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Johnny McGonigal's Pitt football chat: 10.28.21
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Johnny McGonigal
11:00
Folks, welcome to this week's live chat. Have an hour here to answer your questions, so let's get to it.
Jeffro
11:00
Good Morning Johnny.  As big as the Clemson game was, I feel this game is bigger yet.  With so much national media attention given to Pitt after the win vs Clemson, a loss here really kills the Cinderella Pitt season.  This is the game where Narduzzi has to show this is not the same old Pitt.  What do you think?
Johnny McGonigal
11:06
As Pat Narduzzi said after the game, Clemson was a big win, but the games keep getting bigger as you keep winning. Pitt isn’t going to lose to Duke or Syracuse. Miami, North Carolina and Virginia are the three teams that could feasibly keep up with Pitt’s offense. Win on Saturday, and it would take a collapse to not reach the ACC title game. So I think this game is huge for Pitt to prove it can handle success (something Narduzzi brought up a few weeks ago) and keep the train moving.
Eliot Shorr Parks
11:06
Hi Johnny!  Give me your best hot take of Pitt’s season so far.
Johnny McGonigal
11:08
Oh boy, I’m not really a hot take kind of person. But I will say something some have mentioned already: I don’t think Pitt gets to this point (ACC favorite, etc.) without losing to Western Michigan. It’s easy to say in retrospect. Maybe the Panthers still start ACC play 3-0 and are ranked in the top 10 without that loss. But we’ve heard for weeks how it opened the eyes of a lot of players and served as a wake-up call. If Pitt runs the table here in ACC play, I know Panther players and coaches will look back on Sept. 18 and think they really botched it. And they did that day. But it could have been what this team needed to kick it into high gear.
Rob
11:08
This is a small question in the grander scheme of 6-1!, but why doesn't Jared Wayne play more?  I think he, Mack and Addison are your best 3, but I don't seem to see them on the field together much.
Johnny McGonigal
11:12
Looking at the snap counts Pro Football Focus keeps track of, I’m surprised Jared Wayne doesn’t have more. Among wide receivers, he’s 4th on the team, just behind Shocky Jacques-Louis and just ahead of Melquise Stovall. Wayne has been really good this year and caught a couple big third-down balls against Clemson. He’s been one of the unsung heroes of the offense so, in theory, getting him more looks would be beneficial. But at the same time, whatever they’re doing is working right now. If it ain’t broke …
Mr. Max
11:12
I saw that ESPN's playoff predictor stated that Pitt would have a mid 60 percent chance to make the college football playoff prior to the Clemson game with a win out season and by winning the conference championship. Do you see those odds as true or are they lower in reality?
Johnny McGonigal
11:15
Mid 60s if Pitt wins out? I think they’d be higher. FiveThirtyEight, which is an imperfect predictor as all predictors are, has a 12-1 Pitt with a 72% chance to make the playoffs. That sounds about right for a one-loss Power Five champion (albeit one with a loss to Western Michigan in a weaker than usual conference).
Kendall
11:15
just how much chaos needs to happen for Pitt to make the CFP?
Johnny McGonigal
11:16
There are three realistic things that really need to happen …
You start with a Cincinnati loss. Seeing a Group of Five team make the playoff would, I think, be great for the sport. But in terms of a 12-1 Pitt getting in, Panther fans should root against the Bearcats taking a spot.
11:17
Also, a big one: Alabama losing to Georgia in the SEC title game. Assuming both teams win out until they meet in Atlanta, the Crimson Tide picking up a second loss would knock them out of CFP contention.
And the third would be a two-loss Big Ten champion. A two-loss team has never made the four-team playoff. Iowa already has a loss. Ohio State has a loss. Penn State has two and is out, but the Nittany Lions can actually help Pitt by beating Michigan, Michigan State and/or Ohio State. The Big Ten East teams all have to still play each other. There’s going to be carnage. And perhaps Pitt can benefit.
V. Fontaine
11:19
Two questions. Is Pinocchio's the best pizza shop in Delco? Is Jon Petrishen the most improved player on the team? He's been a solid contributor on defense.
Johnny McGonigal
11:20
Pinocchio’s is pretty good. Love going into Media. Padrino’s used to be a good spot in Aston, but that closed. Cocco’s is too greasy, but still get it when I’m in the area. In Philly, my favorite by far is Santucci’s. Hits the spot every time.
11:21
As for Johnny Petrishen, he’s up there with most improved. Erick Hallett is another one I’d consider. But Petrishen finally has a role. That’s the biggest thing for him. He’s healthy, and he has a defined responsibility within the defense, playing that nickel linebacker. And he’s doing it well.
Michael
11:22
Saw a bowl prediction with Pitt-ND in the fiesta bowl. However, if ND wins out, UGA beats Bama in the SEC title game and the Big Ten beats each other up (which are all very likely scenarios.) How can ND be left out of the CFP?
