Paul Zeise: Welcome back to another session of talking Pitt football. I'm here, ready to go, so let's get started.

SDWC: Hi Paul, on the ESPNU telecast last Saturday, Gottfried mentioned a couple of times that Bostick's windup allows the safeties extra time to break on receivers more quickly downfield to defend on his passes. I realize his delivery is a bit unorthodox, but he appears to get rid of the ball fairly quickly. Do you agree with Gottfried's take?

Paul Zeise: Obviously Mike Gottfried has forgotten more football than I will ever know and the wind up is unorthodox, but I do think and in talking to the coaches, they think, he gets rid of it quick enough. I'm sure this is something that will be worked on in the offseason, but at this point, what can they do? He's been thrust into a situation where he has to perform, so trying to work out hitches or work with his mechanics can't be high on the priority list. These are things they can work on over the next year, but as for now, they need to focus on trying to get him ready to play each week.

DontTaseMeBro: The offensive line looks pretty bad lately. What do you think is the biggest reason for this? Do you think its a lack of talent, it being shuffled all the time, poor coaching or what?

Paul Zeise: A combination of all the things you mentioned. If the same group of players have not progressed in the same system for more than two years, well, then something obviously isn't working from the top, be it communication breakdowns or a lack of understanding. At the same time, there have been some injuries that have caused big problems and I also think that there is still a lack of depth at a few positions that give the coaching staff very little flexibility.

SDWC: Paul, if Wannstedt gets the boot at the end of the year or even next year, any chance Russ Grimm might be interested?

Paul Zeise: He won't get the boot and no, Russ Grimm would not be interested -- he's one step away from being a head coach in the NFL -- why in the world would he take a step back?

DontTaseMeBro: Dorin Dickerson looking any closer to unseating Adam Gunn for the linebacker spot? What about Nate Nix taking over for little Shane Murray?

Paul Zeise: Nate Nix has been hurt for the past two weeks so he hasn't even dressed. As for Dickerson, he is making more plays each game but he hasn't yet taken over for Gunn because he is still learning. I think if you count reps you'll find they are virtually splitting time already anyway.

Busey_sTwoMeatballSubs: I had enough. Last week showed me Death-Spiral Dave won't get the job done at Pitt. Too stuck in his '70s ways to make these kids better players. I want Steve Sarkesian or the Boise State coach, Peterson. A 2-10 record and the school just may might make a change. What do you think?

Paul Zeise: I don't think, especially with no AD in place, that there will be any changes that major made until after next season. I think at the most, there will be the proverbial -- "we'll give you a vote of confidence but you better make some major changes on your staff and you better win next year" -- type of talk but I don't see any scenario where Wannstedt gets fired, especially after only three years and given all the injuries they have had this year.

DontTaseMeBro: What would you think about the idea of Tom Bradley being the next head coach if Wanny doesnt get things going?

Paul Zeise: Tom Bradley is a bright, articulate, smart football coach with a lot of charisma and he's known as a great recruiter and his defenses are always great. That being said, he is also getting up there in age a little bit and he's been a career assistant at one university for a long time. That's not saying he wouldn't be a good choice, but the young, hungry, up and coming head coach from a smaller conference model seems to be the way this university should go (see Cinncy, for instance)......

Ian: Instead of playing it safe with young QB, do you think they should open things up and spread it out?

Paul Zeise: Yes, they need to and they know this. I expect the game plan against Navy and from this point forward to be a lot less conservative and allow Pat Bostick to get into the game earlier. I'm not saying they are going to turn it into Mouse Davis's offense but he will throw the ball more in the first half than he has.

Running_Faster__But_Not_Playing_: Is there any chance, I mean any chance whatever, that this coaching staff can turn this thing around?

Paul Zeise: There is always a chance. Think 2001 -- that team was left for the dead and ended up winning six in a row to end the season. It can happen.

seber90519: What is the media love affair with Wannstedt? Harris went to 2 bowl games his first three years and five in his time as head coach and was run out of town? He would've been boiled in oil with the record that Dave Wannstedt has put up thus far.

Paul Zeise: Harris went to one bowl game in his first three years and there have been several columns recently "boiling Wannstedt in oil" so I'm not sure what you mean about this love affair.

pittfan: Can you please explain to DW the next time you see him that Darnell Dickerson was the last frosh QB to start at Pitt and NOT Dan Marino?

