One win down, just how good are the Panthers?

The Pitt Panthers surprised everyone, myself included, with their 38-13 rout of Virginia… The Pitt Panthers surprised everyone, myself included, with their 38-13 rout of Virginia last Saturday. Tyler Palko looked like he did two seasons ago; the Pitt defense is finally playing to its potential and a group of relatively inexperienced wide receivers played like veterans.

There’s no doubt that this year’s opening game result is a lot more favorable than the last, but head coach Dave Wannstedt didn’t want to jump the gun on saying the Panthers are where they need to be.

“It’s a lot better than last year,” the second-year head coach said. “It’s a start, and we build from here.”

The Panthers are now in the midst of a shortened week of practice before traveling to Cincinnati Friday to take on the Bearcats. With a solid victory under their belt, there are questions about the Panthers about — get this — how good they can be.

Q: Did Pitt’s win over Virginia prove anything?

A: Absolutely. Even though Virginia will most likely struggle to have a mediocre season, the game proved that this Pitt team is a lot more mature than it was last year. When Notre Dame began to pull away from the Panthers in last season’s opener, Wannstedt’s squad lost its life.

However, this year, when Pitt faced a little bit of adversity, it bounced back — and strong.

With only a few minutes left in the first half, Pitt looked to be driving for another score when Tyler Palko hit Nate Lyles — who went 47 yards in the other direction, setting up a Virginia score to narrow Pitt’s lead to 17-10 before the half. When the Panthers came out, they got two stops on defense and scored again to put Virginia away for good — something I’m not sure they would have been able to do last year.

Q: With Michael Bush out, will Pitt beat Louisville?

A: It’s probably too early to say right now, but the chances just got a lot better for the Panthers.

By no means am I celebrating Bush’s injury — it’s very unfortunate for him and the Cardinals. However, if you remember correctly, it was Bush who killed the Panthers last year. The then junior rushed for more than 100 yards and two touchdowns, steam-rolling the Pitt defense. And before he got hurt, Bush was looking mighty good against Kentucky.

There’s still a lot of time for the Cardinals to find a quality replacement for Bush, but until that happens, the weight of the team is on quarterback Brian Brohm. If the Pitt pass-rush steadily improves as the year goes on, given Darrelle Revis and the newfound speed of the Pitt defense, Pitt could very possibly topple the Cardinals.

Q: Could Pitt be undefeated when it plays West Virginia?

A: Could it? Yes. Will it? No. While the Panthers’ schedule looks relatively navigable through September and October, I don’t think there’s any way they cannot lose a game and go into the Backyard Brawl 10-0.

The second test of Pitt’s season comes in two weeks when Michigan State comes to town. Although the Spartans aren’t national contenders, they’re a real team with a good quarterback who will come to play a tough game.

Pitt also has to travel to both South Florida and Central Florida. The names might not strike fear in anybody’s heart, but both were bowl teams last season. And lest we forget the “new look” Rutgers Scarlet Knights — Ray Rice and Brian Leonard are for real. Pitt will lose at least one of those four games.

Q: Will Pitt win the Big East?

A: No. Nobody in the conference right now is even close to playing at West Virginia’s level. Pat White can now throw as well as run, and Steve Slaton is bigger and just as fast as he was last year. Pitt could finish second, but no way is it winning the conference over the Mountaineers.