Pittsburgh Panthers
Pittsburgh is No. 36 of 138 in the model after week 6 (5-1, 2-1 in conference play). Its projected final record is 8.5-3.5, with a 2% chance to win out and a 4% chance to make the playoff.
2026 at a glance
- #36in the model (▼8 from last week)
- 8.5-3.5projected final record
- +7.3points vs. an average FBS team, neutral field
- 4%chance to make the playoff
Scouting report: Pittsburgh's best unit is its run defense (No. 26 in FBS); its weakest is its rush offense (No. 88). Overall, the offense ranks No. 70 and the defense No. 19, adjusted for opponents. These ranks rest on 6 games, so expect them to move week to week.
Résumé: No. 26, by wins above what a typical top-25 team would expect against Pittsburgh's schedule. That measures what the record is worth; the power rank (No. 36) measures how good the team is.
Deserved wins: playing the way it has, Pittsburgh would usually have won 4.8 games; it has won 5.
Postseason odds: 3% to win the ACC, 4% to make the 12-team playoff, 0% to earn a first-round bye and 0% to win the national title. 99% to reach 6 wins. (Model estimates; how the playoff odds work.)
Season stats
- 34.8points per game
- 14.7points allowed per game
- 42%offensive success rate
- 33%success rate allowed
Leaders
- Passing: Mason Heintschel, 1,304 yards, 14 TD, 1 INT
- Rushing: Damon Ferguson Jr., 319 yards on 66 carries, 3 TD
- Receiving: Cataurus Hicks, 21 catches, 365 yards, 3 TD
Schedule and win odds
| Week | Opponent | Result or win chance | Played like |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | vs Miami (OH) | W 59-14 | 97% win |
| 2 | vs UCF | W 12-7 | 100% win |
| 3 | vs Syracuse | W 27-13 | 100% win |
| 4 | vs Bucknell | W 59-0 | 97% win |
| 5 | at Virginia Tech | W 35-33 | 51% win |
| 6 | vs North Carolina | L 17-21 | 33% win |
| 7 | at Boston College | 80% to win | |
| 8 | at No. 4 Miami | 15% to win | |
| 9 | vs Georgia Tech | 79% to win | |
| 11 | vs Florida State | 62% to win | |
| 12 | at Louisville | 42% to win | |
| 13 | at California | 68% to win |
ACC in the model
| # | Team | Record | Conf. | Projected |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Miami | 5-0 | 3-0 | 10.6-1.4 |
| 22 | Wake Forest | 5-1 | 3-1 | 9.5-2.5 |
| 32 | Louisville | 3-3 | 2-2 | 6.7-5.3 |
| 36 | Pittsburgh | 5-1 | 2-1 | 8.5-3.5 |
| 39 | Duke | 4-1 | 1-1 | 7.8-4.2 |
| 43 | North Carolina | 3-2 | 1-1 | 6.7-5.3 |
| 44 | Florida State | 3-3 | 1-2 | 6.1-5.9 |
| 50 | SMU | 4-1 | 2-1 | 7.7-4.3 |
| 52 | Clemson | 3-2 | 2-1 | 7.0-5.0 |
| 53 | Virginia Tech | 4-2 | 1-2 | 7.1-4.9 |
| 59 | Virginia | 4-2 | 2-1 | 6.6-5.4 |
| 72 | Syracuse | 2-3 | 0-3 | 4.7-7.3 |
| 79 | California | 3-3 | 2-1 | 5.4-6.6 |
| 84 | Georgia Tech | 2-3 | 1-1 | 4.1-7.9 |
| 91 | NC State | 3-3 | 1-2 | 5.4-6.6 |
| 110 | Boston College | 2-3 | 0-2 | 3.3-8.7 |
| 112 | Stanford | 2-4 | 1-3 | 4.2-7.8 |
This week's picks and rankings
Every week's top 25, game of the week and picks are in the weekly breakdown. Latest: Week 7 college football picks and power rankings: the model's case for LSU.