As a Pitt graduate, no one was more disappointed with the Panthers' play in their 31-3 loss to Miami last Thursday.

With the Panthers featured in a prime-time game on national television that was the only major college contest that night, it was Pitt's opportunity to show that its football program was on the rise.

Instead, it crashed with a huge thud. There's lots of blame to go around, although I can't understand why coach Dave Wannstedt has received as much as he did.

The Panthers' offensive line isn't very strong this season. Wannstedt spotlighted that deficiency when he shifted some of the players around on Monday, trying to find the right combination.

The offensive line lost several starters from a year ago and this year's players haven't found their niche. This also was evident in the overtime loss to Utah to open the season. The Panthers rallied in the fourth quarter to force a tie against the Utes, but came up short.

Last year, freshman running back Dion Lewis was third in the nation with 1,799 yards, but he has been a disappointment so far in 2010.

The bottom line is the execution of plays falls to the players. Wannstedt doesn't suit up. If linemen don't block, the play blows up. No running lanes, no gaps, no separation. It's that simple.

Granted, Wannstedt has lost four of his last five games, all coming against very competitive programs.

Last-second losses to West Virginia and Cincinnati, the latter a 45-44 decision that cost Pitt the Big East Conference championship, a berth in the Bowl Championship Series and a payout between $15 million and $18 million.

So this year, hopes ran high, but the Panthers' early competitive schedule has slowed the process a bit. To the school's credit, it did drop a couple of cupcakes, but the young squad has struggled.

A new quarterback, a disappointing line and running game has hurt the Panthers, but the season is far from over. They're 0-0 in the Big East and if they grow together, they can still win the conference and a spot in the BCS — as well as the money that comes with it.

Wannstedt has done a first-rate job of luring blue-chip prospects to Pittsburgh, not an easy task. Pitt has been a tough sell since success has been lean over the past 25 to 30 years.

Wannstedt has been slammed a lot lately, but the Panthers are going in the right direction.

All Wannstedt can do is bring in the talent and let his assistant coaches prepare them for the games. Perhaps he needs to get even better talent than he has, but the talent level of recruits at Pitt have improved tremendously. Pitt is now landing players that Notre Dame, Penn State and other powerhouses have recruited.

It's football. It's all about execution. That responsibility falls on the players.

Sam Tallarico is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle.