Pitt’s defeat to Western Michigan this weekend was more than just their first notch in the loss column. The Panthers’ pride and momentum was wounded and to get back on track, their play needs drastic improvement.

Pitt football hasn’t won more than eight games in a season since 2009, but senior staff writer Kyle Saxon argues this might be the season they end the double-digit win drought. The Tennessee win built momentum, and now is the time to capitalize.

The transfer portal provides reinforcements in the form of players who didn’t fit in with the first program they chose. The Panthers received a number of high-profile transfers this year who will look to make an instant impact.

After being embarrassed and having the game’s integrity be put into question in past scandals, most would assume the league had learned its lesson and would be more willing to address issues that harmed the game’s honor. Instead, MLB and their lackluster commissioner are once again struggling to defend their own rulebook.

Pitt football hasn’t lived up to its storied history in recent decades. But the return of Kenny Pickett gives the Panthers the opportunity to make a leap back into the sport’s elite, argues senior staff writer Dalton Coppola.

College basketball isn’t a great sport because there is something inherently “good” about a group of 18-to-22-year-olds putting a ball in a metal ring. College basketball is thrilling because of its pageantry and is deeply personal — especially for a student journalist — because you can write about a player dominating national television one night and go to class with them the next morning.

Though the sample size is small, the Panthers’ 4-2 start to conference play is not a fluke. The team clearly made visible improvements in spite of an unprecedentedly disjointed offseason. While several of the same, nagging woes haunted Pitt teams for the first two seasons of Jeff Capel’s tenure, he has seemingly managed to flip the script in his third season.

In honor of inauguration week, here’s a list of some of Pitt sports’ most iconic figures, and the president whose career they most resemble.

Following an incredible comeback victory over Syracuse on Jan. 6th, a team Pitt had lost to seven straight times, it’s time to break down mid-season grades for the Panthers roster, coach Jeff Capel and the Panthers’ overall performance. Each will receive a grade based on performance, factoring in preseason expectations.

Senior staff writer Tyler Mathes argues that Panthers quarterback Kenny Pickett will need a productive end to the 2020 season in order to keep his chance at a professional career alive.