My Rooma-tard-brainiac-deficiency is at a high level today, so I find myself looking at the Pitt Team a little bit. Ben Roethlisberger's bum ankle still hurts and RB Rashard Mendenhall is out so that is all good. So i'm wondering who are the stars and who can we exploit? Will we see Charlie Batch after the first Big Ben series? Will VonDoom end Ben's year?

"It's a clean slate, new season," running back Lance Ball said. "That's how we have to handle it. The past is the past. We're in here now. We're all for one goal. We just have to get back to the winning ways."

Well Lance, here's what you have coming to town!

Defense:

Run D: Allowing 99.8 yds/G; Ranked 8th Overall

Passing D: Allowing 171.9 yds/G; Ranked 1st Overall

Top Eight Tacklers: I was surprised that James Harrison was so low on the list. Now he doesn't look so tough!

PLAYER........................ TOT. SOLO.. ASSIST.... SCK

FS Ryan Clark............... 100..... 71....... 29..........1.0

LB Lawrence Timmons.... 93..... 68....... 25.......... 2.0

SS Troy Polamalu............ 91.... 64....... 27.......... 1.0

ILB James Farrior............ 78..... 54...... 24........... 2.0

CB William Gay................ 61.... 49........12........... 0.0

OLB James Harrison........ 59.... 48....... 11........... 9.0

CB Ike Taylor................... 44.... 34........10........... 0.0

DE Brett Keisel................ 48.... 33.........15........... 3.0

We have to get all the way down to #8 before a D-lineman shows up. Is that saying something? Looks like we need to know where Ryan Clark is at all times, actually all three of the top guys.

Offense:

Passing game: PASSING YDS, 253.4 yds/G; Ranked 10th Overall

PLAYER................. REC .......YDS... YDS/REC. LONG TD

WR Mike Wallace.... 72....... 1,193...... 16.6......... 95.... 8

WR Antonio Brown.. 69....... 1,108...... 16.1......... 79.... 2

TE Heath Miller........ 51......... 631...... 12.4......... 39.... 2

WR Hines Ward....... 46......... 381........ 8.3......... 31.... 2

Looks like Hines 57 took a dump this year. Anyone know whats up with that? Mike Wallace is ranked #11 in the NFL this year.

Rushing game: Averaging 118.9 yds/G; Rank 14th Overall

"not so" Special Teams:

NAME................... FGM.. FGA..... %......... LONG...... 40-49....... 50+

K Shaun Suisham... 23.... 31........ 74.2...... 51yds......... 6-11...... 1-2

They only have one punt and no kicks returned for a TD this year. It looks like Shaun can get rattled over 45 yards. Holding them to a field goal attempt of 45 + yards has a 50/50 chance of missing.