Bunch of things needed to be done this morning, and then I will have the monitor duty on the AOL Fanhouse — watching and posting on all the college football games — this afternoon and evening (yes that includes making snarky comments on the Michigan-PSU game).

So, the media write-up is going to be lots of link and little commentary and excerpts.

Starting with the locals, which I’m sure most of you have already scanned.

It’s hard to play up the “bad luck” angle of Friday the 13th when the game was over so quickly. The road blowout by Pitt was their biggest in years.
H.B. Blades had a great game and impressed the Butkus Award Committee — which happens to be run by the Orlando Downtown Athletic Club — which is a nice coincidence. The watchlist gets cutdown from 66 to 10 next week.

I’ll skip analyzing the Smizik column that hardly skimps on backhand slaps at Pitt, to simply observe the abject shock he is experiencing at the idea of a Rutgers-Pitt game that really matters.

The AP story has Coach Wannstedt apparently answering a question about trying to score again before the half.

The second kick came as the clock ticked off to halftime, when despite a 38-point lead, Pitt pushed for a TD.

“We had 30 minutes of football left,” Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt said. “We would never intentionally run the score up, but it was the same play we ran last week against Syracuse to run the clock out against them. And he was open.”

I don’t think anyone can really accuse a team of running up the score when it is still in the first half. I was happy with it, because it was about putting UCF away. The stepping on the throat that you want your team to do.

Now for the Florida media. They were in a surly mood.

UCF couldn’t stop Pitt on Friday night.

Not on the opening kickoff.

Not on the Panthers’ first possession.

Not on the Panthers’ last possession.

Not anywhere in between.

Pitt never punted. The Panthers converted 10 of 12 third downs. George O’Leary, UCF’s frustrated coach, couldn’t remember another game in which his defense failed to force a punt.

Now, when you get trounced you can play up the “bad luck” angle. But that can only account for so much.

The only problem was that from the very first play of the game Friday night, it was clear to almost everyone in the announced crowd of 35,858 at the Florida Citrus Bowl that UCF’s woes had nothing to do with simple bad luck.

On the bright side, UCF seems to have found another WR to compliment Mike Walker.

This seems to have upset the media to some degree because of who was coaching Pitt.

Wannstedt, a flop as head coach of the Chicago Bears and the Miami Dolphins, has energized his alma mater into a powerhouse once again. Pitt improved to 6-1 and is riding a four-game winning streak. The Panthers, whose lone loss was to Michigan State, could play a major role in the national championship race as they close the season with consecutive home games against No. 5 West Virginia and No. 7 Louisville.

More later.

The P-G Pitt football beat reporter had his online chat yesterday and his Q&A today. The Q&A was on the short side because of tonight’s game, and not much new there.
I think the online chat has gotten to the point where people are trying to bait him over playing Bill Stull. Interesting comments on T.J. Porter and his maturity. I have to agree with this part from the chat.

Vic_Damone_Jr.: What is the biggest difference in the defense this year?

Paul Zeise: I think it is clear that the defensive line is playing at a much higher level than they have been. A lot of that has to do with having better players, but I also think moving Greg Gattuso to defensive line coaching was a brilliant move because he has clearly helped upgrade that position. If you look at it Pitt doesn’t have a bunch of studs on the defensive line but they are effective now, they get off blocks and as a result they make everyone elses job easier.

I made note of the Gattuso move making a difference earlier this week. I think it helped in that Gattuso is a good coach and teacher, and also it got the attention of the rest of the defensive coaches. They survived the change in head coaches without any turnover. This probably served as a none-to-subtle notice that things had better improve or else.

This part of the chat made me smile.

Vic_Damone_Jr.: Why do you constantly defend Paul Rhoads? He has not done a good job the last four years.

