Q: Do you think the coaching staff will adapt the playbook to utilize the talent more effectively?

Kory Parsia, Royersford

ZEISE: Unfortunately, no, I just don't think so. That old saying about trying to teach an old dog new tricks is really what you are dealing with here. Dave Wannstedt and Matt Cavanaugh have a coaching philosophy that is to play the game a certain way and they don't like to deviate from that comfort zone. It is one of those things where it seems like the best hope for Pitt to turn it around is that they get much better at what they are being asked to do and do so in a hurry. I just don't see these guys changing their philosophy and/or altering what they do or what they believe in at this point.

Q: Obviously, everybody is talking about how conservative the playcalling was against Bowling Green. But hasn't Pitt also been ultra-conservative with the depth chart, favoring older players instead of the up-and-comers? What does Joe Thomas have to do to give way to Lucas Nix? Jonathan Baldwin on the bench? Is 5th year senior Austin Ransom really a superior player to Greg Williams, Tristan Roberts, and Brandon Lindsay?

Ian Leyda, Zelienople

ZEISE: That is a great point -- the conservative mentality goes way beyond just play calling. Wannstedt often admits he is uneasy playing younger players because of the mistakes they might make. We also hear "he doesn't know the schemes/plays/routes/coverages" thing a lot, too, but if your schemes are too complex or not being picked up by your best athletes and playmakers to the point where they can't get on the field, then you need to change your schemes. The bottom line is you only have guys for four seasons so you might as well get the most out of them if you can. And, frankly, kids who play early in the season and continue to play get better as the season goes forward -- and there is no substitute for experience. I would actually say that Ransom is the best option at that weakside spot, but Greg Williams should have been a bigger factor even when Shane Murray and Adam Gunn were healthy because he just has so much speed and he is one of the best athletes on the team. When he's out there, he makes plays. Nix will get some work this week and you'd like to think Baldwin will too.

Q: What do you think of ESPN.com columnist Graham Watson picking Buffalo to "upset" Pitt, 35-32?

Pat Perri, Bakersfield, Calif.

ZEISE: Not much. I mean, wow, he's a genius -- he picked a MAC team to beat a team that just lost to another MAC team -- going way out on a ledge with that one. I think Pitt will win the game, but in the grand scheme of "shocking" losses, this one would not rank that high if it were to happen.