Pitt rises to No. 15 in second-to-last College Football Playoff rankings

Pitt’s slow but steady ascension through the College Football Playoff rankings over the last few weeks continued on Tuesday, when it rose two spots to No. 15. This is the highest the Panthers have been ranked in any poll this season, including the Associated Press Poll which slots Pitt at No. 17 this week.

The Panthers remain the highest-ranked ACC team, with No. 16 Wake Forest being the next closest, then No. 18 NC State and No. 20 Clemson not far behind.

The rise comes after Pitt’s victory in its final regular season contest against the Syracuse Orange last weekend. This installment of the top 25 rankings is the second-to-last CFP poll that will be released this year. The final rankings will be released on Sunday at noon.

The top four teams in the CFP committee’s final rankings will go on to compete in the College Football Playoff tournament, with the remainder of teams being selected for various bowl games. While at one point Pitt possessed a nearly a one-in-four chance at making the tournament, ESPN gives the Panthers a 0% chance to jump into the top four at this point of the season.

But Pitt still has the opportunity to compete for a title, with the ACC Championship game looming this weekend. ESPN gives Pitt a 61.8% chance to take down the Wake Forest Demon Deacons and win the ACC. FanDuel has the Panthers listed as 2.5 point favorites. 

The ACC Championship game will kick off Saturday in Charlotte, North Carolina, at 8 p.m. and air on ABC.