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We're approaching the top five in the Big East postseason player rankings, and you can probably figure out which five players those are without much trouble, if not the exact order.

So what about those who just missed the cut? Making a list of just 30 players across an eight-team league means some really good players have to be left off. Let's start with a look at those on my preseason list who failed to duplicate the honor in the postseason:

No. 3: Matt Grothe: A terrific career, obviously, but the South Florida quarterback's season was cut down by a knee injury before it ever really got going, and his pro potential is questionable at best.

No. 7: Victor Anderson: Another guy who's season was hampered by injury. Anderson posted only 473 rushing yards for Louisville, though he remains capable of big things in the next two years.

No. 10: Reed Williams: The West Virginia linebacker could have easily made this list, as he's not only an excellent player but a terrific leader. Just missed because he, too, was limited at times because of injuries.

No. 11: Ryan D'Imperio: The Rutgers linebacker wasn't nearly as productive as he had been, with his tackles dipping down to 76. But he wasn't fully healthy either.

No. 12: Scott Lutrus: Starting to sound like a broken record here. The Huskies linebacker missed huge chunks of time with various injuries and was surpassed on this list by teammate Lawrence Wilson. But he'll be a prominent preseason candidate for top 30 designation.

No. 15: Aaron Berry: The Pitt corner had a solid but not spectacular season.

No. 16: Robert Vaughn: The UConn safety dropped because of a poor overall performance by the Huskies' secondary.

No. 17: Scooter Berry: The West Virginia tackle missed significant time with injuries and a suspension.

No 19: Scott Long: My most controversial preseason pick had the misfortune of playing for a bad offense. But the Louisville receiver did get an NFL combine invite.

No. 21: Jessie Hester: The South Florida wideout struggled with injuries for much of 2009 and never regained his '08 form.

No. 22: Ryan Blaszczyk: The Rutgers offensive line disappointed, dragging its center's ranking down with it.

No. 24: Brandon Hogan: Improved as season went on; could easily make the preseason list this summer.

No. 25: Mike Williams: Was arguably the league's top receiver for half the year. But you don't quit your team midseason and expect to make a list of the league's best.

No. 27: Jock Sanders: A tough, tough omission from the list, especially considering he had 72 catches for West Virginia. What decided it for me was that he averaged fewer than 10 yards per catch and had only three touchdowns, and his production took a nosedive late in the season.

No. 28: Nate Byham: Still a terrific blocking tight end, but his pass-catching opportunities instead went to Dorin Dickerson, and I didn't want to put two Pitt tight ends on the list.

No. 29: Jon Dempsey: Had a fine year (107 tackles), but it was hard to tell by the end of the season whether he or Chris Campa was Louisville's best linebacker. No Cardinals made the postseason top 30, which gives you an idea of the challenge facing Charlie Strong.

No. 30: Moe Petrus: The UConn center was part of a terrific line, but Chris Jurek and Sampson Genus edged him out for the first- and second-team All-Big East center positions as voted by the coaches.

OK, now that we've exposed how far off my preseason list was, here are a few other players who barely missed the postseason cut:

Zach Collaros, QB, Cincinnati: An interesting decision here. He was outstanding in less than half a season's worth of work, including a record-breaking performance against UConn. And his potential is off the charts. Probably should have included him, but I just felt he didn't play enough in 2009. He'll definitely be on the preseason list, and probably awfully high.

Zach Hurd, UConn, and John Malecki, Pitt: Two of the best guards in the league, a position which sadly wasn't represented on this list. Guards are like the Rodney Dangerfield of football.

J.T. Thomas, West Virginia, and Adam Gunn, Pitt: Excellent linebackers in a league that's stacked at that position.

Armon Binns, WR, Cincinnati: He was at times the Bearcats' best weapon when defenses concentrated on Mardy Gilyard. You wonder how much the system inflates the stats of receivers. Binns, though, will surely appear on the summer list.

Chris Neild, NT, West Virginia: I thought he was one of the top two or three interior linemen in the league. Just missed.

I'm sure I'm failing to mention other worthy candidates, but I've already gone on and on long enough. Sound off on other players you think should have made it, or why I'm crazy for not including some of these on the list.

West Virginia linebacker Reed Williams was named the 2009 Big East football scholar-athlete of the year today by the conference's academic affairs committee.

Williams, a three-year-starter and second team All-Big East performer this past season, will receive a $2,000 scholarship which may be applied to graduate or professional studies. He was one of 16 national finalists for the this year's William V. Campbell Trophy, which is presented to the national scholar-athlete of the year. Already a graduate student with a degree in finance, Williams was named to West Virginia’s dean’s list in each of his five academic years and is a four-time Big East All-Academic selection.

He is the headliner of 106 players who were chosen to the league's All-Academic team. To be nominated, a player must have a cumulative grade-point index of at least 3.0 and have completed a minimum of two semesters of academic work.

UConn placed the most members on the All-Academic team with 16, while Rutgers was second with 15. Notable players who made the list while performing at an all-conference level on the field include Cincinnati's Jeff Linkenbach and Aaron Webster, UConn's Marcus Easley, Pitt's Jonathan Baldwin, John Malecki and Adam Gunn, Rutgers' Devin McCourty, South Florida's Nate Allen and Syracuse's Derrell Smith.

The entire list can be viewed here.

The Big East is 2-for-2, and Pitt's 19-17 win over North Carolina was pretty impressive, considering it came in basically a road game in Charlotte at the Meineke Car Care Bowl.

The big news was that the Panthers notched their first 10-win season since 1981, though that Dan Marino-led team went 11-1 instead of 10-3. Still, it represents progress for Dave Wannstedt's program and gives Pitt something to build upon.

"Ten wins separates you, and I don't think these guys know what they have accomplished here tonight and probably won't for a few weeks or a month or however long," Wannstedt said. "I think that people know that we are back as a program, and you have to go out and prove it. You have to show up and you have to play and you have to win games like this."

