Long shots: Pitt 6.1% (up 2.1%), Virginia Tech 3.0% (up 0.1%).

Pitt indeed jumped to 23rd in SP+ following a pummeling of Syracuse on Thursday. But the Panthers still have only a 4.0% chance of reaching 12-0 thanks to a tricky home stretch. They must play at SMU in Week 10 and Louisville in Week 13, and they host Clemson in between. They're projected underdogs in all three games, though that probably won't bother Pitt fans much: They're 3-0 as projected underdogs this season.

Biggest remaining games: Pitt at SMU (Nov. 2), Clemson at Virginia Tech (Nov. 9), Clemson at Pitt (Nov. 16).


The Pitt-SMU winner becomes the de facto No. 3 conference favorite, and if Pitt does the deed and remains unbeaten, the Panthers' odds of sneaking out an at-large playoff bid in the absence of a conference title rise a good amount too.

We've done this every week, and I think most of us have made slight adjustments each time. This week I'm probably making the biggest adjustments I've made all season.

Here are the top five players on the team, as I see it:

1. Kyle Louis
2. Rasheem Biles
3. Desmond Reid
4. Ben Sauls
5. Eli Holstein

- Louis and Biles are the first two Godfather movies right now: the best there is, but we're not sure which one. I'm still leaning toward Louis here, but Biles has really been playing at a high level.

- I still think Reid is an outstanding player, and he still averaged more than four yards per carry against Syracuse. But he didn't have a target - which isn't his fault, of course - and saw limited opportunities, like everybody else on offense. So he falls behind two guys who actually did score touchdowns against the Orange.

- I'm putting Sauls at 4 this week because he just looks unstoppable right now.

- Holstein stays in the top 5 as a lifetime achievement award, but another game like the last two, and he's going to fall out. I'm not sure who I will put at 5, but it won't be him. Conversely, if he plays well in a win at SMU, he'll jump back up the list.

What's your top five after seven games?

Any chance he plays Monday? I thought the estimated recovery time pretty much got him to game 1.

Holy cow. I mean, what a total dismantling, especially in a game where our offense wasn't dynamic. Some thoughts:

• I know we aren't finished, but Narduzzi has now won 7 games 7 times in 10 years. Before he got here, we had won 7 games 7 times in 13 years. So basically from 50/50 to almost 2/3 of the time.
• What in the actual F are the thinking running Holstein up 31 points in the 4th? If it's a concussion, that can linger. Totally fine to let him pass. It was get right time which leads me to...
• ...7 straight bad quarters from Holstein. He looked tentative all night and you could tell he didn't trust his eyes and didn't want to throw a pick, especially after throwing one that could have easily been picked on the first drive. It was worrying me that they kept showing replays of wide open guys he was missing. However, that last throw for a TD was perfect and hopefully that sets him back on the right track.
• Is Daniel Carter hurt? I know we didn't do much on the ground but happy to see we didn't have to rely on Hammond this year.
• Branson Taylor out for the year is a blow.
• Not much the WRs had to do last night but in limited action I thought Bart/Williams/Lee were all good. Shout out to Tyreek Robinson for his first career catch.
• Holy hell that defense. It's almost too many to list. Biles, George, Crumpley, Bass, Battle, Lovelace, Edwards, Louis, O'Brien... just all A+.
• Hysterical they made a big deal about McCord getting 300 yards. He threw 64 times for an average of 5 yards.
• Really shut down the run too. Taking away the sacks/McCord runs, 20 carries for 38 yards. Eat a D Willis.
• Ben Sauls...just amazing. Already has more FGs this year than last year. He had one over 50 made coming into this year. He has 4 this year alone.
• I thought Junko was quietly good last night too.
• SMU is probably our biggest regular season game since either Syracuse in 2021 (although we may have already clinched) or the 45-44 game against Cincy to go the BCS. I know you can't take anything for granted but if they beat SMU, we SHOULD be 9-0 for the Clemson which could basically get us into the playoff. I cannot wait for this game next week.

doesn't give a very good rendering of what it will actually look like. but while i'm at it, we should demolish thaw, oeh, and allen and put better/larger facilities there.

My god is the Steelers O-Line bad. I can't imagine what QB could be effective behind that sieve. The absolute worst is Broderick Jones. He gets beat on almost every pass play. Hard to understand how that guy was a first round pick. If he were a 5th rounder he'd be cut by now.

Cruzer

3-20 or 15%…and we won both games…very strange stat but must be improved on this weekend to get by the Ponies for sure…gotta stay out of those 3 and longs ..hoping Eli is ready hate to have Yarnell going into that environment plus weather may be an issue

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Curious to gets everyone's opinions on this. I am sure they are trying to maximize his explosiveness but this just seems like asking for trouble.

@JimHammett @Chris Peak do we know if the team has a scrimmage lined up this year vs anyone?

Here’s kind of an interesting discovery from a Reddit post on CFB.


Essentially because of bloated conferences, there is no way to play entirely fair and equal schedules. This we already knew.

What could happen this year, albeit unlikely, is ending up with more than 2 undefeated teams in a conference, where a third gets left out of a conference championship because of tiebreaker rules (combined conference opponent record).

There are paths out there where Clemson, Miami, and SMU all go undefeated, leaving an odd man out.

Pitt plays two of those teams, and as the only team that does, controls their own destiny.

Like this post on X to vote for Eli. He’s the only freshman in the running.

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Who are Pitt's top five players this season? Which five players have improved the most? And who do the Panthers need the most improvement from over the next five games? All that and more on today's Morning Pitt.

Obv a hypothetical question but if Miami wins out they will be in the ACC Title game.

But what happens if Pitt loses to SMU but wins the rest of its games and beats Clemson?

Assuming all 3 teams only have 1 loss in the ACC who gets to play Miami?

Thanks

Pitt's home game against Virginia has been placed on a six-day hold. Game time will be announced after this weekend's games.

Looking to camp out for 10 am kick (local time) and avoid weather. Need good food and visitors crowd to cheer on OSU!

Back in a full-time position.

I think @str61166 has asked about this.

I looked at AP polls back to 2000 for the lowest-ranked 7-0 power conference teams. Here's what I've found:

2012 - Rutgers was 7-0 and ranked No. 18 (Louisville was also 7-0 and ranked No. 16)
2019 - Minnesota was 7-0 and ranked No. 17
2006 - Rutgers was 7-0 and ranked No. 16

As far as I can tell, that's it for 7-0 power conference teams ranked outside the top 15 since 2000. And none of them were ranked No. 19.

#3-Penn State (best win is against Illinois who's best win was a 5-3 Michigan). One time of year I am a tOSU fan is this week.
#5 Miami- I hate knocking ACC teams but they have squeaked by against at best average teams VT, CAL, Louisville. Proud of them for smashing the Judas FSU last week.
#8-Notre Dame-I'm on the fence about this. They beat AtM and Navy but losing to Northern Illinois and playing no one else is tricky. God doesn't love the rest of us.
#11-Iowa State-Not buying this. They have not played any teams tougher than PITT. I consider them the PITT of the midwest but can't buy this.
#17-Kansas State-They should be ranked but back in the mid 20's. They barely beat Kansas who stinks. All of Kansas stinks.
#18-PITT-We have played no one. Our best win is against a CAL team that should have beat us. Self hating Yinzer mode in effect.
#23-Colorado-They have two losses and have not played any good teams. Their best win is Cincinnati. Prime Time hoax.
#25-Illinois-5th place in a top heavy BIG 10? Nope...not even if they had Red Grange.