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Todd Graham arrived in Pittsburgh talking a big game, throwing around his ideas for a high-octane offense, for doing everything the Pitt way, for making the city and its fans get behind him and his players with the special brand of football he had to offer.

But from the start, it was obvious Graham did not do anything the Pitt way.

He did it the Graham way.

Graham took a sledgehammer to Pitt football in every way imaginable, gutting the true essence of what this program represented. He was flashy. Self-absorbed. Concerned for his own advancement. When his high-octane offense looked as exciting as a jalopy riding in a NASCAR race, he blamed his players -- not himself.

And when his first opportunity came to bolt, he did, taking a page out of the Randy Edsall Book of Class to deliver the message to his players via text message. Graham lasted less than a year at Pitt, compiling a 6-6 record after setting preseason expectations so high, the Panthers were picked to finish second in the conference.

The Graham way indeed.

The disaster started before Graham, of course, when athletic director Steve Pederson decided to fire coach Dave Wannstedt even though he delivered a share of the Big East championship last December. Wannstedt failed to live up to some pretty high expectations, but he never wounded his school, his players or his fans with such a reckless, selfish attitude. Nothing about Wannstedt ever screamed, "Me first." It was Wannstedt last week who astutely pointed out that Graham treated quarterback Tino Sunseri with little respect throughout the entire season.

After getting rid of Wannstedt, Pederson turned to Mike Haywood, but that turned out to be a disaster itself. Haywood was arrested on domestic violence charges a short time later, leaving the Panthers desperate. Graham had lobbied hard for the job before Haywood was hired, so Pitt already was familiar with him and his background at Tulsa.

So in came Graham, who professed his love for Pitt, for this being a dream opportunity, for all the amazing things he could do to get this team back into a BCS game. I sat down with him for the first time during the Big East spring meetings last May, and he went over all his talking points when I asked him why he wanted to coach at Pitt.

"I’ve spent my whole life working to get this job," he said. "This is the best job I’ve ever had. To get an opportunity in a conference like this in a place like Pitt where you can compete to win it all ... our goal is to win championships. We’re extremely motivated."

Not motivated enough. In hindsight, perhaps Pederson should have seen the signs. Graham now has two one-year tenures on his résumé, a man so completely consumed with finding a bigger, better opportunity that he has no sense of loyalty, relationships or how to tell the truth.

Just ask Pitt receiver Devin Street, who took to Twitter on Wednesday to deliver one harsh message after another:

"I feel like dirt and I was just abused. For a year"

"I'm literally sick. That man pulled me in his office one on one and lied to me"

"He's an actor he did it to rice then us now he's gonna do it to ASU... That energy is fake he has them fooled"

Or defensive end Brandon Lindsey, who tweeted, "For someone who said they read the bible everyday, he must've missed the pg that said 'thou shall not lie'"

It is understandable for the players to be reacting this way. They are going on their fourth head coach in a year. But we all know coaching changes are a necessary part of college football. Coaches lie to advance themselves. None of this is new to Pitt or to the sport itself.

What is so unsettling about this situation is the way Graham went about leaving. He asked for permission to interview at Arizona State but was denied. So he resigned anyway, after 11 months on the job and a .500 record to show for all his bravado. Whatever his reasons, his final day proved to fit Graham to a tee:

He did it the Graham way.

We're taking a closer look at city schools in college football. Our definition of a city school is one that competes in the same city/market as an NFL franchise. The Big East has a few of them. Let's examine the Pittsburgh Panthers

School: Pittsburgh
Location: Pittsburgh, Pa.
Enrollment: 18,000 full-time undergraduate students
Bowl appearances: 23
NFL first-round picks: 22
Losing seasons: 33
10-win seasons: 5

Source: ESPN Stats & Info (Note: College numbers date back to 1936, the first year of the AP poll. NFL numbers date back to 1970.)

The good: For many years, Pitt was one of the premier football programs on the East Coast. The Panthers claim nine national championships, the last coming in 1976. They have also produced scores of legendary players, including Tony Dorsett, Dan Marino, Hugh Green and Mike Ditka.

Pitt is located in a football-mad area, and thanks to a solid partnership with the Rooney family, it shares top-flight facilities with the NFL's Pittsburgh Steelers, including Heinz Field. The Panthers' and Steelers' training facilities are connected, so Pitt players can interact with NFL stars on a daily basis. Western Pennsylvania has long been a fertile ground for recruiting, and Pittsburgh boasts top-flight academics as well as the comforts of an underrated city.

The program went through a dry spell after Jackie Sherrill left in 1982, and it has struggled to reach the same heights since. Things looked to be turning around when alumnus Dave Wannstedt led the team to a 10-win season in 2009, but Wannstedt was forced to resign after 2010's 7-5 regular season record. New coach Todd Graham is looking to restore the glory.

The bad: Pittsburgh is a Steelers town first. The Panthers got an upgrade when they moved downtown to Heinz Field, but there is little college feel to the place, and the stadium is very rarely full except for when marquee opponents like West Virginia and Notre Dame come to town.