On Wednesday, I presented three keys for Pitt in this game: Make North Carolina's offense work to score instead of giving up a special teams or defensive big play; protect quarterback Bill Stull against the heavy Tar Heels pass rush and get tight end Dorin Dickerson involved.

While North Carolina put together a couple of nice drives, its offense finished with just 264 total yards. Stull didn't throw any interceptions and Pitt didn't give up any damaging special teams plays. The Pitt offensive line yielded two sacks, but Stull had plenty of time most of the day and the Panthers won the battle up front. Dickerson had four catches for 21 yards but dropped a touchdown pass early. He just hasn't looked the same the last three games, and you have to wonder if he's fully healthy.

But Mike Shanahan stepped up with five big catches, including some tough ones over the middle, and it looks like he can be the key possession receiver to Jonathan Baldwin's deep threat next season. Combine that with another year from the amazing Dion Lewis, and that's an awfully good start for 2010, even if Pitt has to replace three offensive line starters and break in a new quarterback.

It was good way for the Panthers to end things after they lost their last two regular-season games in the final minute. Of course, they also beat UConn in the final seconds, so the odds probably worked out. This game will long be remembered by Pitt fans for the 17-play, 8:47 drive that led to the winning field goal. To do that against the No. 6 rated defense in the FBS was particularly special.

"The series or two before we came unglued a little bit," Wannstedt said. "We were not lined up, we were hurrying a bit, we had a bad snap, we had a penalty. So our guys went out there and there was no room for error. For our guys to go out there and complete that many plays in a row for the most part successfully says a lot about the focus and discipline of our kids."

Pittsburgh should wind up in the Top 15 and should be ranked to start next season despite some major personnel losses, including Stull, Dickerson, those O-linemen, defensive tackle Mick Williams, linebacker Adam Gunn and cornerback Aaron Berry. Junior defensive end Greg Romeus could opt for the NFL as well. But in addition to the offensive core I mentioned earlier, the Panthers still have rising young talent like linebacker Dan Mason, who grabbed a crucial interception at the goal line.

You have to make Pitt one of the early favorites in the Big East in 2010. Totally different feeling than after last year's Sun Bowl, huh?

We've got two weeks left in the season, though two Big East teams -- Louisville and Syracuse -- wrap up their 2009 this weekend.

The end of the season also means it's time to start thinking about who will make the All-Big East team. Here's an early look at who I think should and should not make the team at each position:

Quarterback

Raise your hand if you thought Pitt's Bill Stull would be the Big East's first-team quarterback this year. Heck, most people thought he'd lose his job. But he's leading the league in passing yards, passing touchdowns and passing efficiency -- all by a large margin. Had Tony Pike stayed healthy or Zach Collaros played a full year, we might be talking about them here. But they didn't, so it's an easy choice.

Running back

Dion Lewis is a shoo-in. The second running back spot on the team will likely belong to Noel Devine. But he's been slowed lately, mostly due to injuries. If that continues, there's a chance that UConn's Jordan Todman or Andre Dixon could slip onto the first team. Combine the two Huskies, and they've produced exactly 1,800 rushing yards.

Receiver

Mardy Gilyard and Tim Brown are the choices here for now, though you could make a strong argument for Jonathan Baldwin. If Baldwin has a big two final games, perhaps he'll earn a spot on the first team. Jock Sanders has had a great year as well. Mike Williams looked like a lock before he quit Syracuse.

Tight end

No doubt about it, Pitt's Dorin Dickerson -- a Mackey Award finalist -- gets the nod. His teammate, Nate Byham, might be the second-team tight end.

Offensive line

This is always the most difficult position to single out players, because offensive line play is not easy to evaluate from the outside. My two tackles at this point would be Cincinnati's Jeff Linkenbach and Pitt's Jason Pinkston. Rutgers left tackle Anthony Davis is the best pro prospect, but he's been far too inconsistent. Pitt's John Malecki is another lock at guard. The other two spots are less obvious. Perhaps Zach Hurd from UConn at guard and Chris Jurek from Cincinnati or UConn's Moe Petrus at center. This is one where I'll have to pick some coaches' brains to decipher.

Defensive line

You might be shocked at the one guy who's not on my list here: South Florida's George Selvie. I think his opposite end, Jason Pierre-Paul, has had the better year. I'd put Greg Romeus at the other end, along with his Pitt teammate Mick Williams at one defensive tackle. The other defensive tackle is up for grabs; I think I'd vote for West Virginia's Chris Neild in a tight one over Syracuse's Arthur Jones.

Linebacker

A lot of players have strong cases here. My three, at this point, would have to be USF's Kion Wilson, UConn's Lawrence Wilson and Louisville's Jon Dempsey. That's leaving off a lot of really good players, including Pitt's Adam Gunn and Syracuse's Derrell Smith.

Secondary

Cincinnati's Aaron Webster and USF's Nate Allen are my safeties, hands down. Devin McCourty is clearly a first-team cornerback. The other cornerback spot is debatable; right now, I'd probably pick Pitt's Aaron Berry, who's coming on strong at the end of the year.

Specialists

The clubhouse leaders are Pitt's Dan Hutchins at place-kicker, West Virginia's Scott Kozlowski at punter, Gilyard as punt returner and Louisville's Trent Guy as kick returner.

This early ballot leaves off several players I had ticketed for first-team honors in the preseason, including Selvie, Jones, West Virginia's Reed Williams, Rutgers' Ryan D'Imperio and others. But there's still time for performances to sway my picks, and I plan on getting a lot of input on my choices before picking a final team.

Now I want your input. Agree or disagree with these selections? Let's hear it.

As promised, here's Part II of the mailbag. (Read Part I here).

Josh from Bozeman, Mont., writes: In your chat last week you said you said that as of now you would give the edge to Pitt against Cincinnati. Yet in your bowl projections you have Cincinnati in the Sugar and Pitt in the Gator. What gives? Did you have a change of heart during the bye week?

