After a season full of relatively juicy matchups (Rice notwithstanding), Pitt football’s slate a year from now is perhaps even more loaded.
With bowl season heating up, let’s run down the list of 2018 Panthers foes, ranking from the least anticipated to the most (and from a factoid standpoint, this will be the first time in three years Pitt has an even 6-6 home-away split):
12. Virginia (road) — Yes, it’s an ACC Coastal Division game, and Virginia was much improved this year, but that’s about where the excitement ends for this one. The Cavaliers will have to try to sustain whatever momentum they might have entering Year 3 under Bronco Mendenhall.
11. Duke (home) — Much like Virginia, it’s just another “meh” divisional opponent with whom few story lines have developed after five seasons facing them in the ACC. The word “stale” comes to mind.
10. Wake Forest (road) — We’re tossing the Demon Deacons in with the conference afterthoughts, but giving them a slight bump because they’re the last team Pitt has yet to face since joining the ACC. The Panthers are 3-2 against Atlantic Division squads they’ll face every half-decade or so (i.e., those not named Syracuse).
9. Albany (home) — Indeed, a Football Championship Subdivision challenger gets the nod over a trio of ACC schools, because of one reason: It’s the season opener. The first game of a new year is always inherently one to look forward to, but this one even more so because of QB Kenny Pickett, folks. The Great Danes are also coached by former Pitt assistant Greg Gattuso, if that gets your motor running.
8. UCF (road) — A new addition to the non-conference schedule, replacing Oklahoma State, these dudes might be coming off an unbeaten season. No, they won’t have the coach who engineered it, as Scott Frost is off to Nebraska and former Oklahoma quarterback Josh Heupel is in, but, hey, the Golden Knights are rolling and only start seven seniors. Plus, this one’s in Orlando, which is nice if you like traveling to the games.
7. North Carolina (road) — Maybe the Tar Heels should be higher, as the annual thorn in Pitt’s side and their proclivity to provide close games. Even one of their worst teams in recent memory didn’t allow the Panthers to beat them this season. Pitt will have to win in Chapel Hill to avoid 0-6 against these guys in the ACC.
6. Syracuse (home) — This is the team that is supposed to be Pitt’s ACC rival.
5. Georgia Tech (home) — This is the team that’s kind of becoming Pitt’s ACC rival, thanks to Pat Narduzzi and Paul Johnson’s chirping.
4. Virginia Tech (home) — This is the team that’s probably actually Pitt’s fiercest ACC rival (at least from Pitt’s perspective and in terms of recruiting territory). The third consecutive home game on the list, the Hokies and Panthers have been a safe bet to play each other close regardless of records, and the familiarity dates to the Big East days.
3. Miami (road) — Revenge factor for the Hurricanes will be up somewhere around a million, and they’ll get to play host this time around. They should be quite good again, too. Also another fine road destination, if you’re into that.
2. Notre Dame (road) — Golden Domers are back on the schedule for the first time since 2015, and Pitt will travel to Notre Dame, Ind., for the first time since that absurd (and absurdly bogus?) 2012 finish. Winner should get to keep Phil Jurkovec.
1. Penn State (home) — Is this too high? No? OK, cool. Unconfirmed reports that a large Akron contingent plans to head to Pittsburgh for the festivities in hopes of beating the Nittany Lions for the second time in three years.
Brian Batko: bbatko@post-gazette.com and Twitter @BrianBatko.
First Published: December 26, 2017, 1:00 p.m.
