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Brian Batko's Pitt football chat: 8.29.18
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Brian Batko
2:00
Time to chat! It's Albany week, so please come with game-ready questions.
SOMD Panther
2:01
Any more news on Jeff George's eligibility?
Brian Batko
2:02
Not just yet, my friend. Will see if Pat Narduzzi has any clarity on that tomorrow when he meets with the press for the final time before the opener, but Kenny Pickett said today he's happy to have Jeff George in the fold. Not that he'd say otherwise if he wasn't, but ya know.
Span
2:03
Could you see Pitt playing some 3-3-5 on defense this year with the depth at S and CB?
Brian Batko
2:05
Denard, is that you? I'm not sure if it'd be more of a 3-3-5 or 4-2-5, but yeah, I wouldn't be surprised to see Pat Narduzzi and Randy Bates deploy more defensive backs than in years past. There's still nothing Narduzzi loves and wants to do more than stop the run, but he's also admitted that tweaks need to be made to the defense, and should've been sooner than this year. I think if you roll with Quintin Wirginis and Seun Idowu as your two linebackers with four linemen and five DBs, that's an interesting defense.
Jeem
2:06
On the depth chart released Monday, the backup QB position was listed as Town OR Patti. Then today, Narduzzi said that Patti is just behind Town in the hierarchy of QBs. Do you think the fact that Patti is pushing Town so much due more to with Patti playing very well or Town playing not so well?
SOMD Panther
2:06
Am I to take the urgency in securing Taysir Mack + Jeff George's eligibility as a sign of what the staff thinks about the depth at those positions?
Brian Batko
2:07
To me, the OR designation at that backup QB spot coupled with the Jeff George Jr. addition does not shed a positive light on the staff's confidence in Ricky Town, or lack thereof, should something happen to Kenny Pickett. I don't doubt that Nick Patti has impressed as a true freshman who didn't enroll early, but still...
DCPantherZ
2:08
Is it reasonable to think we will see Mack in week 1? Or more like 2?
Geoff Rudy ND#1
2:08
Is Tysir Mack REALLY healthy???
Brian Batko
2:09
Hey guys, let me just preface this by saying this is a prediction based solely on what I get to see at practice and the depth chart that was released Monday, but no I don't particularly expect to see Mack. If he's dealing with even a minor injury - he did tell us yesterday he feels 100 percent - why risk it when you have more than a half dozen other receivers who want and need reps?
GhostBouncer
2:09
How much action can we expect to see from the GritFather George Aston this Saturday?
Brian Batko
2:10
If George Aston doesn't make an Albany player question his decision to play football, I'll be stunned
PittDave
2:11
Early thoughts on the PSU game?  I think their D is very suspect and Kenny will be able to pick them apart. I see Pitt winning by at lest 10. Thoughts?
Brian Batko
2:11
ALBANY ALBANY ALBANY ALBANY ALBANY ALBANY
CNP
2:11
Am I crazy for thinking that Pitt will win 3, maybe 4 games? Outside of a Miami game that can just as much be a fluke as a sign of things to come, Pickett has proved nothing, the O-line is a complete unknown so the strength at RB might not show, who knows what we have in the untested WR's, and a first-year defensive coordinator. I don't get why people are so excited
Brian Batko
2:13
My dear CNP, you did a good job outlining the reasons why people maybe shouldn't be all that excited. But the flipside to that, and the answer to your final question, lies in your second sentence. The Miami game MIGHT have been a sign of good things to come, not just from Pickett but for a defense that mostly improved throughout the season. Optimism would also come from experience on the offensive line and the way I see the wideouts, if 7-8 of them are potentially useful, odds are at least a couple will emerge as legitimate threats, right? But your point of skepticism is well taken.
Pope
2:13
I think we Pitt fans need to slow our roll for Kenny Pickett. He played one game last season and now everyone is hyping this kid to be the next Marino.  Let him play a full season first.
Brian Batko
2:14
You heard the Pope.
Big Al
2:14
How many of the 5 ranked teams Pitt will play do you think they can beat??
Brian Batko
2:14
They CAN beat all of them, Big Al. Say, by the way, do you hit dingers?
Willard
2:14
Any word on Bookser?
Brian Batko
2:15
No, another question that bears asking Narduzzi tomorrow. I mean, is there any point in me, a reporter, asking it in a straightforward way given how Narduzzi treats those sorts of topics? No. But maybe I'll think of some way to get some insight on that.
Mike
2:16
The more I think about the schedule, the more I think about how manageable it is. PSU should have a “down” year (8-4 or 9-3) and it’s at home. Not sold on UCF with the new coach. ND may be tough, but Pitt usually plays them well. The conference schedule is about as easy as it will ever be for Pitt with Wake as the crossover and the tougher games at the end of the year. I don’t like the schedule excuse and I think anything less than 8-4 is a disappointment. Thoughts?
Brian Batko
2:18
Ah, the anti-CNP! You're not wrong on that, but I will say that teams such as Wake, Duke, Georgia Tech, even Syracuse are probably on an upward trajectory and better than outsiders might give them credit for. In short, I think there are no slam dunk wins outside of Albany and probably Virginia, but there might not be a no-doubter loss, either.
Aspinwall Joe
2:18
Any 4-star recruits seriously considering Pitt yet?
Brian Batko
2:19
Probably
Keith
2:19
Is there cause for concern in that Paris Ford is not starting at the corner position? Injury? Too much preseason hype?
Brian Batko
2:20
Hola, Keith. I don't think so, at least not to me. Ford is dealing with a minor injury, best I can tell, but just because he's not immediately an unquestioned starter doesn't mean he won't turn into one or even into a really good college player.
Willard
2:20
I haven’t seen any announcement yet of an honorary captain. Will that continue this year?
Brian Batko
2:21
I'm told that it will, via Pitt SID EJ Borghetti.
SOMD Panther
2:21
I'm driving into town for the big game this Saturday: should I expect any variety in the offense?
Brian Batko
2:22
You'll be able to smell the RibFest by the time you get to Breezewood. Also, I think you'll see more variety in Carolina BBQ than you will in what should be a relatively painless victory, but who knows, maybe that'll change from last year.
Jeem
2:23
Any chance Narduzzi opens up the playbook any more than he traditionally has against FCS competition this weekend after last year's scare against YSU?
Brian Batko
2:24
Similar question, but I'm sort of of the mind that if you can't run the ball down Albany's throat, then you're in a bit of trouble going forward. Darrin Hall said yesterday: "We’re just gonna run it down their throat" so he probably agrees with me.
Blawnox Panther
2:24
Thoughts on the comment about Pitt having a tradition of illogical optimism every year at this time?
Brian Batko
2:25
You know what, yeah, I do have some thoughts on this. If you're Pitt, in this case coming off a 5-7 year and with next-to-no national folks paying attention, why not toot your own horn? What do you have to lose? If you end up being not good, people are gonna rip you for that anyway. No one's gonna care that you SAID you'd be good if you aren't. Then you'll just be a bad team that no one ever believed in anyway.
Bryan
2:26
I know ford has been dealing with a minor injury. Will he be playing on Saturday?
Brian Batko
2:26
I think he'll play, yeah.
SOMD Panther
2:26
The other day I found myself being optimistic about the Panthers chances this season. My questions to you are: 1. Is this normal? 2. When will it stop? 3. If it doesn't go away on its own, is there some kind of medication I can take?
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