Pitt Joins Top 25 in AP, Coaches Polls

PITTSBURGH — The Pitt Panthers were ranked at No. 24 in both the AP Poll and USA Today Coaches Poll after their 42-28 win over No. 16 Georgia Tech.

This was the second time this season that Pitt was ranked in both polls. The Panthers appeared for the first time after their bye two weeks ago, but fell out of the rankings after the embarrassing 37-15 loss to No. 9 Notre Dame at home.

However, Georgia Tech was conspicuously still ranked above the Panthers in both polls. The AP had the Yellow Jackets at No. 23 and the coaches poll still had them in the top-20 at No. 19.

Nov 22, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers running back Juelz Goff (8) runs the ball against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the fourth quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

These two rankings do not matter all that much at this point in the season. The rankings that matter the most are the College Football Playoff rankings, which will be released in the evening on Nov. 25.

Pitt was ranked at No. 24 in the initial CFP rankings and rose to as high as No. 22 before exiting the rankings last week.

The Panthers were also predicted to win the ACC Championship and represent the ACC as the No. 11 seed in the Playoff before the loss to Notre Dame.

Pitt's Standing in the ACC

The Panthers are now in a three-way tie for first in the ACC with SMU and Virginia at 6-1. As it currently stands, both teams hold a tiebreaker advantage over Pitt and are the favorites to play in the ACC Championship.

Pitt must first defeat No. 13 Miami at home for the regular season finale. Then, either Virginia or SMU must lose for the Panthers to clinch a spot for title game.

Georgia Tech is still mathematically alive, but it will need several games to go its way. If SMU and Virginia both win their respective games, then they both make the conference championship. Miami and Duke also still have a chance, but a very slim one.

Due to the nature of the ACC this season, it's likely that the ACC only gets its conference champion in the Playoff.

If Pitt makes it to the ACC Championship, then it would be its third-ever appearance. The Panthers' first appearance was the 42-10 loss to Clemson in 2018 and the second was the 45-21 win over Wake Forest in 2021. The Panthers have never made the College Football Playoff.

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