The Pop-Tarts Bowl has turned into a college football spectacle, but the Pitt Panthers are still aiming for more this season.
Brett McMurphy of Action Network updated his bowl projections, and Pitt has received a new projection following a slew of Gator Bowl appearances. He now slates the Panthers to face off against TCU in the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando, Fla. on Dec. 28. Action Network sets Pitt as an early 1-point underdog.
McMurphy still projects Miami to win the ACC, and Clemson to qualify for the College Football Playoff as an at-large.
The Pop-Tarts Bowl has known many names since being founded in 1990, including the Tangerine Bowl, Champs Sports Bowl, Russell Athletic Bowl, Camping World Bowl and Cheez-It Bowl.
It’s been known as the Pop-Tarts Bowl since 2023, hosted at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, and it seeks to pit the No. 1 non-College Football Playoff team from the ACC and the No. 2 non-CFP team from the Big 12.
The featured a 28-19 Kansas State win against North Carolina State, in which K-State quarterback Avery Johnson earned MVP honors.
Pitt hasn’t appeared in the Pop-Tarts Bowl since 2001 when it was known as the Tangerine Bowl. The Panthers knocked off NC State, 34-19, with former Pitt wideout Antonio Bryant earning MVP honors.
Pitt is 7-0 (3-0 ACC) for the first time since 1982, and the Panthers control their destiny in the conference. If the Panthers handle business, they will achieve all the goals set forth before the season.
No. 20 SMU is the next opponent on the schedule, in perhaps the biggest game since the 2021 season, but Narduzzi — again — views it as just another football game.
“I think every week is a big game. Like Syracuse, 5-1, I don’t care, ranked, unranked, all that ranking, whoever ranks them, who cares,” Narduzzi said. “But last week was a big game. Every game is big. Cal was a big game. That was a good football team. That was a great defense that came in here. Shoot, they shouldn’t have lost the games — they should have beat Miami who’s an undefeated team. Every week I can point to who you’re playing, but this is just the next one in line, and it’s a road trip, it’s a night game.”
Pitt and SMU are scheduled to kick off at Gerald J. Ford Stadium at 8 p.m. Saturday night, and if the Panthers knock off the Mustangs, it will send yet another statement to the ACC — and the college football world.
One play at a time, one game at a time.
Does anyone really care what this 🤡 predicts for upcoming bowl games? Seriously. So stupid.
I mean, we’re probably looking at Gator or Pop Tart. Pretty accurate prediction.