John_Baldwin_4_Play_Time: Now that Adam Gunn is out for the season I have 2 questions. Do you think he will be completely shut down and receive a medical RS? Also do you think Greg williams will play ahead of nate nix and brandon lindsay? Would it be wise to play Ransom/Williams on 1 side and Nix/Lindsay on the other?

Paul Zeise: Adam Gunn has already redshirtted and since his first redshirt season was not due to a medical condition I don't see how he gets another year. Greg Williams will start and I think Nate Nix will get some playing time as well. Ransom is a weakside linebacker and Williams is the best of the other group -- so they should both be on the field.

fire_wanny: Paul what's the word around town is he truly on the hot seat or is just warm?

Paul Zeise: I would say it is warming up if it isn't already at a boiling point that is for sure.

pitt-i-ful: Paul, after listening and reading to Wanny's assessment it is clear that he unfortunately still doesn't get it. Do you think its possible that we see Pitt attempt a pass beyond 10 yards this week.?

Paul Zeise: You'd hope, but the problem is they don't have many pass patterns that go beyond 10 yards in their playbook and they don't do much max protecting to give their passer time to throw them. I think the game plan will be what it has been for 36 games -- and that should translate into a stale, 24-10 type of victory.

Frustrated_Fan: PAUL: Some say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result. So how can the Pitt coaching staff expect to have a power running game with an inexperienced offensive line. Also, how could so many in the Media miss the fact this team is not very good and rank them in the top 25? They a have an inexperience QB, weak offensive line and no depth at linebacker. I am not only frustrated but also confused. Thanks

Paul Zeise: Great question -- you can't be a power running team if you don't have an offensive line capable of imposing its will physically at any given time during the game. And preseason rankings are so meaningless, it is all guess work anyway.

pitt-i-ful: What do you think Paul, - personally I think McCain dropped the ball by choosing Palin, - Wanny is by far the biggest conservative I know of.

Paul Zeise: Yes, but Palin is far tougher on her opponents than Wanny usually is.

SHOW_OF_SUPPORT: Paul, what's worse: the UConn slide a few years ago, or the lay-up for a field goal against Bowling Green?

Paul Zeise: I'd say given that the UConn slide play left enough time on the clock for UConn to go the length of the field and kick a field goal -- thus neutralizing Pitt's field goal -- the slide play was worse. But not by much.....

John_Baldwin_4_Play_Time: I saw the article that the Cav thought the playcalling was too conservative. Do you think he will open it up a little more this week?

Paul Zeise: Do I think that roughly 30 years of coaching and building a philosophy and sticking to those guns through several different jobs are all of the sudden going to change in one week after a loss? Um, no ...

SHOW_OF_SUPPORT: Paul, I saw that Pitt's motto this year is Prove It. If that's the case, what did they prove on Saturday?

Paul Zeise: That if you play not to lose, you usually end up losing.

Bob_Dylan: Hi Paul: Do you think Kevin Collier will play a role on this team in 2008? If not, do you think he may transfer after this season?

Paul Zeise: No, I don't see how he can play a role unless there is an injury. He is behind McCoy and Stephens-Howling and has seemingly fallen behind the two younger kids Chris Burns and Shariff Harris as well -- and a transfer could be in the cards for him. By the same token, you'd figure McCoy will likely leave and Stephens-Howling is graduating, so the tailback position is wide open going into the spring and you'd think he'd at least stick around long enough to have a chance to win the job.

Shady: What's the word on Kevan Smith? Will he be the next option if Stull struggles again?

Paul Zeise: No, I don't think there is a Plan B and if you listen to coaches, they don't agree that Stull struggled any more than a first-year starter -- their words not mine -- should be expected to. If push came to shove, he might get some run but I would say the leash for Stull will be very long and generous...

WVNoodleGoEERS: What's the current attitude with the team?

Paul Zeise: Seems to be upbeat, seems to be still excited and optimistic. I thinking they'll come out and play better this week then get a good week of practice before starting to prepare for Iowa. This team is fairly resilient I think, but we will certainly see.

theWellHungarian: Is Stull way too conservative or is that the coaches? I remember players in the Walt Era told me that they would tell J.T. to just throw the ball up for a jump ball with A.B. and most of the time A.B. did come down with it. Won him a Biletnikoff Award to boot

Paul Zeise: Well I don't think there are many plays in this playbook that are "just throw it up there and let him grab it." I think Stull held back some and dumped off a few but again -- look at the pass patterns on almost every play and see how many of them go down the field -- most end 10 to 12 yards from the line of scrimmage -- so there aren't many opportunities for him to throw it over the top and let his guys make a play.

laker44: How many times can the Pitt coaches use the inexperience excuse to defend their gameplan?

