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Q: Given Pitt's recent basketball success and now with Pitt football in and around the top ten for the first time in a long time ... is it fair to say that this is a "golden age" for the major Panther sports?

Andy Kort, Easton, Pa.

ZEISE: Well, it certainly seems to be heading into a very good era for Pitt. The football program has been at the top before but I'm not sure if the basketball program has had this kind of sustained success at any time in history (what is it, like eight NCAA Tournament appearances in a row) so I'd say this clearly does have a chance to be the golden age for major sports. But remember -- the football program has won nothing yet and needs to have a few years in a row at or near the top of the Big East before it has reached the heights that it is capable of.

Q: How can you not have Walt Harris' 12-0 win over Penn State ranked in his Top 5? In addition, how can you say that a Penn State team that plays patsies and loses its two toughest games deserves a BCS bowl?

Tim Zenchak, South Side

ZEISE: Well I could be convinced though I'd say this -- it was a non-conference game against a bad team. And while there were some benefits -- allegedly -- to beating Penn State, frankly, I don't recall the windfall of recruits coming in over the next two or three years as a result of it. I just think if you look at his body of work he had five better and more important wins than that one, though, again, I could be convinced either way on it. Now as for Penn State and a BCS Bowl -- I never said they deserve anything particularly since you could make a good case that their best win is Temple. What I said is this -- bowl games want to sell tickets and get fans eyes on the television set and whether Pitt fans like it or not -- Penn State is one of the best at bringing fans out in hordes and Penn State has a huge alumni base and a lot of fans all over the country and thus they produce good ratings. That is all that matters to bowl games. That is why I'll ask it again -- if you are the Fiesta Bowl -- put your Pitt biases aside and understanding it is a business -- and you have a choice between 10-2 Penn State and 11-1 Cincinnati (which took part in the BCS game which produced one of the lowest television ratings ever), there is no way you'd take the Bearcats. Penn State at 10-2 will be very, very attractive to a BCS bowl game as long as they get into the top 14 in the BCS, which they will.

Q: Why is it that when Aaron Smith steps on the field for punt returns it looks as if he is just there to catch the ball and get off the field? What does Dave Wannstedt see in this kid?

William Flow, Swissvale

ZEISE: Well, I think you are being a little hard on him. Yes, sometimes it does seem that he is quick to fair catch punts but Wannstedt has said on numerous occasions, when it comes to the punt return, his main priority is having a guy who catches the ball. And Smith is good at catching the ball. But Wannstedt also knows that the punt return has been a little underwhelming this year and that's why he has been toying with guys like Aaron Berry, Jarred Holley and Cameron Saddler, but he needs to be convinced that they can catch the ball better than Smith. Wannstedt also has said that the rugby punt formations have dramatically decreased the ability to return punts. I think we'll see some other guys get some opportunities down the stretch but it is a comfort level thing and Wannstedt is comfortable with Smith and his consistency catching the ball.

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