The Pittsburgh Panthers are ranked for the first time since 2018, can they hold onto that ranking, or do the Syracuse Orange have other plans of their own?
The Pittsburgh Panthers and the Syracuse Orange started their 2020 campaigns in opposite ways, as the Panthers started off the season with a win, while the Orange started off the season with a loss. Now granted, the Panthers played Austin-Peay while the Orange went on the road to play the North Carolina Tar Heels.
The Panthers’ win was a blowout win, winning 55-0. All aspects of the Panthers game plan were clicking last Saturday. The offense had a balanced attack on the ground and in the air, totaling over 450 yards of offense, while the defense dominated, allowing just 137 yards, with just one single yard being allowed on the ground. And while their defense also forced three turnovers, their special teams got in on the action, blocking a punt that resulted in one of their eight touchdowns.
As mentioned above, Syracuse did not have quite the start Pitt had, nor the start that they wanted to the 2020 season. The Orange looked to be in good shape of upsetting the Tar Heels, as they were down 7 to 6 late in the third quarter. But three touchdowns in the first 5 1/2 minutes of the fourth quarter by North Carolina eliminated any chance for Syracuse to get the win. The Orange would not score after that, losing 31 to 6, and are still looking for their first touchdown on the year.
The Orange are going to have to find some kind of rhythm early on against Pitt if they are going to want to get to .500. Pitt’s defense is one of the more underrated defenses in the conference and is going to pressure the Syracuse offense into turning the ball over right out of the gate. If Pitt just plays their game and doesn’t get too cocky, they should win this game easily. It is going to take some turnovers on defenses and some big plays of offense for Syracuse to win this one, something we have yet to see this season.
Here’s how to watch and bet on the Syracuse vs Pittsburgh game:
- Date: Saturday, Sept. 19
- Start Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
- Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Stadium: Heinz Field
- TV Info: ACCN
- Odds: Pitt -21.5, O/U 51.5
- Live Stream: WatchESPN
Prediction: The Pitt Panthers are the more experienced and more talented team and should dominate this game. Expect a little fight though out of Syracuse early on before Pitt begins to pull away. The Pitt defense could very well keep Syracuse below 50 yards rushing for the game, but with a multiple score lead for most the game, Pitt’s secondary is going to have a busy day as the Orange are going to have to rely on their air attack to win this one. Pitt wins big.
Score: Pitt 45, Syracuse 20.
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