Panther Preview: Pitt Vs. Buffalo

Note: Nobody outside of the SUNY Buffalo administration calls it The University at Buffalo. As a self-respecting New Yorker I will refer to them only as SUNY Buffalo.

Nickname: Bulls

Colors: Blue and White

Enrolment: 28,054

Location: Amhurst, NY

Famous Alumni: Wolf Blitzer

Attractive Cheerleader Percentage: A sad 20 percent

Vegas Line: Pitt -10.5

• Pitt has lost their last two games on the road at MAC schools. Toledo in 2003 and Ohio in 2005. SUNY Buffalo has sold out their entire 30,000 seat stadium, so they will undoubtedly come out energized.
• The Bulls have an NFL caliber receiver in Naaman Roosevelt. The Panthers had some leaks in their secondary last week that Youngstown State was simply too inept to exploit. SUNY Buffalo might have better luck.
• The Dave Wannstedt-Bill Stull combo still isn't exactly inspiring confidence in the Panther faithful. The Panthers do not come into the game with the more competent coach.

 

Reasons to be Optimistic:

• That line seems awfully high against a likable underdog like SUNY Buffalo. That to me seems like Vegas is urging everyone to take the points as they make money on a Panther blowout.
• Drew Willy is no longer the Bulls QB. That honor now belongs to Zach Maynard who is more of a duel threat guy than the dropback gunslinger that Willy was. Pitt has become much more adept as stopping scramblers like Maynard ever since Pat Bennett took over the defense.
• The Bulls lost three offensive lineman off of last years squad. That sounds like a recipe for disaster against our defensive line.
• With the loss of running back James Starks for the season, it seems as if Roosevelt is really the only legitimate weapon Buffalo has on either side of the ball. Most of the questions around Pitt's offense this week seem to be "Will the offense stop themselves?" as opposed to "How are they going to move the ball on the Bulls?". Pitt just has a lot more talent everywhere other than the sidelines.

Every prediction I've read has Pitt winning a close one. I don't think that's happening.

Either this team really can win on the road in the MAC or they're going to win this one big.

Call me crazy but I feel good about this one. Hail to Pitt!

Pitt 31 SUNY Buffalo 13

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