Old School" is the College Football FanHouse's irregular look back at the rich history of college football, usually through the medium of embeddable flash video. Check out the Old School archive for more famous plays and infamous hair.
One of the biggest wins over Pitt in Mountaineer history. Probably a lot like this years game will be remembered by Pitt fans. Badump-bah! The Voice of the Mountaineers, Jack Fleming narrates and at the 1:44 mark you can see that there used to be a lot more guns at Old Mountaineer Field. And hats off for getting Yes to do the sound track. That #33 for Pitt is some guy named Dorsett.
Besides being against a Pitt team that was ranked and had one of the best running backs in the history of college football, this game is most remembered for the dramatic ending that seems story book for the home team and nightmarish for the visitors as Bill McKenzie kicked the winning field goal as time expired. Not some of Fleming's best work, at least until they cut in to his live play-by-play. I guess they didn't want to step on Rick Wakeman's toes while he wowed us with those funky keyboards.
The College Football Songbook is a weekly feature in which we'll be making as much fun as humanly possible of the most embarrassing moments in college football. Through words, music, and related video we'll leave a lasting memory implanted on the brains of the vanquished that they are not soon to forget. lament the loss to Pitt.
It's as if Pitt has had a season worth of injuries and drama, and it's only week one of the season. Potential starting safety suspended for the season; the team's defensive leader charged with possession (subsequently dropped); heralded freshman QB leaves on the eave of training camp for a week to deal with "personal issues": the #1 WR blows out his ACL in a non-contact drill; the top freshman offensive lineman from the recruiting class dislocated a knee cap in training camp who was expected to at least be on the two-deep if not starting; add in the team's best offensive lineman who still not fully recovered from off-season shoulder surgery; and now the starting QB is out for at least four weeks with torn ligaments in his thumb.
Bill Stull went down in the 3d quarter of the game against Eastern Michigan. At this point Head Coach Dave Wannstedt won't even consider naming a starter. It will either be redshirt freshman Kevan Smith or true freshman Pat Bostick.
The odds favor Smith since he has a year practicing Pitt's offense, he has a strong arm and much needed mobility given the porous nature of the offensive line. His biggest problem, and it is a big problem, is that he just can't seem to take a snap cleanly. It was something he struggled all through camp and in relief of Stull on Saturday, he fumbled one snap.
If Pitt suffers a 3d straight .500 or worse season, at least this year there's a good excuse.
"It is pretty obvious Billy Stull is our starter at quarterback, he's performed the best," Wannstedt said. "He's confident in what he is doing, he understands our offense and Kevan Smith and Pat Bostick will keep working behind him."
It also didn't hurt that heralded freshman QB Pat Bostick left camp for a week just as it started, to essentially knock him out of the picture to start the season. Not to mention, redshirt freshman Kevan Smith spent the entire camp struggling with accuracy and simply taking the ball from under center.
No other starters were named at the conclusion of training camp, though the depth chart is expected to be announced in the next day or so. The bigger issue will be whether Stull will have protection from an already beaten-up offensive line. The most experienced and versatile offensive lineman, Senior Mike McGlynn did not practice for most of camp while still recovering from shoulder surgery. Freshman Chris Jacobson, considered the team's top offensive lineman recruit for the 2007 class is likely out for the season with a dislocated kneecap that will require surgery. Another freshman, offensive tackle Dan Matha is also out for the season with shoulder surgery.
With Syracuse and Connecticut occupying the worst two seats at the Big East Bonanza, somebody needs to sit in between the kitchen door and the dais.
This is not to say that either of the following two universities cannot move from their seats on the floor to positions of honor. Recent history has shown that the Big East hierarchy is fluid in nature. 2006 saw Rutgers move from its position as a predictory "mediocre" team to one of the conferences "contenders"; similarly, Cincinnati moved from the "dregs" to the class of "mediocre."
Pittsburgh Panthers
Last year: 6-6 overall; 2-5 Big East
WHY THEY'LL WIN: The Wannstache has been stockpiling the Panther talent cupboard for almost three years now. At some point, all that potential will start paying dividends. 2007 may not see an explosion of contributions from the young talent, but it should see a steady rise of talented play.
Even if Pittsburgh's corps of youth does not immediately raise the Panther's level of play, the schedule should not turn into a Murderer's Row. Having to play at Louisville, Rutgers, and West Virginia is harrowing, but Pittsburgh should be able to accumulate a nice cache of wins in its first seven contests -- Eastern Michigan, Grambling State, at Michigan State, Connecticut, at Virginia, Navy, and Cincinnati. The Panthers should get at least four to five wins from that group and manageable home contests against Syracuse and South Florida may make Pittsburgh bowl eligible.
In addition to the offensive line play, the loss of Derek Kinder may hamper Pittsburgh's success. One man a team does not make, but Kinder put together tangible production and senior leadership. No matter how good Oderick Turner is, he does not bring to the table Kinder's total package.
PROGNOSIS: Expect Pittsburgh to improve from 2006, even though the Panthers will finally feature a non-Palko under center. The conference record may look ugly, but overall the Panthers should string together six victories.
"Impact" is obviously a relative term. Some freshman contribute immediate gains and earn the tag as franchise-like players. Others contribute on a lesser scale, either by strengthening a team's weaknesses or enhancing a team's strengths.
The following represents a handful of freshman expected to have such a program impact in 2007. For the record, redshirt freshman (or those expected to redshirt) are considered.
