Expectations for Pitt’s football team were pretty low from a national standpoint. The Panthers were basically viewed as a .500 team or possibly even slightly worse and a repeat of last year’s disappointing 5-7 record wasn’t completely out of the question. Forget ACC title game — making any sort of a bowl game would have been seen as an improvement.
Head coach Pat Narduzzi didn’t buy into that, though, boldly declaring Pitt would reach the ACC championship game this year at a preseason event. That seemed nice but unrealistic on some level and, five games into the year, looked downright ridiculous.