Pittsburgh Panthers vs. Syracuse Orange preview

Pittsburgh 's opponent this Saturday is officially listed as the Syracuse Orange. In truth, the biggest enemy for Dave Wannstedt's team lies within.

The Panthers will tackle Doug Marrone's men this weekend in the Steel City, but when the No. 13 team in the United States goes up against a regular Big East doormat at Heinz Field, the boys in the blue shirts and the gold helmets will be playing their own selves.

Pitt has undergone--at least to this point of the season--a partial transformation that needs to be completed in the next five weeks. After playing inconsistently for most of the year, Pitt put the pieces together in a 41-14 rout of South Florida on Oct. 24. With Notre Dame looming in a sexy Nov. 14 showdown, the entire Panther roster needs to avoid the temptation to dream of bigger things, and produce another solid and workmanlike day at the office. Dependability has proven elusive on a weekly basis for the Panthers in the Wannstedt era, so now, the stakes have been raised: After one of the program's very best performances in the five years that have followed the Fiesta Bowl appearance against Utah, the Panthers must show how much they've matured. No peeking at Notre Dame is allowed. No slacking can be tolerated. The push toward the Big East title has to continue on an upward trajectory; improvement has to be insisted on as Pitt nears the biggest games of the 2009 slate.

It has to be acknowledged just how easy it is to look past the Orange from upstate New York. Pitt will be playing a clearly undermanned and unraveling squad, a football family that's currently in a state of crisis.

Syracuse received one big blow to its psyche last week when Marrone--an SU alum in his first year as the program's head coach--tearfully defended his starting quarterback, former Duke basketball standout Greg Paulus. In an emotion-drenched press conference, Marrone spoke up for Paulus following the Orange's 28-7 home loss to Cincinnati before a sparse Carrier Dome crowd. The show of support for Paulus was admirable and proper, but in the YouTube world, such an image isn't likely to carry a positive message to the rest of the country. Grown men should cry when they feel the need to do so, but in the machismo world of big-time football, one wonders if the Syracuse coach will receive a fair shake.

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If his wet-eyed presser represented a considerable ordeal for Marrone, the rookie head coach then had to absorb an even bigger shock just days later, as starting receiver Mike Williams abruptly left the team. Chaos reigns in the Syracuse locker room, with questions and doubts swirling around the ability of the coach to perform. Players are leaving the fold, which--while perhaps beneficial and cleansing in the long run--is certainly no recipe for short-term success. Syracuse is a mess entering this game, which is why Pitt could oh-so-easily find it tempting to roll the ball onto the field and go through the motions.

Pitt, plainly put, must resist that temptation. With a firm and forceful focus, the Panthers can send a message that they know how to take care of business. It's something Dave Wannstedt will want to become a habit in the remaining five weeks of this season.

By Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer