Syracuse and Pitt know each other well. From the Big East to the ACC, these two schools meet in nearly every sport every single year and the games tend to be exciting. The Orange and Panthers are set to renew their rivalry on the gridiron once again in what is surely a must-win game if the Orange are to have any bowl aspiration.
Another Early Kick… Kind of: College football has a TV schedule that is pretty well set in stone. There are games that kick at noon, followed by games at 3:30, and then the primetime games wrap up the action from the east coast. East coast night owls may catch some Pac-12 action before calling it a night. Well, for the second straight week, the Orange are flying in the face of all that is set in stone. Syracuse and Pitt will kick off at 12:30 EST Saturday, likely ensuring that no casual, neutral fan accidentally stumbles on it and decides (for some reason) to watch it. If you want to watch it and you are outside of the Syracuse area, you are going to have to boot up your ole’ streaming devices and login to WatchESPN.
Head -to-Head: Much like in basketball, the Syracuse-Pitt football rivalry is one of streaks. And also like basketball, the Panthers are the team that is streaking. Pitt has one four straight against the Orange, 11 of the last 12 and 13 of the last 15. Before that the Orange had won 11 straight meetings and were undefeated in 12 straight. Yes, they tied in 1990. The Orange actually tied back-to-back games against ranked opponents that year. Look it up if you don’t believe me… You know what? It’s Friday. I am feeling generous. Here is the link.¬† Enjoy your trip down nostalgia lane.
If Syracuse Wins: This would be a nice win for the Orange. This is probably a game that ambitious Syracuse fans expect them to win and moderate Syracuse fans hope that they will win. A win Saturday would get the Orange back to .500 at the halfway point in the season and with Clemson coming to town next week and games against Louisville and Miami looming, a win would be nice. Plus, it is homecoming, so maybe some alumni will enjoy their trips home more with a victory.
If Syracuse Loses: Oy vey. (For those of you who are either not Jewish or did not spend a lot of time with jewish people, that is Yiddish for oh no or uh oh). I say oy vey because one should expect some serious fan meltdowns if Syracuse slips to 2-4 and loses one of the most winnable games left on the schedule. Pitt is not a pushover, and far from it, but ever fan knows that loss Saturday is a death sentence to bowl aspirations (which is a long shot as it is). So, in short, for everyone’s sake, let’s root for an Orange victory.
Line: The Orange find themselves as a three and a half point favorite. This is likely because the Orange received a slight boost as the home team Vegas sees this is a toss up game and so does the Fizz staff.
