Is Pitt football a serious ACC contender with Mason Heintschel at QB?

Since making the change at quarterback, moving on from Eli Holstein and handing the reins to freshman Mason Heintschel, Pitt has wildly impressed on the offensive side of the ball. Pat Narduzzi decided to make the change and named Heintschel the starter in Week 6, and over the past four games, the Panthers offense has been on a tear scoring 30 or more points in each outing while averaging 41.3 points and 442 yards per game.

In those four starts, Heintschel has thrown for 1,207 yards and nine touchdowns, while also rushing for over 100 yards and adding another score on the ground. His most impressive performance came this past week as he completed 28 of 48 passes for 423 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions in a convincing 19-point win over NC State.

Since Heintschel took over, Pitt has quietly been one of the hottest teams in the country, and in an ACC that looks somewhat wide open behind Miami, the Panthers are suddenly a serious contender. While Virginia and Georgia Tech have been winning, it has for the most part not been in convincing fashion and with Miami already having one conference loss, the two spots in the ACC Championship Game could be anybody's. 

Looking ahead, Pitt’s path to the ACC title game is challenging but clear. The Panthers travel cross-country to face Stanford next week, where they’ll be two-touchdown favorites. After a bye week, they’ll welcome a top-15 Notre Dame team to Pittsburgh for a nonconference matchup. They’ll then have two massive conference games to close the regular season, at Georgia Tech and against Miami, that could carry huge implications for both the ACC Championship and College Football Playoff.

While Heintschel and the offense have been lighting it up, it’s important to remember there are still three phases to the game and Pitt’s defense hasn’t been great this season. However, while it’s never smart to dwell too much on the past or look too far ahead in college football, given how Pitt has looked with Mason Heintschel under center, you can’t help but wonder where this team would be had he been the starter from Week 1, and how far they can now go with the path that remains ahead.

When looking at the betting odds, both FanDuel and DraftKings Sportsbooks list the Panthers as the sixth favorite to win the ACC. FanDuel has Pitt at +2000 to win the conference and +1800 to make the College Football Playoff, while DraftKings offers slightly better odds at +1500 for both outcomes.

All listed betting odds are subject to change