Paul Zeise: I don’t constantly defend anyone. I just don’t think it is fair to throw the guy under the bus given some of the issues personnel wise he’s had to deal with. I think he has shown when he has good players, not great ones, but good ones at a majority of the positions, he can do a good job. It is hard to coach defense when your defensive line is being pancaked more than the batter at the Waffle House. Do I agree with everything he’s done or everything about his scheme? No. But I could say the same about just about every coach, so I really just don’t think it is fair to destroy him like so many people would like.

[Emphasis added.]

Heh-heh-heh.

Not to be overlooked, basketball practice can start this evening.

There will be no Midnight Madness — Pitt will hold a Media Day this afternoon before its first official practice Saturday. Instead, the illumination comes from a national spotlight.

Pitt is ranked as high as No. 3 in the preseason polls and is virtually certain of being a top-10 team in next month’s AP preseason poll for only the third time in the program’s history.

Seven-footer Aaron Gray, who pulled his name from the NBA draft to return for his senior year, is a consensus All-American and popular pick for Big East Player of the Year.

Sophomore Sam Young, an All-Big East Rookie selection last season, joins Gray and senior forward Levon Kendall to form one of the nation’s top frontcourts, according to Lindy’s and the Sporting News.

Kendall, one of eight returning players from last season’s 25-8 team, said no one’s complacent because of the October polls.

“I think the guys are taking it the right way,” Kendall said. “We realize we haven’t proven too much.”

To that end came the nightly summer pick-up games — and running and weightlifting and conditioning.

“It was a little different than in the previous years,” Kendall said. “We went after it earlier than normal, and it’s carried over through the summer. That hasn’t happened in the past. Guys are in better shape and ready to go.”

Instead of a Midnight Madness, which would have been awkward with the football game this evening, they will be doing another fan fest. It’s scheduled for Saturday, October 28 from 2:30 to 6 (the football team has a bye that weekend).

Sponsored by Pontiac and US Army, Fan Fest offers basketball fans their first glimpse of the 2006-07 Pitt men’s and women’s basketball teams. The event begins at 2:30 p.m. with an autograph session featuring head coaches Agnus Berenato and Jamie Dixon and the women’s and men’s basketball players in the Petersen Events Center lobby and concourse areas.

Following the combined autograph session, the Pitt women’s team will play an intrasquad scrimmage. The Panthers men’s team will then take the floor for a scrimmage.

Fan Fest will also feature performances by the Pitt Pep Band, Pitt Cheerleaders and Pitt Dance Team, along with various family oriented activities, including face painting and a Halloween costume parade.

There was a big piece on Dixon and everything he personally went through over the spring and summer.

Finally, Seth Davis at SI.com asks questions about 20 different teams. I have to admit the premise of his to Pitt has me confused.

Pittsburgh: Who will emerge as the committee of one?

The Panthers are entering the season with unprecedented expectations, thanks largely to their perimeter quintet of senior Antonio Graves, juniors Ronald Ramon and Keith Benjamin, sophomore Levance Fields and junior transfer Mike Cook. The problem is, none of those is a proven crunch-time player like departed point guard Carl Krauser. Krauser took some boneheaded risks, but at least everyone knew where to go when the game was on the line. The point guard position is too important to be manned by a committee of five. Someone here needs to step up and fill the leadership void created by Krauser’s graduation.

Beg pardon? I thought the expectations are a result of Aaron Gray coming back, and a strong frontcourt with Gray, Kendall and Young? His question about the PG is somewhat legit, though, everyone already knows/expects to see Fields running the show most of the time.

If I was feeling snarky and defensive I’d just assume Davis is looking for something to rip Pitt for now that his annual, stock complaints about the non-con is not applaicable any longer. Thankfully, I’m not feeling that way.

So, the Golden Knights are excited about wearing black.

The University of Central Florida’s players can hardly contain their excitement for what they feel will be an electric atmosphere tonight at the Citrus Bowl.

The Golden Knights will unveil new black uniforms, fans are being asked to wear black as well, ESPN will televise the game nationally and Big East power Pittsburgh with head coach Dave Wannstedt will be across the way.

