floss also wouldn't be against giving Bostick a 2 year window since he has previous experience going into next year, unlike Stully going into this year. Bill Stull is not the answer.

RUNNING BACK: This position is still loaded. Wanny recruits D-Line then RB. Hence why this position is loaded even if Shady doesn't return. The Floss still believes the chances of Shady returning are 60-40, possibly better. Sidenote: This was when I started writing this. Now the Floss believes the chances are 20-80. Honestly, Shady would take us to the BE title next year, IMO. If Shady doesn't come back, the Floss expects a solid 3 RB system for maybe 3 games. Chris Burns will then take over and be a 3 to 4 year starter. Don't sleep on Kevin Collier, the Floss still hasn't given up hope.

WIDE RECEIVER: The position that never improved. The quarterback position regressed, the WR's just never seperated themselves from one another. Jonathan Baldwin never improved. He still will be a starter heading into '09. JB probably will still be a stud. OD actually had a really solid year minus the first few games. He probably would be my starting WR alongside JB next year. His blocking is very solid, which might separate him. TJ and Ced Money are both also ready for another solid year in '09. None of the current freshmen will do anything next year IMO. This position will be solid but not spectacular again in '09.

TIGHT END: This positon doesn't really need talked about. We have 3 SR's coming back for next year, including first team all conference TE Nate Byham. I just wish we had a QB that could utilize them.

O-LEEZY: The Floss loves trying to analyze the O-Line even though he doesn't really know what to look for in a lineman. It is also nice that 4 of the starters are locked in for next year. C-Houser, RG-Malecki, RT-Joe Thomas, LT-Jason Pinkston. However, the LG spot is very up for grabs. You ask or wonder what the Floss would do with this spot? Well, he would move Joe Thomas to LG. Joe likes the left side of the line and guard is a better spot for him. Then you can judge where to play Pinky and Luke Nix. Personally the Floss would let Luke take his lumps at LT and let him become the stud LT that he is destined to be.

D-LEEZY: The strongest position on the team for sure. The D-Ends are absolute freaks. Romeus(6'6, 270), Sheard (6'4, 260), Hale (6'4, 260), Tucker (6'4, 245). They are all nasty. Probably at least 2 will play on Sundays. The ends will be fun to watch. The interior is pretty solid. The starters will probably be Gus and Mick Will, but the Floss isn't sure about Mick playing the more traditional Nose Guard position. The Floss could see Mick Will starting alongside Myles Caregein. Myles was good this year and will only develop to get better. The 4th DT spot is interesting. Tommie Duhart is one bad grade or missed practice from getting the boot from this team. If he turns his life around, he gets this spot no doubt. Other interior possibilities are really Ty Tkach(probably the favorite), Scott Corson(same situation as Tommie Du), Mike Cruz(still hate him), or a recruit. Not exactly as exciting as the QB or RB battles, but stay tuned!!!!!

OLB'S: Fighting for a spot in the Floss' top 5 favorite Panthers is Greg Williams. He actually was the Rivals.com BE Defensive freshmen of the year. This was his RS FR season fellas. He could be a really really good one. He needs to put on some weight. A lot of the other things will come with time. Joe Tumpkin should be able to develop his Florida boy G Will. Shane Murray will be back from injury to take back his other starting spot. He was real good at the end of the 2007 season especially against WVU. Who would want to meet Shane Murray in a dark alley? No one. The backups are currently Mad Max Gruder, who probably will be moved inside, Nate Nix, and Tristan Roberts. Nix and Roberts are definitely solid backups for outside and the inside is thin, so please Davey: MOVE MAX.

MLB: This position is a damn crapshoot. Right now it is between 5th year SR Steve Dell and Brandon Lindsey. Lindsey was a really highly recruited player. He has NO experience unlike Gruder, but he has upside. Whoever takes over this position will not be half the player Scott McKiller was. McKiller always credited Blades for teaching him. Steve Dell was taught by Blades AND McKiller. He should be the best right? No, he would probably be in my top half of players to go because of recruiting. MEMO TO DAN MASON: The position is THIIIIIN HOMIE.

CB'S: Pitt will start 2 SR's at CB next year. Aaron Berry and JoMoney Chappel will definitely start. No chance Wanny gives one of the young bucks even a chance at the spot. They actually both played decent minus a game or two. Soooooo much hope with some of the young guys though even with Ronald Hobby getting kicked off for forgetting to realize that 2 star CB's don't get preferential academic star treatment. Buddy Jackson, Antuan Reed, and Jarred Holley all have very bright futures. Holley is one of the Floss' 5 non-skill position players to watch next year. SIDENOTE: The other 4 are, Dom DeCicco, Max Gruder, Myles Caregein, and Luke Nix.

S: Probably the most exciting position for WPIAL football fans. Dom DeCicco actually made the most strides of any defensive player minus Greg Williams. He led the team in INT's. He also got much better with his angles and tackling. The Floss still remembers how incredibly AWFUL he played against BG and Buff. Now he is a clear cut starter next year at one of the safety spots. He never lost his celeb status. Eric Thatcher has finally graduated. The Floss was just never feelin' E Thatch. Back to WPIAL players, the other S spot will be decided between two WPIAL boys, Elijah 'Scoot' Fields and Andrew Tags. Scoot would be a 4 to 1 favorite for this position if the Floss believed he would be back. He was out of the doghouse early on last year, but still stayed in the yard, never made it into the real house, and then he ended the season back in the doghouse. Drugs and grades will probably kill this one time WPIAL great. Other possibilities would be to move Jovani Chappel to safety if Wanny believes in one of the young corners. Greg Cross also moved to safety apparently, jesus. Irvan Brown is a 5th year guy who might need to be brought back. The Floss hates 5th years who have never done anything early in their career. It's like plugging a leak with a piece of gum, sure it will hold up for a little, but eventually it will fail, just ask Clark Griswold. Bill Stull=piece of gum.

COACHING: The Floss isn't going to bash the coaches. 9-4 is a step in the right direction. Depending on what happens with Shady and the QB position next year will let me evaluate Wanny fairly. If he gets Shady back and puts Stull in at QB, and Wanny doesn't get to 10+ wins, I will know that Pitt will never get over the hump with him here. I also wouldn't mind seeing Cav go just to bring in a spread guy. The Floss wants a spread offense really bad or something creative. No one should be forced to watch an offense like we did in the Sun Bowl. This is actually something that we all should see coming. Billy and Pat are pro styles, but the other 2 real QB's on our roster are spread guys. Tino and Kolby Gray are both quick, undersized guys, who need to make plays on the run. Pro offenses are gonzo. Spread 'em wide.

RECRUITS: The Floss isn't going to get into a long winded talk about recruiting. I'm just going to talk about some of the guys who might make an impact. The sad thing is, most of these guys aren't even committed. Tyrone Ezell from Munhall might get a chance at an interior DLine spot if he is as good as the Floss believes. Isaac Holmes if he comes here most likely gets a spot in that rotation. Raymond Graham will also get some looks at RB if Shady goes. Dan Mason could come compete immediately at MLB, probably land on the 2 deep. Finally, my favorite recruit left, Josh Evans, S, Irvington HS in New Jersey, Youtube him, would get in on defense. This kid is a man. A freak. He could actually snag a starting spot if Fields is gone. Now we just need to convince him to pick Pitt over Florida and Oklahoma, wish I was kidding.

A JOKE: I saw this joke on a message board, thought I'd pass it along:

"I saw Bill Stull at the O today. He threw his money to the woman behind the counter only his doller went too high and left splashing into the fryers and giving her third degree burns. Coach Cav blamed the wind"

Absolutely beautiful joke.