When the clock hit zero on Saturday night and the Panthers stormed onto the field in… When the clock hit zero on Saturday night and the Panthers stormed onto the field in celebration, Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt looked like the world had been lifted off his shoulders.

His smile couldn’t be contained. He hugged his coaches. He hugged his players. He and the Panthers celebrated Pitt’s biggest win in the Wannstedt era.

But Wannstedt had other reasons to celebrate, too.

On Saturday afternoon, Pitt announced it had signed Wannstedt to a three-year contract extension, keeping him on the sidelines until 2012.

This was before the game against West Virginia.

And that’s when I started to hear the buzz.

“No way,” a friend of mine said to me on Saturday afternoon. “Why would they do that?”

There’s no doubt, people were panicking. I could have sworn I heard children weeping on the street.

Isn’t it funny how one game changes everything?

On Sunday, all I heard was praise for Wannstedt. Before Sunday, all I heard were complaints. But after his Panthers had dismantled the mighty Mountaineers, he was suddenly forgiven.

But, there’s still a lot of work to be done.

To say the past three years of Pitt football have been a disappointment would be an understatement. At times, it’s looked more like a trainwreck. And unfortunately for Pitt, one win, no matter how big it is, won’t fix its problems.

So, why in the world would Wannstedt, who has yet to have a winning season at Pitt, get an extension and a raise? Well, I thought hard about it, and I think I’ve got the answers.

First, let’s give Wannstedt some credit. He is, in fact, a great recruiter. He has an eye for talent, and his 2006 recruiting class was ranked 11th in the nation by scout.com. That year, Wannstedt again brought in a nationally acclaimed class and this year’s was even better. Headed by LeSean McCoy, Pat Bostick and Chris Jacobson, this class was ranked eighth in the nation by scout.com.

But this season, despite all the blue-chip talent, the Panthers struggled again.

They finished a disappointing season in a great way, but nevertheless, were still 5-7.

Of course, there are some excuses.

The Panthers had a list of injuries longer than the Patriot Act. They lost key members both on offense and on defense, and this put them behind a little bit.

The offense felt the most force from the injuries. After the injury to quarterback Bill Stull, Pitt relied on two freshmen, Kevan Smith and Bostick, to carry the load. And as expected, both had some trouble.

But still, even with the struggling offense, Pitt was in games late. Four of Pitt’s seven losses were by seven points or less. And in those close games, a lot of times it comes down to coaching.

So after this, a lot of people probably didn’t see this coming. They figured the athletic department would put its foot down and tell Wannstedt that he needed to turn it around right away or he was gone.

But instead, they gave him a raise. No, it doesn’t always make sense in business situations to give more time or money to someone who’s struggled. It doesn’t make sense in most situations. But this one is different.

Coaching isn’t a business. It takes time. And three years, as alarming as they might have been, won’t tell Wannstedt’s whole tale.

As funny as it might be to see, Wannstedt isn’t allowed to put the pads on and play.

Even though he was a solid offensive lineman in his day, he can’t pass-block for Bostick, who as a true freshman this year has had more pressure on him than a convergent plate boundary. He can’t run the routes for Oderick Turner, and he can’t make the tackles.

But what he can do is teach his players how to. He has the experience. He’s been around enough football to know what it takes to win. And now, there’s no doubt that he has the players.

So there’s no question about it, we’ll see what Wannstedt is really made of next season. Personally, I think he can do it. I think Pitt can be successful. And I think Saturday night’s win against West Virginia bought Wannstedt a little more time in the eyes of many of his fans.

So, I’ll stick up for him for one more year and give him another chance to put together a winning season. But I’m putting myself out there.

Hopefully, he doesn’t prove me wrong.