Let’s review. The game is at night. The players will be in black jerseys. The fans will be in black. Yeah, that will look great for the cameras.

Added bonus, it’s Friday the 13th in October. I wonder if these subtleties will somehow escape the ESPN crew calling the game? Please?

UCF is hoping to build on their last-second win over the Matthew McConaughey-led Marshall team that snapped their 3-game losing streak. Not to mention the hope that Pitt will be looking past this game for the match with Rutgers.

Halfway through the season and this year Pitt is getting noticed a little. The Pitt Athletic Department pointed out that H.B. Blades was named to CBS Sportsline’s “Halfway” All-American squad. Dennis Dodd in his write-up regarding the halfway point sends some direct love to Pitt.

Best comeback(s): Both Washington and Pittsburgh are three games better than they were at this point a year ago. The Huskies (4-2) were 1-5 after six games last year, headed toward a 2-9 season. Now they seem destined for the school’s first bowl since 2002.

Pittsburgh (5-1) started 2-4 in ’05 on its way to a 5-6 debut under Dave Wannstedt. Now the Panthers are a dark horse to win the Big East.

He also lists the L-ville-Pitt game at the end of the season as one of the expected best games to come.

Over at ESPN.com, Bruce Feldman blogs his “Midseason hot 100” [Insider subs.]

45. Tyler Palko, Pittsburgh QB: Quietly putting up magnificent numbers: 71 percent completions, 15 TDs, 3 INTs.

…

64. H.B. Blades, Pittsburgh, LB: Squatty 240-pound LB is the Big East’s leading tackler with 11.3 stops per game.

In the mid-season review of the Big East, Joe Starkey didn’t list Pitt for any “honors” which isn’t too shocking. Pitt isn’t the biggest surprise or disappointment so far. And they aren’t ready to be considered an alpha dog either.

In his individual reviews of each team [Insider subs.] he offers a rather standard summary.

This time last year, the Ricky Williams ordeal had to be looking like a preferable alternative to new Panthers coach Dave Wannstedt. His team was 2-4, its only victories coming against Cincinnati and Division I-AA Youngstown State. Today, the Panthers are 5-1, though it’s hard to tell how much better they are, considering their wins were against Virginia, Syracuse, Cincinnati, Toledo and The Citadel. Pitt failed miserably in its biggest test to date, a 38-23 home loss to Michigan State in which the Spartans rushed for 335 yards. Pitt still must prove it can stop the run against good teams (or even mediocre ones).

Midseason MVP

Tyler Palko was outplayed by Michigan State’s Drew Stanton in the Panthers’ only loss to date, but he has otherwise been brilliant running offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh’s West Coast system. Using shorter drop-backs than a year ago, Palko is ranked second in the country in passing efficiency (186.01) and first in the Big East in passing yards per game (248.2). He has 15 touchdown passes and only three interceptions.

What’s next

Another less-than-stellar opponent in Central Florida on Saturday, followed by the real season, which begins with a home game Oct. 21 against No. 24 Rutgers. It’s not inconceivable Pitt could be 8-2 or even 9-1 going into season-ending home games against conference powers West Virginia and Louisville.

Actually, I’d argue there is a noticeable improvement — not withstanding the MSU game. Last year against opponents like that, Pitt struggled. And I know I’ve pointed this out before. After just about every win last year, you just found yourself shaking your head and could only say, “at least they got the win.” This year it’s different. The wins are more decisive. The team and/or coaches are still struggling to completely put a team away, but the game is that much sure-footed.

Shocking, I know. With nearly a quarter of Pitt’s scholarship players hailing from Florida, there’s a lot of excitement among the players about the trip to Orlando.

“You know how it is, something about going home always makes it extra special,” said Rashaad Duncan, who is from Belle Glade, Fla. “And you know Central Florida probably has all Florida boys, and they look at us like, we went up North so we aren’t Florida boys any more. We want to show them we are and we still play like it.”