Paul Zeise: Will do -- though I think we should run this past the media guru of Pitt -- E.J. Borghetti

Busey_sTwoMeatballSubs: Paul, not to bring up coach Harris, but where do you think the program would be if he was still here? Same results with less talent, or scraping by with marginal players?

Paul Zeise: I have no idea. I have a hard time believing with the group of players they had coming back and the schedule they played that they wouldn't have at least won six games in 2005 and seven in 2006 -- but where would things be this year? I have no idea because I'm sure he doesn't sign a lot of the players that make up the core of this team right now. It is not really a fair comparison because it is pure speculation.

StickyRickywiththePicky: Greg Romeus, Sheard, and Tkach all seem to make plays... any way Tyler and Jabaal see more reps soon?

Paul Zeise: Yes, that's what the coaches have indicated, that especially Jabaal will begin to see more plays. The big thing is this -- this team, especially on defense, is surprisingly devoid of difference makers and Sheard has the potential to be one so he needs to be out there, just like Greg Romeus.

StickyRickywiththePicky: Paul, isn't this team going to be good enough to win 7 games next year and thus the administration will have an excuse to keep the staff because of the improvement from this year to next?

Paul Zeise: This team better win seven games next year at a minimum and that isn't exactly the kind of progress in year four the university has in mind so things could get real hairy at that point.

Game-winning_Onside-kick: Paul, I've heard that, in addition to MSU, UCONN, and UVA, the Pitt coaches have also lost the Pitt team...does that make their record 2-4 now?

Paul Zeise: Um, no, and the whole concept of losing the players is way over stated. Losing teams always seem to be because the coaches "have lost the players" and the same thing was said about Walt Harris's 2001 team.

Running_Faster__But_Not_Playing_: Given this team's past of giving up huge rushing yards to teams in the recent past, do you think Pitt will be able to stop Navy's option offense?

Paul Zeise: That's the milliion dollar question - I really have no idea and precedent doesn't exacltly give the defense a ringing endorsement. The option teams have traditionally run all over Pitt's defense, so this could be another long night for the home team.

2_10: Why are the coaches coaching not to lose rather than coaching to win?

Paul Zeise: I don't think that's the case, I think they are just trying to be ultra-conservative because they have a freshman quarterback and an offensive line that, well, to be kind isn't very productive. But you are right, that needs to change and in a hurry -- they have to get aggressive and just let Pat Bostick start playing football.

Dan6969: Why is it that Walt Harris was able to do more with less (talent) and Wanny does less with more (talent)? I think Wanny got spoiled at the U of M and then with Dallas and he really did not coach up the players as much as he does now.

Paul Zeise: Does Wannstedt have more talent? Or does he have more "hyped" talent? That's something that I've been considering over the past year. it is a good question to ask yourself and take an honest evaluation. Walt had some excellent football players.

Dan6969: I have a feeling that the Navy game is going to be a deal breaker for Wanny if they lose this game I feel like a lot of the recruits will run the other way. However I have a feeling this game will turnout like UCF game last year and they will blow out Navy and Bostick and MCoy will have huge games.

Paul Zeise: So you think they are going to win or lose? I can't tell by your question. I don't think it will be like UCF just because Navy's offense doesn't allow for that many possessions. That being said, this would be the ideal game for Pitt to try and get a lead in so they can take Navy out of its comfort zone.

StickyRickywiththePicky: I think this team would be better if Stull got more reps last year as Palko's backup.

Paul Zeise: Yes, yes, that's it -- he wouldn't have injured his thumb had he just gotten some work handing off in blowouts.....

2_10: Is Matt Cavanaugh drunk or does he really believe this team can line up and just run the ball at the opposition with no threat of a passing game?

Paul Zeise: Again, I think they are trying to be ultra conservative and they understand that probably isn't the approach that is going to serve the team best so they will make some changes versus Navy. Remember, it looks bleak now but there are still 7 games left.

DontTaseMeBro: Paul, I heard rumors that Wanny has lost the team and that they have given up. Is this true?

Paul Zeise: I don't think they have quit though I do question the effort against Virginia when, one thing went wrong at the start of the game and all of the sudden it is 30-0. There was some lying down going on out there but it seems like the team is in good spirits this week and is working hard, so I don't think anyone has quit.

DontTaseMeBro: Any players on this Pitt roster with enough talent that you see playing in the NFL?

