The Associated Press

Pitt-West Virginia is a sellout - the Panthers' first full house in their two seasons at Heinz Field. The final 2,000 standing-room only tickets - $15 a pop - were gone by Tuesday.

Heinz Field's listed capacity is 65,000, but the sold-out Steelers' largest crowd there last season was 64,704 for the AFC championship game against New England.

Pitt's biggest crowd at Pitt Stadium, where the school played from 1925-1999, was 68,918 for Fordham in 1938. After World War II, when the stadium's capacity was listed as 56,500, the largest crowd was 60,283 for Penn State in 1983.

The Penn State-Pitt game also drew 61,221 to Three Rivers Stadium in 2000.

HOKIE POLL STAT: Even with three straight losses, Virginia Tech (8-3) is still ranked No.22 in The Associated Press poll. It's the first time since the poll expanded to the Top 25 in 1989 a team remained ranked after three consecutive losses to unranked teams.

The Hokies lost to Pittsburgh, Syracuse and West Virginia. On Saturday, they play Virginia before closing the regular season at Miami.

U. OF MIAMI: Jason Geathers is on the move again.

Geathers switched from running back to receiver this week to give No.1 Miami more depth at wideout following Kevin Beard's season-ending knee injury. It was Geathers' second move in less than four months.

The 6-foot-3 junior from Delray Beach began his career as a receiver, then moved to running back in August after Frank Gore's knee injury and Jarrett Payton's back spasms.

EGG BOWL: The Egg Bowl doesn't appear to offer much on the field. It has been more than a month since either Mississippi or Mississippi State won.

But the game doesn't lack story lines.

Will this be Jackie Sherrill's last game as Mississippi State's coach? Could Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning be playing his last college game?

The Bulldogs (3-8, 0-7 Southeastern Conference) and Rebels (5-6, 2-5) meet for the 99th time tonight.

Mississippi State is trying to avoid consecutive three-win seasons and its first winless SEC season in 14 years. A win over Ole Miss last year helped cool some of the clamor for a coaching change in Starkville and convinced many that the disappointing season was just an aberration.

This season has been worse than last, and many are wondering if Sherrill, who turns 59 today, has worn out his welcome after 12 seasons. He has three years left on a deal that, with perks, pays about $700,000 a year.

NOTRE DAME: Courtney Watson once dreamt of winning a Heisman as a Notre Dame running back. This week the senior linebacker is dreaming of spoiling USC quarterback Carson Palmer's chances of winning the trophy.

"I'd love to be a spoiler," Watson said. "I'm looking for a couple of picks."

That might not only hurt Palmer's Heisman hopes, but boost Watson's chances of winning the Butkus Award, given to the nation's best linebacker. Watson is one of three finalists.

MICHIGAN STATE: Fired coach Bobby Williams will receive $550,000 in a contract settlement.

"For me, this is a fair settlement that permits us all, personally and professionally, to be future-oriented with confidence," Williams said Wednesday in a statement released by the school.

The settlement includes money Williams would have received through June 30 and a termination payment included in his contract, athletic director Ron Mason said.