College Football Countdown Team Spotlight: Pittsburgh Panthers

With the 2010 college football season fast approaching, here at NextGen Sports we will do a weekly series: College Football Countdown. This family of articles will eclipse anything from possible breakout players, predictions, and previews for up and coming teams.

Pittsburgh Panthers

2009 Record: 10-3

Highest Ranking/Final Ranking: 8/15

Bowl: Meineke Car Care Bowl, won 19-17

The Panthers finished second in the Big East last year, surprising much of the college football world considering they flied fairly under the radar in 2008. Coach Dave Wannstedt's team might have made an appearance in a BCS Bowl Game if not for a heartbreaking regular season finale loss versus Cincinnati. This season, even in a strengthened Big East, we see the Panthers coming first in the conference and finishing 2010 with a top ten ranking.

It all starts with Pitt's explosive offense. Lead by two of the highest pedigree and most explosive players in the NCAA, tailback Dion Lewis (left) and wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin, the Panthers should have no trouble scoring. Lewis is just coming off one of the most productive freshman seasons in Big East history, and should be in contention to win the Heisman trophy this upcoming year. Baldwin is seen by many to be a future top 15 NFL draft pick, and with good reason. Standing at 6'6", with a 4.4 forty yard dash time, he is a physical freak. Look for Baldwin to be utilized in the offense as much as possible this year, and carry on a strong tradition of Pittsburgh wide receivers (Antonio Bryant, Larry Fitzgerald). Though not a huge part of the offense last year, sophomore quarterback Tino Sunseri is ready to take the reigns of this high powered Panthers attack. Sunseri is a talented dual threat signal caller, that won't have to do all that much considering the incredible talent surrounding him. Protecting Sunseri is 2009 All-Big East left tackle Jason Pinkston, a powerful senior who neutralized some of the conference's top pass rushers last year.

The Panther's defense has one of the best 1-2 pass rush duos in college football. Jabaal Sheard (right) and Greg Romeus terrorized quarterbacks last year, combining for 13.5 sacks and 85 tackles. Romeus was the Big East's co-defensive player of the year in 2009, and is projected as a future first round draft pick. At 6'6" and 270 pounds, he is almost impossible to contain, and this season should be an All-American. Though Romeus gets most of the attention, it would be a danger to not count for Jabaal Sheard. Though not as big as his pass rushing mate, Sheard relies more on his speed to reach the quarterback. Both of the defensive unit's top tacklers return in linebacker Max Gruder and safety Dom DiCicco. The Panthers did lose both of their starting cornerbacks from last season, but the pass rush should be able to make up for a fairly susceptible secondary.

Coach Dave Wannstedt this year has the most talented squad of players yet in his 5 year regime. Barring bad luck from injury to key players, this Pitt team should be a force. With three of the very best players in the nation at their positions (Lewis, Baldwin, Romeus), and most of the offense returning from last year, this should be a fun team to watch. Key match ups for the upcoming year include a home game versus Miami September 23rd, and a trip to South Bend to face Notre Dame October 9th.

-John Stoller