Pitt's greatest accomplishments came as a football independent, and those have not been matched since the school joined the Big East in 1991. The Panthers have not won a single outright conference title and have made only one BCS appearance, getting blown out of the 2004 Fiesta Bowl by Utah. The program's recent history is filled with disappointments, big-game losses and stunning upsets.

Shifting population patterns mean that Pittsburgh can no longer rely simply on Western Pennsylvania talent to fill the roster, and competition for the best players in-state is fierce with Penn State and Ohio State as main competitors. The school has changed coaches frequently and hasn't found a signature leader since the days of Sherrill and Johnny Majors (even Majors' second go-round as Pitt coach ended up a failure). Perhaps Graham can help the program establish an identity and return to the elite status it once enjoyed.

If Todd Graham simply makes it to signing day as Pittsburgh's head coach, he will already have proved more successful than his immediate predecessor.

How much more success Graham will have with the Panthers remains to be seen, of course. But it looks like the school made the best of a messy situation with a solid hire this time around.

I thought that Pitt should be bold and go after Rich Rodriguez or Gus Malzahn. Instead, it landed a coach who once worked under Rodriguez at West Virginia and who once was Malzahn's boss at Tulsa. Graham has a terrific record, going 43-23 in five seasons at Tulsa and Rice, winning at least 10 games in three of the past four years with the Golden Hurricane. He has also been a part of some major turnarounds, leading Rice to its first bowl game in 45 years in his lone season as head coach at that school, and working on the staff that brought Tulsa back from the dead.

Pittsburgh doesn't need to be resurrected. The Panthers just need a steady hand who can realize the potential for a program that has long underachieved. The foundation is in place, as former coach Dave Wannstedt left things in good shape before being forced out. Graham will have to hastily patch together a recruiting class that has gone up in smoke since Wannstedt's departure and the hiring and firing of Mike Haywood. It won't be easy, and the team could feel the impact of those losses in years to come.

But one recruiting class is less important than having the right man in charge. Graham makes for a considerably better choice than Haywood, who led his own impressive turnaround this season at Miami (Ohio) but had nothing else on his résumé as a head coach. Why didn't Pitt hire Graham in the first go-around, when he was one of the men considered? Mostly because of money, since Graham made $1.3 million at Tulsa and wanted a raise to leave. The notoriously budget-conscious Panthers didn't want to open their wallet the first time but were far more willing to do so now after the public relations nightmare of the Haywood arrest. Graham will reportedly be paid in the $2 million range.

Now he must prove he is worth it. The last Tulsa coach to take over a Big East program was Graham's former boss, Steve Kragthorpe. He flamed out in spectacular fashion at Louisville. Rebuilding a team at the Conference USA level and guiding one to a BCS game in an AQ conference, even one as wide open as the Big East, are not the same thing.

Whatever happens, Pitt fans shouldn't be bored, as they might have been with Haywood's style. Graham's teams score points in bunches; the Golden Hurricane led the nation in scoring in 2007 and 2008 when Malzahn was their offensive coordinator and averaged better than 41 points this year, breaking the 50-point barrier four times. That has to sound great to Panthers fans who were sick of Wannstedt's conservative offenses.

It's interesting, though, that Graham's background is on defense, as he was Rodriguez's defensive coordinator in Morgantown. Yet Tulsa has often been terrible on defense and allowed more than 30 points per game this season. Graham won't have Malzahn or Chad Morris -- who left Tulsa this week for Clemson -- to call plays at Heinz Field.

Regardless, Pitt is about to fully embrace the spread, even if all the current players were recruited for a pro-style system. Get ready for some big-time Backyard Brawl shootouts between Graham and new West Virginia offensive coordinator/future head coach Dana Holgorsen. The offensive doldrums that plagued both schools this year -- and the Big East in general -- are about to end.

Had the Panthers simply hired Graham instead of Haywood in December, they could have saved themselves a lot of grief. He looks like a solid choice going forward. He'd better be, since athletic director Steve Pederson's job and the future of the program are riding on it.

Graham will be introduced at a news conference Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. I'll have more thoughts after that media briefing.

With all the coaching turmoil surrounding Pittsburgh this past month, it could be easy to forget the Panthers still have a game to play. They'll kick it off in one of the last bowl games of the season Saturday in the BBVA Compass Bowl in Birmingham, Ala., vs. Kentucky. A Pitt victory would give the Big East a winning record in the postseason, as the league is currently 3-2. Here's a quick preview:

WHO TO WATCH: Pittsburgh wide receiver Jon Baldwin. It's all but assuredly the junior's final college game before he goes to the NFL, and Pitt's offense usually only excels when he's fully involved in the game. Kentucky is not a great defensive team but does have a decent secondary, as the Wildcats finished No. 20 in pass defense this season. It will also be interesting to see how Baldwin is used after he publicly complained about his role in the offense following Dave Wannstedt's forced resignation last month.

