Pittsburgh Panthers Football: Top 5 most important games in 2015

Jan 10, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head football coach Pat Narduzzi (front left) poses for a photo with members of the Panthers student section before the game against the Clemson Tigers at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

With a host of returning talent and first-year head coach Pat Narduzzi at the helm, can the Panthers finally escape mediocrity in 2015? Let’s take a look at the 5 biggest games on Pitt’s schedule

The Pittsburgh Panthers open training camp today, which means the regular season opener will soon be upon us.

Normally, this would be cause for both hope and anxiousness when it comes to the Panthers, as players and fans reflect back on what was sure to be another average season, something those involved with Pitt football have become accustomed to over the past few seasons.

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In the case of their last campaign, it was more of the same. After pulling out 2 wins at the end of the season, Pittsburgh was once again at 6-6, just enough to earn them a spot in the Armed Forces Bowl. Pitt spent 3 quarters of the game piling up a sizable 25 point lead over Houston, but then managed to give it all away in the last quarter, going down in the books as the largest fourth quarter comeback in college football bowl history.

With that massive disappointment in the books, Pittsburgh went into the offseason looking to change the tide. Weeks before the Armed Forces Bowl, head coach Paul Chryst left Pittsburgh to return to Wisconsin, accepting their head coaching job. The firing of athletic director Steve Pederson immediately followed, and the administration hired Michigan State defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi to take Chryst’s place.

Despite being the fourth new hire since 2010, Narduzzi managed to bring a unique buzz to the program upon his arrival, hiring a skilled coaching staff and mounting a rigorous recruiting drive highlighted by an exciting social media campaign.

He will take over a roster with some great talent, like ACC Player of the Year running back James Conner and first team All-ACC wide receiver Tyler Boyd, as well as a decent recruiting class headed by cornerback Jordan Whitehead, the highest ranked recruit in Pennsylvania. Despite Narduzzi having yet to coach a single game, Panther fans already have some great reasons to get excited.

Luckily for Narduzzi, Pitt has a rather tame schedule for his first season relative to the rest of his Coastal Division brethren. Pittsburgh has the 52nd toughest schedule in the country in terms of opponent’s 2014 records, second lowest among Coastal teams. However, they will still face multiple challenges along the road.

Here’s a look at the biggest matchups for the Pittsburgh Panthers in the 2015 season.

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