Just three weeks ago, the Pittsburgh Panthers were 7-0 and No. 18 in the country. They could have been higher, given their record, but many saw what is now obvious. The record didn’t tell the whole story. While 7-0 looks good at a glance, their best win was against Syracuse. They needed some good fortune to squeak out close wins (four points or fewer) over Cincinnati, West Virginia, and Cal.
They took that 7-0 record to Dallas to face SMU and lost 48-25. They then came home and lost to Virginia. Not only that, but they lost starting QB Eli Holstein.