Pat McAfee Picks Against Pitt on College GameDay

PITTSBURGH - It's been an energetic morning in the North Shore, with thousands and thousands descending upon the set of the popular College GameDay television show to watch the Pitt Panthers, and of course, former WVU Mountaineer Pat McAfee made his presence known.

The College GameDay crew made its picks, with former Michigan star Desmond Howard and special guest picker Aaron Donald choosing the Panthers and former Alabama head coach Nick Saban and personality Kirk Herbstreit picking Notre Dame, and McAfee was the last to go.

He pulled his shirt off, alongside a shirtless Donald, and proceeded to pick Notre Dame — and then had Donald push him off the stage.

Aaron Donald pushed Pat McAfee off the College Gameday set 😭 pic.twitter.com/OOWCFQlmqR
— CFB Kings (@CFBKings) November 15, 2025

It's no surprise that McAfee picked the Fighting Irish, considering his ties to West Virginia and the bitter rivalry there. While it was a fun segment for fans, when looking at some of his other selections on GameDay this season, it was still rather tame.

Regardless, it's a major opportunity for the Panthers. A win would rocket them up the rankings and put them in position to make a serious run at the College Football Playoff.

Narduzzi Weighs In on the Matchup

Oct 18, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi reacts to a call against the Syracuse Orange during the second half at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

Narduzzi believes it's a rivalry for the Panthers, and while he's had some remarks go viral this week, it's a game the Panthers need to win.

"We haven't played them since COVID in an empty stadium," Narduzzi said earlier this week. "I shouldn't say that. The last time we played them at home was COVID in an empty stadium, but I think it's a rivalry game, but they got all kinds of rivalries. Rivalry game against Navy. Rivalry game against B.C. They're all rivalries. Anybody that plays Notre Dame, it's a rivalry game because of how good they are. "

Pitt is missing a few starters, including Sean FitzSimmons, Cruce Brookins and Trey Butkowski, but the Panthers are about as healthy as they've been all season.

"The focus is just like it is when we opened up against Duquesne, or whoever we opened up," Narduzzi said. "Is that who we opened up with? The focus is the same. It's a football game."

"Again, it comes down to the details, and you got to win the inches on Saturday. If you don't win the inches, you're going to get beat. You might get beat really bad by a team like Notre Dame."

"They'll stay focused, because it comes down to the details, and you can't execute properly when you're out of control, when you're too excited, and you're focused on the wrong things. To be focused on game day, good luck to you, we're big trouble."

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