This is the third part in a series examining the most crucial stretches of the schedule for each Big East team. Today, it's Pitt's turn.
Key stretch: at Connecticut (Nov. 11), at South Florida (Nov. 20), West Virginia (Nov. 26), at Cincinnati (Dec. 4)
Breakdown: Pitt must traverse a tricky schedule in order to live up to its billing as one of the Big East's favorite this year.
The Panthers finish the season with three of their final four games on the road, including at top conference contenders UConn and Cincinnati. Pitt barely escaped the Huskies at home last year and haven't been able to get past the Bearcats the past two seasons. Throw in a late-year trip to South Florida -- where Skip Holtz's system will have had time to marinate and mature -- and then the Backyard Brawl after a short week, and this is about as difficult a closing kick as any league team could ask for.
Even if Dave Wannstedt's team takes care of the first three of these obstacles, ending the year in Nippert Stadium with a conference title potentially on the line is no easy task.
Prediction: Many believe this will be the year Pitt breaks through under Wannstedt. If so, the Panthers will have to go at least 3-1 in this stretch. They've been pretty good against South Florida and match up well with UConn. I think Pittsburgh should win both of those games and split the final two.
Previous key stretches:
Cincinnati
West Virginia
Key stretch: at Connecticut (Nov. 11), at South Florida (Nov. 20), West Virginia (Nov. 26), at Cincinnati (Dec. 4)
Breakdown: Pitt must traverse a tricky schedule in order to live up to its billing as one of the Big East's favorite this year.
The Panthers finish the season with three of their final four games on the road, including at top conference contenders UConn and Cincinnati. Pitt barely escaped the Huskies at home last year and haven't been able to get past the Bearcats the past two seasons. Throw in a late-year trip to South Florida -- where Skip Holtz's system will have had time to marinate and mature -- and then the Backyard Brawl after a short week, and this is about as difficult a closing kick as any league team could ask for.
Even if Dave Wannstedt's team takes care of the first three of these obstacles, ending the year in Nippert Stadium with a conference title potentially on the line is no easy task.
Prediction: Many believe this will be the year Pitt breaks through under Wannstedt. If so, the Panthers will have to go at least 3-1 in this stretch. They've been pretty good against South Florida and match up well with UConn. I think Pittsburgh should win both of those games and split the final two.
Previous key stretches:
Cincinnati
West Virginia
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Andrea Adelson
Adelson joined ESPN.com in 2010 after spending time as a college football columnist at The Orlando Sentinel. She has covered college football since her days as a University of Florida student, and lives in Orlando, Fla.
BIG EAST SCOREBOARD
Saturday, 12/17
Final Temple 37 Wyoming 15 Final Ohio 24 Utah State 23 Final San Diego State 30 Louisiana-Lafayette 32
Tuesday, 12/20
Wednesday, 12/21
Final 18 TCU 31 Louisiana Tech 24
Thursday, 12/22
Saturday, 12/24
Final Nevada 17 21 Southern Miss 24
Monday, 12/26
Tuesday, 12/27
Final Western Michigan 32 Purdue 37 Final Louisville 24 North Carolina State 31
Wednesday, 12/28
Final Toledo 42 Air Force 41 Final California 10 24 Texas 21
Thursday, 12/29
Final Florida State 18 Notre Dame 14 Final Washington 56 12 Baylor 67
Friday, 12/30
Final Brigham Young 24 Tulsa 21 Final Rutgers 27 Iowa State 13 Final Mississippi State 23 Wake Forest 17 Final Iowa 14 14 Oklahoma 31
Saturday, 12/31
Final Texas A&M 33 Northwestern 22 Final/OT Georgia Tech 27 Utah 30 Final Illinois 20 UCLA 14 Final Cincinnati 31 Vanderbilt 24 Final Virginia 24 25 Auburn 43
Monday, 1/2
Final 19 Houston 30 22 Penn State 14 Final Ohio State 17 Florida 24 Final/3OT 17 Michigan State 33 16 Georgia 30 Final 20 Nebraska 13 9 South Carolina 30 Final 10 Wisconsin 38 5 Oregon 45 Final/OT 4 Stanford 38 3 Oklahoma State 41
Tuesday, 1/3
Final/OT 13 Michigan 23 11 Virginia Tech 20
Wednesday, 1/4
Final 23 West Virginia 70 15 Clemson 33
Friday, 1/6
Final 8 Kansas State 16 6 Arkansas 29
You must be signed in to post a comment