Syracuse Orange v. Pittsburgh Panthers Prediction & Preview (11/11/23)
Syracuse (4-5, 0-5 ACC) will try to snap a five-game losing streak when it plays Pittsburgh at Yankee Stadium.
Opponent: Pittsburgh Panthers (2-7, 1-4 ACC)
Date & Time: Saturday, Nov. 11, 3:30 p.m.
Location: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
TV: ACC Network
PREDICTION (The Juice's Season Record: 7-2)
100 years after the first meeting between Syracuse and Pitt at Yankee Stadium, a 3-0 Orange victory, Pitt and Syracuse are ready to square off again in the Bronx. The first game was played on Oct. 20, 1923 in front of 25,000 fans at the old Yankee stadium and now both teams play again as "protected rivals" in the ACC.
Ironically, both teams resemble the Yankees this past season. An underachieving team, with high hopes before the season, with a coach that some of the fanbase is calling to be removed.
After two consecutive top-25 finishes, Pitt will miss the postseason and not earn bowl eligibility (unless the Panthers win out and a 5-7 team needs to fill in a bowl spot). Meanwhile, Syracuse still has its postseason dreams intact, needing to win two of the final three games. But which SU team will be arriving in the Bronx to take on the Panthers?
The team that walked into Purdue and handled the Boilermakers with ease? Or the team that threw 4 interceptions and held the ball for a total of 17:44 minutes against Boston College?
Right now, I think sadly you have to look at the latter.
No starting quarterback has been announced yet, and both Carlos Del Rio-Wilson and Garrett Schrader may be out. Without a quarterback, it is hard to see a path to victory for the Orange, though Pitt has shown plenty of struggle themselves.
Pitt has shown flashes of brilliance with a win over Louisville and competent defensive play throughout the season, while also losing 58-7 to Notre Dame in what can be considered one of Pat Narduzzi's worst losses.
This game will come down to who makes the least mistakes and who wins the battle of field position. Based on last week's performance against Boston College, I do not feel comfortable thinking Syracuse can achieve this.
With that being said, Pitt can also be extremely capable of helping Syracuse achieve bowl bound status. The line for this game has been swinging from Syracuse -3 to Pittsburgh -3. Somebody has to win this game, and I predict Pittsburgh will limp across the finish line to defeat Syracuse 20-12.
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