Middle linebacker H.B. Blades is from Plantation, Fla., and said the fact that most players from the state know each other or of each other makes the trip more exciting. He added that most of the students who graduate from his school go to Central Florida, and there are other players, such as defensive tackle Gus Mustakas (Cooper City), who have siblings at the school.

Not that Pitt can directly use this trip as a recruiting tool.

Pitt won’t be able to use this Florida trip for recruiting purposes because it’s a Friday night game and conflicts with high school football games. Under NCAA rules, the Panthers also aren’t permitted to invite prospects to away games. Coaches will, however, make sure to use the lure of returning home as a recruiting tool.

“I think the biggest benefit is when you’re sitting in a young man’s home that you’re recruiting and saying, ‘We’re going to have a chance to come back and play in your home state,'” said Pitt defensive ends/special teams coach Charlie Partridge, a Plantation, Fla., native who recruits the state for the Panthers. “That’s important for that young man and that family. It’s not always easy for them to get up here for every game. This year, they know there’s two games they can drive to.”

Coach Wannstedt indicated he won’t be hanging around a day or two extra in Florida after this game to recruit. I’m not sure if Aubrey Hill or Charlie Partridge will. It wouldn’t be surprising if they did try to squeeze in a couple visits.

Other brief coaching credit that really should be given at this point. Wide Receivers Coach Aubrey Hill. The way the young receivers have played this year has been a revelation. Oderick Turner and Marcel Pestano have been solid and at times spectacular. Cedric McGee got his chance against Saturday and made the most of it. Really, since we (I) can be so quick to criticize certain coaches, you have to give credit with the development and job done by Hill.

And he has to this point not gotten much attention.

Wide Receiver Aundre Wright formerly from Perry Academy of the Pittsburgh City League, and this year at Milford Academy re-commits to Pitt.

Wright, 5’10” 183 pounds, played his high school ball at Perry Academy in the Pittsburgh City League and was offered a scholarship last year, but he was not qualified academically and is spending this season at Milford in New Berlin, NY.

Wright possesses blazing speed, running a sub 4.4 forty-yard dash, and should compete for playing time immediately at Pitt. He is Milford’s leading receiver this year and is coming off a big performance in the Falcons 28-14 win over the Dartmouth JV team last week. Wright caught four passes—two for touchdowns—and totaled 106 yards receiving.

Both Scout.com and Rivals.com have him as a 3-star recruit. Rivals.com lists him as #36 on their list of top prep school players.

Wright, very much wanted to play for Pitt, even last year but his grades were too low. He also had interest from WVU and Syracuse.

Well the blogpoll is compiled. I made a few minor changes from the draft to my final ballot. Switching GT and Missouri at 13 and 14; switching LSU and Arkansas at 15 and 16; and Nebraska and VT at 23 and 24.

I’m kind of surprised that OSU isn’t a unanimous #1, have to love open bias. Rutgers and VT both lost ground during the bye week.

I’ve said all I care to about the whole mouse trap thing that Coach Wannstedt handed out to starters. I don’t think I’d be bothered by it so much if it wasn’t for the fact that I’ll have to hear the lousy ESPN booth talk about it.

Now that the beat writers for Big East schools have done enough stories on WVU, Louisville and then Rutgers, Pitt is getting it’s turn.

This season has been a much different story as Pitt is off to a 5-1 start, 2-0 in the Big East. A win Friday night in Orlando against Central Florida makes the program bowl eligible. The future also looks bright as Pitt has the Big East’s highest-rated incoming recruiting class in 2007.

…

Pitt plays its last five games in the Big East after the trip to Central Florida. And while the jury may still be out, it’s starting to look like the verdict is that Pitt has a bright future under Wannstedt.

So, despite the BCS win WVU still can’t outrecruit Pitt?

Looks like PG Chris Wright chose Georgetown over Pitt and NC State. At least, unlike NC State, we didn’t have him then lose him. Pitt entered the picture late, but I really thought there was going to be a surprise with this one.

