Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban may have praised Pat Narduzzi for doing as well as anyone this season in turning Pitt around, but he’s one of the College GameDay crew who picked against the Panthers.
Desmond Reid and Pat McAfee, somewhat surprisingly, picked the Panthers. Saban, guest picker Keegan Michael Key, Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit picked the Mustangs.
Pitt and SMU are scheduled to kick off at 8 p.m. Saturday night, and if the forecasts don’t change, the elements could play a major factor in the most important ACC matchup of the season.
Regardless, it’s the biggest game in the ACC so far this season.
In the event of rain, the run game will be emphasized. SMU has the top rushing attack in the ACC, and Pitt isn’t that far behind. But if the wind and rain — thunder and lightning — are as serious as expected, even the kicking game will be important.
Pitt and SMU have two of the best kickers in the country this season, and they could wind up as key figures in the wind and rain.
It’s a big game, the biggest in years for the Panthers. The ACC is still talked about as a three-team race between Miami, Clemson and SMU. ESPN gives Pitt a 3.3% chance to win the conference, behind the three aforementioned teams by a considerable margin.
A win against SMU would go a very long way in establishing Pitt as a legitimate conference (and Playoff) contender. And make the November matchup against Clemson that much bigger.
Pitt and SMU will both have their starting quarterbacks, too, after both were questionable earlier in the week.
Pitt 24 SM who 21
Crush them Stangs Pitt. 👍
Not even Wild Mustangs, could drag me to Texas…..
Go Panthers. H2P!
Give the ball to Carter!
These professional game pickers? I have Pitt, Louisville and Duke with the points. Easy money.