'Sporting News' Picks Pitt to Win the Big East

Sporting News is predicting the 2009 Pittsburgh Panther football team will win the Big East Conference and will be headed to a BCS bowl game. Early predictions are the Panthers will get a bowl bid to play in the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. Last season, four Panther players were named to the All-Big East team including seniors Aaron Berry and Nate Byham and juniors Jason Pinkston and Greg Romeus.

The big game of the season will be the annual "Backyard Brawl" in November against their arch rivals, the West Virginia Mountaineers. Sporting News, predicts the Big East title could be decided on national television the day after Thanksgiving. Pitt has won the past two backyard brawls, one in enemy territory in West Virginia and one at home at Heinz Field. This season's game will be played in Mountaineer Stadium in Morgantown, WV.

Pitt will play 12 home games during the regular season. The Panthers will play seven games at home at Heinz Field facing Notre Dame, Cincinnati, Connecticut, Navy, Syracuse, University of South Florida and Youngstown State. Pitt will play Buffalo, North Carolina State, Louisville, Rutgers and West Virginia on the road.

Last year, Pitt's quarterbacks struggled throughout the season. Returning quarterbacks, Bill Stull and Pat Bostick had their ups and downs last season and they will be facing some new competition for the starting position in redshirt freshman Tino Sunseri. Dave Wannstedt recruited three running backs to replace LeSean McCoy who entered the NFL Draft. Dion Lewis has proved the strongest in spring drills and will most like get the starting position. Redshirt sophomore Shariff Harris and redshirt freshman Chris Burns will be challenging Lewis for the title. Local Thomas Jefferson High School graduate and former Army All-American Lucas Nix is expected to the lead the offensive line. Elijah Fields and Dom DeCicco are expected to be the starting safety positions. Redshirt sophomore Max Gruder and Greg Williams will assume the linebacker positions.

This season Pitt Panther fans may have something to celebrate. The schedule has it challenges, but the veteran talent deep within the ranks combined with the talented new recruits could be the perfect recipe to finally win the Big East and represent the University at a major bowl game.

Source: http://www.pittnews.com/sports/pitt-football-a-2009-season-outlook-1.1722842