Well, there you go -- Dave Murrman from Leechburg asked in yesterday's Q&A why Scott McKillop was never named game captain, and just like that his prayers have been answered: McKillop was named yesterday as one of the three game captains for the Louisville game ..I guess that puts another hole in the conspiracy theories that have been floated out there about Dave Wannstedt trying to hold Walt Harris recruits down . . .

Q: Paul, In light of how Pitt has performed, what kind of a recruiting class do you feel they will be able to sign at the end of the season? I am sure their performance from here on will have some sort of effect.

Jim Ventmiller

Massillon, Ohio

Zeise: They have a good base already started for next year's class but now I think they have to finish strong on the field to ensure it is a third straight excellent class. There are a number of guys who have said they are on the fence about Pitt right now, so a few wins and some legitimate signs of progress could be big. I know there are a few priorities that need to be taken care of for this class to be a success. They definitely need to go get a quarterback, maybe even a couple of quarterbacks (like one who is a drop back passer and one who is mobile and athletic who they can use in multiple situations). I've heard some rumblings that they are trying to get back in on Tino Sunseri from Central Catholic, which is good, because this team needs to stock up on a few quarterbacks for the future. The other two priorities are to get a junior college center who is ready to step in and play, and a tackle from junior college wouldn't hurt either. I know everyone is hung up on some of the big name skill kids like Jonathan Baldwin from Aliquippa, and Pitt is still in on him, but to be honest, if the Panthers don't fill a few of these holes on the offensive line, they could be in big trouble next year.

Q: Do you think the lack of the "top recruit" is due to the lack of fan support? (Empty seats and harsh crowds)

Matt Jones

South Park, Pa.

Zeise: I'm not exactly sure what you mean. Lucas Nix, a Pitt commit, is ranked as a five-star lineman and is considered one of the best tackle prospects in the country. Chris Burns is a four-star running back considered to be the best running back in Pennsylvania. They are also very much in the game for the best tight end (Hubie Graham) and wide receiver (Baldwin) in the state, so I don't think that it is fair to say Pitt is lacking top recruits. And forget about the atmosphere and the fans and all that stuff -- winning games is what really matters in recruiting.

Q: With Joe Thomas hurt, Bachman landed on the starting lineup. If someone else is hurt, who would be the next lineman who would be tapped to play? Would that player be ready to play at this level? Or just another body thrown to the wolves?

Joe Cangialosi

Lancaster, Pa.

Zeise: Good question. Thomas is out with his injury, which means the Panthers are probably stretched to the limit in terms of their depth chart at offensive line. If one of the guards gets hurt, they still have Dom Williams and if a tackle goes down, they could move Bachman to tackle and bring in Williams at guard. They could also turn to Chase Clowser at tackle. Williams and Clowser have both played in games and are both veteran guys so they wouldn't be thrown to the wolves as you say. Now, beyond those two, yeah, pretty much you are getting into true freshmen so that wouldn't be a good thing.