Pitt swept the Big East weekly honors this week. LaRod Stephens-Howling named Offensive Player of the Week. Chris McKillop took Defensive POW.

In light of the season ending injury to redshirt sophomore, safety Eric Thatcher, Coach Wannstedt’s messge was to remind many players in practice that they could be expected to step in and perform as a starter. Obviously that message was one Chris McKillop heeded a while ago.

“I went out there every day and, even though I wasn’t a starter, I played like I was,” McKillop said. “I practiced hard and let the chips fall where they may. It was unfortunate we lost Doug, because he’s a great player, but it gave me an opportunity. I can’t let the window of opportunity close. I seized the opportunity.”

McKillop’s inspired play has been paramount to the Panthers’ improvement on the defensive line. After getting manhandled in his first season at defensive end, the 6-foot-3, 250-pound converted middle linebacker spent the offseason adding 15 pounds of muscle to his frame.

McKillop lost the starting job at left end to Joe Clermond in training camp, but he was ready when called upon after Fulmer was injured against The Citadel.

“That was a tough situation,” Pitt defensive line coach Greg Gattuso said. “That’s a hard thing to do, lose a starting job and to keep working as hard as he worked. It should send a message to not only our defensive line but, hopefully, all our team that you never know when your number is going to get called again and it’s important to be ready.”

Assuming that Pitt beats UCF on Friday and Rutgers beats Navy on Saturday (netither, especially the latter, is a given), the Homecoming game (Oct. 21) with Rutgers should be a very big game in the Big East and for the top-25 rankings. If so, it will likely end up on ESPN2 and move the gametime to 5:45 pm from noon. Apparently ESPN2 is going to show a BE game in that slot. The other choice would be Louisville-Syracuse.

It’s all about making the most of the chances being given.

As usual, Lee drafted the ballot, I made a couple tweaks. Lee’s explanation below, along with some occasional commentary from me in italics especially where I made changes. Give reasons to make changes in the comments and I have time to make changes if found meritorious by tomorrow morning.

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Ohio State	—
2	Florida	—
3	Michigan	—
4	West Virginia	3
5	Southern Cal	1
6	Texas	2
7	Louisville	3
8	Tennessee	8
9	California	8
10	Clemson	5
11	Notre Dame	1
12	Auburn	7
13	Missouri	11
14	Georgia Tech	4
15	Arkansas	11
16	LSU	7
17	Georgia	6
18	Oklahoma	4
19	Rutgers	2
20	Iowa	1
21	Boston College	5
22	Boise State	2
23	Virginia Tech	2
24	Nebraska	2
25	Oregon	12

1. Ohio State: Just keeps on rolling towards November 18th. This Saturday’s matchup against the schizophrenic Spartans isn’t scary anymore, as this is not the same MSU that crushed Pitt in the second half. Fire John L. Smith now.

2. Florida: The quality of the Gators’ wins puts them slightly ahead of Michigan. Now admittedly, Auburn was sorely overrated. But still, who has Michigan really beaten besides Notre Dame? Leak and Tebow are scary-good as a combo.

3. Michigan: Probably the most well rounded team in the country. This Saturday will be dangerous, and the crowd will be loud. But Michigan just matches up too well against Penn State on paper, even without Manningham. Penn State can’t cover tight ends, and Michigan loves isolating and throwing to its TE’s. Incidentally, it’s nice to see Penn State shut down Paternoville, one of the few unique, excitement-generating traditions of Beaver Stadium, right before the big home game against Michigan. Couldn’t that have waited a few weeks? Idiots.

4. WVU: Beyond beating Louisville, all the Hoopies have to do is root for Florida to lose somehow. Ohio State and Michigan won’t both win out, obviously. The secondary looked very suspect again against Mississippi State, and teams like Florida, Ohio State, or Michigan could easily throw on the Mountaineers. But they’d have to keep up with that offense…

5. USC: I am SO not impressed by the Trojans right now. In fact, I’d rank Texas ahead of these slackers if I thought Chas would let me get away with it. Last Saturday, the best team in the PAC-10 was California, by far.

