Column | How far can Pitt football go this year?

I don’t think I was the only Pitt fan who felt pessimistic coming into the 2024 football season. The team stunk of failure after the 2023 season, and none of its offseason moves made me feel confident that the stench would dissipate. 

Honestly, who could have predicted that any of Pitt football’s offseason changes would work? They hired Kade Bell, an FCS-level offensive coordinator with no experience coaching at a big-time school. They went to the transfer portal to find a quarterback for the third year in a row, eventually picking up redshirt first-year Eli Holstein, who had never played in a college game. Heck, Pitt’s starting running back, Rondey Hammond Jr., was ruled ineligible the day before its first game against Kent State and the team had to rely on junior FCS transfer Desmond Reid. 

But here we are. Pitt is 4-0 with a perfect non-conference schedule — its first in program history. Pitt will now move to its conference schedule with a ton of momentum behind it. So how far can the Panthers go?

Pitt has a favorable October schedule ahead of it, as the Panthers will face North Carolina, Cal and Syracuse before Halloween. North Carolina, which just gave up 70 points in a loss to James Madison, isn’t nearly as fearsome as it was in years past. Cal and Syracuse will both prove more challenging, but Pitt is absolutely capable of beating both of them. The Panthers should have a very happy Halloween if they can clean up their game and avoid mistakes in October. 

November, on the other hand, will make or break the Panthers’ season. First up, on Nov. 2, Pitt will travel to Texas for a game against SMU. This is absolutely a trap game for the Panthers, in my opinion. SMU dropped 66 points against TCU on Saturday and are 3-1 on the year. This game could develop into a shootout, and it might not end in Pitt’s favor. 

The Panthers get a somewhat easier game against Virginia Nov. 9 before they enter a three-game gauntlet to end the year. Pitt will face No. 17 Clemson on No. 16 at home. This is a must-win game for Pitt if it has ACC title aspirations. There’s no way around it, as the road to Charlotte runs through Clemson. The Panthers will enter this game as underdogs because Clemson has more star power than the Panthers. 

The next two games for Pitt are arguably equally tough, as the Panthers will face No. 15 Louisville and Boston College to end the year. The Panthers will travel to Louisville to face a team that is hungry for revenge, as Pitt upset Louisville at Acrisure Stadium last season. Boston College, which Pitt also took down last season, is an underrated team that looks much better under first-year head coach Bill O’Brien. 

So how many of these games can Pitt win? I think Pitt will run its October schedule, building fans’ excitement and getting serious traction in the national polls. If they run this slate, Pitt will likely rise to at least No. 17 in the AP poll. 

Nov. 2 will bring some disappointment for Pitt fans, as I think the Panthers to fall to SMU in a trap game. Expect this game to play out like Pitt’s 2021 loss to Miami — a high-scoring shootout that ultimately ends badly for the Panthers.

Pitt will drop two more games to Clemson and Louisville towards the end of the year. Clemson just has more veteran presence than Pitt, featuring third-year starter Cade Klubnik under center. Louisville also has a much better defense than anything Pitt has faced this year, and I expect the Panthers’ offensive line to have a bad day against the Cardinals. 

But I think Pitt will end the year with a win, beating Boston College in another high-scoring game that does in the Panthers’ favor. 

I think Pitt will fail to make the ACC Championship and the College Football Playoff, but the Panthers should still make it to a reputable bowl game, such as the Holiday Bowl. 

This is just my prediction. Pitt could prove me wrong and win a national title this year, or it could absolutely go off the rails and lose every game. Either way, it’ll be an exciting few months for Pitt fans, win or lose.