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ESPN is running a pretty interesting series breaking down positions in college football to come up with the best universities for each since 2000. We often talk about Pitt being Wide Receiver U but how did they actually stack up to other schools at that position?
Per the ESPN poll, the Panthers were third in all of college football. The methodology is based on things like number of All-Americans, award winners, and draft picks. The first two are pretty subjective, but understandable as to why they were used - I mean, you've got to have something to measure these guys by and things like number of catches and yardage won't really be accurate since the level of competition was different for each.
Leaving out things like that, though, also mean some players will get overlooked. Latef Grim, who finished his career in 2000, was the school's all-time leader in receptions (and second in yardage). But because he wasn't drafted, Pitt didn't get any points for him. Ditto for Mike Shanahan, who is in the top ten in career receptions and yardage at the school.
And that Tyler Boyd kid's been pretty good, but he also didn't count for anything despite the fact that he broke some of Larry Fitzgerald's freshman records.
Based on the scoring system, obviously, Fitzgerald and Antonio Bryant carried the bulk of the load. But others such as Jon Baldwin, Devin Street, Greg Lee, Derek Kinder, and Dorin Dickerson (who was counted as a wide receiver), gave Pitt some points.
USC was first with 134 points and Pitt's 120 were only four behind LSU's 124. Pitt's tandem of Fitzgerald and Bryant easily surpass any other duo those two schools could put together in terms of NFL career, though. And when you factor in Boyd, who has the look of a mega star, it's easy to make a decent case for the Panthers as well.
In other words, let the debate continue.
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