Did Pittsburgh just become a legitimate College Football Playoff threat?

The Pittsburgh Panthers are making waves in the 2024 college football season, sitting at 7-0 after a huge 41-13 win over Syracuse. The defense was on fire, snagging five interceptions—three of which were taken back for touchdowns. With a performance like that, it’s hard not to wonder: Could Pitt be a real College Football Playoff contender?

Pittsburgh has been one of those "lucky" teams over the course of 2024, but at some point, it's no longer a fluke. Yes, the Panthers have been involved in numerous close games and have somehow found a way to win them all. Yes, they've had a few lucky breaks go their way. But, you don't get to 7-0, including a dominating win over a Syracuse team that has looked really solid this year if you're not a legitimate contender.

Are we here to say that Pitt is all of a sudden a top-10 team? No. The Panthers might not even be the third-best team in their own conference. However, they're being grossly overlooked by many across the nation and it's about time that Pittsburgh gets a little respect for what it's accomplishing.

Pat Narduzzi came into this year listed as one of the coaches on the "hot seat." Now, he sits with a perfect 7-0 record and has a chance to catapult the Panthers into top-15 contention with a win next week over SMU.

Is Pittsburgh a legitimate College Football Playoff threat?

Until otherwise proven, the answer is yes.

What makes Pittsburgh good?

The Panthers have found ways to pull through in tight matchups, showing grit and resilience. Earlier in the season, they edged out North Carolina in a 34-24 victory, with quarterback Eli Holstein delivering clutch throws, including a late touchdown that sealed the win. The defense has also stepped up when it mattered most, even if it hasn't been lights-out in every game. Pitt's ability to generate turnovers, like their 5-interception performance against Syracuse, has been key to their success, especially in games where the margin for error was slim.

There's no doubting that the schedule gets more difficult from here. The Panthers will now be faced with a road trip to SMU, followed by two home games against Virginia and Clemson. They'll then go on the road for their final two games, closing out the year with Louisville and Boston College. Not a single one of those games are guaranteed wins, but you can't count the Panthers out of any of them either and, outside of Clemson and possibly SMU, they'll be favored in every one of those matchups moving forward.

If Pitt finds a way to beat SMU next week, watch out. The Panthers could very well be a perfect 9-0 when Clemson comes to town and that game would, essentially, serve as a de facto game to lock up a berth to Charlotte, and could be ESPN College GameDay's game of the week. Who would have ever thought that would be a possibility at the start of this season?

There are still a lot of games left to be played, but Pittsburgh at 7-0 has to be taken seriously. The Panthers may very well fall flat on their face, but at this point in time, there's no reason to believe that they can't compete with the top of the ACC and, with a 12-team College Football Playoff, that's all that will be required to have a legitimate shot at the postseason.

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