Q: Pitt's defense was stellar against Michigan State! Are the days of getting pushed around finally over?

Jeff W., Minneapolis

ZEISE: I'd say be careful with that. Yes, there were some good signs coming out off Saturday's game from the defense. They stood in there and didn't allow Michigan State to bully them or push them off the ball. They fought in there, they stopped the run, it was a very good effort. But it is one game and we've seen these kinds of performances from the defense before in short spurts, but there are still nine games left and some against excellent offenses. Just remember, in 2005, Pitt went out to Nebraska and stuffed the run and played a great defensive game and lost a heartbreaker, 7-6. Two weeks later, the same defense that was declared to be fixed, gave up 453 yards -- 203 on the ground -- and was torched for 37 points in a loss to Rutgers. In other words, we need to see more before we make judgements about the offense.

Q: Can you explain to me why you think Bostick shouldnt have gone in without using the old "Wandstedt knows best routine"?

Srikant Narasimhan, Washington D.C.

ZEISE: That's nonsense. I have never, nor will I ever, take the approach that the coach of any team is always right or always knows best. By the same token, the coach isn't always WRONG, either, and he more often than not in specific situations deserves the benefit of the doubt from people on the outside who have no clue as to what is really going on behind the scenes. And more importantly, not every decision is made based purely on football, there are some off-field considerations and situations that dictate certain things as well. Now, ask yourself this -- do you really think if the coaches believed that Pat Bostick was ready and capable to step in to a pressure situation like Saturday's game and give them the best chance to win, they'd have put LeSean McCoy, a taiback, in at running back and go to the single wing or whatever the heck that was? People who are mad about coaches not pulling Kevan Smith obviously did not watch the game because Smith was pulled in favor of McCoy and that Wildcat stuff. This staff knows it needs to win and is going to do the things it needs to do in order to do it and if they thought Bostick was the answer, they'd have put him in. Now, perhaps after another week of practice, a week where he truly splits the reps with Smith (which he didn't do last week), a week more removed from his personal crisis, a week more of meetings and learning the offense -- plus the fact that this Saturday's game is at home