Ames, Iowa has a job opening.

Dan McCarney resigned Wednesday after 12 seasons as Iowa State’s football coach, saying it was time to re-energize the program.

McCarney, the Big 12’s longest tenured coach, will remain with the Cyclones for the final two games of the season.

Come on Iowa State. It’s time to call home a native son. A “hot, young” coordinator. Make that call to Paul Rhoads now.

As for the Pitt defense, it is time to exceed all potential. Make DC Rhoads look really good. Really shut down the remaining three teams. Make it happen.

Believe it or not, I haven’t forgotten about basketball. It’s just been a little crazy lately. I have taken a look at the various previews that have Pitt anywhere from 4th to 9th in the country. Really they all talk about the team in mostly the same way:

• Aaron Gray coming back was huge.
• The team has depth and maturity.
• Kendall is underrated.
• Ramon and Fields will do well.
• Sam Young could break-out.
• Mike Cook will have a big impact.
• Dixon’s a good coach who has balanced playing time well.

They also ask some questions that do need to be considered about this team.
— Can Pitt handle the hype?

Let’s face it, this is a big question that nags at the back of most of our minds. In both football and basketball, it seems that Pitt has just never done well when there are big expectations from the team. Forget getting to the Final Four or BCS. The teams seem to struggle to win and not go out in the first round of the NCAA and/or Big East Tournament.

— Can Aaron Gray be the #1 guy?

If media day is any indication, Gray seems at ease with the attention and being the focus of all attention. Carl Krauser took a lot of the focus both positive and negative. How will Gray handle taking the questions when the team loses a game?
— Will Coach Dixon be able to figure out the rotation, and find enough playing time to placate egos?

Pitt is very deep, and could very easily go 10 or 11 deep. There’s only 200 minutes to go around each game. There’s a good chance that all the freshmen could find themselves redshirting. Only Gilbert Brown might break into the roatation.

— What will the perimeter defense be like?

Ronald Ramon is a very good defender, but his size is an issue. He can be shot over. Fields was inconsistent. Graves has shown a propensity to be a step slow with a penetrating player. Cook might be an answer, but that remains to be seen.

— Who will be the “go to” or “crunch time” guy?

Carl Krauser was the guy — for good and ill — now there isn’t that one guy who the team will look to for that shot. The guy who took the ball and was going to get the last shot. Ramon took key shots late in games, but he did not create them. Maybe it will be Fields. Perhaps Cook. Young can penetrate as well. Maybe it’s not a bad thing, since there isn’t one player to key on, but it is a legit question.