Yesterday, SI.com had a big feature on Todd Graham taking over at Pitt (hat tip to the many, many who e-mailed and linked it in the comments).

“We’ve gotta take the good and make them great, and the great and make them outstanding,” Graham said. “We’re striving for perfection. We’ll tolerate excellence.”

After a year flush with misfortune, a spring full of such unbridled optimism may be just what the Panthers need. In 2011, it might also serve as a harbinger of things to come.

The Big East appears weak and wide open once again, with South Florida juggling quarterbacks B.J. Daniels and Bobby Eveld, West Virginia testing a partnership between incumbent coach Bill Stewart and coach-in-waiting Dana Holgorsen and TCU still a year removed from its conference debut. While early nonconference tests at Iowa and against Notre Dame will be challenging, Graham’s rebuilt, under-the-radar squad could make a run at the Big East’s guaranteed BCS bid.

We’ll see. But it is nice to be optimistic.

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Well, it’s time to update the non-news of Big East expansion.

Villanova is still trying to recover from their powerpoint presentation to the Big East last April. Underpants Gnomes, man. Underpants Gnomes.

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Lots that needs to be touched on — expansion, Graham puffer, and the Century of Change — but I’ll hit this first.

The minor stir caused yesterday by reports that Dorian Bell would be transferring to Pitt has quickly fizzled out. All last evening, Chris Peak of PantherLair had tweeted that any reports of Dorian Bell transferring to Pitt were foolish. That it wasn’t happening.

Paul Zeise also backs that up.

Former Gateway standout Dorian Bell may indeed leave Ohio State, but there is absolutely zero chance he will end up at Pitt. I was told tonight by several sources that Pitt coach Todd Graham will not even consider taking Bell, who is suspended for next season for unspecified rules violations, or any player who has been in trouble elsewhere.

The three transfers to Pitt so far have been clean players. Not suspended or kicked off the team. Bell is on his third violation for what is believed to be drugs/alcohol violations. Even if Graham wanted to take the guy (which he apparently doesn’t), you have to believe that the Pitt AD and President would not sign off on this.

I can’t blame Pitt for saying no thanks. As much potential as he may still possess, it doesn’t seem worth it.