Inside The Panthers

Pitt Makes Initial College Football Playoff Rankings

The Pitt Panthers have earned a spot in the first College Football Playoff poll of the season following a 7-2 start.
Karl Ludwig|
Oct 4, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi (left) greets linebacker Kyle Louis (9) as the team takes the field to warm up before the game against the Boston College Eagles at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Oct 4, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi (left) greets linebacker Kyle Louis (9) as the team takes the field to warm up before the game against the Boston College Eagles at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

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Pittsburgh Panthers

PITTSBURGH - While the Pitt Panthers aren't ranked in either the AP or Coaches Polls, the one that matters has given them a little number next to their name.

The College Football Playoff selection committee revealed that Pitt is No. 24 in the initial CFP Poll tonight on ESPN. It's a major ranking for the Panthers, putting them in a position to take advantage of a tough slate to end the season.

Pitt is one of five ACC programs to make the initial cut. Virginia (No. 14), Louisville (No. 15), Georgia Tech (No. 17) and Miami (No. 18) are also ranked. And Pitt has Notre Dame (No. 10), Georgia Tech and Miami left on the schedule.

The AP Poll is often cited as the most important poll in the nation, but once the CFP committee comes together in early November, it's their word that matters. The committee will ultimately decide which 12 teams qualify for the College Football Playoff.

While it's early, and there is a lot of football left to be played, it's an encouraging sign that the committee has its eyes on the Panthers.

How Pitt Stands in the ACC

Pitt is sitting at 7-2 (5-1 ACC) and third in the ACC through the first three quarters of the season. Virginia is in the driver's seat, with a loss to North Carolina State not counting as a conference loss, and Louisville also has a hand up on the Panthers. But if the Panthers continue to win, with Georgia Tech and Miami on the schedule, there's a chance it won't matter.

The ACC is a bit convoluted right now, with six teams having one or less losses, but the Panthers are in the mix. And there are meaningful games in November coming up after the bye week.

The season didn't appear to be headed for CFP discussion after back-to-back losses to West Virginia and Louisville (which is a solid loss now), but credit Pat Narduzzi for making the switch from Eli Holstein to Mason Heintschel.

Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Mason Heintschel
Nov 1, 2025; Stanford, California, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Mason Heintschel (6) passes against the Stanford Cardinal during the second quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images | John Hefti-Imagn Images

Heintschel is 5-0 since being inserted into the lineup and has injected new life into the Panthers. He's thrown for 1,547 yards and 15 touchdowns, adding 143 yards and a touchdown on the ground, this season. He's the spark, paired with offensive coordinator Kade Bell, the team needed.

It helps that fellow true freshman Ja'Kyrian Turner has emerged as a legitimate bell cow as Desmond Reid has dealt with injuries, and that Kenny Johnson, Blue Hicks and Poppi Williams have made plays in every game this season.

The defense, despite injuries that have left the unit light all season, is still one of the best against the run in all of college football - and the emergence of young players bodes well for both the present and the future.

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Karl Ludwig
KARL LUDWIG

Karl Ludwig is a Pittsburgh Panthers on SI sportswriter. He has spent the past three years covering the Pitt Panthers for a couple of platforms. While he did not attend Pitt, he grew up in the Pittsburgh area, attending North Allegheny Senior High School and Slippery Rock University. As a student at SRU, he served as the sports editor of SRU’s student-run newspaper, The Rocket, and provided award-winning coverage in football, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer. It was at SRU that his love for sports journalism blossomed. Karl spent three seasons as the Pitt football beat writer for Pittsburgh Sports Now, following time as an intern for the Sports Now Network. His most recent coverage of the University was for Pitt Sports News of the On3/Rivals network. He’s also contributed to Athlon Sports and SB Nation’s Behind the Steel Curtain.

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