Brian Bennett: Josh, I was responding to several questions last week from people who wanted my early prediction on Pitt-Cincinnati. I was leaning toward Pitt then and still am slightly. But I want to see what happens this weekend, especially with Tony Pike coming back for Cincinnati and with the Panthers facing West Virginia on the road. After that, I'll be ready to make my official prediction.

For the bowl projections, I'm using the full body of work and projecting out slightly. For now, Cincinnati has had the better year. Thank goodness this will actually be settled on the field Dec. 5.

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Rick S. from Berkeley Springs, W.Va., writes: My son in Kansas City says that Mark Mangino will be fired at Kansas and one of the top coaching candidates to be considered for that job is Randy Edsall. Have you heard anything to confirm this?

Brian Bennett: This is all pure speculation at this point. Mangino is still the Jayhawks coach, though he's certainly under fire and it looks like he's in big-time trouble right now.

If Mangino is let go, then you will hear Edsall's name bandied about because of his connection with Kansas athletic director Lew Perkins, the former UConn A.D. who brought Edsall to Storrs. I'm not sure Kansas is that much better of a job than UConn, though. Edsall turned down overtures from Syracuse, his alma mater, last year and seems committed to Connecticut. But he has definitely earned a lot of national respect this year for the way he has handled a difficult time in the wake of Jasper Howard's death. If he's not on a lot of athletic directors' short list, then he should be.

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Steve from Rome, N.Y., writes: I have been a Syracuse season ticket holder for 19 years and never have I been any prouder of an Orange team than I was Saturday. With no shot at a bowl and all of the defections, suspensions, and injuries to numerous key players, they continued to play hard and were rewarded with a deserved upset of Rutgers. What are your impressions of Doug Marrone's first year and the future of the program?

Brian Bennett: I think if you would have told Orange fans before the season that they would enter the final week with a chance to get their fifth win, they probably would have taken that. After all, Greg Robinson only won four games once in his four years, and Marrone has accomplished that despite a tough nonconference schedule and a very thin roster. I've been impressed with the discipline Marrone has instilled, and I think he's doing all the right things to bring Syracuse back to being competitive. Now he just needs more players.

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Ken from Philadelphia writes: Hey, Brian, "experts" are killing Pitt for losing to NC State. While I will agree its a bad loss, it seems that if USC only had the one loss to a bad Washington team, the same experts were ready to give them a pass into a BCS bowl. Is this just a case of its USC and they do this every year, or nobody believes in the coach at Pitt?

Brian Bennett: I'm not sure it's apple-to-apples with your comparison, Ken. For one, USC was playing on the road in conference play against a former assistant coach who knew the Trojans well, and they didn't have quarterback Matt Barkley or All-American safety Taylor Mays for that game. Also, they had already proven themselves with a win at eventual Big Ten champ Ohio State on the road. Pitt doesn't really have anything else on the résumé or any ready-made excuses for losing that NC State game (though middle linebacker Adam Gunn's injury played a key role).

Neither Washington no NC State has been very good, but at least the Huskies beat Arizona, played LSU close and have been very competitive in a strong Pac-10. NC State has wins over two FCS teams, Maryland and Pitt -- and that's it. Mostly, though, it comes down to USC getting the benefit of the doubt for its track record for success. Pitt hasn't earned that benefit just yet.

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Katherine from New York writes: So, it's clear to all by now that B.J. Daniels is on fire when he's good and colder then ice when he's bad. I know, too, that some players haven't made catches they should have, but still. Do you think, like I hope, that it's just his young inexperience that is what is causing the up-and-down play? He should work out the problems or at least most of them by next year if he's as good as they're saying he's going to be, right?
And if he does, do you think we will be able to do what we have to next year to contend for the Big East title?

Brian Bennett: Peaks and valleys are to be expected from any first-year freshman quarterback. Daniels has been great at times (Louisville, Florida State) and pretty bad at others (Pitt, Rutgers). What concerns me is that, like Matt Grothe before him, so much of the offense is placed on his shoulders. I'd still like to see South Florida develop a more consistent running game so its quarterback doesn't have to make seemingly every single play on the field. That said, I think Daniels is a special talent who should only get better.

As for competing for the Big East title, that's a separate issue. The program has to figure out why it can't beat the better teams in the league except for West Virginia. The Bulls are young in a lot of spots but also lose many significant players on defense, like George Selvie, Nate Allen, Kion Wilson and possibly Jason Pierre-Paul. They should be loaded on offense next year, but again, Daniels can't do it all alone.

Adam Gunn is lucky to be playing college football, and Pittsburgh is lucky to have him.

Gunn broke his neck in a scary collision last season but made a full recovery and was granted a rare sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA. He is the Panthers' starting middle linebacker and one of the top leaders on the defense. Gunn is the subject of this week's Friday Q&A.

You guys are in the top 10 in November for the first time in 27 years and are in position to possibly win the Big East. How does that feel?


Adam Gunn: It's great to get back to the tradition of the University of Pittsburgh. At the beginning of every season, it's your goal to win as many games as possible and ultimately be undefeated. We had one setback, but we're happy where we are right now, though obviously we're not done. Win four more games, and we'll be happiest when everything is all over with and we'll be Big East champs.

How excited are you for Saturday night's prime time game against Notre Dame?

AG: This is the reason why you play football, to play in prime time, to play in front of a packed house and to play against a great opponent. It's exactly why we come to the University of Pittsburgh, to win these type of games.

Were you around for the 2005 game?


AG: I played in that game. It didn't go in our favor. It wasn't our best game, but it was a wake-up call for us. It was coach [Dave] Wannstedt's first game, and I think we've grown a lot since then. Coach Wannstedt came in with a vision, a vision of getting Pittsburgh back to what it was when he played here. That's how he knew the university and that's what he was determined to get it back to, and that's what we're on our way towards. Coach Wannstedt is a great guy, a great coach and a great person. He brings out the best in everyone.

Was it difficult to see that vision paying off early on, when you went a few years without a bowl game?

AG: Again, it's all Coach Wannstedt. He kept us striving for better. He kept our mindset that we will be back to where we want to be. And here we are now, and everything he talked about is a reality now.

