Of the many, varied reasons to devote 3 1/2 hours of your holiday weekend to watching what should be a fascinating Pitt-West Virginia game Friday, this might be at the top of the list: It is one final chance to see LeSean McCoy tote the pig on the Heinz Field lawn.

What a joy it has been the past two seasons watching McCoy, arguably Pitt's best running back since Tony Dorsett, apologies to future NFL Hall of Famer Curtis Martin. But as a third-year sophomore who played a year of prep football and will be three years removed from his high school graduating class, McCoy is eligible for the NFL draft in April.

The man has to go.

It says here Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt, after checking with his NFL ties, will recommend that he goes.

Wannstedt probably couldn't sleep at night if he didn't make that recommendation because McCoy -- ranked as the third-best draft-eligible running back behind Ohio State's Beanie Wells and Georgia's Knowshon Moreno and the 24th-best overall player by Scouts Inc. -- will be a first-round pick.

That severely will damage the Pitt program next season. McCoy is a major reason Pitt is headed to its first bowl game under Wannstedt, in his fourth season. McCoy almost certainly would be the best back in the college game in 2009 and a strong Heisman Trophy candidate.

But long term, McCoy's decision to go to the NFL and Wannstedt's role in it only will help Pitt. One reason Wannstedt was such an attractive hire by Pitt is his knowledge of the NFL as a former head coach with the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins and his understanding of what it takes for a player to get to that level. That's why he has been able to recruit well for a scuffling Pitt program during a time when Ohio State to the west played in two national championship games, West Virginia to the south won two Bowl Championship Series games and Penn State to the east routinely plays in front of 105,000-plus devoted fans.

The more players Pitt sends to the NFL, the better recruits it will attract.

The more word spreads that Wannstedt does right by his players, the easier recruiting will become.

Wannstedt is convinced that was a significant factor in Pitt's signing of freshman wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin from Aliquippa. The kid could have gone just about anywhere but picked Pitt, the story goes, because his family spoke with Darrelle Revis' family about Revis' experience playing for Wannstedt. The coach recommended that Revis, also from Aliquippa, skip his final season of eligibility to enter the NFL draft.

"We're obviously going to miss Darrelle very much," Wannstedt said when Revis announced his decision after the '06 season. "But I've said from Day 1 that it is every player's dream that comes to Pitt to one day take the next step and it is my job to help them try and fulfill that dream."

Revis made a wise choice. He was picked 14th by the New York Jets in the first round of the '07 draft and signed a six-year contract that could be worth $30 million.

Star wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald is another Pitt player who left early for the NFL and struck gold. Like McCoy, he was a third-year sophomore and former prep player when the Arizona Cardinals made him the third pick in the '04 draft. Before this season, he restructured his rookie contract and will make $40 million over this year and the next three.

There's no reason to think McCoy won't be the next young NFL millionaire from Pitt.

Any NFL team would love to have a player with his extraordinary skill. Among his many talents, he is a touchdown maker. He scored two more in the 28-21 loss to Cincinnati Saturday night, giving him 33 for his career, only one fewer than Fitzgerald had as a freshman and sophomore and nine more than the great Dorsett.

At last check, most NFL games are won by the team that scores the most touchdowns.

Neither McCoy nor Wannstedt will talk much about the NFL draft until Pitt's season is finished. "It seems like everything is happening so fast," McCoy said yesterday. "This is just my second year here and people are talking about the NFL. I'm just worried about getting better. I still have a lot of stuff to improve before I take the next step. That's a big step, you know? That's the real world."

McCoy is ready for it.

He is no fool. He knows how quickly an injury can change his career path. As a high school senior in Harrisburg, he was the nation's top-rated running back and took a recruiting visit to Southern California, where Reggie Bush was his host. But then, McCoy broke an ankle. "Everything definitely changes after something like that," he said. "You go from having 75 to 80 offers to 30 or 35." McCoy originally committed to Miami but went to prep school to strengthen his academics before landing at Pitt.

Why should McCoy play another season in college and risk an injury that could cost millions?

So take the time to watch McCoy closely Friday and savor his career. Somehow, it seems appropriate that West Virginia is the opponent. He was the best player on the field in Pitt's shocking 13-9 win in Morgantown Dec. 1, running for 148 yards on 38 carries.

"I'm sure they're coming here for revenge," McCoy said. "But coach [Wannstedt] is going to have us ready to play, too. I know I want to get a win back after losing [Saturday] night."

There's no question McCoy will be a marked man. "I'm used to that. I've been dealing with that my whole life. I welcome it," he said, smiling.

I don't know about you, but I'm thinking McCoy will do something great Friday to add to the memories.

His and ours.