Pittsburgh Panthers: 5 Things That Will Keep Paul Chryst Up at Night

With Paul Chryst's arrival, Pitt fans must once again adjust to a new face roaming the sidelines this season.

On its third coach in as many years (and that's not including dismissed-before-he-could-start Michael Haywood), the Panthers are not exactly is not exactly a model of program stability. After last year's dreadful first year under Todd Graham that ended in a 6-7 finish and Graham's bolt to Arizona State in the offseason, Pitt will feature yet another first year coach looking to right the ship in Pittsburgh, only this time he lacks even a single game of coaching experience.

However, Paul Chryst comes into the gig with both a high reputation and documented success under his belt. The brain behind a Wisconsin offense that saw back-to-back Rose Bowl appearances behind his perfectly executed run-heavy offense, Chryst will look to do the same with a Pitt team that has both talent and several question marks heading into 2012.

Which of these questions and potential issues will keep Chryst tossing and turning as he prepares for the 2012 season?

Click further to find out...

Ray Graham's Durability

A productive running back will be key in dictating the success of Chryst's new offensive scheme. To achieve this, Pitt will need a return to full health and old form for RB Ray Graham, not necessarily a given at this point in time.

Graham returns after suffering a devastating season-ending knee injury last year against Connecticut. Graham, ranked second in the nation in rushing (134.1 ypg) last season before his injury, has not been seen in action since and missed spring practices while recovering from the injury. Chryst has said so far that he expects Graham to make a full return by fall camp, but until the talented running back is seen stepping onto the turf again, questions will abound as to whether he's fully ready.

While all signs point to Graham being able to return to full service by the start of the coming season, there are still several reasons for Chryst to wring his hands over until then, particularly how well the back can adjust to an entirely new system with a such a short grace period.

Tino Sunseri's Consistency

One of the more glaring flaws of last season's disappointing campaign, Tino Sunseri's play at quarterback will be one of the biggest problems for the first-year head coach to address this season.

Heading into his third season as starter, Sunseri has yet to impress many Pitt fans with his performances in the pocket. The quarterback had a dismal 2011 under previous coach Todd Graham, who asked Sunseri to helm a spread-option style attack that Sunseri failed miserably to execute, resulting in pathetic number of sacks and a nearly 1:1 TD-to-INT ratio(11 TDs, 10 INTs). With Chryst returning Pitt to a more standard pro-style offense, Sunseri should fare better in the more suitable scheme, but will still have to greatly improve his consistency and decision making heading into 2012. 

Although Chryst has already named Sunseri his starter for next season, even he does not seem especially sold on his QB's abilities. Although he won't be called upon to be the main producer for Pitt's new offensive attack, if Sunseri fails to be an efficient signal-caller, it could be another long year for Panthers fans. 

The New Defensive Line

One of the high points of an underwhelming season last year, the defensive line will be yet another area in which there are more questions than answers heading into 2012.

Pitt's defense will return one of the past season's biggest surprises, DT Aaron Donald, who finished second in the league with 11 sack in 2011. However, Donald will be without the remainder of the D-line, losing starters Chas Alecxih, Brandon Lindsay and Myles Caragein to graduation and the NFL. Donald will need to adjust from surprise star to focal point this season as defenses will undoubtedly key in on the talented tackle, especially considering the lack of experience surrounding the almost completely new line in 2012.

So far, it appears that Bryan Murphy, T.J. Clemmings and Shayne Hale are the likely companions of Donald on the Pitt line this season. Murphy returns after spending last year academically ineligible but appeared in good form during spring, while Hale and Clemmings are two formerly-heralded recruits who have yet to make a significant impact for the Panthers.

Seeing how this newly-assembled group can continue the 2011 unit's production will be an important factor in the defense's success next season, and will surely be a cause of worry for Coach Chryst and his coordinators heading into fall. 

The Offensive Line's Ability to Protect

If Chryst hopes to return Pitt to its former glory on the legs of its running game, shoring up last year's feeble offensive line will be on the top of his needs in preparing for next year.

Although QB Sunseri received a lot of the blame for last season's ineffective offense, his line did him little favors. The Panthers' offensive line allowed an astounding six sacks a game, bad enough to be finish the worst in the conference and 120th in the nation in sacks allowed. While some of this struggle could be placed on having to learn a new and complicated system last year, it doesn't completely excuse such lackluster play from the line. 

Already a unit in need of major growth, Pitt's line will also have to replace two departing starters. While Chryst's offense will not rely as heavily on the passing game or complicated maneuvers by the line, the position group must still show a leap of improvement if Pitt hopes to have success on offense this season. 

Whether His New Scheme Will Work

Always a difficult process for both a team and its new coach, how well the installing of Chryst's new offensive system fares for the Panthers is likely to cause some stress for the first-year coach this season.

On paper, Pitt seems to be a perfect match for Chryst's run-first, play-action reliant system. However, the program's rather active coach carousel has forced many players to learn several schemes in their short time in Pittsburgh, the last of which (Todd Graham's spread option) being a radical departure from Chryst's preferred offensive style. Although Ray Graham is the ideal back for Chryst's system, he will still need to develop a wildly inconsistent QB and offensive line a short amount of time. 

The stress of the new system's implementation is increased significantly by the tough games which appear in the front section of the Panther's schedule in 2012. Forced to play both Cincinnati and Virginia Tech within the first four weeks of the season, the Panthers will have to become comfortable in the new system rather quickly if they want to avoid an early season hole.