Pittsburgh Football 2011 Preview, Predictions, Picks, Odds | Sportsbookbuzz.com

Pittsburgh Football 2011 Preview, Predictions, Picks, Odds

As the 2011 NCAA Football Season approaches, we are providing season previews for every college football teams to give you the betting edge. Follow the best College Football Handicappers as they analyze their teams in this 2011 season preview. Be sure to bookmark SportsbookBuzz.com your source for Sportsbook Reviews. Use our comprehensive and insider info to bet successfully on the College Football in our recommend sportsbooks.View the rest of our 2011 NCAA Football Season Previews here.

2010 Record: 8-5 Big East Record: 5-2 (T-1st) 2011 Returning Starters: 14; 6 offense, 8 defense

Coach: Todd Graham At Pitt: 1st year, overall: 43-23, 5 years

Offensive Coordinators: Calvin Magee, Michael Norvell Defensive Coordinators: Keith Patterson, Paul Randolph

2011 Pittsburgh Players to Watch: QB Tino Sunseri, RB Ray Graham, OWR Mike Shanahan, OT Lucas Nix, OT Myles Carageln, OL Aaron Donald

2011 Pittsburgh Strengths:
Despite the fact that Todd Graham installed a new spread offense. the Panthers will still be built around a running game powered by Ray Graham, perhaps the best tailback in the Big East .A deep and powerful defensive line could rank among the best in the nation despite high-profile losses to graduation.

2011 Pittsburgh Weaknesses:
The offensive line is thin again. The Panthers have only three experienced players and one of them, Chris Jacobson, is making the transition from guard to center. Sunseri must learn an entirely new offensive system, and do so quickly. The Panthers’ non-conference schedule is challenging.

2011 Pittsburgh Offense:

The Pittsburgh offense has gone from simple to sophisticated. And first-year coach Todd Graham wouldn’t have it any other way. Graham is the antithesis of the man he replaced, Dave Wannstedt. While Wannstedt ran a conservative pro-style scheme, Graham employs a no-huddle, read-option attack that demands the ball be snapped every 15 seconds. For Pittsburgh, returning starting quarterback Tino Sunseri gets the first opportunity to direct Graham’s frenetic offense. Sunseri evolved in his first year as a starter and could improve on statistics that featured 2,572 yards, 16 touchdowns and a 64-percent completion rate. The success of Sunseri and the offense will be greatly influenced by junior tailback Ray Graham, Pittsburgh’s most dynamic athlete and a legit Big East Player of the Year candidate. The receiving corps sustained a blow when star Jon Baldwin left for the NFL, but blossoming returners Devin Street, Mike Shanahan and Cameron Saddler should flourish under Graham. The leader of the offensive line is Lucas Nix, a versatile and athletic two-year starter who moves back to his original right tackle spot after playing inside last season.

2011 Pittsburgh Defense:

The defense has undergone a major facelift. The 4-3 alignment run by Wannstedt is gone. Pittsburgh will use three down linemen, with any number of variations behind them up to five linebackers or as few as two, in a scheme Graham calls an “attacking 3-4.” Graham’s defense at Tulsa last season surrendered a subpar 30.3 points per game, but also forced 36 turnovers, third-best in the NCAA. The objective is to attack from all angles with the best 11 athletes on the field. A noticeable difference will be the frequency of blitzes, a rarity during the Wannstedt era. A player to watch is senior end Brandon Lindsey, who is undersized (6’2″, 250) but tough to block due to his speed and athleticism. In all, the new Pittsburgh alignment features hybrid positions at all three levels as a way of offsetting the growing number of spread offenses. A suspect linebacking corps could make for growing pains early in the season. Sophomore corner K’Waun Williams will vie for All-Big East honors.

2011 Pittsburgh Special Teams:

Graham, always searching for speed, will deploy Buddy Jackson, perhaps the team’s fastest player, on kick returns. Jackson and punt returner Cam Saddler will give the Panthers an opportunity to score every time the other team kicks. Pitt loses Dan Hutchins, who was the punter and placekicker. Sophomore punter Matt Yoklic has a strong leg and had an excellent spring. Sophomore Kevin Harper was one of the highest rated kickers in the country coming out of high school.

2011 Pittsburgh Football Schedule | Pittsburgh Football Sportsbooks

2011 Pittsburgh Predictions:

The offseason at Pittsburgh had more twists than a Stephen King novel. First, Wannstedt was let go after failing to earn a BCS berth in six years and finishing with an underachieving 7–5 regular-season record in 2010. Then, Mike Haywood was hired from Miami (Ohio), only to be fired 16 days later after being charged with domestic violence. Graham was brought in to restore order and energize a skeptical fan base. The former Tulsa boss won 10 or more games in three of his four seasons there and offered a dynamic brand of football. At Pittsburgh, Graham takes over a program that’s been to three consecutive bowl games and features quality talent. The question is: Will those players, most of them Wannstedt recruits, buy in quickly? If so, the Panthers could compete for the Big East title in Graham’s inaugural campaign.

2011 Pittsburgh Betting Odds:

Pittsburgh Current odds to win a National Championship: +20000

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NCAA Football Handicapping Picks

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