Promising recruiting class should pull Panthers from pits

PITTSBURGH -- The setting couldn't have been more Pittsburgh. Panthers coach and Burgh native Dave Wannstedt talking football at J.P.'s, a neighborhood eatery. A breakfast of coffee, eggs and home fries screams no frills and all calories.

"Six degrees ..." Wannstedt said to himself considering his program's impact on college football since Dec. 1.

Dave Wannstedt is looking for results after luring six of the top 11 players in the state to Pitt. (Getty Images)

As in six degrees of separation. No matter where you turn in the sport the last two months, it all seems to lead back to Pittsburgh's 13-9 upset of then-No. 2 West Virginia.

Consider the alternate universe that would have been created if the Panthers lost that night:

• Rich Rodriguez would still be at West Virginia. It's hard to envision Rodriguez leaving for anywhere with a title shot on the line.

• Les Miles, not Rodriguez, would be at Michigan. It's hard to envision Miles staying on for another Sugar Bowl (or Michigan allowing him).

• West Virginia would be in the national championship game.

• Considering the opponent (Ohio State) go ahead and assume the Mountaineers would be national champions, too.

• The world wouldn't know Bill Stewart from Jimmy Stewart.

• Lawyers in the state of West Virginia would all be a little poorer.

•  Wannstedt might not be sitting in J.P.'s reveling in his third consecutive top 25 recruiting class.

"My brother-in-law works for Dick's Sporting Goods," Wanny said. "They have two (West Virginia) stores -- one in Huntington, one in Morgantown. They had all these national championship shirts and hats ..."

He didn't have to finish the sentence.