WHAT TO WATCH: How focused and organized the Panthers are. The last month has been incredibly strange, with not one, but two head coaches being dismissed. The players weren't even sure who would coach them in the bowl game until Wannstedt announced Monday he would not be going to Birmingham. The program might have a new coach in place before kickoff. Defensive coordinator Phil Bennett will be serving as interim head coach, but the staff is missing defensive backs coach Jeff Hafley and offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti, who both went to work for Rutgers. Where the players' heads are is anybody's guess, and it wouldn't be surprising to see Pitt struggle after all this dysfunction. Then again, maybe playing a game will serve as a major relief.

WHY WATCH: If for no other reason than to see the soap opera unfold on national TV. In strictly football terms, there will be a lot of playmakers on the field, like Kentucky's Randall Cobb. But the Wildcats have their own problems, starting with the loss of suspended starting quarterback Mike Hartline. Still, it's a team that nearly beat Auburn this season and upset South Carolina. Every Big East vs. the SEC matchup is worth watching for league respect, and Pitt needs to win a nonconference game against somebody of note this season.

PREDICTION: Kentucky is no juggernaut, especially without its quarterback. But Pitt also will be missing Big East defensive player of the year Jabaal Sheard and starting defensive tackle Myles Caragein because of injuries. Throw in all the off-the-field drama and the Panthers' inability to win big games all year, and I just don't see how they can claim a bowl victory. Make it Kentucky 31-21.

The coaching circus continues at Pittsburgh.

Dave Wannstedt announced on Monday that he will not coach the Panthers in Saturday's BBVA Compass Bowl against Kentucky. Defensive coordinator Phil Bennett will lead the team in the bowl.

This has been an incredibly odd situation, to say the least. Wannstedt was fired a few days after the season finale but was given the option to coach the bowl. He did not tell university administrators until Monday -- less than a week before the game -- what his intentions were. I'm sure Wannstedt would love to coach his players again, but he is also angry at the school's administration and doesn't want to deal with the news conferences/attention in Birmingham (not that anyone there will care that much about the bowl, but still). And by dragging his decision out, he got to make athletic director Steve Pederson feel uncomfortable, which Wannstedt probably enjoyed.

Meanwhile, Wannstedt has been coaching the team during the bowl practices, as players wondered who would actually lead them onto the field at game time. There was Mike Haywood watching practice from the sideline during his brief tenure. Wannstedt's former staff members were all dismissed except for defensive backs coach Jeff Hafley, who bolted for Rutgers. Various outlets have reported that offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti will join Hafley with the Scarlet Knights. And Pitt now is searching for a new head coach.

The whole situation is reminiscent of Cincinnati's coaching sideshow at last year's Sugar Bowl against Florida. But at least the Bearcats had a head coach in place for the following season.

The "distractions" angle is often overused. But if any team has had distractions this bowl season, it's Pitt. Kentucky (6-6) is not a great team, but the Panthers must be considered a huge underdog in this game considering the massive amount of chaos surrounding the program.

In case you haven't seen the story yet, new Pittsburgh coach Mike Haywood was arrested Friday afternoon in South Bend on a domestic violence charge.

Let's exercise some caution here until more details emerge. Domestic issues can often be very complicated. So far, Pitt officials haven't made any announcements or responses.

But there's no denying this is a horrible piece of news for the Panthers and a very difficult way for Haywood to start his tenure at the school. Athletic director Steve Pederson talked a lot about discipline and character as priorities upon hiring Haywood, and this is at the very least making him squirm mightily.

With Pitt still not sure who will coach the Jan. 8 BBVA Compass Bowl while waiting for Dave Wannstedt's decision, the football program is appearing to be in chaos right now. And as Pitt approaches the final stretch drive in recruiting for 2011 -- after several commitments have already rescinded their pledges -- this latest news can only do harm.

[UPDATE] Pitt sent out the following statement tonight:

“The University of Pittsburgh is aware of an alleged incident involving head football coach Michael Haywood today in South Bend, Indiana. The University expects the highest standards of conduct from its employees, including its coaches, and any breach of those standards is a very serious matter. The University will decline further comment until more complete information is available.”

There still is no official confirmation on the Dana Holgorsen to West Virginia news, but unless multiple media outlets are wrong -- or is some unforeseen snag occurs -- this looks like a done deal.

That will mean that two Big East coaches who shared a piece of the three-way tie for the league title will either be shown the door now (Pitt's Dave Wannstedt) or given a pink-slip ticket that comes due at the end of next year (Bill Stewart). And while both Wannstedt and Stewart have had plenty of detractors during their tenures at their respective programs, let's take a moment to reflect on their records the past three years.

Wannstedt is 26-12 the past three seasons, and if Pitt wins the BBVA Compass Bowl with him at the helm (as of Tuesday afternoon, he was still undecided whether he will coach in that game), that will give him an average of nine wins over the past three years. Wannstedt put together easily the best three-year stretch by the school in almost 30 years.

