The headline on Page 8 in the 1976 Pittsburgh football media guide could be the biggest understatement in program history.
It reads: “1976 Outlook: A chance to be pretty good.”
Pitt had more than a chance. Pitt had the talent, confidence, will to win, work ethic, experience and leadership to win a national championship. But the 1976 story begins in 1973, when first-year coach John Majors brought in a freshman class that changed everything.
Tony Dorsett headlined the group, choosing the one-win Panthers over Penn State and nearly 70 other schools. That decision shocked many. Dorsett recalls the headline in the newspaper the day after his last high school game: “Next Stop: Penn State.