What about the challenges of going against Notre Dame's offense?

AG: Jimmy Clausen is the best quarterback we'll face all year, without a doubt, and he's going to challenge us in a lot of different ways. He's capable of making plays in a numerous amount of ways. He makes great decisions. Golden Tate, they find different ways to get him the ball, try to find matchups to be in their favor. That's our job this week, to stop them and eliminate those matchups and keep Jimmy Clausen from performing at his best. We need to keep a lot of pressure on him and keep their offense to a minimum.

Your passing defense has improved a lot since early in the season. What's been the key to that?


AG: Those early games are just a way to bring your weaknesses to light. And once we realized what those weaknesses were, we really focused on them and made those weaknesses our strengths. Now I can say that our pass defense is one of our strengths, and teams aren't passing on us the way they were the first few weeks.

Ever since the NC State game, we had a player meeting and we really said, 'It starts in practice. It starts today. It's not about going out there on Saturday and winning the game. You win the game on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.' That's been our mindset, and that's the way we've been playing.

How grateful are you to be back on the field after that scary broken neck injury last year?

AG: I couldn't even put it in words how amazing it is to be back on this team, to be No. 8 in the country and looking to improve on that is great. It's a dream come true. I thank God every day for the opportunity to come back and play football again, and the opportunity to play at a high level, and to be on a team that's playing its best right now. There's nothing better in the world.

Were you at all tentative when you came back, and do you ever think about the injury during games?

AG: I can really say it doesn't cross my mind whatsoever. It kind of hit me last week when the Auburn safety (Zac Etheridge) got hurt the same way I did. I talked to him on Friday before the Syracuse game. I kind of relived the situation through him, in a sense. I just told him that it's going to be tough, but stay positive through it all and everything will work out for the best. I'm a living testament of what it takes to overcome such an injury, and that it's possible. I feel for him, but at the same time I don't think about it anymore. Once you get over the mental aspect of it, everything will be fine.

You're kind of the graybeard on the team now.


AG: Absolutely. They call me grandpa.

How much does you experience help your leadership?

AG: Coach Wannstedt makes sure he puts me in situations where I can speak from experience. The main thing I can do is say, I've been here before, this is how we need to do it if we want to be the team we want to be. I care so much about this team and this program that I'll do whatever it takes and lead whatever way I need to lead.

You're close friends with Scott McKillop. Do you still talk to him?

AG: I talked to him [Wednesday] morning; he's preparing for [the 49ers-Bears game Thursday] night. We just had a long talk about Notre Dame. He told me everything about their backs and how they tried to exploit us in different ways. He basically went down through the whole depth chart. He really wishes he was with us still playing, and he's rooting for us to win the Big East championship.

You were involved in an offseason incident this summer. Not to dwell on it, but what did you learn from that?

AG: Basically, I learned: don't put yourself in situations that could compromise anything. You want to be in controlled situations, and that day it wasn't. I don't want to talk about it too much because it's something that's been completely dropped and I want to move forward.

Your ultimate goal is the Big East championship. What does the Notre Dame game mean to you?


AG: This week is all about tradition and this program and to continue on pushing forward. Our goal is to win every game we play, and that's the main focus for us this week whether it's the Big East or not. And it's about the tradition of this rivalry. It's about putting Pitt back on the map where we deserve to be.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

One of the biggest reasons for Pitt's recent surge has been its improved pass defense. This week's game against Notre Dame will show just how much better the Panthers have gotten at protecting their air space.

"This will be a major test," Pittsburgh defensive coordinator Phil Bennett said. "If there's a better throwing team in the country, I don't know who it is."

A few weeks ago, a visit from Jimmy Clausen, Golden Tate and Michael Floyd might have spelled disaster for Bennett's defense. Buffalo shredded the Panthers for 433 passing yards and four touchdowns, and NC State dealt Pitt its only loss thanks to 322 yards in the air and Russell Wilson's four passing touchdowns.

	Jerome Davis/Icon SMI
	Getting linebacker Adam Gunn back has been a boost for the Pittsburgh defense.

Opponents were finding lots of success throwing underneath Pitt's coverage and breaking tackles for big gains. Starting safety Andrew Taglianetti suffered a season-ending knee injury against Buffalo. Linebacker Adam Gunn missed a few games with an ankle injury, forcing true freshman Dan Mason to man the middle. Coaches think Mason will be a great player, but it's hard for such an inexperienced player to hold down perhaps the most important position in Pitt's defensive scheme.

"Early in the year, we found out what we were capable of doing," Bennett said. "When your players start to understand their weaknesses and what to do to protect those weaknesses, then you've got a chance to get things going."

The return of a healthy Gunn, a sixth-year senior whom Bennett describes as "a coach on the field," helped settle things. Pitt replaced Taglianetti with redshirt freshman Jarred Holley, who switched over from cornerback to safety for the second half of the Louisville game.

"He's come on and really done a nice job for us," head coach Dave Wannstedt said. "He's got a long way to go, but he's an athlete who can make plays, and that's what you're looking for back there."

The last piece of the puzzle was figuring out what to do with Elijah Fields. The safety is one of the most gifted athletes on the roster but has had an up-and-down career filled with trips in and out of Wannstedt's doghouse. Bennett decided to bring Fields down to the linebacker spot in nickel packages. That's significant because Pitt had rarely played nickel in the past, preferring mostly to stay in a 4-3 base that has been a Wannstedt staple forever.

"I think we got our best players on the field," Bennett said. "Elijah sort of had a feel for it, and we built a package around it that's been good for us."

The results confirm that. In the past five games, opponents have averaged just 176 passing yards. Pitt held South Florida's B.J. Daniels to 54 yards passing and limited Syracuse to 141 passing yards while grabbing five interceptions in those two blowout wins.

Of course, it's one thing to do that against a very tentative Bulls game plan and versus a depleted Syracuse team. It's quite another to stop Clausen, Tate and Floyd, who lead the nation's No. 5 passing attack.