Stewart is 27-11 the past three seasons, and if West Virginia wins the Champs Sports Bowl, that will give the Mountaineers a 10-win season. How many coaches have been told to hit the bricks after winning 10 games, without major scandals involved? I've heard comparisons to Ohio State's John Cooper, but Cooper won 25 games his last three seasons, including an 8-4 campaign his last year in Columbus. He also had a poor record against his chief rival, Michigan; Stewart is 2-1 against the Mountaineers' main rival, Pittsburgh. Stewart's record after 38 games is second best in West Virginia history, ahead of Don Nehlen, Bobby Bowden and Rich Rodriguez.

Though Stewart was named in the NCAA accusations against West Virginia in regards to practice-policy violations, most believe that the outcome to that case will be a minor slap on the wrist comparable to what Michigan received. Pitt and West Virginia had some players arrested in the past few years, but so did many programs in America. There was no whiff of impropriety by Stewart or Wannstedt in their personal behavior or how they treated players, and in fact you'd be hard pressed to come up with better ambassadors for either place. Their players graduated and achieved solid success in the classroom.

In the end, those accomplishments weren't enough for either school. They were hurt by some notable failures in big-time games, and for their inability to win the Big East outright title in what was a down year, and perhaps down period, for the league. Empty seats at both their home stadiums late in the year made an unfavorable impression, too.

It's important to remember that the men making the decisions on both coaches weren't the men who hired them; both athletic directors (Pitt's Steve Pederson and West Virginia's Oliver Luck) seem eager to make their mark with their own hire.

Just let the next coach know that the standards and expectations have been raised at both West Virginia and Pittsburgh. Averaging nine wins a year, taking a share of the conference title and gunning for a 10th victory apparently aren't enough anymore.

Will Dave Wannstedt coach Pittsburgh in the BBVA Compass Bowl?

Defensive coordinator Phil Bennett represented the Panthers at a news conference for the game in Birmingham on Thursday and said Wannstedt would lead the team against Kentucky. Wannstedt resigned under pressure Tuesday night, but the administration has given him the option of coaching the bowl game.

But Wannstedt told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he still hadn't made up his mind about it.

"I'm going to show up for work tomorrow morning like I always do because I owe it to these kids, I care about them and I don't want to let them down," Wannstedt told the paper. "But this is hard right now, and I'm not ready to go all the way and say I'll definitely be on the sideline for the game. I'll take it a day at a time."

It is a difficult decision. It would be nice if Wannstedt, who is almost universally liked and respected, would get one more game with the players he recruited, and that certainly would seem to give the team motivation to play hard.

However, the timing could prove very awkward. The game will not be played until Jan. 8, and Pitt would almost assuredly have a new coach in place by then. You could have a situation where there's a new guy in town hiring his own staff while the previous one is still trying to get ready for the bowl. That doesn't sound too dissimilar to the mess at Cincinnati last year, where Brian Kelly had left but his staff was still preparing for the Sugar Bowl as Butch Jones was already on board trying to prep for 2010. To say it was awkward would be an understatement.

In the end, I think Wannstedt will end up coaching the game, because he cares about his players too much to pass up a chance to be with them on the sidelines one more time.

In 2009, the Big East title came down to one game in the final week of the season. Cincinnati outlasted Pittsburgh in a 45-44 instant classic.

This year, the Big East title came to down to the last game of the regular season. Connecticut outslugged South Florida 19-16 during which the first -- and only -- offensive touchdown wasn't scored until the fourth quarter.

That disparity summed things up for the league this year. There were no dominant teams, no marquee nonconference victories, no national title contenders. Heck, there were no ranked teams most of the fall. Every team had major flaws, and the league race was marked by a lack of crisp execution -- at least on the offensive end.

West Virginia coach Bill Stewart calls the Big East a "black-and-blue" league, and that was definitely true in 2010. His Mountaineers finished second nationally in scoring defense, and six of the eight conference teams ranked among the top-23 nationally in that statistic. That owed to some excellent defensive performances, but also to the offensive issues that each team faced.

Pittsburgh and Rutgers dealt with offensive line problems. South Florida and Connecticut went through quarterback struggles. West Virginia and Cincinnati couldn't hold onto the ball. Injuries hurt Syracuse and Louisville.

Offensive inefficiency should probably have been expected, given that five league teams opened the year with sophomore starting quarterbacks. An inability to score contributed to the Big East's putrid 3-12 record against BCS auto-bid conference opponents. But one benefit of mediocrity: it created an exciting and unpredictable league title chase.

Every league team had hope of winning the BCS bid at some point. Syracuse and Louisville, which had nested in the cellar the past three years, both rose up and made bowls. Cincinnati, the two-time league champ, came back to the pack and then got lapped. Rutgers hit rock bottom. South Florida reversed its trend and played better in October and November than September. West Virginia started slow and finished strong in league play, while Pitt took the opposite track.

In the end, though, Connecticut got hot at the right time, winning its final five league games to claim its first-ever BCS bid. In other years, an 8-4 record and finish outside the Top 25 of the BCS standings wouldn't be nearly good enough to win the Big East. But this wasn't like other years, and the conference can only hope it was a one-year dip on the way to a brighter future.

