Lead ESPN Analysts Choose Pitt Football To Repeat As Coastal Champions

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PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers were picked to finish fourth within their own division before last season, but they shattered expectations, racing to an 11-2 regular season, 7-1 record in conference play and the first outright ACC title in program history. This year, they won't be sneaking up on anyone as the expectations carry over to a new season.
Two of ESPN's leading college football analysts said on Monday that they expect the Panthers to once again emerge as champions of the ACC's Coastal Division in its final year of existence and return to Charlotte, North Carolina, where they'll defend their title against perennial power Clemson in the league championship game.
We’ve had some big-time #CFB analysts on the pod recently & here are their ACC picks ⤵️ @KirkHerbstreit @ReceDavis @GregMcElroy #ACCKickoff starts on Wednesday. Who are you picking this year? 🏆 pic.twitter.com/8aAVaY4LXY
— Kelly Gramlich (@kellygramlich) July 18, 2022
Kirk Herbstreit and Rece Davis, two of the hosts of ESPN's College Gameday, told ACC Network hosts Kelly Gramlich and Eric MacLain that they believe it will be Pitt on top of the Coastal at the end of the regular season. Greg McElroy, another ESPN personality, came out of the Carolina blue to predict that UNC will win the division. All three analysts think that Clemson will win the Atlantic Division and the ACC Championship.
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Stephen Thompson graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and political science from Pitt in April 2022 after spending four years as a sports writer and editor at The Pitt News, the University of Pittsburgh's independent, student-run newspaper. He primarily worked the Pitt men's basketball beat, and filled in on coverage of football, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and lacrosse, in addition to other sports as needed. His work at The Pitt News has won awards from the Pennsylvania News Media Association and Associated College Press. During the spring and summer of 2021, Stephen interned for Pittsburgh Sports Now, covering baseball in western Pennsylvania. Hailing from Washington D.C., family ties have cultivated a love of Boston's professional teams and Pitt athletics, and a fascination with sports in general. You can reach Stephen by email at stephenethompson00@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter. Read his latest work:
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