Paul Zeise: UCLA won on Monday night with a first-year starter -- the third stringer -- at quarterback and did so after he threw four first-half interceptions. They didn't shut it down, clamp it down -- they let the kid keep throwing and he ended up leading them to a win. The nature of college football is that you will always turn over players and you will always have youth and inexperience at some spots -- it is not a legitimate reason to continue to lose games you should win.

laker44: How can three of your best athletes hardly see the field against Bowling Green (Fields, Nix, and Baldwin)?

Paul Zeise: Great question, one we've asked every day since the game. All three are expected to play more this week so we'll see on Saturday. It is somewhat puzzling to say the least.

theWellHungarian: What up Paul? Who would be some coaching candidates if Wanny gets sacked? I know people will say, "It's been 1 game," but in actuality it's been 3+ years. The win at WVU was great, but was due more to luck & P. White getting hurt than Wanny's gameplanning.

Paul Zeise: Oh come on, coaching candidates? Well given that it is Pitt and "we need a Pitt guy" I suppose Tim Lewis, Foge Fazio, Matt Cavanaugh, Sal Sunseri, Jerry Olsavsky, Pete Gonzalez will all get interviews.

Dave_D: I fear there is a real chance of Pitt losing to Buffalo. If this happens, is Cavanaugh out of a job by midnight?

Paul Zeise: No, I don't see anyone getting fired during the season -- it just isn't the way they do things at Pitt and frankly to scape goat one coach at this point wouldn't make much sense. For better or worse, if this season is to be salvaged, it will take this staff pulling together and getting the kids to perform.

SHOW_OF_SUPPORT: Paul, do you give Matt Cavanaugh a pass on his play-calling miscues since he is still a young guy trying to find his way in the coaching business?

Paul Zeise: Um, no -- again, I don't think the inexperience angle is going to play very well this year.

SHOW_OF_SUPPORT: Paul, didn't you think that Bill Stull would have looked much better in Saturday's game considering all the experience he had at Seton LaSalle?

Paul Zeise: I didn't think he was terrible to be honest, I thought he was OK, not special, but not the reason the team lost.

PittFan08: Do you think tha lack of a deep passing game is partially the result of Bill Stull checking down to the easy pass too often?

Paul Zeise: No, like I said, they don't have many deep routes in the play book and even on plays when he checked down and dumped, more often than not his first option was standing seven yards down the field.

mcguyver: Last year Cavanaugh's excuse was a freshman quarterback. What is it this year? He has playmakers at every skill position but only calls 5 yard dump passes. Is he going to take down this team and coaching staff?

Paul Zeise: A great question -- if you read the story today he seems to agree that he wasn't nearly aggressive enough Saturday so we will see if things change. I doubt it, but he has called some very good games over the past few years as well as some stinkers.

mcguyver: Does Steve Peterson still have Walt Harris' phone number?

Paul Zeise: Perhaps, I suppose. Walt's passing game could give this offense the lift it needs, that's for sure.

SHOW_OF_SUPPORT: Paul, if the coaches lose the team, do you get a press release or do you need to have somebody tell you?

Paul Zeise: Somebody from the South Hills always has to tell you anything before it becomes the gospel.

laker44: Paul, do you think Wanny would make a change with Cav during the season, or just until Pitt ends up 5-7?

Paul Zeise: I don't think so -- Wannstedt is a loyal guy and he really likes and respects Cavanaugh. Nothing would change until after the season and frankly why would it -- if it is a lost season it is a loss and you start again next year.

Bubba: Paul, why does Wannstedt insist that Pitt needs juniors and seniors at every position to succeed, but other, much better programs (Georgia, Alabama, etc.) can succeed with true freshmen at key positions?