Offensive MVP: Jordan Todman, RB, Connecticut

Todman finished second in the country in rushing yards per game and carried the weight of the offense on his shoulders during the Huskies' season-ending five-game winning streak. He averaged more than 30 carries per game in that span. No way UConn makes a BCS game without him.

Defensive MVP: Jabaal Sheard, DE, Pittsburgh

Opposing offenses double-teamed him more than any other Big East player, and yet he still could not be blocked. He finished with nine sacks, 14.5 tackles for loss and four forced fumbles. Pitt barely missed the injured Greg Romeus because of Sheard's play.

Newcomer of the year: Bruce Irvin, DE, West Virginia

I initially resisted giving this award to Irvin because he was such a specialist; the junior-college transfer played almost exclusively on third down as a pass-rushing artist. But he did what he did so well, leading the Big East with 12 sacks in that limited role. It's scary to think what he could do next year in a full-time job.

Coach of the year: Doug Marrone, Syracuse

In a narrow nod over Louisville's Charlie Strong, Marrone gets the call for leading Syracuse back to a bowl for the first time since 2004 and winning four conference road games. The Orange stumbled at the end of the season but were still in the mix for the league's BCS bid until their final conference game.

Biggest surprise: (tie) Syracuse and Louisville

You couldn't find a whole lot of people this summer who were picking either the Orange or the Cardinals to get to a bowl. That both did says a lot about the upside-down nature of this season.

Biggest disappointment: Pittsburgh

Rutgers and Cincinnati disappointed, too, in finishing 4-8 each. But Pitt was ranked No. 15 to start the year and had the talent to do great things. The Panthers went 7-5, and it cost Dave Wannstedt his job.

Game of the year: Connecticut 16, West Virginia 13 (OT), Oct. 29

We didn't know it at the time, but this was the de facto Big East title game. It was a sloppy game in which West Virginia fumbled seven times and lost four of them, including one at the goal line in overtime. There wasn't much scoring -- only two total touchdowns. Connecticut used grit and toughness to surprisingly come out on top. In other words, this was the perfect microcosm of the Big East 2010 season.

As Pittsburgh sat in the driver's seat for the Big East title in early November, one stat always jumped out at me: the Panthers were shooting for their first-ever outright Big East title.

I realize that Miami and Virginia Tech dominated much of the late 1990s and early 2000s, but it's crazy that Pitt, with all of its tradition and advantages, has never won a league title in the clear. In fact, the Panthers own only two co-championships, and they both came in multi-way ties during arguably the worst two years the league has ever seen (2004 and 2010).

Pittsburgh is an excellent school located in a talent-rich area. Though the Panthers will always play second fiddle to the Steelers in their own city (and probably the Penguins, too), there are some advantages to being in a pro town. Pitt piggybacks off the Steelers' facilities and shares training space with the NFL team. Imagine the treat it must be for college players to walk by guys like Troy Polamalu on a daily basis.

There's absolutely no reason that Cincinnati should have two more outright Big East titles than Pitt, or that Connecticut has earned as many BCS bids as the Panthers. Now that the program has pulled the plug on the Dave Wannstedt era, it needs to find the right coach who can take this team to the next level.

It figures to be a wide open search, with no obvious heir apparent. We are going to hear a lot of names in this one, including NFL guys like Russ Grimm the former Pitt player and current Arizona Cardinals assistant, and Marvin Lewis, a Pennsylvania native and former Pitt assistant who may be on his last legs with the Cincinnati Bengals. Dreamers will probably even toss Bill Cowher's name into the mix.

But the Panthers -- and especially athletic director Steve Pederson -- should have learned a vital lesson by now. They need to hire a college guy.

Pederson's last big hire, of course, was at Nebraska when he brought Bill Callahan in from the Oakland Raiders. Both of them were fired a couple of years later. While Wannstedt had some success in six seasons, it took him a while to adjust to the college game early in his tenure.

This is a job best suited for an up-and-coming assistant at a major college program or someone who has established themselves as a head coach. Louisville and South Florida both hit home runs by going that route -- the Cardinals with a talented coordinator (Charlie Strong) and USF with a head coach (Skip Holtz).

The next coach's most immediate task will be trying to hold together a recruiting class that ESPN.com currently ranks 21st in the nation. Wannstedt had already secured 18 commitments. But there is always going to be talent in the Pennsylvania/Ohio region, and Pitt should be well stocked for 2011. Though the Panthers lose Greg Romeus and Jabaal Sheard at defensive end, offensive tackle Jason Pinkston, starting linebacker/safety Dom DeCicco and most likely junior receiver Jon Baldwin to the NFL draft, they have a lot of talent coming back. The new coach can work with Dion Lewis and Ray Graham at tailback, Mike Shanahan and Devin Street at receiver, Brandon Lindsey at defensive end and plenty of young players ready to emerge. Tino Sunseri has a full year of starting at quarterback under his belt, and redshirting freshman Mark Myers has a world of potential.

