Still a lot to play for in the last two games...turning the page on last three weeks.

[Gep Dawg]

I know we are all disappointed Pitt won't make the CFP now. Although we never could have imagined at the beginning of the season this team would have had a chance for a 7-0 start…it also obviously (and perhaps unfairly) elevated our expectations. I also think a healthy Holstein (he really hasn’t been fully himself since he got hurt against Syracuse) would have won the Virginia game and probably Clemson too despite how admirably Nate played as his replacement.

But we will never know for sure and here we are feeling a little let down and hungover after a close loss to a very good Clemson team. As bitter as it is to swallow for me its time to move on and focus on the rest of the season.

With all of that said, it is still very critical for Pitt to still do everything in their power to win the next two games for a variety of reasons:

• Going 9-3 gives Pitt a great shot at an upper tier bowl game like the Gator, Mayo or Sun Bowl. These bowl games are played around NYD against a quality P4 opponent and have much higher visibility than the slate of mid-tier bowl games available to ACC teams the weekend before.
• Heading into a high visibility bowl game with a 9-3 record and chance to win 10 games is huge not only for team pride but for recruiting and program recognition.
• I don’t think we will see many (or any) major players (i.e. Holstein or Reid) going into the portal. So, I expect them to also play in the bowl game if they are healthy. Pitt really needs to compete in the bowl game as if it’s the first game for next season. A win or close loss against a high-level opponent with set the plate for the program and how it’s viewed by the national media heading next year.

So, with all that top of mind, I am excited for this week’s game against Louisville! I know they lost a shocker against Stanford last week. But they are an extremely good and dangerous football team. But so is Pitt! Just hoping we can sustain some drives on offense and give our defense an opportunity to make some plays and get a big win on national TV.

H2P!

 

[jivecat]

Perhaps this Louisville matchup is a better litmus test of where PITT is as a program then the Virginia and Clemson losses. I do believe SMU was the better team....clearly.

 

[PittPharm2002]

Perhaps this Louisville matchup is a better litmus test of where PITT is as a program then the Virginia and Clemson losses. I do believe SMU was the better team....clearly.

Clemson is more talented too .
But agree SMU was firing on all
Cylinders

 

[Gunga_Galunga]

The UVA loss stings... It was like once Holstein went down the team was deflated and the entire game changed.

I fear they left a lot on the field against Clemson. So many guys hurt, carted, carried, limping off the field... for Clemson as well. Physical football game. Follow that up by going on the road against a good team. Tough spot IMO.

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

Clemson is more talented too .
But agree SMU was firing on all
Cylinders

Clemson was more talented, but they honestly weren't that good. They carry the name brand, but they're probably more akin to like a UNC team we're used to seeing than past Clemson teams we've seen. Especially with the musical linemen situation they had going up front on offense. And Cade Klubnik reminds me of basically every quarterback Penn State gets. Big time expectations; mostly a disappointment.

And SMU is better than Pitt, but they're not as better as it seemed that night. If we played them ten times, I think we beat them at least 3-4.

 

[TheWerewolfFromTwilight]

The UVA loss stings... It was like once Holstein went down the team was deflated and the entire game changed.

I fear they left a lot on the field against Clemson. So many guys hurt, carted, carried, limping off the field... for Clemson as well. Physical football game. Follow that up by going on the road against a good team. Tough spot IMO.

Hope I'm wrong, but I'm hammering Louisville -8.

They might be a tougher matchup for us than Clemson to begin with, because I think they're more about speed (a la SMU) than power. I don't know a ton about them, but I've seen them score quickly quite a bit against Miami and then BC after getting behind like 20-0 or something.

And then, yeah - I said it in another post, but we've had some rough next outings after the defense has stood on its head a bit against better competition in the past:

- Notre Dame 2018 was followed by giving up 45 against Duke (we still won)

- Florida State last year was followed by getting absolutely manhandled up front against the Syracuse wildcat

I mean, I definitely don't think Louisville is great or anything, so no outcome would shock me too much.

 

[303vND]

Haven't really looked at lot of Louisville this year but any team with a measure of speed and quickness is going to give Pitt problems...especially in the secondary. Secondly, if that Oline is not healthy enough to put out a decent front - it's going to be a long day for whoever is quarterbacking.

