Pitt has a chance to sit alone at the top of the Atlantic Coast Conference this weekend.
The Panthers (3-0, 2-0) are currently tied with Miami (3-0, 2-0) for the top spot in the ACC, but the Hurricanes are off this Saturday, so Pitt has a chance to stack three wins in the conference before anyone else.
The conference has played with Atlantic and Coastal Divisions every year from Pitt’s arrival until this season, with the teams playing as one 15-team unit thanks to the addition of Notre Dame.
Pitt last was alone in first place in the Coastal Division when they finished the 2018 season 6-2 in league play to win their first division title and play in their first ACC Championship game.
The Panthers haven’t started their season 4-0 since 2000, when they finished 7-5 and in third place in the Big East.
IRISH STILL IN TROUBLE
Notre Dame announced earlier this week that it had 18 new, positive cases, bringing the total to 25 confirmed cases on the Fighting Irish football team, with another 14 players in isolation.
The Irish are off this weekend after postponing last Saturday’s scheduled game against Wake Forest, but the continuing outbreak in South Bend will seriously threaten the ACC’s schedule if it continues.
No. 5 Notre Dame is scheduled to host Florida State next Saturday. If that game is unable to be played, Nov. 21 is Notre Dame’s only other off date, but Florida State is scheduled to play Clemson that day. That game could then be moved to Dec. 12, when Notre Dame’s game against Wake Forest has been rescheduled to.
The combination of the Tigers and Irish, along with Virginia and Virginia Tech, having games on that day would almost certainly cause the ACC Championship Game to be pushed back a week to Dec. 19.
The football team isn’t the only notable COVID-19 positive in the headlines in South Bend. Notre Dame president Fr. John Jenkins has tested positive after attending the White House Supreme Court nomination announcement on Saturday.
“My symptoms are mild and I will continue work from home,” Jenkins said in a campus-wide e-mail. “The positive test is a good reminder for me and perhaps for all of us how vigilant we need to be.”
Florida State (0-2, 0-2) will host Jacksonville State at 4 p.m. on AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh to tune up for the Irish.
EARLY EXIT
A five-star Clemson prospect has already submitted his name into the NCAA transfer portal, just months after joining the Tigers.
Demarckus Bowman committed to Dabo Swinney and company in May 2019 and joined the team as expected this summer, but with Travis Etienne, Lyn-J Dixon and Darien Rencher ahead of him on the depth chart, he failed to crack the two-deep through three games.
“The closest family I had up here was my grandfather,” Bowman told The Clemson Insider. “He was the only reason I came to Clemson. I came so my grandfather could come and watch me play, but he passed away as the season started.
“I love Clemson. It is a really great program with absolutely great coaching. Stuff just hit me hard and I would just rather go to school and get my degree somewhere closer to home. There was not anything I disliked or nothing.”
Bowman is a Lakeland, Florida native.The Florida Gators are among the teams that are expected to vide for his services.
No. 1 Clemson (2-0, 1-0) will host Virginia (1-0, 1-0) this Saturday at 8 p.m. on ACC Network.
AROUND THE ACC
Football
Campbell at Wake Forest, 7 p.m. Friday, ACC Network
No. 12 North Carolina at Boston College, 3:30 p.m. Saturday, ABC
Virginia Tech at Duke, 4 p.m. Saturday, ACC Network
Volleyball
Miami at Wake Forest, noon Friday, AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh
Women’s Soccer
Boston College at Louisville, noon Sunday, AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh
Miami at No. 10 Virginia, 3 p.m. Sunday, ACC Network
No. 14 Pitt at Virginia Tech, 3 p.m. Sunday, AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh
No. 3 Clemson at No. 11 Duke, 5 p.m. Sunday, ACC Network
