Pitt football returns this fall in exactly the same form it left after last year’s spring… Pitt football returns this fall in exactly the same form it left after last year’s spring practice sessions: full of expectations, but short on certainties.

Continuing to hold what has been his stance since taking the head-coaching job in December 2004, Dave Wannstedt opened Media Day by explaining that, just like in the spring, many of the positions on both sides of the football are up for grabs.

“That’s what training camp’s about,” he explained. “Everybody’s got to show up. Everyone’s got something to prove. When you line up in training camp, you’re either trying to make the team, become a starter, or make it into the rotation. That’s the attitude you have to set.”

This is perhaps most applicable to the backfield, where Pitt has more than a dozen possible contenders for positions.

But running back is not the only highly competitive opening in camp. At wide receiver, All-America candidate Greg Lee will team up with Joe DelSardo for the starting spots. Beyond that, however, the spots are pretty much up for grabs. Quarterback Tyler Palko explained that those spots need to be filled as soon as possible.

“Somebody needs to step up. We need a third guy besides Greg and Joey, [who] are already there,” he said. “We need that third and fourth guy to make [Lee and DelSardo] stand out so we can get our four guys in there and be comfortable with them.”

But he’s not worried about the quality of the contenders for the position.

“We have a lot of guys that are talented people at the wide receiver position,” he said.

“There are a lot of people fighting for that third spot,” added DelSardo, who was offered a scholarship last year when Luke Getsy left for Akron. “We’re fighting for our positions every day. I play as if I’m still a walk-on.”

While there are question marks all around the quarterback position as well, they don’t pertain to who the starter will be. While last year’s fall practices featured a duel between Palko and Getsy for the starting position, the only quarterback on anybody’s mind this year is Palko. After a breakout year in 2004, Palko — whose numerous accolades this off-season include first team All-Big East by four major publications — enters camp knowing that his job is secure. Fullback Tim Murphy says that it’s obvious that the job security has an effect on the quarterback.

“Tyler’s a lot more confident than he was last year at this time,” he noted.

All eyes are instead focused on the backup role, as last year’s primary reserve, Joe Flacco, failed to report to camp. Wannstedt expressed concern, but was still able to discuss the situation good-naturedly.

“The one thing for sure is that Shane Murray will not be playing safety,” he joked of his incoming two-way player. “We’re in a situation where it’s going to be Billy Stull or Shane.”

Wannstedt added that he did not expect Flacco to be with the team this year, and then went on to explain that while the two young players have their work cut out for them, he has faith that their talent, combined with the knowledge of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh, should be enough to prepare his players.

“I believe that both of those kids have the ability and they both are smart enough to understand the responsibility that goes along with that,” he said, “[and] there’s no one better to tutor a young quarterback, in my opinion, than Matt.”

On the other side of the ball, most positions are equally competitive.

“All we’re trying to do is to generate as much speed as we possibly can on defense,” Wannstedt said. If that means supplanting starters at some positions, the coaching staff is willing to make the sacrifice. The most poignant example thus far is the shift of H.B. Blades to middle linebacker.

“He’s definitely one of our more instinctive players at that middle linebacker position,” Wannstedt said of Blades. “And with our scheme, it is imperative that that guy is a quarterback of the defense.”

But don’t expect the rest of the linebacker corps to go quietly.

“We’ve got some great competition,” he went on. “Clint Session is not going to sit on the bench for anybody.”

The defensive line is equally loaded with talent, and promises to be just as competitive. However, Pitt’s having so many open positions hasn’t kept people from lauding the team with preseason praise.

“Our expectations for ourselves are a lot higher this year than they were in previous years,” Murphy said.

Football analysts agree. Every major college football publication has the team picked to finish second in the Big East behind conference-newcomer Louisville, and the Panthers appear ranked in several polls heading into the season. Wannstedt likes the praise, but admits it does put more pressure on the team.

“There’s that fine line of catching up,” he explained. “It’s getting our football team to catch up to the excitement. That’s tough to do.” Palko agreed, but added that the team knows that it has to catch those expectations.

“Everybody knows what our main goal is, and that’s to win all our games,” he said. “How do we meet those expectations? We meet them by going out every day in practice as a new day. We need to win today in practice. If we don’t meet [expectations], it’s not good enough for anybody. It doesn’t matter if it’s me, if it’s H.B., if it’s one of the kickers or the punters. They have expectation levels. Everybody has to live up to that expectation level.”

Pitt opens play Sept. 3 at Heinz Field. The Panthers will take on Notre Dame at 8 p.m.