Notre Dame Football: 3 reasons the Irish will beat Pitt in Week 8

2 of 3

Oct 10, 2020; Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers kicker Sam Scarton (91) reacts after losing to the Boston College Eagles in overtime at Alumni Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Pitt may be mentally and emotionally drained

How much beating can one team take before it breaks? Pitt started the season 3-0 and looked like a serious ACC contender but then three straight losses have broken the Panthers’ spirits.

And it’s not just losses, it’s heartbreaking defeats. The Panthers have snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in two of their past three games, losing in heart-wrenching fashion to NC State and Boston College. Heck, even the loss to Miami hurt because the Panthers looked to be in position for an upset throughout the first half.

Pitt looked to be on the verge of 4-0 with a win over NC State, but the Wolfpack scored the winning touchdown with 23 seconds left to win 30-29. And then Boston College hosted the Panthers and won 31-30 in overtime on a missed extra point.

This team might be defeated right now and whenever you lose a few games that you should have won, it puts a damper on things.

Pitt won’t be lifeless, but the motivation might not be as strong here.

Home/Notre Dame Fighting Irish