The matchup revives a former Big East rivalry. Syracuse enters after dropping its ACC opener to California in Week 2, while Pitt produced a throwback performance in a 12-7 road victory at UCF.
The ACC was a mess last year, but Pitt was one of the conference’s pleasant surprises. A late-season loss to Miami kept the Panthers from reaching the title game, though there was a lot to like about the direction of the program. While Pitt is not projected to contend with the likes of Miami, SMU or Louisville in the ACC, it will not be a pushover either.
Whether Pitt can improve on its eight-win campaign from a year ago will largely be determined by the development of quarterback Mason Heintschel. His numbers last season did not pop, but he made the most of the situation as a true freshman, especially since Pitt struggled to get much going on the ground to alleviate pressure on its young quarterback. Narduzzi addressed that area of concern in the offseason, which should help bring balance to the Pitt attack.
Syracuse’s offense is a different story. Things looked OK last season until Steve Angeli went down with an injury, but the start to 2026 has been spotty at best. Angeli will get the start again on Thursday, but he will be on a short leash after throwing three interceptions, including the back-breaker, in the Orange’s loss to Cal last weekend.
The spread is wide to play on a short week, but there are many questions surrounding both sides of the ball for Syracuse, while Pitt seems to have its house in order.