 

[NatronaHeightsPanther]

I know we are all disappointed Pitt won't make the CFP now. Although we never could have imagined at the beginning of the season this team would have had a chance for a 7-0 start…it also obviously (and perhaps unfairly) elevated our expectations. I also think a healthy Holstein (he really hasn’t been fully himself since he got hurt against Syracuse) would have won the Virginia game and probably Clemson too despite how admirably Nate played as his replacement.

But we will never know for sure and here we are feeling a little let down and hungover after a close loss to a very good Clemson team. As bitter as it is to swallow for me its time to move on and focus on the rest of the season.

With all of that said, it is still very critical for Pitt to still do everything in their power to win the next two games for a variety of reasons:

• Going 9-3 gives Pitt a great shot at an upper tier bowl game like the Gator, Mayo or Sun Bowl. These bowl games are played around NYD against a quality P4 opponent and have much higher visibility than the slate of mid-tier bowl games available to ACC teams the weekend before.
• Heading into a high visibility bowl game with a 9-3 record and chance to win 10 games is huge not only for team pride but for recruiting and program recognition.
• I don’t think we will see many (or any) major players (i.e. Holstein or Reid) going into the portal. So, I expect them to also play in the bowl game if they are healthy. Pitt really needs to compete in the bowl game as if it’s the first game for next season. A win or close loss against a high-level opponent with set the plate for the program and how it’s viewed by the national media heading next year.

So, with all that top of mind, I am excited for this week’s game against Louisville! I know they lost a shocker against Stanford last week. But they are an extremely good and dangerous football team. But so is Pitt! Just hoping we can sustain some drives on offense and give our defense an opportunity to make some plays and get a big win on national TV.

H2P!

Not quite sure how you landed on the conclusion that you did in your second bullet point. If anyone thinks a 10 win season changes anything in recruiting, you didn’t pay attention to the classes in 2022, 2023. The ACC Championship and NY6 bowl gave Pitt absolutely no recruiting bounce. According to 247, Pitt had the 70th rated class in 2022, 56th rated class in 2023, and last years class ended up 56th.

Also, something can’t be very critical. It’s either critical, or pick another adjective.

 

[Gep Dawg]

Not quite sure how you landed on the conclusion that you did in your second bullet point. If anyone thinks a 10 win season changes anything in recruiting, you didn’t pay attention to the classes in 2022, 2023. The ACC Championship and NY6 bowl gave Pitt absolutely no recruiting bounce. According to 247, Pitt had the 70th rated class in 2022, 56th rated class in 2023, and last years class ended up 56th.

Also, something can’t be very critical. It’s either critical, or pick another adjective.

The more a program demonstrates that 9 or 10 wins seasons are the norm and 3 win seasons are a rarity the higher the chance recruiting will improve. Plus I’m not entirely sure ratings matter today…if they ever did. Especially with the portal opening up new opportunities to get transfers of the very high caliber of someone like Eli Holstein

Highly critical. Or Imperative.

Sorry my editing department must have been out to lunch when I posted 😂

 

[NatronaHeightsPanther]

The more a program demonstrates that 9 or 10 wins seasons are the norm and 3 win seasons are a rarity the higher the chance recruiting will improve. Plus I’m not entirely sure ratings matter today…if they ever did. Especially with the portal opening up new opportunities to get transfers of the very high caliber of someone like Eli Holstein

Highly critical. Or Imperative.

Sorry my editing department must have been out to lunch when I posted 😂

I think there’s a linear correlation between recruiting rankings and success. It’s why you see Alabama, Georgia, Notre Dame, Texas always high in the recruiting rankings, and perennial contenders for the National Championship. I do agree that the transfer portal has opened up opportunities for smaller schools to get good players, or underutilized players.

If Pitt wins 9 games, it’s a successful season no matter how they got there. 8 wins is meh, but sticking at 7 wins and losing out would force the new AD to take a long look at the projection of the program.

 

[pittbb80]

The UVA loss stings... It was like once Holstein went down the team was deflated and the entire game changed.

I fear they left a lot on the field against Clemson. So many guys hurt, carted, carried, limping off the field... for Clemson as well. Physical football game. Follow that up by going on the road against a good team. Tough spot IMO.

Yup. The UVA game was the biggest disappointment. I think Pitt was flat after getting curb stomped by smu.

Regardless of how things end up I’m still bullish on next hear