[I actually wouldn’t have much of a problem with it. USC has not looked good the last couple of weeks.]

6. Texas: Big win, in a big way. Still hanging around the national championship race. Nice to see Mack Brown get that Sooner monkey off of his back. Colt McCoy is a year or two away from becoming a force to reckon with.

7. Louisville: For the second week in a row, a Big East power played a Friday night game and looked less than impressive (RU was last). Last week, I put Louisville ahead of WVU. But not now. Not after a school that I never heard of before (and why not Central Tennessee State instead of Middle Tennessee State?) gave the Cardinals all they wanted for a half. This team maybe misses Brian Brohm more than I had thought. Unless he gets healthy, back, and back into a rhythm again before the Hoopies come calling, WVU wins the Big East.

8. Tennessee: Boy, that one-point loss to Florida is looking bigger and bigger these days, huh? Coulda been a contender… Either way, huge win against Georgia.

9. California: Chas, Chas, Chas… Hey, don’t worry about it. All self-appointed prognosticators are wrong sometimes, especially regarding Cal. Just ask Corso. Although I may have been correct in thinking that Oregon was sorely overrated, at least I didn’t pick the Bears to win it all. Berkeley looked like PAC-10 champions on Saturday. It’s too bad they don’t play USC sooner.

[For the record, I don’t believe I picked Oregon to win the nationial championship. I just thought they were the likely/darkhorse BCS bid from the PAC-10. Suffice to say, I was wrong.

I’m kind of surprised Lee put Cal this high. I would have thought the unis they wore — actually making Oregon look conservative — would have cost them a few spots.]

10. Clemson: Phil Fulmer at least has some company in regretting a one-point loss to an inferior opponent that’s keeping someone out of the national championship hunt. OK, so they weren’t that impressive against I-don’t-care-if-you’re-undefeated-you’re-still-Wake-Freakin’-Forest. But I can’t put Notre Dame in the top ten with their defense, and this was the best alternative.

11. Notre Dame: Grow a defense. Now. The Irish should easily win the rest of their games, but then, just as guaranteed as the changing of the seasons, they’ll get blown out in their bowl game. Why? Yeah. No defense.

12. Auburn: (CHOKE!)

No, Arkansas was not that good. You were that bad. Nice tackling. You know who really needs a playoff system, Tuberville? Teams with one loss.

13. Missouri: Sneaking into my top 15. And they should stay there for at least two more weeks, with only Texas A&M and Kansas State on the schedule. Beating Oklahoma and Nebraska, the only two real teams left on their schedule, is well within reach — as is the Big XII North championship.

[Um, okay.]

14. Georgia Tech: Dropped out of my top ten after struggling mightily against hapless Maryland. Now, the Wreck has two weeks to prepare for a Clemson game that could decide the ACC.

15. Arkansas: I just can’t convince myself that these guys are all that good — hey, I saw that USC massacre. But they sure looked good against Auburn on Saturday.

16. LSU: Nice defense. Whatever happened to that once-genius Bo Pelini? Thank God Pitt didn’t hire him.

[I have to say I’m leaning towards flipping 15 and 16. If Florida is the #2 team, how hard do you ding a team that lost to them on the road? Plus, I think that’s just too high for Arkansas for one win, albeit a really big win.]

17. Iowa: Can’t get past third place in the Big Ten no matter how hard they try. Too much talent in Columbus and Ann Arbor. Maybe too much talent here in State College too.

[I dropped Iowa a few more spots. They just weren’t that impressive to me this year.]

18. Georgia: (HACK!)

19. Rutgers: I moved the Knights up mostly because other teams lost. That near-loss to USF last Friday night still haunts me. But a great rushing attach still makes RU a legitimate top 25 team. Don’t look past Navy to Pitt. Of course, does anybody look past anybody else for Pitt?

