Bodog Beat

The 2008 Sun Bowl saw the Pittsburgh Panthers lose to the Oregon State Beavers by a score of 3-0, one of the lowest scoring games in Bowl history. (Wikimedia Images)

What do Florida's Tim Tebow, Oklahoma's Sam Bradford and Pittsburgh's Bill Stull all have in common? Those three quarterbacks all will be entering their third season as their teams' starting quarterback in 2009.

But that's definitely where the comparisons end. While Tebow and Bradford are Heisman winners and lock first-round NFL draft picks next April, Stull is struggling to hold on to the job with the Panthers.

First a look back: In 2008, Pittsburgh had the best season of the Dave Wannstedt era, winning nine games and earning a Sun Bowl berth.

However, it was that Sun Bowl that showed the inconsistencies of Stull.

In a 3-0 loss to Oregon State, Stull was just 7-for-24 for 52 yards and an interception, eventually replaced by Pat Bostick. Stull finished the year with 2,356 yards passing, nine touchdowns, 10 picks and a 57 percent completion percentage.

Stull, who opened the 2007 season as the starter but was hurt in the first game and didn't play again that year, had his moments in 2008, but he also had trouble moving the offense when opposing defenses were stopping All-American running back LeSean McCoy, who had more touchdowns than the rest of the Panthers combined and was second in the country in scoring.

Freshman Dion Lewis is rather small, but he appears to have won the job to replace McCoy heading into the fall. Pittsburgh also lost top receiver Derek Kinder but returns seven starters on offense, including future star WR Jonathan Baldwin and all-Big East tight end Nate Byham.

The Panthers also have a new offensive coordinator in Frank Cignetti Jr., who is expected to open up the offense more than in the past two years, when McCoy dominated the ball.

Thus that brings us back to Stull.

Pittsburgh probably has the most talent in the Big East, with another seven starters returning on a very good defense. But the fate of this team rests on the senior quarterback. If the Stull who was part of four come-from-behind victories in the fourth quarter last year shows up, the Panthers have a chance to be a surprise team in the country next year – they are at 70/1 odds to win the BCS national championship at Bodog.

Really, take a look at Pittsburgh's schedule, as there is no game that can be called unwinnable. In fact, there might only be a ranked team or two on the 2009 slate (South Florida, Notre Dame and Cincinnati all visit the Steel City).

But if the Stull who threw a pick in eight games last year — Pitt was 3-1 in the games he didn't throw an interception, including its lone win over a ranked team – shows up, the Panthers probably won’t even win the Big East and Bostick, the 2007 starter, might earn the job back.

Get all your college football odds and football futures at Bodog.