Paul Zeise: Wow, i would have to think about that. The easy ones to spot would be Romeus, McCoy, Strong, Collins, Otah and Byham. Id have to think about the rest.

DontTaseMeBro: Paul, any chance of bring in Walt Harris as offensive coordinator, putting Ditka as head coach, putting Wanny as defensive coordinator, making Fitzgerald wr coach, Rob Petetti OL coach, H. and bringing in Marino or Palko as QB coach?

Paul Zeise: Yes, that's what this team needs to get it right, more Pitt guys ...

StickyRickywiththePicky: What did you think of the onside kick to start the game?

Paul Zeise: I didn't care for it because I thought it sent a message of panic to the team. I understand why they did it, but I just don't agree with it. I thought kicking off and letting your defense have a chance -- and if they could get a stop and force a punt, perhaps you have a little positive momentum going. Instead, you give a mediocre offense life by giving them the ball on the 38. Again, I just wasn't a big fan of it.

DontTaseMeBro: Paul, you said before that you dont root for Pitt. Why is that? You're not allowed because of you job? You don't like the players? Or do you root for a different team? I don't think it would be fun covering the team and not liking them.

Paul Zeise: I'm a neutral observer, nothing more, nothing less. And you couldn't do this job properly if you got emotionally attached to the team you cover.

Busey_sTwoMeatballSubs: OK, so Dave isn't going anywhere. How about Larry Coker as the next offensive coordinator, Wanny pal Pat Jones (former Oklahoma State coach) runs the defense and Sweeney is the next OL coach? My contact says Sweeney is a possibility.

Paul Zeise: Yes, that's what Pitt needs, hire coaches who are past their prime.

2_10: Paul, there are rumors about a number of players so fed up with the state of the program that they're considering transferring. At what point do you become so fed up that you transfer to the RMU beat?

Paul Zeise: I get paid the same amount of money if Pitt wins or loses, so it doesn't matter to me. And in covering a bad team, it just means I get to spend my holidays with my family and that's just fine with me, too..

RBT76: Paul, If you look around college football every week most teams {even big time schools like Florida and Texas} run the spread. Do you think Pitt could become more spread? Or not, because of the QB's they have recruited.

Paul Zeise: I don't think the quarterbacks matter that much -- Pat Bostick could run a spread offense that is predicated on passing (like Texas Tech's) but the quarterback runs wouldn't be a part of it, that's all, because he isn't mobile. But this is a West Coast offense staff, so I wouldn't expect to see the spread any time soon.

Game-winning_Onside-kick: Paul, when Dave Wannstedt was hired, didn't Mark Nordenberg quote Shakespeare by saying "Now is the winter of our discontent, made glorious summer by this sun of Baldwin"? Because I don't know if I buy that anymore...

Paul Zeise: I don't know if Baldwin, as in Jonathan, will be buying it any more if this stuff keeps up, either!

Game-winning_Onside-kick: Paul, did the onside kick to open the UVA game remind you of Marty Morningwheg opting to not take the ball in overtime?

Paul Zeise: Good comparison, although Morningwheg was trying to tell his defense that he believes in them while the onside kick was a message to the offense that the coaches didn't believe in them.

Game-winning_Onside-kick: Paul, is there a culture of losing growing in the Pitt petri dish, er, locker room?

Paul Zeise: I'm not the expert in the media on such things as cultures of losing. There are apparently some in the media who are psuedo-sociologists and understand the cultures of winning and losing and will ask plenty of questions about it, but I just don't know if that is actually the case here. My question is, how long, how many losses, does it take before it becomes a culture?

Game-winning_Onside-kick: Paul, what is the media love affair with winning games? All I hear about from guys like you and Gorman and the columnists is about winning games. Geez, what a broken record...

Paul Zeise: Yes, what a terrible thing, to expect a team to win some games. I can't understand it and can't understand why anyone would expect such a thing. Hey, i've always said, the best teams to cover are either really good or really bad --- mediocre is no fun -- so if the wheels are off, let them fall all the way off!

WeNeedMoreTime: Paul, any shot of Wanny staying on but both coordinators stepping down or being fired, hopefully within the next 15 minutes or so? pantherrants.blogspot.com

Paul Zeise: Not within the next 15 minutes, but I do think that there will be some changes instituted in the offseason if things don't turn around. whether that means those two coaches specifically, I just don't know.