What do Pitt fans want? A guy who's not as conservative as Wannstedt in his offensive game plans would rank high on that list. Wannstedt's pro-style, running-based power offense matched the blue-collar ethic of the Steel City, but it often seemed as if he still had the 1990s NFL coaching approach of simply avoiding mistakes and hoping to win on field position. That's the opposite of where the college game is heading; just look at the two incredibly wide-open offenses that are playing for the BCS title this year.

Pitt claims nine national titles, but it has been nearly 30 years since the Panthers were in that discussion. This program needs to focus on winning an undisputed Big East title, something that should not be that difficult. Pittsburgh is one of the better jobs in the conference, and the right coach who understands the college game can do some great things.

Pittsburgh coach Dave Wannstedt won't be back next season, but he may coach one more game in 2011 for the Panthers.

Athletic director Steve Pederson has given Wannstedt the option to coach the Jan. 8 BBVA Compass Bowl game against Kentucky. Wannstedt hasn't decided yet whether he will do that. No interim coach has yet been named.

With the game coming so late on the calendar, it's conceivable that a new coach could be hired and in place for the bowl game if Wannstedt decides he doesn't want to finish this season. Hey, Brian Kelly did it in the 2007 International Bowl with Cincinnati.

But it would be nice to see Wannstedt get one final sendoff because his players do truly respect and admire him. I bet they would play very hard for him in what is otherwise a pretty nondescript bowl game.

Coach Dave Wannstedt is not coming back next season for Pittsburgh.

Wannstedt will formally announce his resignation Tuesday night, a source told me, and will stay on in the athletic department in some capacity. That move in itself shows you the love he has for his alma mater and the respect people around the program have for Wannstedt.

Unfortunately, he just didn't win enough games for the Panthers. Or, I should say, he didn't win enough big games. Pitt has won 26 games the past three seasons, with a bowl game still to go this year. That's not too bad. In fact, it's one of the best three-year stretches in the past quarter-century for the program.

But Pittsburgh never could quite get over the hump and to the next level under Wannstedt. Despite having arguably the best talent in the league, the Panthers never won an outright Big East title in six seasons under Wannstedt.

They sure came close. They could have won it in 2008 but lost at Cincinnati. Last year, after reaching the top 10, they lost in the last minute to West Virginia then missed an extra point and fell to Cincinnati 45-44. This year, either a victory over Connecticut or West Virginia would have sent Pitt to the BCS; instead, it lost to both and settled for a hollow co-championship while going 7-5. The reward: a berth in the BBVA Compass Bowl.

Wannstedt seemed to be on very safe ground coming into this year. He signed an extension in the offseason, and spirits were high about the team after a 10-win campaign in '09. The Panthers were picked as overwhelming favorites to win the Big East and as a preseason top 20 team. But they lost three nonconference games and, after starting 3-0 in an imminently winnable conference, fell flat on the road at UConn. The 35-10 loss at home to West Virginia when the BCS bid was still achievable used up any remaining goodwill Wannstedt had built up among the fan base.

It was that lack of confidence in Wannstedt's ability to ever lead the program to bigger things that ultimately undid him. Fans already had lost faith, and in a pro sports town where Pitt has had trouble filling its stadium for home games, selling season tickets next year would have been difficult with Wannstedt coming back.

Let it be said that Wannstedt did a lot of good at Pitt. He recruited great players, most of whom graduated and conducted themselves with class, despite a string of arrests this year. He was a terrific ambassador for the program. He has taken the team to three straight bowl games after needing a few years to get things going.

It's funny: Maybe just one more win in '08, '09 or this year would have saved Wannstedt's job and changed perceptions entirely. But Pittsburgh under his watch just never could quite get there.

Pittsburgh Panthers (7-5) vs. Kentucky Wildcats (6-6)

Jan. 8, noon ET (ESPN)

Pittsburgh take by Big East blogger Brian Bennett: If you would have told Pittsburgh before the season it would be be playing an SEC team in a bowl, the Panthers would have envisioned the Sugar Bowl, or maybe even the BCS title game. Expectations ran that high.

Playing Kentucky in something called the BBVA Compass Bowl? Never. But that's how disappointing this season has been.

Pitt was widely expected to win the Big East, and it did earn a share of the conference title. But it was one of the hollower championships you'll ever find as the Panthers finished 7-5 and spit the bit in all their crucial games (Utah, Notre Dame, Miami, UConn and West Virginia).

The offensive line was a mess early, but problems ran deeper than that. First-year starting quarterback Tino Sunseri had his ups and downs, reigning Big East defensive player of the year Greg Romeus barely contributed because of injuries, the linebackers looked lost, etc. But mostly, Pitt just kept making mistakes in costly situations.

Head coach Dave Wannstedt still has enough individual talent -- like running back Dion Lewis, receiver Jon Baldwin and defensive end Jabaal Sheard -- to beat just about anybody, especially a middling SEC team like Kentucky. But as a team, Pitt has been untrustworthy in big situations, and that's why Wannstedt is on the hot seat.

