1. The Panthers’ win at UConn will be a turning point for the 2004-05 season.

Matt:… 1. The Panthers’ win at UConn will be a turning point for the 2004-05 season.

Matt: Fiction. I say fiction because Pitt only decided to show up for the second half of this game, and all they did by coming back and beating UConn on the road was show us how good they can be but not necessarily how good they will be. Let’s see how they do against Syracuse on Saturday, then Providence, West Virginia and St. John’s in the near future. If they win all of those games — or even most of them — then we will look back at the UConn game as the turning point, but as of now, it’s too early.

Dave: Fact. Regardless of when Pitt showed up or not, they came out of a hostile environment with an important victory. Troutman was unbelievable against the best frontcourt in the conference, and I don’t think he’s done yet. It totally changed my personal opinion of the team, and I think most people feel the same way. The recently spoiled Oakland Zoo was quickly jumping ship, and now I think they’ll be as rowdy as ever when Syracuse comes to town this weekend. If Pitt can sneak past them, consider the season turned around.

2. Pitt will win at home this Saturday against Syracuse.

Matt: Fact. Every once in a while, a team comes into your house and you look them in the eyes and say, “We owe you one.” Well, when the Orange visit the Panthers Saturday at the Petersen Events Center, the Panthers are going to pay them back for being the first team to beat the Panthers in their new house. Syracuse may be the better team, but this time around, the Panthers will protect their house.

Dave: I agree, this is a fact. Although the Panthers are an underdog, I think they can match up well with Syracuse. The best way for anyone to beat a 2-3 zone — the defense that has earned Jim Boeheim a national championship and nearly 700 career wins — is to shoot from the outside. Before, that would have been the end of the Panthers; now with Ronald Ramon leading the way, the Panthers are shooting 42.2 percent, a number that is fourth in the nation.

3. Plaxico Burress (a free agent this off-season) will be in black and gold next season.

Matt: Fiction. I don’t think Plaxico understands the class that the Steelers organization carries, and they are not going to tolerate someone who speaks out against them. If Plax wants more balls thrown his way, then he should understand Pittsburgh is not the place for him. The Steelers are going to run the ball 60 percent of the time again in 2005, and the throws will be minimal for Plax. Someone like the Ravens or Raiders will be willing to pay him big money to make him a No. 1 receiver. But what money can’t buy is the feeling of winning, and Plax will miss that when he leaves Pittsburgh.

Dave: I’m going to go out on a limb here and say fact. Although, as a Steelers fan, I disliked the comments he made and what he said, and think maybe we don’t need him anymore, I think he will be back. Plax made those comments after a heated battle and a loss that ended a nearly perfect season. His emotions were running high, and I’m sure he said some things he regrets. The situation will be worked out, and he will be signed. Plax has developed a great relationship with Big Ben, who is clearly the future of the franchise. I look for that duo to be in the same category as Harrison and Manning by 2010.

4. With Roethlisberger’s poor play late in the season, there could be a quarterback controversy to start next year’s training camp.

Matt: Fiction. There isn’t a quarterback controversy here in Pittsburgh, but I think there could be. Ben Roethlisberger got tired and he hit a wall, and when teams started throwing new things at him, he crumbled. During the last half of the season and the playoffs, he played his worst football as a professional, and that’s the reason the Steelers aren’t preparing to go to Jacksonville. A lot of quarterbacks in the NFL could win with the best rushing game and the best defense. I think the Steelers need to look long and hard at whether they really think Roethlisberger can win the Super Bowl in 2005, because the pieces will once again be around him.

Dave: Although this could cause a controversy on its own, I say fact. While Ben played great and went 15-1 as a starting quarterback in the NFL at the ripe age of 22, I’m a little concerned. Regardless of what defenses threw at him late in the year, his throws didn’t have that same zip they had on them earlier. That leads me to believe that his thumb was bothering him long before the Jets game. I hate to say it, but that injury might be worse than we all think and could result in off-season surgery. If that’s the case, Tommy Maddox will be taking all the snaps in mini camps, and it might just be his job to lose again. It definitely could get interesting.