Pittsburgh Panthers - NCAA Football Odds, Lines & Betting

In five seasons under head coach Walt Harris, the Pittsburgh Panthers went to five straight bowl games and won the Big East in his final season (2004). Since the high-profile hiring of Pitt alum and former NFL boss Dave Wannstedt, the Panthers have gone 11-12 and missed out on the postseason both years.

Pittsburgh was expected to compete for a Top-3 finish in the Big East last season, and a 6-1 start had Panthers fans smiling. Unfortunately, the schedule got tougher, the defense deteriorated and Pitt lost five games in a row to finish at 6-6 overall and just 2-5 in the Big East. The offense wasn't bad, ranking 37th overall. But the defense slumped to 87th, and allowed 46, 45 and 48 points in losses to Connecticut, West Virginia and Louisville to end the season. This year, Pitt returns 14 starters, including eight on offense and four on the offensive line. They'll have to replace QB Tyler Palko, who started his last 35 games for the Panthers, the entire linebacking corps, and half the defensive backfield. The QB situation looks like it will be a three-horse race come August, with junior Bill Stull running on the inside. Pitt can also boast of a deep and talented set of receivers. The 78th-ranked running game, though, needs to improve, and the rush defense needs bolstering after ranking 107th last year.

The schedule is challenging with road games at Michigan State, Virginia, Louisville, Rutgers and West Virginia. And Wannstedt is already a combined 0-6 vs. the Cardinals, Scarlet Knights and Mountaineers. Wannstedt managed to bring in a couple of good recruiting classes, but he may need a good '07 season to reap the benefits. If that tough road slate combines with an iffy defense to yield another losing season, the Wannstedt regime may be short-lived.

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