"We realize we're going up against one of the best receiving corps in the country and one of the greatest quarterbacks in college football right now," Holley said. "It's going to be a big challenge for our defense."

But at least now Pitt seems more prepared for the task.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

• Mike Williams is on pace to smash every Syracuse receiving record, Donnie Webb writes in the Syracuse Post-Standard.
• Adam Gunn's return gave a huge boost to the Pitt defense, Paul Zeise writes in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
• Freshman fullback Ryan Clarke has been a pleasant surprise for West Virginia, Tony Dobies says in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
• Aaron Bagsby had a "big screw-up" that led to him being suspended for the first three games, but he's back now competing for UConn's starting safety position, Desmond Conner writes in the Hartford Courant.
• Even more controversy about that "Big Four" billboard in Tampa: South Florida never asked Florida State for permission to use the FSU logo, Greg Auman reports in the St. Petersburg Times.
• Lineup changes have kept the Louisville secondary from gaining continuity, C.L. Brown writes in The Courier-Journal.
• Rutgers kicker San San Te has come a long way, Keith Sargeant writes in the Home News Tribune.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

	Tim Steadman/Icon SMI
	Pitt's defensive struggles are a pressing concern for coach Dave Wannstedt.

It's as if someone donned a fake mustache and is impersonating Dave Wannstedt.

What on earth has happened to Pitt? The twin hallmarks of Wannstedt's program have always been discipline and defense, with offense sometimes as an afterthought.

Instead, this year's Panthers are averaging a robust 37.5 points a game while their cornerstones are crumbling. Pitt is seventh in the Big East in total defense, ahead of only Syracuse, and ranks 115th nationally in penalty yardage.

"That's not what Pitt football is about," senior cornerback Aaron Berry said.

The latest sign of a possible identity theft came on Saturday. The Panthers led NC State 31-17 late in the third quarter, with the lights on the Cathedral of Learning ready to burn. Then the Wolfpack scored 21 straight points while shredding the increasingly shaky Pitt pass defense. NC State racked up 530 yards of offense, just two games after Buffalo piled up 500 yards.

Wannstedt's team ranks 87th nationally in pass defense, which would probably be worse if the schedule hadn't included an FCS team (Youngstown State) and heavily run-oriented Navy.

"Nobody is really beating us deep, if you watch the tape," Berry said. "We're missing tackles on screens and dump-offs to the backs.

"We're actually covering well. There are times when I've been around the ball and I've left a couple things on the field. I feel like a player of my capability should be out there making those plays, and if I do, the team will follow."

Missing tackles has been a problem, and Wannstedt blames some of that on inexperience at linebacker. Dan Mason and Max Gruder are in their first years of playing that position. Wannstedt hopes the return of senior middle linebacker Adam Gunn, who missed the previous two games with an injured ankle, could help shore up that area.

The defensive line, which has the talent to be one of the best in the country, is getting penetration. But against NC State, it allowed Russell Wilson to scramble free and make plays, including a first-down run on a key fourth-and-12 late.

"We played Pat White, who I consider to be the best option athletic quarterback maybe of all time, and we handled him when we knew he was going to run the ball," Wannstedt said. "We at least slowed him down. All of Wilson's runs, and he had 100 yards rushing, they were all on his own. They were not designed runs. He tucked the ball and outran us. Obviously, we didn't do a good job of coaching and didn't do enough executing to contain him."

Then there are the penalties, which have come in all three phases of the game. Pitt was one of the least penalized teams in the country last season but is averaging 84.5 yards of flags this year. What's strange is that the nucleus of last year's team returned.

"I wish that I had an easy answer," Wannstedt said. "The solution obviously is that you emphasize it, and if it continues then you've got to make a change. Penalties and turnovers, that's the only way to deal with them. You try to correct it, coach them up, emphasize it, and if they continue, the guy can't play."

Wannstedt harped on the mistakes in a team meeting Sunday, during which Berry said the Panthers "cleared the air on some things." He's bringing officials to every practice session this week in hopes of reducing the penalties.

If those problems aren't solved by Friday night, Pitt could be 0-1 in the Big East. Louisville has playmaking receivers like Scott Long, Trent Guy and Doug Beaumont who can exploit the Panthers' holes in pass coverage. Although quarterback Justin Burke is not nearly as swift as NC State's Wilson, he has shown an ability to run for positive yards when a play breaks down.

It's time to rip the fake mustache off that Wannstedt impersonator, or fix whatever else has led to the Panthers' identity crisis.

"With us being on national TV, it's important to show the country what Pitt football is really about," Berry said.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

I'm making my way to Tallahassee for tomorrow's South Florida-Florida State game. Your e-mails are making their way onto my blog.

Greg from Plattsburgh, N.Y., writes: Hey, Brian, how do you think Syracuse will finish this year and is it realistic that they make a bowl game?

Brian Bennett: The words "Syracuse" and "bowl game" haven't gone together in a long time, since the Orange played in the 2004 Champs Sports Bowl. But you know what? It's not crazy to think that Syracuse could challenge for a postseason berth this year.

It's not going to be easy. This team still is working with a very thin roster that could be decimated by a few key injuries. But the Orange should be 2-2 after tomorrow's game against Maine, and they haven't been even after four games since 2006. Let's look at how the schedule shakes out after this week.

Home: South Florida, West Virginia, Akron, Cincinnati, Rutgers

Away: Pitt, Louisville, UConn

Syracuse should beat Akron at home, so that means it has to find three other wins somewhere to get to 6-6. The Orange have beaten Louisville two straight years, so that's a possibility. South Florida next week could be primed for an upset while coming down from the Florida State game. And the way Rutgers has been playing, you've got to think Syracuse would have a shot in its home finale.

So it's possible. Realistic? Maybe not yet.

