One day after Christmas, Pittsburgh and Toledo meet in Detroit in the GameAbove Sports Bowl hoping to put a bow on a 2024 season that began with bigger wishes.
The Panthers (7-5) were No. 18 in the initial 2024 College Football Playoff rankings on Nov. 5, three days after suffering their first loss at SMU. However, that 48-25 defeat to the Mustangs was the start of a five-game skid that ran the rest of the regular season.
Injuries plagued Pitt in November. Quarterback Eli Holstein missed the Nov. 16 game against Clemson after suffering a head injury the week prior in the loss to Virginia.