Paul Zeise: That's that old NFL mentality creeping in again -- you know -- we don't play rookies and we go find experienced free agents to fill holes because rookies make mistakes. It is a crutch that a lot of coaches use but it doesn't hold water in college usually because every team has turn over every year.

mcguyver: After seeing the embarrassing weekend by Big East teams, does West Virginia run away with this conference?

Paul Zeise: It will be WVU or South Florida -- though I'm not sure either team is as good as maybe some thought they would be at the start of the season.

samepittdifferentday: Will we finally see Greg Cross and the Wildcat against Buffalo?

Paul Zeise: I doubt it, that doesn't seem like something the coach is comfortable with at this point. It would be a pleasant surprise, but I just don't know.

hiremikeditka: What was your overall evaluation of how Bill Stull played?

Paul Zeise: Like I said -- I thought he made some plays, he missed some throws but overall he made some good decisions and wasn't terrible. He needs to improve, but I can point to a lot more pressing issues than Stull, that's for sure.

StatePenn: What are the odds Cav is still here this time next year?

Paul Zeise: I have no idea. Let's see how the season plays out first before we start firing coaches.

abq: I am more disturbed about Pitt going for it on 4th down from about the 50 with 9 minutes left than I am with them punting from inside the 40 in the first half. I just think that Wanny has no idea what he's doing on gameday. People say he's conservative. I think he's inconsistent and not rational.

Paul Zeise: I can't really disagree with much of what you wrote. At times when he should be conservative, he seems to try and take chances and at times when he probably should take some chances, he gets conservative. It is really sometimes a little baffling but the bottom line is he's had some successes as a head coach so he clearly must have some idea what he is doing.

samepittdifferentday: Paul I want to believe in Dave Wannstedt, I wanted to believe he can make college football relevant in Pittsburgh. Do you think reality has set in and this team will never get over the hump?

Paul Zeise: Too early to tell. Check back in about five weeks.

mcguyver: If McCoy is leaving for the 1st round, he needs to do better than 70 yards and yet another fumble.

Paul Zeise: No question and I would expect him to. He did a lot of dancing on Saturday and didn't hit the hole real fast, he needs to just relax and play football and he'll be fine.

D_Dedmon: I think the problem with last week's game was the band didn't play The Panther Song hard enough. Thoughts?

Paul Zeise: I thought the problem was the band was facing the open endzone when they played it and the sound just ran right out of the stadium before anyone could hear it. That and I don't recall hearing Sweet Caroline played.....

Bubba: Paul - if Pitt manages 6-6 or worse, but Wannstedt stays, do you see any of these young players (Brandon Lindsey, Shayne Hale, and most importantly Jonathon Baldwin) transferring?

Paul Zeise: No, I really don't. The players like him and seem to like playing for him. I think 6-6 would be a cause for a change in coordinator and maybe some other staff changes and whatnot at the very least.

samepittdifferentday: Paul is there really any reason to purchase a ticket to any more of the home games?

Paul Zeise: I can't make that decision for you. I think Pitt can rebound and make this an exciting season and I think that there are some good games on the schedule but ultimately this is a choice you have to make. With your entertainment dollar.

D_Dedmon: Is there any truth to the rumor of a late night meeting where Pederson gave this coaching staff an ultimatum to open it up or be fired?

Paul Zeise: No, I am told this is a total fabrication.

Biggs: Paul, being around the players like you are, do you sense they have no confidence in the coaching staff?

Paul Zeise: Hard to tell really -- I think they do and like I said they seem to like and respect Wannstedt but they'd like to win more games and all of this losing is taking its toll on them.

upj_mtcat: Paul, is Hynoski a better blocker than Collins? We sure could have used better blocking by the fullback.

Paul Zeise: Yes, he is. And Conredge didn't have his best game on Saturday that's for sure but I will say he is the kind of player who needs to get a few touches to keep his head in the game a little more. He seems to get bored when he is not a major part of the game plan.

BringWaltBack: When do you think Joe Thomas gets sat on the bench? He didnt try to block anybody until they were hitting the QB.

Paul Zeise: I'd say I believe Wannstedt when he says he is going to play Lucas Nix more -- and I think Nix is going to be the kind of player that once he starts to play he will be hard to get out of the game.

hiremikeditka: You think Joe Thomas moving from guard to tackle has anything to do with his struggles? I remember the coaching staff being high on him as a freshman guard.