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Trey from Louisville writes: After the close loss on the road to an SEC school in Kentucky, has your prediction for the season win/loss record of Louisville changed? Every week I read your mail bag but am disappointed to find little to no questions/answers on my Louisville Cardinals. I realize this is because most Cardinal fans probably ask you about Steve Kragthorpe and his job security. Now that my team has given us something to talk about besides the coach, what are your updated predictions for the rest of the season? Or have they remained unchanged?

Brian Bennett: Trey, I came into this year thinking Louisville would go 3-9 or 4-8. Now, I saw a lot of things to like in the Kentucky game, including the way the Cardinals played with passion, the turnovers caused by the defense, Justin Burke's ability to get the ball to his many playmakers, etc. If they can duplicate that, they could easily exceed my expectations. Still, I want to see a little more before I revise my predictions upward. Teams can get fired up for a rivalry game, and I have doubts about how good Kentucky really is. The schedule is still difficult for Louisville. Tomorrow's game at Utah should show us a lot more about where this team is.

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Jim from Highland Park, N.J. writes: Rutgers at No. 7 (in your power rankings)? Really? Do you think you may have given Rutgers too much credit at the start of the season and now not enough? Syracuse is in no way better than Rutgers. They are improving but they don't have the talent to compete with the top five or six teams in the Big East. ... On the flip side RU has started slow before and finished strong. They have looked better each week and the FIU score was did not even come close to show how dominant RU was.

Brian Bennett: Well, Jim, I understand what you're saying, but I have a pretty simple explanation. After three weeks of game results, I'm basing my power rankings on performance, and Syracuse has done way more than Rutgers. The Orange took Minnesota to overtime, lost in a respectable manner at Penn State and beat Northwestern. Rutgers lost at home by 32 points to Cincinnati, steamrolled an FCS team (Howard) that it had no business playing and then beat Florida International by eight points at home. Remove the names and just compare the results, and there's no contest. Rutgers may have more talent and potential than Syracuse, but right now that's not worth a whole lot.

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Daniel from Walkersville, Md., writes: Since you said in Tuesday's mailbag that there is a chance West Virginia could win the rest of its games from here on out, What do you think the chances are that two Big East Teams are in the BCS? I figure If WVU goes undefeated from here on out and wins the Big East and if Cincinnati's only loses to WVU there is a chance.

Brian Bennett: Well, Daniel, what I said is that the Mountaineers have a chance to win the rest of the games on their schedule. And if you look at it, there's nobody left to play that West Virginia can't beat. But even if that were to happen -- and I don't think it will, for the record -- there is absolutely zero chance that two Big East teams would get into the BCS. In your scenario, a one-loss Cincinnati team wouldn't have the strength of schedule to earn an at-large bid. The Bearcats' best win would be at Oregon State, and unless the Beavers suddenly get on a roll and win the Pac-10, that's not going to be enough. The Big East is not at a point right now where it can hope to get an at-large BCS bid.

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Andrew L. from Cincinnati writes: Did you, or did anyone for that matter, realize that Cincinnati has not lost a home nonconference game since 2002 when both Ohio St and WVU won here? It stands at 14 games right now. Technically the streak started in '03 by beating Temple. Remember how bad the Bearcats were in the past, especially '03 and '05, and it's pretty incredible this streak is still alive. I'm surprised that really nobody seems to be talking about it because after this year, if it holds up, it'll have some real weight to it.

Brian Bennett: Adam provided the teams that Cincinnati has beaten during that time, and the only one that's remotely impressive is Oregon State from two years ago. The others are the likes of Miami of Ohio, Akron, Eastern Michigan, Southeast Missouri State, etc. The streak will be more impressive if the Bearcats beat Fresno State and Illinois at home this season and when bigger-name schools come to town. Don't forget that Oklahoma is still scheduled to make that return visit.

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Ian from Lone Pine, Pa., writes: With Dan Mason's impressive performance last week, wouldn't it make sense to maybe move him or Adan Gunn to outside backer and have the other play the middle? They are both too nice.

Brian Bennett: Clearly, Mason deserves playing time. But Gunn was playing very well before his ankle injury. Greg Williams is developing into one of the best outside linebackers in the Big East. If anybody would seem to be the odd man out, it would be sophomore Max Gruder, but he hasn't been bad, either. Pitt has the luxury of depth at the linebacker spots, which should allow defensive coordinator Phil Bennett to rotate those guys and keep everybody fresh.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

Coming into the season, Pittsburgh faced questions on how it would replace Scott McKillop, the star middle linebacker who was the Big East's defensive player of the year in 2008.

Three games in, it appears the Panthers have a multiple-choice answer.

Sixth-year senior Adam Gunn started the first two games, led the team in tackles and was named the Big East defensive player of the week for his performance at Buffalo.

Last week, Gunn had a sprained ankle and couldn't play against Navy. So Dave Wannstedt plugged true freshman Dan Mason into the middle linebacker spot, and Mason responded with an 11-tackle, two sack day that earned him the Big East defensive player of the week award.

Now Wannstedt has the best kind of problem for a coach. Which standout player does he go with this week at NC State and beyond?

"I don't know," he said Monday. "Once Adam's better, and he expects to play this week, we'll see.

"You can never have enough good ones, and Danny's just a freshman. We'll continue to play him and on special teams. How much playing time there will be for Danny, I can't tell you."

Wannstedt had been raving about the 6-foot, 225-pound Mason all offseason and predicted that he would have an immediate impact. Still, for a kid to be thrown into a situation where he has to make defensive calls and do so against an incredibly confusing offense like Navy's triple-option and perform so well was mighty impressive.

"Dan is one of those unique guys," Wannstedt said. "He stepped forward and was accountable and got the job done."

Pitt's defensive system funnels a lot of plays toward the middle linebacker spot, and the Panthers' defensive line is so active and so good that it allows linebackers to collect plenty of tackles. But someone still has to make those plays. And now Pitt has two standout options there.

"I look at as a win-win situation," Wannstedt said.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

Like Liz Lemon and Jack Donaghy, let's embark on a retreat to move forward. Rewind time ...

