Pitt may be done with their regular season, but with conference championships still to be settled this weekend, any potential bowl game invite for the Panthers is still up in the air.
The #24 Panthers (8-4, 5-3 ACC) finished the season riding a three game winning streak, which included an impressive victory over then #2 Clemson, and sit 4th in the ACC Coastal division behind Virginia Tech, North Carolina and Miami.
After finally breaking into both the AP Top 25 (at #24) and the Playoff Committee Rankings (#25) this week, the Panthers will have a chance to finish a season ranked for the first time since 2009.
So which bowl will they get, and who will they play?
Assuming Clemson beats Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship (certainly no guarantee there) the experts seem to have Pitt slotted in either the Pinstripe Bowl in New York City on December 28th, the Sun Bowl in El Paso on December 30th or Military Bowl in Maryland on December 27th.
Apparently rumors of a revival of the backyard brawl against West Virginia were overstated; although with games still remaining to be played, anything is possible.
The Sun Bowl versus Stanford or Utah looks like the most appetizing possibility. After I doubt anyone is really clamoring for cold weather game in New York City against Northwestern or Maryland.
No matter what happens, it will be a chance for the Panthers to get their first 9+ win season since 2009 and that should be enough to make fans happy.
(As long as it’s not the BBVA Compass Birmingham Bowl.)
