Inside The Panthers

Pitt Jumps Into the AP and Coaches Polls

The Pitt Panthers have earned a ranking in the AP and Coaches Polls following a wild weekend in the ACC.
Karl Ludwig|
Oct 18, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi looks on against the Syracuse Orange during the second half at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images
Oct 18, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi looks on against the Syracuse Orange during the second half at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

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Pittsburgh Panthers

PITTSBURGH - A wild weekend of losses has bumped the Pitt Panthers in the AP Poll.

The AP voters have Pitt as the 23rd ranked team in the country, receiving 201 points. The Panthers are also ranked in the USA Today Coaches Poll, checking in at No. 23., and they will likely receive a major bump in the College Football Playoff poll.

Pitt is one of five ACC programs ranked by AP voters. Georgia Tech (No. 14), Miami (No. 16), Louisville (No. 19) and Virginia (No. 20) are also ranked. And Pitt has Notre Dame (No. 10), Georgia Tech and Miami left on the schedule.

How Pitt Stands in the ACC

Pitt is sitting at 7-2 (5-1 ACC) and third in the ACC with just three games left on the schedule. With both Virginia and Louisville losing over the weekend, it's opened the door for the Panthers. They don't control their own destiny, but if SMU loses another game and the winner of the Duke-Virginia game loses another game, it gives the Panthers a potential path to the ACC championship game. And of course, the remaining conference games are paramount.

The ACC is a bit convoluted right now, with five teams having one loss, but the Panthers are in the mix. And there are meaningful games in November coming up starting this weekend.

The season didn't appear to be headed for a consensus ranking after back-to-back losses to West Virginia and Louisville, but credit Pat Narduzzi for making the switch from Eli Holstein to Mason Heintschel.

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.

Pitt has a major test against Notre Dame this weekend at Acrisure Stadium, a matchup that could host College GameDay and will include the ACC Huddle crew, but it won't count against the conference schedule.

With Georgia Tech on the road and Miami at home, it will be a tough end to the season in the conference. But riding a five game winning streak, and now likely as rested and healthy as the team has been all season, the Panthers are ready for the stretch run.

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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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