The Sporing News weighs in with their college football rankings for 2011 and placed Pitt at 36th. In addition, they've gone to the trouble of predicting exactly how well the Panthers will do this season ... 9-3, to be exact (5-2 in the Big East):
Our confidence level in this pick: Solid. Pitt has won at least eight games in the last three seasons, and Graham was able to coach Tulsa to three 10-win seasons in four years. Pitt is a ready-made team looking to respond to the right leadership, and if the Panthers buy what their new coach is selling, they will challenge for the league title.
I haven't made my official prediction for next season yet, but that's about where I fall. Nine wins just sounds about right to me. Pitt is helped in large part by the fact that they have eight home games - honestly, I can't say enough about that. But games on the road against Iowa and West Virginia will be extremely difficult as well as home contests against Notre Dame, South Florida, and Utah.
I've got a hard time seeing how Pitt gets to ten regular-season wins this season.