Pitt Football: Game-by-game predictions for 2020 season

Virginia Tech lost to Virginia and then Kentucky in the Belk Bowl, taking the air after what looked like a turnaround year under Justin Fuente out of the program. Fuente may have done enough to hold onto his job, but his seat remains warm in Blacksburg.

The Hokies will be without long-time defensive coordinator Bud Foster for the first season since 1994 (1986 technically as Foster was a position coach before taking over as coordinator).

Virginia Tech returns almost all their starters on both offense and defense, so the Hokies should be in a position to contend in 2020 and should be considered a favorite in the Coastal.

Virginia Tech turned a corner after turning the offense over to Hendon Hooker but don’t have a clear advantage over the Panthers in talent or coaching. The home team has come out on top in back-to-back lopsided wins in this former Big East contest, but Pitt takes a close win over Virginia Tech in what is another coin-toss ACC game.

Record: 7-2, 4-1

Pitt then heads down to Chapel Hill in back to back road games and again head into an ACC Coastal game that could go any direction. After six straight close losses to North Carolina after joining the ACC in 2013, the Panthers finally shook the Tar Heels off their back last fall.

After a 2-9 season in 2018, North Carolina finished the 2019 season 7-6 with a Military Bowl win over Temple in Mack Brown‘s return to the program.

The Coastal should once again come down to the last week of the season and the Pitt vs. North Carolina game could be a major turning point in determining who goes to Charlotte for the chance to lose to Clemson. Brown has been bringing in a high level of talent and the program looks ready to turn the corner.

While 2020 may not be the Tar Heels breakout year, they put a dagger in Pitt’s three-game winning streak.

Record: 7-3, 4-2