College GameDay Crew Makes Pitt vs. West Virginia Picks

The Pitt Panthers didn't have either of their first two games mentioned during College GameDay's picks of the week, but with the Backyard Brawl on the slate, that changed this week.

The College GameDay crew, which features former West Virginia kicker Pat McAfee, made its picks for the Backyard Brawl, and McAfee was the only analyst to pick against the Panthers.

Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban, former Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard, broadcaster Kirk Herbstreit and guest picker Candace Parker all picked the Panthers to emerge victorious in the 108th Backyard Brawl.

However, McAfee did say that Pitt might be the "sleeper team" of the year.

McAfee, of course, has a lot of history in the Backyard Brawl. The Plum, Pa. native spent four seasons as the starting kicker and punter for the Mountaineers.

Pat McAfee sits on the ESPN College Gameday set prior to the NCAA football game between the Penn State Nittany Lions and the Ohio State Buckeyes at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pa. on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

He kicked in four Backyard Brawls, connecting on 5-of-8 field goals and all 13 point-after attempts.

His most notable performance, though, came in the 2007 Backyard Brawl. He missed both of his field goal attempts in a shocking 13-9 loss that likely kept the Mountaineers out of the BCS Championship.

McAfee went on to spend eight seasons in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts before transitioning into sports media. He's a vocal WVU supporter, especially when it comes to head coach Rich Rodriguez (who served as head coach when McAfee played for the Mountaineers), and now Pitt has another chance to one-up him at Milan Puskar Stadium.

It's the final Backyard Brawl until the 2029 season, and while the Brawl was extended earlier this week, the winner of this Brawl will hold bragging rights for the next few years - and if Pitt wins, it will be a 3-1 run for the Panthers since the series was revived in 2022.

West Virginia is coming off a surprising loss to Ohio last week, which has morale sinking in Rodriguez's first season back with the program, but as has been proven in this rivalry, anything can happen on any given day.

A win for Pitt would send the Panthers into the bye week at 3-0 - riding high off a key rivarly win.

Make sure you bookmark Inside the Panthers for the latest news, exclusive interviews, recruiting coverage, and more!

Follow Inside the Panthers on Twitter: @InsidePitt