By Tribune-Review

Published: Monday, December 10, 2012, 12:06 a.m.
Updated: Monday, December 10, 2012

It's nice to see that there is still a glimmer of hope for college football.

Last week, Pitt fans, myself included, were ready to pull out the boxes of tissues to mourn the loss of another football coach.

When Bret Bielema left Wisconsin, rumors were running rampant that the top-3 choices to fill the Badgers' coaching vacancy were Paul Chryst, Paul Chryst and Paul Chryst.

I was done with Pitt if they lost Chryst.

Then, there it was.

A sign, showing there are at least a couple good guys in the college football world. Let me be one of thousands to say, thank you, Barry Alvarez and Paul Chryst.

The Wisconsin athletic director announced Thursday that Chryst was not a candidate for the Badgers job, reiterating that the first-year coach was “committed to Pitt” and that he should be “committed to Pitt.”

Alvarez gets it. He's old-school. Chryst is old-school. He could have left if he wanted to. I honestly believe, though, that he wanted to stay. Maybe not for himself, but definitely for his players.

And Pitt is headed in the right direction, thanks to Chryst. Recruits such as BVA's Dorian Johnson, quarterback Tra'von Chapman out of Ohio ... and the Panthers are in the running for Clairton's Tyler Boyd and Central Valley's Robert Foster. Don't discount what Chryst and the coaching staff are doing up in Oakland. Better times are coming for the Panthers.

• If the Steelers manage to make the playoffs, they should send the Cincinnati Bengals a nice gift for the holidays. The Steelers seem like they're trying hard to not make the playoffs, but those wonderful Bengals are making sure they do everything they can to push the Steelers into the postseason. Hopefully, the gift the Steelers give Cincy isn't a win in Week 16 at Heinz Field.

• Has anyone else seen the field position so lopsided in a game before Sunday? My game ball goes to San Diego punter Mike Scifres.

• Was I the only person screaming for Ben Roethlisberger to take those gloves off in the first quarter?

I can understand wearing them when it's cold outside. Yes, it started to rain later in the game, but game time temperatures were in the 50s. Not all that warm, but I don't think it was glove-worthy.

• I really dislike Phillip Rivers and I'm glad the Steelers took Roethlisberger in 2004 and not that jack-a-lope.

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