Paul Zeise: Not really because he struggled the last two years at guard as well. He just hasn't been as good as advertised, that's all. I think he can become a decent player, but I think it is clear that the unfair expectations placed on him were unrealistic. He is average with a chance to perhaps become a little better than that if he continues to work hard.

Bubba: Paul, if Pitt loses to Buffalo, is there ANY chance that Cavanaugh or even Wannstedt gets fired?

Paul Zeise: I highly doubt it -- like I said, I just don't see a midseason or early season firing.

Bubba: Paul, did Wannstedt really seem angry after the game Saturday? The postgame radio interview made it seem like he was just resigned to what happened. Pitt won't win consistently until they get coaches who get infuriated after losses like Saturday because they SHOULD NOT HAPPEN.

Paul Zeise: I agree, he wasn't as angry as you'd think he'd be but he is a pretty even keeled guy and I respect him for that. He never seems to get too high or too low and yes, sometimes to the point where he almost seems resigned to the fact that the team lost a game and life will go on. That's just his personality.

SHOW_OF_SUPPORT: Paul, why don't you write more blogs?

Paul Zeise: There is only room for one "Blog-Man" in Gotham sir.

Bubba: Paul -- what about Tom Bradley for head coach? Any chance of that?

Paul Zeise: No, the guy is really in danger of becoming a career assistant but the last thing Pitt needs -- and I love Bradley and think he's a great coach -- is a coach coming in with no head coaching experience, especially a guy who has only been at one program for like 30 years.

rockville_ken: So are you saying that it is still the AD's fault at Pitt?

Paul Zeise: This AD has only been here since December. I think you should give him the benefit of the doubt for at least another few months before you try to fire him as well.

panthermax: How did Pederson handle the BG loss?

Paul Zeise: Disappointed obviously but not ready to jump off the Clemente bridge. I mean, he and his staff worked very hard to provide a great atmosphere and a good crowd and to create a buzz for the first game -- and then it goes down the drain after one week. It is a shame, but he's a proactive guy and I am sure he's already working on trying to get people into the stadium for the Iowa game.

bring_back_walt: Wanny said before the BG game that they didn't practice much against the spread. He only had 9 months to prepare for it?!?!?!?!?!

Paul Zeise: Yes, but they practiced against their own conventional pro-style offense -- the reason they lost wasn't because of the defense or the defense's inability to deal with the spread. It was purely on the shoulders of the offense.

mcguyver: With a bland playbook, how do you fix the Pitt offense?

Paul Zeise: Um, I think you use some more of those packages that we always hear about -- the one for Cross, the one for Stephens-Howling, the one for Baldwin -- and see if you can't give defenses some different looks and mix it up some. I thought Saturday was a great opportunity to use the Cross package, but again, that goes against the grain of the head coach, who believes in playing football a certain way and doesn't like to stray to far from his comfort zone.

samepittdifferentday: Do you think LaRod Stephens Howling will get more carries this time around? I thought he played great but it seemed like the coaches went into panic mode way too fast.

Paul Zeise: No, LeSean McCoy is the featured back -- he should get the bulk of the carries and I'd expect that to be the case again this week and rightfully so.

Bubba: Why would the offense shy away from deep patterns? An interception down the field is just like a punt anyway, so you'd think Wannstedt would love them.

Paul Zeise: Because football is about "moving the sticks" and playing "ten yards at a time" and "controlling the clock" -- haven't you heard? There is a reason why so many of Pitt's interceptions turn into touchdowns for the other team -- and it is mostly because the ball is often thrown close to the line of scrimmage into traffic.

Bubba: If they're not going to use Greg Cross, then what was the point of bringing him in as a recruit?

Paul Zeise: Haven't we asked the same questions about Nate Byham, Dorin Dickerson, Conredge Collins, Kevin Harper, etc., etc., -- for the past three years?

StatePenn: I think the gross majority of the fans would rather start firing coaches before we see how this season plays out...we've been down that road before.

Paul Zeise: Ok, so you fire a coach now and then you have realistically no chance to win any more games because players will lose interest and the whole thing will fall apart. At least, if you keep this staff in place and give them a chance to right the ship, it gives the kids a fighting chance to turn it around as well.

Paul Zeise: Well, as always it has been fun, but I have to run -- tune in next Thursday and thanks for all the great questions..