By all indications, Pitt's football team won't be in the ACC title game this season. The Panthers are improving and recruiting is on the rise, but this still looks like a program at least a year or two away from such a leap.
ESPN, however, is looking at the conference's bowl teams from this past season and how they can make a surprise trip to the title game. Pitt's hopes depend on James Conner, says the website:
How they make it: James Conner needs to be the story of the year in college football.