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Q: How is Nate Byham feeling this year? He is a big reason why Bill Stull gets so much time to throw the ball, he was a preseason Mackey award nominee and he is the ultimate team player. But they are not using him in the passing game. What's up with that?

Rob Sloak, Oakland

ZEISE: I think you said it best -- he is indeed a big reason Bill Stull and the running game works so well because he has developed into an excellent blocking tight end. And like he has said -- he is a team player and right now the team is winning. And the team needs him to be a blocker right now, to help Lucas Nix out with speed rushers, to help the running game and to help the offensive line any way he can. He has said he'd like more balls thrown his way but he realizes his role and he has accepted it. I don't think it will hurt his draft status, by the way, in fact I think it will help his status because his ability to catch and run after the catch is already on film and he's shown he is a great blocker as well.

Q: Why must every game Pitt plays be at Noon? Why do we need to grovel to TV and take the noon slot every week? If the USF game was an 8 p.m. kick-off, there would have been 57,500-plus in the stadium -- period!

Lance Lorenz, Falls Church, Va.

ZEISE: Television dictates it all because every team wants the exposure and the money which comes with playing on television. That means playing at noon a lot if you are a Big East team, though in the next few weeks the Big East has some very attractive spots. I don't know what the problem is with noon games. Ok, so you have to quit drinking a little earlier on Friday in order to be able to wake up -- get over it. I happen to think that is nonsense, by the way, because even if you are out until the bars close at 2 a.m. and get to bed by 3 a.m. -- you could still get seven hours of sleep (which is far more than most of you probably get on a normal night) and be at the stadium by 11. The bottom line is, if you really want to watch your team you'll go see them play no matter what time they play and you'll support them regardless of who their opponent is.

Q: Which underclassmen do you project may leave early for the NFL after this season? Also, since Dion Lewis attended Blair Academy, what is the earliest he could leave for the NFL?

Stephen, Plum

ZEISE: To answer your second question first -- Dion Lewis is not eligible to leave until after his junior year. He didn't go to prep school as a post-high school student for a year like LeSean McCoy and Larry Fitzgerald. As for the first question, frankly, the only player who is eligible to leave that should think about it is Greg Romeus. He clearly would be a guy who has a chance to be a high draft pick. Other than that, I would say there isn't another legitimate candidate to leave early on this year's team. After next year, I would assume Jonathan Baldwin will have a decision to make but that is about it. The Panthers don't have to worry too much about early defections in the next few years because while they have a lot of good players who will have a shot at the NFL, they have only a few legitimate high draft pick kind of guys.

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