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Cincinnati running back Isaiah Pead is starting to enjoy the view from atop the Big East.
''I think we're right where we wanted to be, Pead said. ''We're not there yet of course. The season's not over. But we feel we're in a comfortable situation.''
One the 23rd-ranked Bearcats (6-1, 2-0) can get considerably more secure in if they can find a way to get past up-and-down Pittsburgh (4-4, 2-1) on Saturday.
Cincinnati, picked to finish fifth in the conference in the preseason, has ripped off five straight wins behind the dynamic play of Pead and quarterback Zach Collaros. The Bearcats lead the Big East in points per game (41.0) and are first in rushing defense and second in scoring defense.
It's a combination similar to the one the program used to win back-to-back Big East titles in 2008 and 2009. Cincinnati slumped to 4-8 last season under new coach Butch Jones, including a 28-10 home loss to Pittsburgh that helped the Panthers clinch a share of the conference title.
The memories of the Panthers enjoying themselves in the game's aftermath are still fresh in Pead's mind.
''They were doing snow angels on our field, dancing with the trophy, stormed the field,'' Pead said. ''Hearing them in the locker room singing their fight song, that hurt. Everything hurt.''
Then again, the Panthers figure they were just returning the favor. The Bearcats clinched the 2009 conference title in their last trip to Heinz Field two years ago, rallying from a 21-point deficit to win 45-44.
Yet it's a distant memory for Pitt, which is in the midst of a remodeling program under first-year coach Todd Graham. The results so far have been mixed.
The Panthers are coming off a 35-20 drubbing of Connecticut 10 days ago on national television. The rout looked just like a 44-17 romp over South Florida last month. Pitt followed that up by getting crushed at Rutgers. Another letdown and their hopes of being a factor in the conference race are all but gone.
''I think the position we're in right now, we can control it,'' Pitt safety Andrew Taglianetti said. ''We kind of took a step back against Rutgers. If we finish strong ... we'll be playing in (the Orange Bowl).''
The Panthers will have to get to the finish without star running back Ray Graham, who injured his right knee in the first quarter against UConn and is out for the year.
In his absence quarterback Tino Sunseri threw for 419 yards - tied for the fourth-highest total in school history - and running back Zach Brown had 114 yards of total offense and a touchdown.
Brown, who transferred to Pitt from Wisconsin, knows he doesn't have Graham's skill set. That doesn't mean he can't be effective.
''Ray's a great player,'' Brown said. ''I'm just going to go out there and show that nothing is going to be lost.''
Brown showcased his versatility against the Huskies, catching nine passes against UConn to provide a security blanket of sorts for Sunseri when plays broke down.
Then again, few plays went awry vs. UConn. Todd Graham trimmed the offensive playbook, hoping to take make things easier for Sunseri. The quarterback responded by putting together a career day.
He may need another one if Pitt is going to win consecutive games for the first time since early September. The Panthers are well aware they may need to win in a shootout and Sunseri believes he's got the weapons to keep up.
''Coach said they've thrown for 5-600 yards a game, so I guess that's our goal,'' Sunseri said. ''The key for us is to take what the opposing defense gives us.''
The Bearcats defense hasn't given much on the ground. They're second in the country in rushing yards allowed and have rarely been tested this season.
When Cincinnati has been tested, the Bearcats have responded. They rallied from a late deficit to nip South Florida two weeks ago, with Collaros leading the team down the field in the final seconds for the win.
It was the kind of performance on which championships are built. The Bearcats are playing like a front-runner. They'd like to keep it that way.
''They're a rival team,'' Pead said. ''It's always a good game when it's between us two. The last few years, it's come down to the Big East championship. But we don't like these guys.''
