Pitt Has Power Five's Hardest Non-Conference Schedule

The Pitt Panthers own the most difficult non-conference slate among Power 5 schools.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers have scheduled ambitiously in 2023. Some schools opt to set up some games that can be counted as easy wins during their non-conference slate while others look for bigger challenges and they fall in the latter category. 

In fact, the Panthers' non-conference slate - which includes games at home against Wofford and Cincinnatti, and road trips to West Virginia and Notre Dame - is the toughest in the Power 5, according to ESPN's Chris Lowe. 

This was a close one between Pittsburgh and Louisville, both of whom face three Power 5 opponents (including Notre Dame)," Lowe wrote. "The Panthers get the nod based on having to play back-to-back games against Cincinnati and West Virginia on Sept. 9 and 16, an especially difficult assignment given how heated the "Backyard Brawl" rivalry is and that it shifts to Morgantown for the first time in the series' renewal a year ago. In addition, following their trip to Notre Dame on Oct. 28, the Panthers host No. 3 Florida State the next week."

The Mountaineers and Notre Dame are both among the most and fourth-most commonly played opponents in Pitt football history, respectively and the Cincinnati series dates back to their shared days as Big East foes. This is a hyper-local and historic set of non-conference opponents for Pitt this year. 

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