Every Pitt Opponent Ranked in AP Top 25

The AP Poll Preseason rankings have been released. The list features just three teams from the ACC, and the Pitt Panthers will play two of them on the road.

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The Panthers will face the No. 7 Miami Hurricanes on the road on Oct 24. It's not surprising to see the Hurricanes in the top ten, as the team was the runner-up in the National Championship game against the Indiana Hoosiers.

Miami will be led by quarterback Darian Mensah, who helped Duke win the ACC championship last season before hitting the transfer portal. Miami also still has Malachi Toney, who was one of the best wide receivers in the country during his true freshman season. Pitt witnessed Toney's play firsthand; with a chance to make the ACC Championship on the line, Pitt got smoked by Miami in the Panthers' regular season finale.

Pitt's last win on the road against Miami was a blowout 42-16 victory in 2022.

Pitt will end the 2026 regular season with two road games, the first being against No. 24 Louisville. Similar to Pitt, the Cardinals are always a tough team in the ACC but usually aren't good enough to compete nationally.

Louisville has given Pitt issues in recent years, winning their last two matchups. As Pitt always seems to have trouble closer to the end of the season, this could be a tough matchup that determines Pitt's postseason chances.

Pitt's last win against Louisville was in 2023, when the Panthers were 1-4 on the season and somehow beat an undefeated No. 14 Louisville team. That was one of just three wins for Pitt that season.

Pitt's last win on the road against the Cardinals was back in 2011.

Despite not playing the SMU Mustangs since 2024, in what was a 42-25 loss, Pitt doesn't have to play the No. 19-ranked team this season.

Pittsburgh Panthers footbal — Sep 27, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Louisville Cardinals tight end Nate Kurisky (85) catches a touchdown pass behind Pittsburgh Panthers defensive backs Rashad Battle (15) and Cruce Brookins (12) during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Close to the Top 25?

The Panthers flirted with being in the AP Poll Top 25 several times last season. After winning five straight games, they entered the home matchup against No. 9 Notre Dame, ranked No. 22. Despite the fanfare around the game, the Fighting Irish proved Pitt wasn't built for Top 25 matchups just yet.

The week after, Pitt went on the road to take down No. 16 Georgia Tech, getting the team back to No. 22. However, the following week's home blowout loss to Miami put the Panthers out of reach again.

Pitt did receive seven points from some AP voters, showing that there is some belief in the Panthers. Pitt isn't seeing the same hype to be a dark horse contender as they did last year, but another year with the team's young core and a slightly easier schedule could push a lot in Pitt's favor.

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