Submit your Pitt football question

Camp is over and the preparation for the season has begun, so I figured I'd take an educated guess based on what I've observed as to the projected starters for the Eastern Michigan game. Offense (assuming a two-wide set): backfield Stull, Stephens-Howling, Collins; tight end/receivers Byham, Pestano, Turner; offensive line Pinkston, Davis, Thomas, Vangas, Otah. Defense: lineman Duncan, Mustakis, McKillop, Clermond; linebackers McKillop, Murray, Gunn; defensive backs Berry, Cox, Phillips, Thatcher.

Not many surprises there but it seems clear to me that despite the rhetoric, McGlynn will not be ready for the first game and Dickerson still has a ways to go before he is ready to unseat Adam Gunn.

Q: I am wondering if Nate Byham has NFL potential. Franklin has only had two NFL players - Ted Marchibroda with the Steelers - and Roland Lawrence with the Falcons.

Tom Edkin, Lake City, Fla.

ZEISE: Absolutely he does. He is a talented kid and he is just realizing his potential now. He'll also get bigger and stronger and develop into a more physical player. But his athleticism is something special and he will only get better. He is one of the young players on the team I look at and say if he keeps improving, he'll clearly have a shot to be an NFL player.

Q: Will Pitt get a marquee victory against Louisville, West Virginia or Rutgers this year?

Rich Dimmack, Indianapolis

ZEISE: If I knew answers to questions like that, I'd retire tomorrow and move to Las Vegas and become the next Ace Rothstein. I will say one thing that has been disappointing about the first two years of this new regime is that the Panthers have failed to beat a team they weren't supposed to beat. They haven't pulled any upsets, so that would be a great sign of progress if they could knock off one of those teams, or even Virginia or Michigan State. This team needs to beat a team it isn't supposed to beat this year.

Q: Do you have any feel for how the running backs will be handled?

Dave Dedmon, Pittsburgh

ZEISE: Yes, LaRod Stephens-Howling will start, LeSean McCoy will get a large dose of work as well and unless one proves they clearly deserve the majority of the carries, the platoon will remain in place and the two will complement each other. If one, however, jumps out ahead of the other, I'm sure coaches, who the past two years have shown a tendency to "shorten their bench" and zoom in on the best players as the season unfolded, will settle on one and give him the bulk of the work. The coaches would like to settle on a featured back, if possible.

Q: Of all the recruits that Dave Wannstedt has brought in, which one will have the greatest impact this season?

Patrick Herward, Edgewood

ZEISE: The obvious answer is LeSean McCoy because he'll have the best chance to play the most meaningful snaps.

Q: How could it be two weeks before the season and coaches are still looking for a kick-off specialist? Weren't they told in the spring that there is a good chance they might need to kick-off at some point during each game?

Chris Tabay, Hamilton, N.J.

ZEISE: That is an oversimplification of the problem. They have a few guys who can kick-off, they just haven't been very good at it. That is no different than a few of the other positions right now, except for the fact that they believe they might be able to find a soccer player or maybe even a former soccer player who can kick the ball 70 yards. Believe me, there are a few other positions that coaches would like to put some help wanted ads out for at this point, it is just not quite as easy to find, say, an offensive lineman as it might be to find a kick-off specialist.