#H2P... PITT IS IT! - A Pitt Panthers Dynasty (NCAA 14)

[Careless Whisper]

Loving the Athlon-style previews! I was thinking about going that way for the next CMU season, but you knocked them out of the park! That final analysis is about what I'd expect from the Panthers this year - they're probably a year away from another run at a natty, though this could be one of those sneaky 9-3/10-2 years where if you get a big upset win or two, then that might be enough for the committee to be slotted at #4 in the CFP. That opening stretch will be telling because if you could get out of it unscathed, then we might have to adjust expectations and expect an ACC title!

[moose141]

Quote: Originally Posted by Careless Whisper

Loving the Athlon-style previews! I was thinking about going that way for the next CMU season, but you knocked them out of the park! That final analysis is about what I'd expect from the Panthers this year - they're probably a year away from another run at a natty, though this could be one of those sneaky 9-3/10-2 years where if you get a big upset win or two, then that might be enough for the committee to be slotted at #4 in the CFP. That opening stretch will be telling because if you could get out of it unscathed, then we might have to adjust expectations and expect an ACC title!

Thought I would try and take some notes from some other folks and mix up the graphics a bit for this season! Nothing too crazy, but just a fresh coat of paint, aha. I always love the Athlon preview mag every season, I get it religiously and had to give them another nod this season.

It's definitely one of those seasons for us where if you asked me originally what I thought we would be, I thought we should challenge for the ACC again, but then I looked at the roster and we lost 4 OVR points from the team rating and we only returned NINE starters! That's crazy how much turnover we've had, and obviously with the new progression it'll definitely make things interesting. I feel like we have a very SOLID team, but other than Kirk and Reynolds who everyone knows about, do we really have any studs on the roster? There are guys with potential, but they are all untested for sure. It is definitely going to be a work in progress!

[moose141]

College Gameday Kicking Off Campaign from Heinz Field
Report by Matt Schmidlin | August 25, 2022

With the first regular season showdown between archrivals Pitt and West Virginia since 2011 set to take place this weekend, the entire College Gameday crew will make their way to the banks of the Ohio River, hosting their Saturday morning pregame show from outside Heinz Field.

While the Backyard Brawl won't be the weekend's primetime attraction, with the game set to kick off around 3:30 PM EST, fans will flock to the Great Lawn outside Heinz Field for the 9 AM live show, culminating in coach Lee Corso donning the headgear of either Roc the Panther or the Mountaineer, depending on his pick to win the afternoon showdown.

Heisman Hopeful Savage Leads Sooners in Title Defense

Junior QB Taylor Savage and defending national champions Oklahoma will host Louisiana-Monroe as they start their title defense this weekend. Expect the Sooners to truly be tested for the first time in week five when they face off in South Bend with #5 Notre Dame.

Playoff Participants with Early Tests

A pair of playoff participants from 2021 will open the campaign will difficult tests, especially after losing key pieces of their squads to graduation. Playoff finalist Ole Miss, without top pick QB Dustin Young, will host Georgia, a big team to watch this season, in their SEC opener, while semifinalist Virginia Tech, now without graduated Heisman finalist QB Travis Huff, will head to Tuscaloosa to take on perenial title contenders #3 Alabama.

Week One Games of the Week

West Virginia @ Pitt -- College Gameday Game of the Week
#18 North Carolina @ South Carolina
#7 Penn State @ Syracuse
Virginia Tech @ #3 Alabama
Mississippi State @ #15 Oklahoma State
Purdue @ #20 Cincinnati
#4 Georgia @ Ole Miss
#6 LSU @ TCU

Panthers Already Searching for Kirk's Successor?

In the age of early declarations and transfers, quarterbacks are as hot a commodity as any in college football. After CJ Kirk's freshman All-American season, Pat Narduzzi and the Panthers are already searching for a succession plan in the event that Kirk makes the jump to the NFL after his junior season. Check out some of the targets that the Panthers are linked with, including a high profile Pennsylvania signal caller, in this episode of Inside Panthers Football with host Moose.

