Brandin Knight (Sept. 9 entry).

Former Pittsburgh point guard Brandin Knight got his degree this summer.

Knight didn’t leave Pittsburgh early, but like a lot of players with earning potential, he left after his senior season without quite compiling enough credits for his degree. Knight turned pro in the summer of 2003, bouncing from here to there, most recently playing last season for Asheville of the NBDL.

Along the way Knight discovered his earning potential wasn’t quite what he had hoped. He has played exactly three minutes in the NBA, then suffered a broken leg earlier this year at Asheville. Shocking, yes, but Knight discovered that a degree might actually come in handy some day.

After surgery, Knight returned to Pittsburgh to rehabilitate the injury on campus. Since he was there …

Knight took the classes needed to get his degree. He graduated last week.

Brandin Knight may not have been one of the greatest talents to play Pitt basketball. He is, however, one of the all-time greats of Pitt basketball.

He was the point guard for whom many fans still pine. Great distributor, decent 3-point shooter, great defense, made the team better, gritty, gutty. If he could have only hit free throws.

Surprising number of stories for a game that ended after 11 pm.

If you’ve got the stomach, here are the numbers for the game.

Ohio U gave away a riding mower before the game. Ohio is getting these home games by doing 2-for-1 deals, and no buy-outs. Next year they host Virginia Tech and in 2008 Northwestern will visit.

While more akin to a game summary, it still wasn’t exactly flattering to Pitt.

Palko completed 13-of-26 passes for 120 yards. He was sacked three times and pressured often, in part because Pitt’s offensive line was decimated by injuries to starters Dom Williams (ankle), John Simonitis (unspecified) and Mike McGlynn (knee).

“I feel like I let a lot of people down.” Palko said. “I had a bad day. Wrong time to have a bad game.”

Pitt is off to its first 0-2 start since 1984, when it was dropped by Brigham Young and Oklahoma. Ohio improved to 1-1.

“Sickness, that’s how it feels,” defensive tackle Thomas Smith said. “We fooled ourselves into believing we were a better team than we are.”

How this game could be viewed as a “trap” game after a loss is a question to me. I thought it might if Pitt had beat ND, and started looking ahead to Nebraska; but not after a loss.

The Ohio game was viewed as a trap for Pitt and sure enough, the trap snapped shut while the Panthers still had their toes in Peden Stadium.

The Bobcats, playing a home game on national television for the first time since 1969, were fired up to play the Panthers and received a boost from a school-record crowd of 24,545. School officials made sure the crowd was into the game as well, handing out 10,000 thunder sticks, 10,000 rally towels and 2,000 T-shirts to fans attending the game.

The extra inspiration carried the Bobcats as they outlasted the Panthers and posted a 16-10 win in overtime. It was certainly not the kind of game first-year coach Dave Wannstedt envisioned the Panthers playing in his first meeting with a Mid-American Conference team, but now the Panthers, who are 0-2 for the first time since 1984, are facing the real possibility of starting 0-3 as they travel to Nebraska next week.

Here’s a disturbing trend. Pitt, last year, in the alleged pass-happy offense would average 30:40 in time of possession. In the first two games of emphasising the run, Pitt had the ball 27:14 and 29:01. 3-and-outs tend have that effect.

Gene Collier gives a blast at Pitt and the new system.

Arguments may commence as to whether the Dave Wannstedt Era at Pitt looks suspiciously like the Dave Wannstedt error, but there is no argument that Pitt’s 16-10 loss to poor little Ohio University last night at Peden Stadium was one of the sorriest chapters in the university’s athletic history.

Tyler Palko’s third interception, returned 81 yards for a winning touchdown in overtime by Dion Byrum, means that Pitt starts 0-2 for the first time since 1984, or, if you prefer, since the most recent time Pitt was coached by a Pitt man, Foge Fazio.
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Tyler Palko had the kind of first half he probably never had at West Allegheny, were the offensive line was probably better than the fast-splintering unit Wannstedt is putting out there. He completed one of his seven passes in the game’s first 30 minutes, unless you count the two he threw to Ohio, one in the Bobcats end zone and another carried 38 yards to the Pitt end zone by Byrum.

Gotta tell you, at least inside the press box, Heisman Trophy buzz was minimal.

I have tried not to compare Wannstedt to Harris with regards to everything else since I thought it unfair. And I’m trying not to do it with the coaching. Still, this is something Wannstedt is going to have to do — adapt to the players you have. You can’t have a power running game right now with the O-line that presently exists. It just won’t work. It wasn’t that Harris was nearly so pass happy as people like to claim, it’s that he recognized that the strengths — not just in the skill positions — were in passing first.

If Pitt wants to run, it will have to pass to set it up. That means taking deeper shots downfield, giving Palko a little more time and just plain stretching things more.

A couple things before any recap or round-up. Essentially, just some things that I need to get out of my system. They aren’t necessarily fair, rational, reasoned or even accurate.

I didn’t sleep well last night. My mood is still not very good.

Barring a horrific car accident, an assassination, or a complete nervous breakdown Coach Dave Wannstedt isn’t going anywhere for 3 years, minimum. Might as well accept that right now. The administration got the guy they wanted. I’m even willing to say he deserves more time in the big picture, but this team is not making it easy to see a big picture.

Right now, Wannstedt is looking a lot more like Bill Callahan than Pete Carroll.

When did Tyler Palko switch places with Kyle Boller? Maybe Ravens fans weren’t just scapegoating Matt Cavanaugh.

Is there some faulty default switch in Coaches Cavanaugh and Wannstedt that keeps resetting their offensive game plan to run the ball up the middle repeatedly? Even when it’s been the least successful thing? Even when all running success has come on off-tackle, sweeps or bouncing outside?

Did Palko sleep with the girlfriends of the entire O-line? Is that why they are trying to get him killed?

Glad to see the tight ends were a part of the 2-minute drill. Shame they weren’t a part of the rest of the game plan.

How does a defense only allow 208 yards and 3 points and still look bad?

Other than on Halloween, I can’t imagine a better shot for an Ohio U student getting laid in Athens than after that game. The only downside for OU fans was that the bars still close around 2.

The only bright side I can find right now, is that everyone in Ohio outside of Athens has already forgotten the game because they are all getting started drinking for the Texas-OSU game.

I don’t even know if I should be posting right now. Just feeling incoherent frustration and anger.

The O-line played even worse. It got manhandled by a defense that was on average 30-40 pounds lighter. Palko played one of his worst games — since his debut against Ohio last year. The receivers were of no use. The play calling was bad and failed to adjust to the situation — keep running inside when all success was had outside. Genius. And that’s just the tip of things on offense only.

Really, really down right now.

I’m supposed to go see the in-laws tomorrow. Have I mentioned that my mother in-law is an Ohio U grad?

I’m going to try and sleep this off.