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Kentucky take by SEC blogger Chris Low: Making its fifth straight trip to a bowl game, Kentucky is in some pretty exclusive company in the SEC. The only other four schools who can say they’ve done that are Alabama, Florida, Georgia and LSU.

The Wildcats (6-6) had high hopes for this season and looked like they might be on the verge of breaking through after rallying from an 18-point halftime deficit to beat South Carolina at home on Oct. 16. But that wound up being their final real highlight, and they lost three of their last four SEC games, including a 25th consecutive setback to Tennessee.

The thing Kentucky did do all season was keep defenses on its toes. Senior quarterback Mike Hartline had his best season with 3,178 passing yards and 23 touchdowns. It hurt the Wildcats when senior running back Derrick Locke went down during the middle of the season with a shoulder injury. He’s back now and should be completely healthy for the bowl game.

The Wildcats’ top playmaker, and one of the best all-around players in the country, is junior receiver Randall Cobb. Cobb accounted for 16 touchdowns four different ways this season and is ranked second nationally with 2,192 all-purpose yards.

Dave Wannstedt received the inevitable question Monday about his job security, and the Pittsburgh coach gave the expected response, saying he was just worried about the Panthers' final game against Cincinnati.

But with the season looking like a lost cause, Wannstedt's status is just about all any Pitt fans want to discuss. My inbox is full of e-mails on the subject, most of which are a variation of the question, "How much longer must we put up with this?"

To be fair, it's not like Wannstedt has pulled a Greg Robinson and imploded a program. Pitt won 19 games the previous two seasons and still has a chance at an eight-win campaign in 2010, not to mention a share of the Big East title with a victory Saturday (and the Panthers could still back into a BCS bid if West Virginia and Connecticut collapse). Pittsburgh fans have an inflated view of their program's value, colored by the Jackie Sherrill glory years of the late 1970s and early '80s. Consider that the Panthers won 10 games last year for the first time since 1981; the team had reached that plateau once between 1917 and 1975.

Yet there's no doubt that Wannstedt's teams have underachieved. Since the shocking 13-9 upset at West Virginia to end the 2007 season, how many times have the Panthers won a game they shouldn't have? Iowa in 2008 is the only possible candidate. On the flip side, they've lost several games they had no business losing, from Bowling Green in 2008 to NC State last year and Connecticut this season.

The worst part for Pitt is, the window for claiming the program's first-ever outright Big East title has never been more wide open than the past two years. Yet after reaching the top 10 last season, the Panthers closed the year with a listless loss at West Virginia, then blew a 31-10 lead at home to Cincinnati with the BCS bid on the line. This year, with no dominant teams in the league and nemesis Brian Kelly gone, Pitt was supposed to finally break through. Instead, the team is just 6-5, with humiliating home losses to Miami (which just fired its coach) and last week to archrival West Virginia.

UConn coach Randy Edsall and South Florida's Skip Holtz each called the Panthers the most talented team in the Big East the week before playing them. And think of the talent that has gone through the Steel City the past few years without a championship to show for it yet: LeSean McCoy, Jon Baldwin, Scott McKillop, Greg Romeus, Jason Pinkston, Jabaal Sheard, Nate Byham, Dorin Dickerson, Dion Lewis and on and on and on. There's no reason Connecticut might have more Big East titles and one more BCS bid than Pittsburgh during Wannstedt's six years if the Huskies win this weekend.

Perhaps we all overrated this year's team, distracted by the star power of Lewis, Romeus and Baldwin and ignoring the missing starters at other key positions. Injuries to Romeus and middle linebacker Dan Mason hurt, too. That's Wannstedt's story.

“The whole thing with the development of a new quarterback, the three new linemen and the new tight end and a new wide receiver, I knew it would be difficult," Wannstedt said Monday. "I knew that we had the least amount of starters returning in the conference out of anybody. I knew we were a young team and that it would be a work in progress."

But youth doesn't explain why the Panthers were still making the same mistakes in Game 11 as they were in Game 1. Or why a fifth-year senior center (Alex Karabin) would snap the ball over quarterback Tino Sunseri's head in a key situation against West Virginia. Or why Pitt even had to play Karabin, a walk-on before this summer, at that crucial spot when the coaching staff had already used a junior-college stop-gap at center the two years prior.

Does all of this mean that Wannstedt should or will be fired? Fans have clearly turned on him, and season tickets for 2011 will be a tough sell with his face on them. But Pitt chancellor Mark Nordenberg has always been a big Wannstedt supporter and personally awarded him a contract extension before the 2007 West Virginia game. Athletic director Steve Pederson didn't hire Wannstedt, but his relationship with the coach was so good that the two agreed to an extension to 2014 this offseason with almost no negotiation involved.

There's so much to like about Wannstedt. He's a terrific ambassador for his alma mater, he cherishes the school and what it means, and despite a string of embarrassing off-the-field incidents this year, he runs a clean program where players graduate. He's also a tremendous recruiter and currently has the No. 21 class of 2011, according to ESPN.com.

