Pitt Panthers Finally Crack AP Top 25 Rankings

The Pitt Panthers are ranked in the AP Top 25 for the third year in a row.

Oct 2, 2026; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers tight end Carson Kent (86) and Pittsburgh Panthers wide receiver Cataurus Hicks (3) celebrate a touchdown during the fourth quarter at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bishop-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After a hard-fought 35-33 victory over Virginia Tech, Pitt remains undefeated and has earned themselves a spot in the AP Top 25. This is the third season in a row that the Panthers have been ranked in the Top 25.

Exclusive Club

The win over Virginia Tech kept Pitt's perfect season going. Pitt is one of only 15 teams that remain undefeated after week five of the season. Undefeated teams take up seven of the top 10 spots in the poll.

AND WE GOT THAT DUB - @CoachDuzzPittFB pic.twitter.com/A50wfvgNET

— Pitt Football (@Pitt_FB) October 3, 2026

Pitt is also one of only six teams that are currently in the Top 25, but were not ranked in the preseason. Pitt is definitely in good company, but they were the last team in the Top 25. Every AP voter has different criteria, but one reason for Pitt's ranking could be the quarterback situation after Mason Heintschel's injury.

The ACC

Three teams from the ACC are in the AP Top 25 this week. Those teams are Miami, SMU and of course Pitt. Of the Power Four conferences, the ACC has the least amount of teams currently ranked in the Top 25. However, not due to a lack of talent. Miami and Duke also remain undefeated, and Louisville was ranked in the preseason.

https://t.co/T23NtgfCyw
Missouri sends Florida plummeting and LSU rejoins the top 10. See where your team landed in The Associated Press Top 25. pic.twitter.com/mMIcxZCbfJ

— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) October 4, 2026

Pitt is second, behind Miami in the ACC. Both teams are 5-0 overall, but Miami is 3-0 in conference play, while Pitt has only played two conference games. The two biggest remaining roadblocks on the schedule for Pitt are fourth-ranked Miami and Louisville, who were ranked 24th in the preseason poll.

The Future

The Panthers' resume includes two power conference wins, over Syracuse and Virginia Tech, and from here on out they will just face ACC competition. The biggest hit to Pitt's resume is that they have no ranked wins and, as things currently stand, will only have a chance to pick up one against Miami. However, the resume is not Pitt's biggest worry right now.

The biggest challenge that Pitt currently faces is Mason Heintschel's injury. Heintschel went down in the third quarter of the Virginia Tech game, and it was later revealed that he tore his ACL. Now, coach Narduzzi and the Panthers have to deal with, and scheme around, the loss of their star quarterback. However, Pitt's rushing game, special teams and defense look up to the challenge of losing their starting quarterback. If the team can deal with this adversity, they have a real chance of ending the season in the Top 25 or maybe even making the College Football Playoffs.