20. Oklahoma: Physically dominated. But Peterson still looked good.
[Oklahoma is a little better then this.]

21. Boston College: A solid team… for the ACC…

22. Boise State: Only because they’re 6-0. Not because they’ve played anybody or impressed me all that much.

23. Virginia Tech: Coming off a bye after an ass-kicking by Georgia Tech, what else can I do but still think you suck?

24. Nebraska: Putting along. The November 4th game against my Tigers will decide who gets mauled by Texas in the Big XII Championship game.

25. Pitt: OK, who else could I realistically put here? Penn State? (Overtime against Minnesota? And I never want to hear about the Lions getting screwed by the Big Ten officials again.) Oregon? (Chas?) FSU? (HACK!) Maybe Wisconsin, but hey, I’m allowed to be a homer occasionally. Hey, the team looked great on the road… admittedly against mere Syracuse…

[Yes, I put Oregon here in place of Pitt. I would love to leave Pitt in, but I also can’t get that showing against MSU out of my head. Too big a question on defense against the option. Besides if you are going to shoot Cal up that high for a home win, then presumably it’s for beating a quality opponent. ]

The recruiting decision to watch for today is Chris Wright.

Chris Wright, a senior from St. John’s in Washington, D.C., will hold a news conference to announce his college choice. His finalists are Pitt, Georgetown and North Carolina State. The 6-foot, 190-pounder, regarded as one of the top five point guards in the country, has not spoken to the media in the past two months about his recruitment, but Georgetown is considered the front-runner.

Wright made an early commitment to N.C. State in January, but reopened his recruiting when coach Herb Sendek left for Arizona State. Wright took an official visit to Pitt on Sept. 8.

Pitt’s first-year director of basketball operations, David Cox, came to the Panthers from St. John’s, where he worked as an assistant principal.

Chris Wright would be Pitt’s fifth verbal. I think that would finish the class, though, I imagine they might find a way to make room for a player like Michael Beasley if he were to decide to come to Pitt.

Yes, Jordan Mabin chose Northwestern.

Mabin, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound tailback-cornerback and four-year starter, said he seriously considered 10 offers before narrowing the field to Pitt and Northwestern. He visited Pitt during the weekend but could not forget his previous experiences in Evanston, Ill.

“The first time I went up there, I fell in love with the place,” he said. “They have great academics. They have a great program, one that is headed in the right direction. And they have a good coaching staff… a young coaching staff.”

As someone who lived in Evanston for a year while working in Chicago, I understand how you can fall in love with the campus. Especially since the city is not dry any longer. Add in the attraction of Chicago itself, and if you are looking at campuses close or in urban areas, Northwestern has a lot to offer.

None of that is to slight Pitt. I’m just saying if your choices were Pitt or Northwestern beyond simply athletics, I don’t think it’s a clear decision or one where you can really go wrong.
Toney Clemons, though, hasn’t decided. He has just simply stated that Michigan is at the top of his list.

Clemons, who made an official visit to Ann Arbor over the weekend with his mother, Tonie, said Michigan is now the No. 1 team on a list that he has narrowed to 10 schools. His stating that fact likely led to the confusion and the Internet report.

“(Rumors) are something you have to adapt to in recruiting,” Clemons said. “We cleared it up with (GoBlue). I have not committed, but Michigan is a heavy favorite.”

Clemons (6-foot-3, 190 pounds) said his top 10 list — “in no order other than Michigan at No. 1,” he said — also includes West Virginia, Tennessee, Colorado, Purdue, Mississippi, Akron, Rutgers, Pitt and Ohio State.

Ohio State is the only school on the list that has not yet offered a scholarship.

“I’m going to continue to travel and see what else comes up,” Clemons said. “My plans have not changed. I still plan to commit in December.”

I don’t think Pitt will get Clemons, but receiver is not a vital need position this recruiting year.