Q: Since Tyrone Willingham is almost certain to be fired by Washington, who should the Huskies go after as their next coach?
— Lance Dotson from Federal Way, Wash.
A: Logic says Boise State’s Chris Petersen would be a good fit (assuming he wants the job; Boise State may actually be a better situation at this point).

Washington is a mess. The Huskies are 0-5 for the first time since 1969, allowing 42 points per game while only scoring 18.6, and it’s hard to see them winning a game (any game) given the state of the program.

Tyrone Willingham had some success at Stanford and Notre Dame, but things have gone terribly wrong at Washington (11-30 — wow!). Washington should be battling USC for Pac-10 supremacy, not looking at the Apple Cup game against Washington State as the potential last shot at a victory.

Q: Is Pitt now the favorite to win the Big East?
— Tim from Altoona, Pa.
A: I’ll go along with your premise, Tim, but with some reservations. I wouldn’t be surprised if a three-way scrum develops between Pittsburgh, West Virginia and South Florida.

But the Panthers (4-1) probably have the most momentum following their 26-21 win at South Florida. It was clearly the biggest win of Dave Wannstedt’s four-season tenure. Pittsburgh has recruited exceptionally well, and Wannstedt has drastically enhanced the program’s talent level (running back LeSean McCoy and linebacker Scott McKillop are two of the nation’s best players at their positions).

That hasn’t translated onto the field — until now. After a deflating home loss against Bowling Green in the opener, the Panthers have built a four-game winning streak, including victories against Iowa and now the Bulls.

Pittsburgh gets West Virginia at home for the 101st edition of the “Backyard Brawl’’ on Nov. 28 (the Friday following Thanksgiving). That will be a very big game.

Another potential mega-game is the Dec. 6 meeting between South Florida and West Virginia in Morgantown. Both teams have been disappointing in their own way. South Florida, moving up to No. 10 in the national rankings, looked like a long-shot contender for the national championship, but it clearly hasn’t escaped the patches of inconsistency that haunted its unraveling in 2007.

West Virginia, meanwhile, already has lost to East Carolina and Colorado (with an Oct. 23 game against Auburn on the docket). It is not the West Virginia of old — hard to believe it would be, after the departure of Coach Rich Rodriguez — and the Mountaineers are struggling to find an offensive identity.

So Pittsburgh gets the slight nod for now — because it appears to be the Big East program with the fewest amount of question marks. Maybe that’s a backhanded compliment, but it’s also reality.

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