Team of the week: Cincinnati. For the second time in two weeks, the Bearcats take this honor. And who could argue after the Bearcats broke Oregon State's 13-year nonconference winning streak at home with a wildly impressive 28-18 victory in Corvallis.

Best game: Syracuse 37, Northwestern 34. It had all the requisite drama, big plays on both sides and a field goal to end it. Plus, it was the Orange's first win under Doug Marrone.

Biggest play: Max Suter's interception of Northwestern quarterback Mike Kafka in the final minute not only prevented a potential winning Wildcats drive, but his return to the Northwestern 39 set up his team for the game-winning field goal.

Best call: Cincinnati quarterback Tony Pike spotted an advantageous coverage and changed the play at the line of scrimmage on second and nine from the Oregon State 19 in the fourth quarter. The result: a touchdown pass to Mardy Gilyard. That stopped an Oregon State rally that had cut the score to 21-18.

Big Man on Campus (Offense): Pike. With apologies to Mike Williams and Greg Paulus of Syracuse, Pike just had more to deal with, including the crowd noise at Reser Stadium and Oregon State's pressure package. He calmly directed the Cincinnati offense while passing for 332 yards and two touchdowns and even running for a score.

Big Man on Campus (Defense): Dan Mason, LB, Pittsburgh. The true freshman stepped in at middle linebacker when Adam Gunn was a late injury scratch, and Mason collected a team-high 11 tackles and two sacks against Navy. Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt raved about this kid in the preseason, and we found out why.

Big Man on Campus (Special teams): Ryan Lichtenstein, K, Syracuse.The true freshman was a walk-on until the final week of fall practice, when Marrone awarded him a scholarship. Lichtenstein earned his tuition money by making four field goals, including the 41-yard game winner with no time left, against Northwestern.

Worst Hangover: West Virginia (six turnovers in loss at Auburn) and South Florida (losing Matt Grothe) have bitter feelings this morning. But I'm going to go with Louisville, which had every chance in the world to end its losing streak to arch rival Kentucky but still found a way to come up short. Steve Kragthorpe let the frustration show in his postgame news conference, saying he was "freaking sick" about the loss, warning reporters not to blame Trent Guy for his muffed punt or he wouldn't talk to them and using a three-letter synonym for donkey several times. That's a coach and a program that badly needed a win.

Strangest moment: Navy punter Kyle Delahooke bobble a snap at his own 38-yard line, then for some reason tried to kick the ball while it was on the ground. That's a 15-yard penalty for illegal kicking. Pitt got the ball on the 15 and needed four more plays to score for a 21-7 lead.

OK, now let's do some forward-thinking. Some of these games don't look as interesting as they did in the preseason, but the Big East still has three dates against the ACC and has a chance to gain a little more respect. Games listed in descending order of interest and importance:

South Florida (3-0) at Florida State (2-1): It sure looked like the Bulls would have a chance to win this first-ever meeting just a week ago, before Grothe's injury and after the Seminoles struggled to escape against Jacksonville State. Then FSU blew the doors off BYU and now will face a first-time starting quarterback for USF.

Pitt (3-0) at NC State (2-1): The Wolfpack have beaten two FCS teams since their opening loss to South Carolina. NC State lost to both Rutgers and South Florida last year, and Pitt will look to keep that Big East winning streak going.

Rutgers (2-1) at Maryland (1-2): The Terrapins lost to Middle Tennessee State a week after needing overtime to get by James Madison. Rutgers hasn't put it all together yet, but this is one the Scarlet Knights should be able to win.

Fresno State (1-2) at Cincinnati (3-0): You have to wonder how much the Bulldogs have left in the tank after consecutive tough losses to Wisconsin and Boise State. Cincinnati won't show much mercy, but Ryan Matthews could give Fresno State a chance.

Louisville (1-1) at Utah (2-1): It's a very difficult assignment for the Cardinals, but the Utes haven't looked nearly as imposing in 2009 as they did in 2008. Still, they'll be hungry to break their first losing streak in over a year.

Maine (2-1) at Syracuse (1-2): The Orange gun for their first two-game winning streak since 2006. Wait, is that a typo? 2006?!

Rhode Island (1-1) at Connecticut (2-1): Rhode Island's starting quarterback is Rutgers transfer Chris Paul-Etienne. If that doesn't get you excited for this matchup, I don't know what will.

Bye: West Virginia (2-1)

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

Our weekly look at who's up, who's down and who's leading the player of the year races in the Big East:

Stock up

1. Jarrett Brown: We knew the guy was good. But 334 yards, four-touchdown good? Brown made some throws against East Carolina that not many other college quarterbacks could pull off.

2. Mo Plancher: The South Florida back had his first career 100-yard day against Western Kentucky, and coach Jim Leavitt said, "We trust him a lot."

3. Dorin Dickerson: It took Pitt and Dickerson four years to figure out how to use his talent, but better late than never. The senior tight end has four touchdowns already this season.

4. Jock Sanders: Coming back from his offseason suspension for a DUI arrest, Sanders leads the Big East with 17 catches in two games.

5. Yankee Bowl: The Big East should announce within the next couple of weeks that it will send one of its top teams to Yankee Stadium for the new bowl game starting in 2010.

Stock down

1. UConn's offense: Remember Zach Frazer's spring quote that the Huskies would average 40 points a game? Now he's hurt, and the Huskies are hurting for points. They've scored 33 in two games combined.

2. Syracuse receivers' hands: After bobbled catches cost the Orange a touchdown and led to an interception at Penn State, coach Doug Marrone minced no words. "We have to get away from the dropped passes," he said. "That's hurting our program right now."

3. Delbert Alvarado: The South Florida kicker is once again making Bulls' fans very nervous after he missed two field goals at Western Kentucky. Darn those amusement park rides!

4. Pitt's pass defense: The Panthers were torched for 433 yards by Buffalo, making you wonder how they're going to stop Notre Dame, West Virginia and Cincinnati.

5. Bowl games in nice football stadiums: The addition of the Yankee Bowl means the Big East will have two of its five postseason games in baseball stadiums (the other being Tropicana Field for the St. Petersburg Bowl) and two others (the Champs Sports and Papajohns.com bowls) in badly-aging facilities.

