Submit your Pitt football question

Q: How does a kid of the caliber of Shane Murray keep getting overlooked?

James J. Kent, Squirrel Hill

ZEISE: Overlooked? He is a starter, so I am not sure how he is being overlooked. And he is a fan favorite, he is a kid that represents everything right about college football -- he works hard and he is a good football player. But he does have some limitations in terms of size and speed and that's why people talk about him having to fight off competition from guys who are bigger and faster. That's just the reality of Division I football. But remember, Murray was supposed to be beat out last year and it didn't happen - so clearly his production speaks for itself.

Q: Paul, do you think this team has enough talent to win about 7 or 8 games this year? I certainly hope they win that many but I'm not sure what will happen with our offensive line.

Michael LaRocka, Burgettstown

ZEISE: I've said it before, I'll say it again - there is no reason this team can't and shouldn't win at least eight games. The Panthers have probably underachieved by a game or two in each of the past three seasons but there were some very legitimate reasons for that and, frankly, given the talent they had, the challenges they had to overcome and some of the areas that needed to be rebuilt, they were destined to be mediocre (though 7-5 is a much better mediocre than 5-7). That's not the case this year - this team has talent and there is no reason it can't be good, even if the offensive line is just adequate. Heck, the defense alone should be good enough to get this team to eight wins, especially given the schedule, which is very manageable.

Q: Can Pitt become the best team in the Big East this season?

J. Sebastian Smelko, Indianapolis

ZEISE: If the offensive line surprises everyone and becomes a dominant unit and the team stays healthy - absolutely, because if that is the case, the Panthers offense will be explosive and combine that with an excellent defense and you have a championship-caliber team. Still, I'd have to think going into the season South Florida, West Virginia and Connecticut will all be picked ahead of Pitt, so the Panthers have their work cut out.