UPDATE (7:56 PM): Usually I put this at the bottom, but since people are a little freaked out.

As other noted in the comments, Andy Katz at ESPN has repeated — now several times on the air that while “Oregon has made a strong push for Jamie Dixon, but he is not going to go there.” (that was the quote from Katz at the halftime of the Dayton-Ole Miss NIT Semifinal)

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Well, suddenly the day is getting weirder. Plus it is Passover, so no beer for me tonight.

Apparently Coach Dixon had a bad day on the radio.

Jamie Dixon went on a radio show earlier today and when asked about Oregon’s situation stated that he doesn’t ever comment on other jobs. Then one of the hosts, Ron Cook, asked him flat out: “You gonna be the Pitt coach next year?” Dixon laughed nervously and said ‘same thing I’m not going to talk even about the Pitt job search.” Dixon then canceled two other radio interviews he had scheduled the rest of the day. Now, within the last hour, another Pittsburgh radio voice — the controversial but well-connected Mark Madden — said on his show that a source has told him Dixon has accepted the Oregon job and it will be announced after the Final Four.

Mark Madden’s “source?” I’m guessing the Big Lead.

Jamie Dixon of Pittsburgh is still the top target and the guess here is that after the Final Four (shortly, you’ll see why that date is important), he’ll take the job. He privately met with an Oregon official over the weekend in New York City. Dixon’s difficult decision: Oregon’s roster is blah. Pittsburgh’s is real nice. Pittsburgh has two incoming Top 150 recruits next year. Oregon has none. Next season will be a lost cause at Oregon, with hopes that maybe in 2012 they can contend in the Pac-10. Will the extra $1 or $1.5 mil a year make up for the one or two years of struggles?

Of course, TBL also says that Mark Turgeon isn’t a big enough name, even though, everyone else reported that he already rebuffed interest. TBL also says Tubby Smith does not have an offer. So, take all of this for what it is worth

The Pitt Athletic Department reports that it has not been asked by Oregon to speak with Coach Dixon — which is worth even less these days.

Oh, and Holy Cross fired Pat Kearney after one season. Pitt assistant Tom Herrion was one of the finalists for that job last season.

Um, stay tuned?

Really not much to say. I don’t have a real problem with it. It seems like the kind of formality to make it clear that he is going to be here a while — on the off chance someone wanted to negative recruit against Pitt that Wannstedt could be on his way out. We all know he isn’t going anywhere.

The extension in terms of years is only two more. He is now under contract until 2014. Presumably there is a bit of a bump in salary to keep him among the upper-part of the conference.

Just caught the second half of the press conference, where Coach Wannstedt was wrapping up talking about his love for Pitt, how the recruiting has improved, depth is much better, that there is stability in the program and kids know Pitt is not a stepping-stone for coaches.

Then the floor was opened to questions including spring practice. Yes, the topic of QBs just happened to be discussed. Coach Wannstedt remains steadfast that this is still a competition.

He said that Bostick is getting just as much work as Sunseri — just to different players. Yes, he said it with a straight face.

When talking about the two, it is clear that he sees much more potential in Sunseri at this point. He used the term “upside.” Mentioned how he can make throws and can move around so well.

Then it was time to say good things about Bostick.”Pat. Well, Pat is Pat.”

Yes that is what he said. I am reasonably certain that is an exact quote. He went on to say that he has confidence that Bostick could step on the field now and get the team in the endzone. If you had any further doubt about the depth chart at QB. This answered it.

I went back and looked over my post on how it seems that the QB competition is over before it started. I certainly don’ t make the claim that Bostick should be the starter over Sunseri, or vice versa. I think most fans aren’t absolutely certain one way or another. That’s why it seems so surprising and confusing that it seems that Sunseri has the job this quickly.

That is how I look at it. Obviously I don’t know as much as the coaches. I don’t see the kids in practice. The amount of work Tino Sunseri saw last year hardly provides much to go on. Pat Bostick redshirted last year, so there is little to know about how far he actually has come. I took the coaches statements at face value that the competition was open and that no decision was made — and I think most people did.

Apparently I had a burst of naivete in that respect. So in less than a week after practices got underway — and even statements that the competition was absolutely open despite evidence suggesting otherwise — to have that be otherwise. Well, I can understand frustration and annoyance at Coach Wannstedt. Hate feeling like you can’t even believe the things your own coach is saying.

I really don’t buy the Western Pennsylvania conspiracy stuff. Nor do I buy the whole ties to Sunseri the elder. Putting all of it on Coach Wannstedt is not fair and seems to be a bit of a way to avoid pinning any of the decision on popular assistant coach Frank Cignetti.

Yes, Wannstedt is in charge and the final decision is his. I don’t think he’d ignore his coaches and what happens in practice just because of geographic or family ties.

P-G beat writer Paul Zeise concedes that it is now Sunseri’s job, but offers this caution.

Tino is the No. 1 quarterback because he is physically more gifted than Pat Bostick and has far more upside. But that isn’t any different than the way things were last year during training camp – he threw the best ball, could make all the passes, had the strongest arm and quickest release of any quarterback in camp. But when push came to shove, he couldn’t seperate himself from the other two so the coaches opted for the experience and grit of Stull and well, that worked out obviously. So while he is clearly on track to be the starter, when they put him in position to win or lose the job against a live pass rush, blitzes and changing defenses in the fall — will he be able to win it this year or will the coaches be in the position to opt for experience again? I’m thinking he’ll get it done but until it happens, you just never know.

That much I’m not buying unless there is an injury. Sunseri has the job now. He will have the job in the fall. Say this for Coach Wannstedt and even what we have seen from OC Cignetti. Once they commit to a QB, it takes something much more cataclysmic before they make the change.

Sunseri struggling in live practices in the fall will not cost him the job. At that point, the script becomes he has the chemistry with the starters and he will come around. Plus there just won’t be time at that point.