1. Mike Ford, RB, South Florida
In 2006, the South Florida Bulls managed to accumulate 1,874 yards on the ground. Matt Grothe -- South Florida's All-Everything quarterback/savior -- accounted for a third of those yards and almost matched the total number of carries accumulated by the Bulls' top two running backs (178-195).
Despite this odd state of affairs, Jim Leavitt's charges went 9-4 and have become a chic pick for the 2007 season.
If South Florida is to turn the corner from "Curious Anomaly" to "Viable Contender," Mike Ford's rushing prowess must take center stage. Easily the Bulls' most heralded recruit since the program's relatively recent inception, Ford has the opportunity and skills to diversify South Florida's offensive performance and methodology.
A guy that rushes for a Florida state record 2,836 yards as a high school senior tends to have that effect. Of course, in order for that effect to take place, Ford must try and keep his nose out of trouble.
New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has issued subpoenas for 39 collegiate athletic departments in a probe of their relationships with student loan providers. At its most basic, this investigation is asking whether or not cash, kickbacks, gifts and other bribes or misleading measures were communicated between various student loan providers and the cited athletic departments.
Cuomo is investigating whether athletic departments at these universities agreed to promote SFS loans to students in exchange for kickbacks.
"Students trust their University's athletic departments because so much of campus life at Division I schools centers around supporting the home team," said Cuomo. "To betray this trust by promoting loans in exchange for money is a serious issue, especially when Division I schools already generate tremendous revenue from their student athletes. Today's action is an important new step as we continue to examine the unethical conflicts that pervade the student loan industry.
"The Attorney General's office is specifically investigating whether athletic departments evaluated UFS interest rates before recommending their federal loans, or if their endorsement of UFS was based purely on payments from the lender. Such an arrangement would constitute revenue sharing, which is a violation New York state consumer protection laws, as well as a violation of federal law.
D-IA football schools named (prominent schools in bold): Arkansas State, Auburn, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Colorado State, East Carolina, Florida Atlantic, Georgia Tech, Ohio, Oregon State, Rutgers, TCU, Tulane, Alabama-Birmingham, UCLA, UCF, Houston, Kansas, Louisville, Oregon, Pittsburgh, USF, UTEP. See link for complete list.
It's good that athletic departments have an awareness of and working relationship with loan providers, but obviously there's a problem when that relationship gets too cozy and bad loan options are pressed upon students and student-athletes.
What it is, no body is actually saying. There's speculation, rumination and rumors -- lots of rumors. Pitt and Coach Dave Wannstedt, however, are filing it under "violation of team policy." Yeah, that will quell the questions and rumors. A season long suspension for violating team policy. Nothing to take notice of here. Fields, of course, has been unavailable for comment.
Elijah Fields was expected to be in the mix for the starting strong safety position. Fields, a sophomore, has been suspended numerous times by the team already. He was suspended for several practices in the spring for skipping several conditioning workouts and classes. Despite the missed practices, he still starred in the spring game.
At this time, Fields is still enrolled at Pitt and there has been no word that he is leaving the program. Everything about the kid on the field says he has great potential all the way to the NFL. His inability to deal with off-the-field matters could keep him from being anything but a minor "what if." At least Pacman Jones made it to the NFL before he started letting his off-the-field issues take him from the game.
Last week, the Big East had its Media Days. Pitt's contingent included Senior Defensive End, Joe Clermond. A player on the preseason watchlists for the Bronko Nagurski (top defensive player), Chuck Bednarik (top defensive player) and Ted Hendricks (top defensive end) Awards. Clermond was expected to be a team captain as a senior and was naturally the subject of puff pieces regarding his increased leadership role on Pitt.
The way to deal with all of that pressure, was apparently to get busted for possession at a concert.
Clermond, 22, who was getting out of the silver sport utility vehicle when officers pulled up, denied smoking marijuana, but police spotted what appeared to be a half-smoked blunt, which is a cigar with the tobacco removed and replaced by marijuana.
[Former West Virginia player] Chris] Coker, a 21-year-old junior from Ashburn, Va., who was in the passenger seat, was found carrying a small amount of marijuana in his pockets. A small bag of marijuana also was found in the front-seat console.
Pitt is waiting to see what Clermond does at his hearing this Monday. Clermond is rumored to be denying that the marijuana was his or that he inhaled.
Coker was a former walk-on at WVU, until the end of spring drills when he apparently walked off the team according to the Mountaineers.
If you didn't know there was such a thing as the Pittsburgh Passion, or if you didn't know there was such a thing as the women's football championship game, well, now you know. And if you like pictures of female football players set to country music, you're in luck:
It's as if Pitt has had a season worth of injuries and drama, and it's only week one of the season. Potential 
Bill 
Last year: 6-6 overall; 2-5 Big East
In 2006, the South Florida Bulls managed to accumulate 1,874 yards on the ground. Matt Grothe -- South Florida's All-Everything quarterback/savior -- accounted for a third of those yards and almost matched the total number of carries accumulated by the Bulls' top two running backs (178-195).
New York State Attorney General 
What it is, no body is actually saying. There's speculation, rumination and rumors -- lots of 
Last week, the Big East had its Media Days. Pitt's contingent included Senior Defensive End, Joe Clermond. A player on the preseason watchlists for the Bronko Nagurski (top defensive player), Chuck Bednarik (top defensive player) and Ted Hendricks (top defensive end) Awards. Clermond was expected to be a team captain as a senior and was naturally the subject of 