Even with Baldwin, Pinkston, Romeus and Sheard leaving, Pitt had only 12 seniors this year and should be well-stocked moving forward, with Sunseri having a year of starting under his belt. There are no obvious, ready-made successors roaming the sideline of college football. (Boise State's Chris Peterson was once a Panthers quarterbacks coach, but only the most delusional fans think he'd consider coming back).

The window might be closing fast for Pittsburgh with Louisville and Syracuse improving and TCU coming on board in 2012. I think Wannstedt should be given another year, considering all the positives he brings to the program, the talent still on hand and his recent record relative to the Panthers' history.

But things have to change at Pitt, and I understand why fans are ready for that change to start at the top.

Only one more week to go in the regular season. I'm not crying, it's just been raining. On my face.

Let's look back at the penultimate week in the Big East.

Team of the week: South Florida. West Virginia and UConn scored key conference wins. But the Bulls planted a flag in their state and gave Skip Holtz a signature victory with the overtime upset at Miami. That's one that should propel South Florida in recruiting and help continue to build the school's brand.

Best game: You know I'm a sucker for overtime games, so it's got to be South Florida's 23-20 win in extra time over those Hurricanes, even it was offensively-challenged most of the time. You know who else loves working overtime? The Bulls, who are a remarkable 9-0 in overtime, including 2-0 this year. If you can't beat them in regulation, might as well forfeit.

Biggest play: West Virginia led 14-7 as the third quarter began at Heinz Field. Three plays from scrimmage later, the Mountaineers were up 21-7 when Geno Smith hit Tavon Austin with a 71-yard touchdown pass. All hope seemed to evaporate out of the Pitt players' bodies at that point, and the Backyard Brawl was effectively over.

Best call: This call came not from a coach, but a player. Jordan Todman was supposed to throw the ball late in the first half with Connecticut near the Cincinnati goal line. But after Todman took the handoff, he saw that that his receiver was bottled up. So he stopped and cut to the outside, knowing that if he didn't make the end zone, valuable seconds would tick off. He scooted in and gave the Huskies a 24-10 halftime lead which they would never relinquish.

Big Man on Campus (Offense): Todman. Not even two injured arms can stop this guy. He rushed for 175 yards and three scores on 31 carries despite missing most of the second quarter with an injured right arm.

Big Man on Campus (Defense): Brandon Hogan, CB, West Virginia. Hogan's interception and 53-yard return to the Pittsburgh 2 on the game's first play set the tone for the Backyard Brawl. He also had a forced fumble and recovery, and he kept Jon Baldwin from shaking free for big plays most of the afternoon.

Big Man on Campus (Special teams): Justin Brockhaus-Kahn, P, South Florida. In a game where field position became crucial, the Bulls' punter wore out his leg with 10 punts for an average of 41 yards per attempt. His kicking, and the Bulls' excellent work on coverage, limited Miami's explosive return game.

Worst hangover: Pittsburgh. Losing to West Virginia is one thing. Getting embarrassed by your rival by 25 points on your home field is quite another. The Panthers are just 6-5 in what was supposed to be a special season, and the Big East was there for the taking like never before. Dave Wannstedt's popularity with his fan base might have reached its lowest point.

Strangest moment: Cincinnati had a chance to tie the score at 17 late in the first half, but Zach Collaros was picked off inside the UConn 10-yard line by defensive tackle Kendall Reyes. That gave us the always-amusing sight of a big man (Reyes goes 6-foot-4, 298 pounds) rumbling the other way, and Reyes looked surprisingly spry while going 84 yards for the apparent touchdown.

Ah, but he did not get the carrot. Linebacker Lawrence Wilson was called for a block in the back near the end of the run even though it would have been hard for anyone to stop the runaway train that was Reyes with even the most minor interference from blocking teammates. "Me and Bama [Wilson] discussed it," Reyes told the Connecticut Post with a smile after the game. "We'll handle it."

Now, for the last time in 2010 (I'm not crying; my eyes are just a little sweaty today), let's preview the regular-season week ahead (Games listed in descending order of interest/importance):

Connecticut (7-4, 4-2 Big East) at South Florida (7-4, 3-3): As close as the Big East gets this year to a league championship game. Huskies win and they're in the BCS. But the Bulls are hot and would love to play spoilers. (ESPN2, 8 p.m. ET).

Rutgers (4-7, 1-5) at No. 24 West Virginia (8-3, 4-2): The Mountaineers have to hold serve to even have a chance if UConn stumbles. That shouldn't be too difficult the way the Scarlet Knights are gasping toward the finish line. (ABC, Noon ET).

Pittsburgh (6-5, 4-2) at Cincinnati (4-7, 2-4): Pitt has to hope that West Virginia and UConn lose and it can pull off the biggest back-into-the-BCS job of all-time. The Bearcats are just playing out the string. (ESPN, Noon ET).