Player of the year race: Offense

1. Tony Pike, QB,Cincinnati: Has completed 77.2 percent of his passes for 591 yards and six touchdowns.

2. Jarrett Brown, QB, West Virginia: Has completed 75.4 percent of his passes for 577 yards and four touchdowns.

3. Dion Lewis, RB, Pittsburgh: Has run for 319 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 7.2 yards per carry.

4. Mardy Gilyard, WR, Cincinnati: Has 14 catches for 200 yards and three touchdowns.

5. Matt Grothe, QB, South Florida: Has completed 71.1 percent of his passes for 363 yards and three touchdowns.

Player of the year race: Defense

1. Lindsey Witten, DE, UConn: His numbers keep changing, but he's now credited with seven sacks, which leads the nation.

2. Adam Gunn, LB, Pittsburgh: Ranks second in the league in both tackles (19) and sacks (5).

3. George Selvie, DE, South Florida: Numbers not impressive yet -- just 10 tackles and one sack -- but he remains a force.

4. Aaron Webster, S, Cincinnati: Has grabbed an interception in both games this year.

5. Reed Williams, LB, West Virginia: Leader of the Mountaineers' defense will be a factor in this race if he stays healthy.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

We're only two weeks into the season, but some Big East teams and players have compiled some impressive stats that put them among the nation's leaders. Here are some of the top performers thus far:

• Cincinnati is second nationally behind No. 1 Florida in scoring offense (58.5 ppg), having produced one less point than the Gators so far. Pittsburgh is seventh nationally in scoring at 46 points per game.
• Cincinnati leads the FBS in passing efficiency, ranks second in turnover margin (3 to 1), fifth in total offense (571 yards per game) and fifth in tackles for loss (10). Tony Pike is fourth nationally in passing efficiency, while Mardy Gilyard is tied for second among all players in scoring.
• Pitt is tied for first nationally in sacks allowed, with none through two games. It's also fourth in turnover margin and seventh in net punting. Freshman Dion Lewis is the nation's third leading rusher, with 159.5 yards per game, and is tied for second in scoring.
• Pitt's Adam Gunn and UConn's Lindsey Witten are both tied for second in the country in sacks.
• West Virginia, like Pitt, has allowed no sacks in two games. Jarrett Brown ranks eighth in the country in total offense (359 yards per game) and 11th in pass efficiency.
• UConn is tied for sixth in sacks and is 12th nationally in rush defense. The Huskies rank 116th in passing offense.
• Syracuse is 111th nationally in total offense.
• Louisville ranks in the top 10 in several defensive categories, but the Cardinals have played only one game and did so against one of the worst teams in the FCS. Don't expect those numbers to last very long. The Cards rank tied for 119th in penalties per game.

Now let's have some fun with the individual numbers by seeing what kind of pace the top performers are on for a 12-game regular season. Yes, these numbers are silly and kind of meaningless, but it's a good Monday conversation starter:

• Pike is on pace to pass for 3,546 yards and 36 touchdowns.
• Brown is on pace to throw for 3,462 yards and 24 touchdowns and run for 852 yards.
• Lewis is on pace to rush for 1,914 yards and 24 touchdowns.
• Pitt's Bill Stull is on pace to throw 30 touchdown passes.
• Rutgers' Tim Brown is on pace for a 1,308 receiving yards, while Gilyard is on pace for a 1,200-yard season.
• Witten is on pace for 36 sacks.

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

You know them, you love them, you can't live without them. They're are Big East preseason position rankings, and today we look at the linebackers.

1. West Virginia: The Mountaineers might have the best 1-2 punch in the league at linebacker, with senior Reed Williams back after taking a redshirt last year and J.T. Thomas looking ready to cause some serious damage. Pat Lazear has had a good camp and fills out a terrific trio of tacklers.

2. Connecticut: Scott Lutrus is one of the top defensive players in the league, and position mates Lawrence Wilson and Greg Lloyd are going into their third year of starting alongside him. The depth behind them, though, is untested.

T-3. Pittsburgh: It's a testament to Pitt's depth that the Panthers could lose 2008 defensive player of the year Scott McKillop and underrated outside linebacker Austin Ransom and still rank this high. They bring back starter Greg Williams, who really progressed in his first year of playing, as well as fifth-year guys Shane Murray and Adam Gunn. Throw in promising freshman Dan Mason, Max Gruder and senior Steve Dell, and this is maybe the deepest corps in the league.

T-3. Rutgers: Don't be surprised if Ryan D'Imperio wins this year's defensive player of the year award. He is by no means a one-man gang, though, as senior Damaso Munoz and either Antonio Lowery or Manny Abreu will start next to him on the outside.

5. South Florida: Kion Wilson is an all-league anchor in the middle who could very well rack up a 100-tackle season. Veterans Chris Robinson and Sabbath Joseph are trying to establish themselves as bona fide starters, If not, then skilled newcomers Jacquian Williams and Sam Barrington should be ready to step in.

T-6. Louisville: Senior middle linebacker Jon Dempsey was a second-team All-Big East selection last season and should gain from his first year of Division I experience. A big key for this unit is how Brandon Heath will fare as the rover. Heath has always had talent but has yet to fully harness it.

T-6. Cincinnati: Hard to know exactly where to rank the Bearcats, who are breaking in all new starters and will need a lot from their linebackers in a 3-4 scheme. Andre Revels has played a lot and should be a leader in the middle. Former Notre Dame quarterback Demetrius Jones will try to make a successful transition to defense. Linebacker wasn't the biggest strength of the Cincinnati defense the past two years, but the position has been solid under Brian Kelly.

8. Syracuse: Hate to rank the Orange last yet again, but it's hard not to given how many guys at this position have left the team since the spring. Derrell Smith, who has played a little of everywhere, should be good as a junior, and Doug Hogue is trying to make the move from tailback. Everything else is a question mark.