What: Miami @ Pitt
When: Thursday, September 23rd; 7:30 P.M. EST
Television: ESPN
Weather Forecast: High 60s, 10% chance of rain

This is the first game of the rest of Miami's season. The loss to no. 2 Ohio State in week 2 was far more emotionally draining than season-damaging, and the 'Canes are looking for a big, flashy win in Pittsburgh to restore confidence and set them back on track to run the table on the rest of the schedule. There's still an ACC to be won, you know.

"You can't go into a game like [Ohio State] and play the way we did and not learn from it,'' said cornerback Ryan Hill. "That would be ludicrous. You look at the film, look at the way you played, be very critical of yourself and let it go. You have to let it go. 

"We have 10 more games to go for the rest of the season. Why can't we go 11-1?''

Question is, after a rough game and an even rougher week, do the Canes have the heart? We know they no longer fold, and it's clear they have the talent. We'll find out tonight if they've got all the intangibles to recover like they did last year, following up a nightmare loss at Virginia Tech with a pounding of no. 8 Oklahoma.

Fortunately, the orange and green stack up very nicely against their former Big East foes, the Panthers, who are 1-1 coming off a heartbreaking overtime loss to no. 13 Utah and a handy win over easy whatever-isn't-the-BCS New Hampshire. 

The only edge Miami doesn't own is folicular: former Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt is entering his sixth year at the head of his alma mater, and his mustache remains fantastic and capable of playing for 60-yard field goals. 

Meanwhile, Randy Shannon's got smaller and smaller and smaller and eventually disappeared altogether. Sad.

About those two: 
Shannon played under The Wannstache when it was defensive coordinator at Miami from '86 to 88, then again with the Cowboys in Dallas. The two coached together briefly with the Miami Dolphins, and remain close.

A non-peachy Pitt: 
The Panthers aren't what they were mere months ago. Last year's Heisman contender Dion Lewis is averaging just 2.9 yards per carry as a sophomore. But at least he's on the field: star defensive end Greg Romeus is out indefinitely after surgery on a herniated disk, and starting middle linebacker Dan Mason has been demoted after riding shotgun in a DUI hit-and-run that placed running back/return specialist Jason Douglas on double secret probation.

Then there's a first-time starter in redshirt sophomore quarterback Tino Sunseri, whose name alone is not blinding enough to repel everything let through by his offensive line. The Panthers held on long enough to give Utah a run for its money -- but they remain 1-10 against ranked opponents since 1996.

Paper panther tamers: 
Miami ought to whip Pitt in the trenches, with a resurgent Marcus Forston alongside a fire truck named Allen Bailey. The Panthers just have no answer for Miami's speed and skill. 6'5" WR Jon Baldwin may have a little height on UM cornerback Brandon Harris, but Harris is an All-American and knows how to make up for it. Miami will have a special teams edge until Lamar Miller graduates, and surely -- surely -- we won't see Jacory Harris throwing into a hapless Travis Benjamin's back again. Right? RIGHT? 

Quote that makes us feel better about that last part, courtesy Jacory's dad, Rodney Harris: 
"Jacory doesn't owe anybody anything. All he owes is to his teammates. People make mistakes. He knows what he needs to work on. He's a resilient kid."

Way in which Pitt may have just cursed themselves: 
A blue-out. No, really. It'll be like playing in Violet Beauregarde. Do these things ever work, though? 

What will happen:
Miami's defense will dominate, and Harris will play smart enough to put Pitt away for good in the fourth. Miami 28, Pitt 17.