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At this point in the season, Pitt's sports information department expected to flood the media and Internet bloggers with a marketing plan to strengthen the Heisman Trophy candidacy of running back Dion Lewis.
No one, though, envisioned Lewis' stunning descent from atop the Heisman watch list.
Lewis was left in the starting blocks early with two sub-par performances: 27 yards vs. New Hampshire and 41 vs. Miami. Then, his backup, Ray Graham, ripped off 277 yards and three touchdowns against Florida International, effectively erasing Lewis' name from the tote board.
"Situations evolve and situations change, but we'll still do our best to represent Dion in the very best way," said E.J. Borghetti, Pitt's senior associate athletic director. "We as a team have gotten off to a slow start, but that doesn't mean there aren't opportunities in the final (six) games."
Alabama running back Mark Ingram began his push for the Heisman with a furious rush during the second half of the 2009 season. But his candidacy was bolstered mostly because Alabama was in championship contention; a necessary prerequisite, considering Florida's Tim Tebow (2007) and USC's Carson Palmer (2002) are the only Heisman winners not to play in the Bowl Championship Series title game since 2000.
A gracious Lewis hasn't yet conceded even though history is stacked against him. But with Heisman talk no longer a distraction, he's solely focused on the Panthers winning the Big East championship.
"I think I'm close to where I was last season," said Lewis, who rushed for 1,799 yards then. "I'm focused more and have more intensity. I just want to be out there real bad. I just want to get the hunger back.
"I'm not going to complain. Ray is a great running back, and he deserves to be in there. Whoever they want in there is alright with me."
Lewis is one of several early season front-runners to fall from contention without engaging in the late-season campaign to lure still-undecided voters.
Like Lewis, Ingram's numbers aren't nearly as good as a year ago. Unlike Lewis, the Crimson Tide remain in championship contention, giving Ingram a slim chance to re-enter the Heisman race.
Fallen contenders
Ingram, slowed some by a preseason knee injury, has been victimized by an offensive scheme that no longer relies principally on his ability to wear down defenses with punishing runs between tackles. That was evident on Saturday in a win over Ole Miss in which he was often relegated to short-yardage specialist.
Ingram, too, has an uphill battle, considering only Archie Griffin won back-to-back Heisman trophies (1974-75).
Already, the list of other fallen contenders — or those on a precarious Heisman bubble — includes quarterbacks Terrelle Pryor of Ohio State, Denard Robinson of Michigan, Jake Locker of Washington and Jacory Harris of Miami.
The Heisman has been lost for most, in part, because of three reasons: losing, poor performance and lack of exposure.
Dealing with loss
In the aftermath of Michigan's loss to Big Ten rival Michigan State at the Big House, a battered, yet surprisingly upbeat Robinson emerged from the dressing room in Crisler Arena with his Heisman hopes still alive.
On Saturday, with second-stringer Tate Fortier trying to rally the Wolverines past Iowa, Robinson went from media darling to Heisman bust. Pryor, frustrated by a menacing Wisconsin defense, faded as then-No. 1 Ohio State suffered its first defeat.
Last season, Ingram and Toby Gerhart of Stanford weren't among the Heisman favorites. Eventually, they finished 1-2 in the closest Heisman voting ever.
Jockeying for position
Again, the likely leading candidates — including Auburn quarterback Cameron Newton and Oregon running back LaMichael James — were virtual unknowns to the average college football fan before the season began.
The 6-foot-6, 250-pound Newton, who engineers an explosive offense for the fourth-ranked Tigers, has had three memorable performances. He was spectacular in a thrilling 65-43 win over then-No.12 Arkansas on Saturday: 188 yards rushing, three rushing touchdowns and 140 passing yards.
Newton seemingly has a decisive advantage over his nearest pursuers — James and quarterback Kellen Moore of Boise State. He can tighten his grip on the Heisman lead with a solid performance against sixth-ranked LSU on Saturday.
James is second in the country in rushing behind Robinson. The Ducks are likely to win the Pac-10, but only a small bloc of voters east of the Mississippi will see him play before the bowl season.
If a recent trend of sophomore winners — Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow and Ingram — is a barometer, then James probably will push Newton down the stretch. If James doesn't win, his sitting out nearly five quarters prevented him from padding his numbers — and numbers matter.
Lewis and Ingram don't have the numbers. But it matters that Newton and James are in championship contention.
