10 Things We Know About the 2008 Pitt Panthers — No. 5 Through No. 1

2. Bill Stull will enter 2008 as the starting quarterback.

And by all accounts, it’s the right call. Stull was far and away the most talented out of the bunch in last summer’s quarterback battle. Unfortunately for Pitt, the 2007 season became a game of “Who’s Start is It Anyway?” as Stull went down with a season-ending thumb injury against Eastern Michigan.

Kevin Smith and Pat Bostick each suffered as freshmen behind center and neither should start this season pending another injury. Stull was named the starter for 2008 by Wannstedt during spring drills, and it should give the team time to build continuity with their QB once more. Here’s hoping this season doesn’t become Groundhog’s Day.

1. Just or unjust, the 2008 season will make or break the Dave Wannstedt era of Pitt football.

Not many coaches would have the opportunity that Wannstedt has right now at Pitt. In most cases, after taking over a rising program and running it back into the ground with three straight losing and generally non-competitive seasons, he would have been on the chopping block after last year and looking for a job.

Instead, he was granted a contract extension before the WVU game last season and now has a second chance to rectify his Alma mater. What could save Wannstedt is his tireless recruiting — players gravitate to him because of his personality and belief in what he tells recruits.

So far, it’s paying off. Pitt has landed more blue-chip recruits and top-25 classes than they totaled in a decade before Wanny arrived.

But, now, it’s time to put up or shut up. The talent is there, the plan is there, it just has to be put into effective practice. Fans and the administration alike have been waiting a long time for Pitt to rise from the ashes and become a power again, and that goal is well within reach. It’s time for Wannstedt to prove his mettle and take Pitt back to a bowl (at the very least) and move forward to better things.

When he came to the school, Wannstedt preached that 2008 was the target season for the true arrival of the program and his plan — he now has less than two months to show what progress has been made.

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