Welcome to the Pitt football Q&A. We will answer questions daily between now and the end of the season. You can also follow the Panthers progress every day in our Pitt blog called the Redshirt Diaries.

Q: Yesterday you said that you could see Pitt going 11-1 and you could see them going 6-6 and neither would greatly surprise you. My question -- what would have to happen for them to go 6-6 and what would have to happen for them to go 11-1?

Ralph Conti, Dothan, Ala.

ZEISE: Well, put it this way: If the Alex Karabin/Greg Gaskins/Jack Lippert/Ryan Turnley crowd doesn't figure it out and come together and play well, it will be tough to run the ball and, with a new quarterback, that could be big problems for the offense against teams with athletic defenses. There are six such teams on the schedule -- three in the first five weeks -- so it isn't a stretch to say that if they don't get this offensive line thing solved -- especially with a secondary that has some questions at corner -- the Panthers will struggle against the better teams on their schedule. And that's without injuries.

Now, if the offensive line comes together, Ricky Gary/Saheed Imoru/Buddy Jackson/K'Wuan Williams/Brandon Ifill/any other warm body who can play cornerback figures it out and solidifies that spot, Tino Sunseri plays reasonably well and protects the football and the defensive line is as good as advertised, then this season will be as special as some people predict. I go somewhere in between -- the bottom isn't going to fall out but I have a hard time believing that everything is going to go right so I say this will most likely be an 8-4 or 9-3 kind of season.

Q: Count me as one of your Redshirt Diary's "Sunseri too short conspiracy theorists." It seems to me his ball floats badly when he's operating in traffic, which'll make him susceptible to interceptions. So my question is, what would Pitt's record need to be in a bad start to this season before Dave Wannstedt and company might yank him and insert Pat Bostick or Mark Myers or anyone else? Or will they never pull him, even if that meant letting the season go down in flames?

Terry Smith, San Clemente, Calif.

ZEISE: Great question. I will start by saying this: Tino's ball hasn't floated thus far in camp. His interceptions have all been a result of bad reads or throws. So he is not floating the ball like he did last year and I think he is doing a great job of finding the throwing lanes and stepping into them to deliver the ball. He is worlds ahead of where he was last year and while he hasn't been consistent yet, I do expect him to be fine. And, for better or worse, he is the guy -- or at least there will be a fairly long hook with him because Myers is a true freshman and has a long way to go and coaches believe Sunseri's upside is much higher than the upside of Pat Bostick. He would have to really, really struggle in order to be replaced and I just don't see that happening. The coaches are high on him.

Q: Am I crazy to think this team may struggle to reach eight wins with a center who's 5'10" and doesn't appear to be in shape, a quarterback who's under 6-feet and not named Drew Brees; a secondary that has slow safeties and just one good cornerback? A special season in 2010? Not even the best used-car salesman can make me think differently.

Rick Barie, Columbus, Ohio

ZEISE: Well, I don't think you are crazy, they are some valid points. But I think you are selling some of the players a little bit short. I, like you, am concerned about the interior offensive line and in particular, two positions, but like I've written, I think Tino Sunseri will be fine and the secondary will be fine as well. I don't know that this team is quite as good as advertised, but I just don't see any way they don't win at least eight games.

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