After a pair of eight-win seasons under Pat Narduzzi, the Pittsburgh Panthers are cratering in 2017. Wha happen? There are some obvious reasons: offensive coordinator Matt Canada left for LSU, standout quarterback Nathan Peterman graduated, and stud running back James Conner opted to skip his senior season. Turns out it’s not easy to replace all three of these pieces.
Recovering from that sort of turnover is about chance and circumstance: is the next guy ready? How well do you recruit on a regular basis? The best programs in the country are more likely to avoid caving the way Pittsburgh has this season, but even considering Pitt’s middle class status, well, this is a rough case .