[moose141]

#PantherNation Preview: West Virginia
Report by Matt Schmidlin | August 26, 2022

What: West Virginia (6-6 in 2021) @ Pitt (9-4)
Where: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA
When: Saturday, August 27, 2022, 3:30 PM EST
Watch:
Listen: Pitt Panthers Radio Network

Game Line Pres. by FanDuel: Pitt (-4.5)
ESPN Prediction: Pitt

Last Meeting (2020 Rose Bowl): 48-17 Pitt
Last Meeting at Venue (2010): 35-10 WVU
All Time Series: 62-40-3 Pitt
Dynasty Series: 1-0 Pitt



Not Just Another Game

The Backyard Brawl. Those three words conjure up vivid emotions for both Pitt and West Virginia fans as they consider the immense local rivalry between the two schools separated by about 70 miles down Interstate 79. For Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi, he knows this and knows there is no way to treat Pitt's showdown with their rivals as just any other Saturday.

"You try to take it like any other game, but it isn't," Narduzzi said. "Especially when we haven't played each other at one of the team's home fields in over ten years. The players know what these games mean to all of the fans, and it's going to have that extra energy at Heinz Field for sure. We're just trying to get the players to use that energy positively, rather than suck it out of them."

Pitt fans can think back to the last raucous resumption of a rivalry series, when the Panthers used a pair of defensive scores to stun rival Penn State, 27-20, in their first meeting in over fifteen years. Expect a similar atmosphere as the Panthers and Mountaineers face off this Saturday.

For more historical matchups between these two schools, check out the below links.

Most memorable 'Backyard Brawl' moments - KDKA

Backyard Brawl - Wikipedia

Three Mountaineers to Watch Out For

JaMichael White, SS -- White is arguably the most talented player on the WVU defense, and he is only a sophomore. Possessing incredible athletic ability, White will play in the nickel, he will play in the 4-2-5, and will be a big key to the WVU trying to slow down some of the Panthers' premier playmakers like Da'vion Reynolds out of the backfield.

Kenneth James, QB -- Making your first career start in a rivalry contest is no small feat, and so James will be under immense pressure having only thrown two passes in his career to this point. Expect Pitt to throw tons of pressure from every direction to try and rattle the junior signal caller and force mistakes, as he is not particularly mobile to escape traffic in the pocket.

Stephon Gates, HB -- After spelling starter Brandon Hunter in 2021, Gates is set to take on a feature role after running for 469 yards (5.2 YPC) last season. With James making his first career start, the Mountaineers may lean on Gates to try and establish some ground and pound and open up passing lanes by forcing the Panthers to bring more manpower to the line of scrimmage to stop the run.

What to Expect on the Field This Saturday



Sound Off: Who comes away victorious in the season opener on Saturday?

[Deuce2223]

On paper this one looks like it could be a close one. I am picking Pitt-32 WVU-28

[Careless Whisper]

Both teams seem pretty evenly matched as far as ratings go, but with it being at home and Kirk and Reynolds a year older and wiser (and better), I feel like Pitt will take this one! WVU's James not being much of a running threat and the Mountaineers not having a lot of speed on offense overall should help the new guys on defense adjust.

[Chyli]

I’ll wager my guess... Pitt 27 — WVU 24 (in OT for giggles)

[moose141]

Quote: Originally Posted by Deuce2223

On paper this one looks like it could be a close one. I am picking Pitt-32 WVU-28

You'll have to keep the picks up and we can see how you do overall at the end of the season!

Quote: Originally Posted by Careless Whisper

Both teams seem pretty evenly matched as far as ratings go, but with it being at home and Kirk and Reynolds a year older and wiser (and better), I feel like Pitt will take this one! WVU's James not being much of a running threat and the Mountaineers not having a lot of speed on offense overall should help the new guys on defense adjust.

Always tough to gauge the homefield advantage (I turn that feature off for home games but on for away games) but it does inherently feel like that would be a big help! Have the game about to come up, but you were right that we definitely did not feel too threatened by the Mountaineers, though they could have battered us on the ground a bit more likely to their benefit.

Quote: Originally Posted by Chyli

I’ll wager my guess... Pitt 27 — WVU 24 (in OT for giggles)

Definitely would not put it past WVU to give us some nailbiters in this scheduled four season series, especially with some talented non-seniors on the roster for sure!