Pitt Panthers late surge fuels ACC and CFP hopes

As the college season is nearing its end, the Pittsburgh Panthers are in a position few believed they would be back in August: legitimate contenders in the ACC and a dark horse for the CFP. However, achieving this feat won’t come easily.

The Panthers have arguably the most difficult remaining schedule to end the year. Facing the likes of No. 9 Notre Dame, No. 15 Miami and No. 16 Georgia Tech.

Pitt currently sits at No. 22 in the CFP rankings with a 7-2 record and just one conference loss. Pitt has won five straight games with a point differential of +105 in said games. This resurgence is mostly accounted for by the exceptional play of freshman quarterback Mason Heistchel, who took over the starting position after the team had a rough 2-2 start.

Offensively, Pitt leads the ACC in scoring offense (39.7 points per game) and has the second-ranked passing offense (302.6 yards per game).

On the defensive end, Pitt ranks third nationally in rushing defense (80.9 yards allowed per game) and is fourth in the ACC in total defense (318.3 yards allowed per game).

Their game against Notre Dame is a matchup where a loss doesn’t harm the Panthers in terms of ACC rankings. However, a viral quote from Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi might have sent the wrong message to his team.

“I'd gladly get beat 103 or 110-10 in that game. They can put 100 up on us as long as we win the next two after that. Again, our focus is on Notre Dame and getting as many wins as we can,” Narduzzi said.

While winning the two following games after Notre Dame does put Pitt in the ACC championship game, the Notre Dame matchup can still have importance in terms of CFP seeding.

The goal for every program is to win a national title. Although the easiest path to the CFP for Pitt is winning the ACC, a win against Notre Dame can put them in legitimate contention with a possible easier path to the championship.

Winning the ACC gives Pitt an automatic bid to the CFP. Even if they don’t win the conference, a strong finish to end the year can give Pitt a playoff berth.

Just last year, SMU lost the ACC title game but still made the CFP because its record and rankings were good enough.

Pitt’s ideal situation is to win out and head into the ACC title game 10-2. But with Narduzzi’s comments on the Notre Dame game, they may be shooting for 9-3. This would put them in a must-win game in the ACC championship.

In a new era of college football where there’s a 12-team playoff bracket, it leaves more room for error for a team like Pitt. However, if Pitt loses the ACC title, a record of 10-3 looks a lot better than 9-4 if they want to squeak into the playoffs.

Owen Buchholz is a first-year majoring in Broadcast Journalism. To contact him, please email obb5166@psu.edu.