Johnny McGonigal
11:25
The Irish have the 9th-best playoff odds, so it’s not out of the question. The problem with Notre Dame, though, is it just hasn’t looked good at all. It almost lost to Florida State. It almost lost to Toledo. It almost lost to Virginia Tech. The committee is watching these games. The Irish still don’t really have a quarterback they ought to feel confident in. In terms of signature wins the rest of the way, I don’t see one. And Notre Dame doesn’t have a conference championship game to get a 12th victory. In a year where there could be a lot of one-loss teams vying for a playoff spot, how teams win will play a factor and so will conference championships. Unless it starts blowing teams out, that will hurt the Irish.
Joe Surfnsqurt
11:26
Hello!  Would sustained success this season encourage Pitt to extend Narduzzi again?
Johnny McGonigal
11:28
Winning an ACC title would give Narduzzi a lot of leverage. But talk of an extension would also somewhat depend on a job coming open that he could be reasonably rumored for. If not, he’s under contract through at least 2024. No rush for Pitt to extend him, in my opinion, with a possible down year in 2022 post-Pickett. But I get why Heather Lyke would maybe want to lock him up beyond that.
J Greko-Cardik
11:28
Does the team seem focused this week?  It seems as if they are receiving a lot of accolades…do you think the leadership of this team can keep them grounded?
Johnny McGonigal
11:29
Talking to a handful of players this week, they seem focused to me. Miami is a team Pitt hasn’t defeated since 2017. I don’t think anyone in the building is looking past the ‘Canes, especially not the older players.
TCM
11:30
What is the injury updates on Izzy and Addison for Pitt?
Johnny McGonigal
11:31
We’ll be speaking with Pat Narduzzi at 1 o’clock this afternoon. Will have an update for everyone around then on what he says about Jordan Addison and Israel Abanikanda. As of Monday, they were considered "questionable." Concussions can be tricky.
JonesD
11:31
John,  excellent coverage as usual.  Narduzzi is 1 and 5 against Miami,  please give me some reason for optimism that this year will be different.
Johnny McGonigal
11:34
Thanks, much appreciated. My thing with Miami is, if Kenny Pickett played last year, I think Pitt would’ve won at Hard Rock Stadium. Shoot, I still think they had a good shot with Joey Yellen at quarterback. In general, I don’t like to look at coaching records from past years. Most of the time, it’s irrelevant. If you want optimism, just look at what Pickett is doing. Even if Tyler Van Dyke plays well, Pitt should be able to set the pace.
Where’s my Clark Bar?
11:35
Johnny, How did this PITT defense blow the W. Mich game? Still can’t wrap my head around it
Johnny McGonigal
11:36
R. P. O.
Crazy though, I know. It's not every day your quarterback throws 6 touchdowns and you lose.
Jayson Myrtetus
11:36
Hi!  Has Pitt done a feasibility study for Division 1 hockey?
Johnny McGonigal
11:38
Not to my knowledge, Jayson, but admittedly it’s also not something I’ve spent too much time looking into since hopping on the beat. Coverage aside, I would love to see Pitt get a D-I program. I’m not a big NHL guy, but college hockey is a bit different.
Dana Beard
11:38
Do you think Pitt can ride this momentum into the off season in regards to recruiting?  It seems as if they picked up 2 verbals recently.  I hope they can also pick up a transfer QB to compete with Beville and Patti.
Johnny McGonigal
11:40
I think so. The question is, though, how many players will Pitt take in this 2022 recruiting class? The super seniors this year don’t count against the 85-scholarship limit, but they will next year. Narduzzi and his staff have to find out how many players want to use the COVID year of eligibility and come back for a super senior season. And they have to determine who they want to welcome back. That will determine how many recruits Pitt brings in, which affects rankings and all that stuff.
11:41
As far as the portal, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Pitt bring someone in. Then again, they brought Yellen in ahead of the 2020 season and have three guys with him, Patti and Beville to compete for a starting job. Not to mention they also have Nate Yarnell. So it’s a crowded room post-Pickett.
Howard…The King…Eskin
11:42
Do you think Mark Whipple’s playbook is more comprehensive and conducive to allow QBs to succeed, compared to Nick Sirianni’s playbook?
Johnny McGonigal
11:42
Oh god, don’t get me started on Nick Sirianni. If Jalen Hurts doesn't work out, I blame the coaching.
Anchors Away Buzz
11:42
John, has Pitt looked into scheduling Navy?  It seems as if once again their future schedules are too hard.  Navy would be a competitive yet winnable game.  More importantly it would bring a large contingent to Annapolis.  Can you ask Pitt about this…I see no benefit to playing Cincy and WVU and possibly ND in one season.
Johnny McGonigal
11:45
I agree that stacking Cincinnati and West Virginia in the same seasons, like Pitt has done in 2023/2024, makes things difficult. But both games at Heinz Field should draw a huge crowd and interest. As far as Navy, I think that would be cool. Only thing is, defensive coaches hate having to game plan for the triple option. Not saying that would prevent Pitt from playing Navy. But I know it’s a reason why a lot of schools don’t play the service academies.
Chip Cache
11:46
What's going to happen.  Should I book a flight to Phoenix? Atlanta?  Or are we all going to be back to the old reality of "Same Old Pitt" in a couple of weeks?  I hope not.  Hail to Pitt!
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