Busey_sTwoMeatballSubs: I keep hearing how great the middle linebacker McKillop is. Well, when the score was 30-14, he dropped an easy INT. When the Wahoos did score later in the drive, he blew is assignment to cover the outside, where Cox had containment. Is this a reflection of poor instincts or poor coaching?

Paul Zeise: Or it could be the kid, who for the most part has played very well, had a couple of bad plays, which will happen from time to time to even the best players. This team has many problems and Scott McKillop is NOT one of them.

seber90519: Wannstedt has made the excuse that Harris left him with nothing. Harris went to the Fiesta Bowl with many of the same players Wannstedt inherited. I realize the 2004 team got some lucky breaks but they went further with supposedly a lot less talent. Doesn't this reflect poor coaching since Wannstedt has now had three top recruiting classes in a row?

Paul Zeise: I have never heard Dave make the excuse that he was left nothing. What he has said, and rightfully so, is that this team lacked a lot of depth in a lot of places and didn't have a lot of talent in some key areas. The 2004 team was a 6-win team that overachieved by two games -- the 2005 team underachieved by one. You make your own conclusions, but that is the facts.

Running_Faster__But_Not_Playing_: What about Dom DeCicco? Surely he couldn't play much worse than the current safeties. Any chance he starts to get on the field more?

Paul Zeise: Eric Thatcher has played well. Mike Phillips has been inconsistent but obviously the coaching staff thinks he is better right now than DeCicco, which is why he is out there. Again, this team has many problems and I'm not sure safety is high on the list of them.

truthhurts: Why is it that if this team goes 2-10 no wins of any significance, Wannstedt gets a pass? I dont think it is fair to the fans that pay money and donate to the program. Its not like this program is getting better by any means and any coach can cry about injuries -- you have to deal with them.

Paul Zeise: Um, who is saying Wannstedt would "get a pass" for a 2-10. What I said is he'd be sat down and told to make some changes on his staff -- something he -- and most coaches -- doesn't really want to do -- and he'll be told to turn it around next year or he'll be gone. That's not a pass, that's just how it works in college athletics.

Dan6969: Should they bring Harris back to help with the Offense?

Paul Zeise: No, nor would he want to come back.

StickyRickywiththePicky: Will Cav allow allow Bostick to throw the ball forward against Navy?

Paul Zeise: Yes, that seems to be the plan, to open it up and let him throw it some.

Running_Faster__But_Not_Playing_: Ultra-conservative? Jesse Helms was an ultra-conservative. This offense is taking us back to the stone ages.

Paul Zeise: I agree. Jesse Helms was a forward-thinking progressive compared to the offensive game plans of the last two weeks, but I do think that mindset is changing as the coaches begin t o trust Pat Bostick more and we'll see a more balanced offense this week.

Fralic_Rules: How is the WR core progressing? Is a lot of it the problem at QB not being able to get them the ball, or is Turner and company not improving?

Paul Zeise: It is hard to gauge the wide receivers with the quarterback situation as it is, but by the same token they have dropped some passes and made some key mistakes so they have been inconsistent at best.

seber90519: You keep saying Wannstedt will definitely be back next year. Another year of this and all his recruiting skills won't even get them WPIAL All-Stars, let alone the all-americans we've gotten. I know high school rep means nothing when you get to D-1, but doesn't this reflect bad coaching. We're headed for a Temple here. Temple was kicked out of the Big East because of a) no wins b) dismal attendance. Imagine how good Heinz Field empty seats will look in a national game with Navy. MAC here we come.

Paul Zeise: That is if he doesn't turn it around -- you are assuming a lot. What if Pitt salvages some of this season and then goes out and wins nine or ten games next year? You think he'll be able to recruit?

2_10: What's your take on Pitt honoring Curtis Martin at halftime of a Wednesday night game that will likely draw an attendance of about 10,000?

Paul Zeise: Well, what game would you suggest if attendance is the gauge? At least this one is on national television so why not?

StickyRickywiththePicky: Do you think recruiting is taking a hit with this on field perfomance? And if so, can Pitt survive a subpar class?

Paul Zeise: Absolutely it has to and it will until it gets turned around. And Pitt needs talent so a subpar class is not going to help this program out , that's for sure.

tampapittfan: Paul, do you think we can dig up Joe Moore's body? We really need him.

Paul Zeise: That's a very morbid thought but I agree - the offensive line needs some kind of a shot in the arm in order to get in gear. And with that, I must say good-bye, thanks for all the great questions and we will chat again next Thursday at the same time.