What's Pitt's Best Case Scenario After Bye Week?

The Pitt Panthers could scratch out a bowl berth if everything breaks right.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers will enjoy an off weekend during a loaded Week 6 and get some much-needed rest before beginning the stretch run of ACC play. 

With seven more games ahead of the Panthers, we'll dive into the best, worst and most likely case scenarios for the remainder of the season, beginning with the most hopeful outlook. 

Best-Case Scenario

Let's start on a hopeful note because let's face it - hope has been in short supply in Pittsburgh this football season. There is a plenty plausible scenario in which the stars align during this stretch run and Pitt lifts itself from the depths of inadequacy. 

The bye week could have been the exact right time for a quarterback change and Christian Veilleux could emerge as a capable starter after two weeks of preparation. The offensive line group that has started consecutive games leading into the off weekend could gel with one another as they finally get to the other side of some brutal injuries, helping both the passing and running game. Freshman wide receiver Kenny Johnson's increased role in the offense leads to more big plays. The defense settles in as the season progresses and the offense puts them at fewer significant disadvantages. 

The youth movement pays dividends as inexperienced players become more seasoned. Hell, maybe Phil Jurkovec even catches a pass or two in his new role. 

That said, a strong finish to the year probably still ends up in just six wins at most, which would mean the Panthers beat their preseason win projection, but still fall well short of their own internal expectations. A bowl berth would be a blessing given where this team is at right now and simultaneously represent one of the most disappointing seasons of the Pat Narduzzi era. 

I can say with almost complete certainty that they will not beat Notre Dame or Florida State. Those teams are simply too talented, too experienced and too driven towards dreams of the College Football Playoff to stumble against this kind of Pitt team (except for in one highly unlikely but not unprecedented scenario that I will address later). 

But if all of the previously mentioned stars do align, upsets over lower-ranked Louisville and Duke are certainly possible. Add in more even matchups against a Wake Forest team that is struggling to find an identity, perennial cellar-dweller Boston College and Syracuse - a team Pitt has beaten in 16 of the last 18 meetings, including seven of eight games in the Narduzzi era - and there are your six wins. Everyone goes home - begrudgingly and only somewhat - happy.

Pat Narduzzi has made a habit of finishing strong, year in and year out as head coach of the Panthers. But by his own admission, this is the biggest challenge he's faced since he's been at the helm of this program and it will take Herculean effort to get this team back to even simple mediocrity. 

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