Pittsburgh Panthers 2010 NCAAF Preview, Schedule, Odds, and Predictions: Head football Coach Dave Wannstedt has returned the Pittsburgh Panthers to National Prominence, won the Meineke Car Care Bowl last December, and is preseason predicted to win the Big East Conference title. He isn’t happy about the latter. “It makes no sense to me to be quite honest with you,” Wannstedt said of wearing the preseason crown. “Cincinnati is the two-time reigning champ, and that is who we are all chasing.” Especially with an opening day trip to Salt Lake City to play the nationally ranked Utah Utes and the ACC power house Miami Hurricanes coming to Pittsburgh just 2 weeks later. A September to remember if the Panthers can win all three games against out of conference opponents, and if they do they are rewarded with a trip to South Bend, IN to take on Notre Dame the second week of October prior to starting their conference play. Vegas odds makers have the Pittsburgh Panthers +3500 odds to win the 2011 BCS National Championship.
Offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti, in his second season with the Panthers will run a balanced offense quarterbacked by third-year sophomore Tino Sunseri with the loss of two year starter Bill Stull. Suseri’s job will be easier with the return of sophomore running back Dion Lewis who rushed for nearly 1,800 yards as a true freshman second only to Pitt’s Tony Dorsett who had 2,150 yards in 1976 enroute to the Heisman Trophy. “He has what I call the ‘Wow!’ effect. When he comes through those big defensive linemen and he’s still running, it’s like, ‘Wow!” — Pitt’s former Heisman Trophy winner Tony Dorsett, after watching RB Dion Lewis rush for 194 yards against Cincinnati last year. Lewis has the speed and strength, if not the size, to run inside or out and will take a lot of pressure off the inexperienced Qb by opening up the play action pass. The odds makers at SBG Global have the Pittsburgh Panthers +900 to win the Big East Conference.
Defensive co-Player of the Year end Greg Romeus returns to anchor the line and will be joined by freshman DL T.J. Clemmings who was the No. 1 prospect in New Jersey and one of the top defensive recruits in the nation. Sophomore middle linebacker Dan Mason is reminiscing of the hard hitting Steelers linebackers that have marked blitzburgh for the past few years and will return after just three starts to give the Panthers the toughness Wannstedt likes. The odds makers at SBG Global have the Pittsburgh Panthers middle number listed at over/under 8 wins for the 2010 NCAAF regular season.
The eight team Big East Conference is hardly what it once was although it has made a minor comeback. Pitt only has a few big games and should easily have another 10 win season, has the talent to win the Big East, but not to compete for a National Championship.
2010 Pittsburgh Panthers Football Schedule
Thu, Sept 2 @ Utah 8:30 PM ET Versus
Sat, Sept 11 vs New Hampshire 1:00 PM ET
Thu, Sept 23 vs #13 Miami (FL) 7:30 PM ET
Sat, Oct 2 vs FIU TBD
Sat, Oct 9 @ Notre Dame 3:30 PM ET
Sat, Oct 16 @ Syracuse TBD
Sat, Oct 23 vs Rutgers TBD
Sat, Oct 30 vs Louisville TBD
Thu, Nov 11 @ Connecticut 7:30 PM ET
Sat, Nov 20 @ South Florida TBD
Fri, Nov 26 vs #25 West Virginia TBD
Sat, Dec 4 @ Cincinnati TBD