Forget that it is the middle of January and let your mind wander through part one of the top… Forget that it is the middle of January and let your mind wander through part one of the top 10 questions facing Pitt football this off-season in no particular order.

1. How will new head coach Dave Wannstedt fair returning to the college ranks?

Wannstedt has coached 14 collegiate seasons and has won 112 games in those seasons. He is a defensive-minded coach who, at one time, led the Miami Hurricanes to the national championship as a defensive coordinator.

Wannstedt had been out of college football for 16 years — that’s 16 years since he last sat in a recruit’s living room or made sure they were going to study hall. Wannstedt must stress recruiting his own backyard, something former Pitt coach Walt Harris failed to do. Wannstedt has already landed some recruits from the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League.

2. How high can Ty fly?

The 2004 season marked the emergence of the next great quarterback from westernPennsylvania, and his name is Tyler Palko.

The redshirt sophomore threw for more than 3,000 yards and 24 touchdowns while tossing just seven interceptions.

When Pitt was considering keeping Harris, Palko was one of his biggest advocates, and why not? Harris was an offensive genius who consistently came up with new ways to beat teams through the air. Now Palko must sit and wait to see who his new offensive coordinator will be and how much he can learn.

By December, Palko was the best quarterback in the Big East and will continue to hold that title come September 2005, but can Palko’s back sustain the load of carrying the Panthers again next year?

All signs point to yes and a possible trip to New York for the Heisman ceremonies.

3. Who will step up and be the Panthers feature running back?

In 2005, Wannstedt will force the run upon teams, but with whom he will do it remains a mystery. Senior Raymond Kirkley should return as the leading candidate for the starting job, but in 2004 he averaged just 56 yards per game, a number he will have to improve to be a starter in Wannstedt’s offense.

One player fans wanted to see more of was true freshman Brandon Mason, who carried the ball just 17 times on the season and had less-than-impressive numbers.

The biggest enigma of them all is underused Marcus Furman, who will return in 2005 for his senior season. The Panthers need to take full advantage of his ability to run outside the tackles and on screen plays.

Then there is Wannstedt’s first WPIAL recruit, Shane Brooks, who could step in and compete right away. The depth is there, but can they produce enough to take the pressure offPalko, who will no longer be a secret.

4. Who will be Pitt’s new offensive coordinator?

This is, hands down, the most important decision that Wannstedt will make over the next few months. Wannstedt and his assistants are currently at a coaching convention, and Wannstedt is, without a doubt, spreading the word about the open position. With Harris gone, Palko will need another great offensive mind who can find ways to free Greg Lee from double teams, all the while using the run to set up the passing game.

Wannstedt has said on record that he is looking at coordinators with NFL experience, a plus that will certainly help Palko, who will be playing on Sundays in years to come.

A natural candidate is Matt Cavanaugh, who recently resigned as offensive coordinator with the Baltimore Ravens. Cavanaugh, who won a national championship playing quarterback at Pitt in 1976 (when Wannstedt was on Pitt’s coaching staff), was considered the favorite for the head coaching position before Wannstedt sprinted back onto the scene.

Wannstedt will likely also hire a quarterbacks coach, another post that was filled by Harris.

5. How tough will Pitt’s schedule be in 2005?

The Big East championship will once again be an open race in 2005. Louisville, which will join the conference for the first time in the fall, will be the favorite with one of the nation’s leading offenses each year. However, Pitt could be picked second by the coaches, and rightfully so.

Louisville quarterback Brian Brohm and Palko will square off in a battle of two of the nation’s most highly recruited prep quarterbacks in the past five years. The Panthers will host Notre Dame to open the season, and will have a tough road game against Nebraska. It’s possible that Syracuse, West Virginia and Rutgers will all have new quarterbacks. And don’t forget about South Florida — a very young team, which could be a sleeper contender in the conference.

Matt Sortino is a staff writer for The Pitt News. Look for the final five questions in Pitt football next week.