Pitt Faces Future Opponent in Latest Bowl Projection

The Pitt Panthers face a future opponent in latest bowl projections.

Nov 16, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi leads the Panthers out of the tunnel to play the Clemson Tigers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH -- The Pitt Panthers will face a future opponent on their schedule in their latest bowl projections.

Kyle Bonagura of ESPN and Brent McMurphy of Action Network both have Pitt facing Wisconsin in the Badboy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, N.Y. on Dec. 28, an ACC vs. Big Ten Bowl.

Pitt played in the Pinstripe Bowl back on Dec. 28, 2016, where they would lose to Northwestern, 31-24. They also played at Yankee Stadium last season, and lost to rival Syracuse 28-13 on Nov. 11, 2023, allowing 21 unanswered points in the second half.

Wisconsin is 5-5 overall and 3-4 in the Big Ten this season, and like Pitt, has lost their past three games.

They suffered losses of 42-10 to then ranked No. 4 Alabama at home in Week 3, 38-21 to then ranked No. 13 USC on the road in Week 5. Their most recent missteps include a 28-13 defeat to then ranked No. 5 Penn State at home in Week 9 and a 42-10 blowout to Iowa on the road in Week 10, and a 16-13 loss to No. 1 Oregon at home, blowing a fourth quarter lead.

The Panthers are 3-0 against the Badgers, with a 21-0 victory at Pitt Stadium in 1937 and then wins of 26-6 in 1938 and 13-11 in 1967, both in Madison, Wis.

Pitt will also face Wisconsin on the road in 2026 and then in Dublin, Ireland in 2027.

Brad Crawford of 247Sports also has Pitt in the Pinstripe Bowl, but had them facing Michigan.

The Panthers have only faced the Wolverines twice and suffered blowouts both times. The Wolverines won 40-0 in 1941 and then 69-0 in 1947, both taking place in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Michigan, who won the National Championship last season, has struggled under first-year head coach Sherrone Moore in 2024, sitting at 5-5 overall and 3-4 in the Big Ten.

Mark Schlabach of ESPN has Pitt facing USC in the Tony The Tiger Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas at 2:00 p.m. on Dec. 31, New Year's Eve.

The Trojans holds a 6-4 series lead vs. the Panthers, but the two teams haven't played in 50 seasons, with the Trojans winning 16-7 in 1974 at Pitt Stadium in the last matchup in the series.

USC is 5-5 overall and 3-5 in their first season in the Big Ten, including four defeats in their past six games. They do have two wins in their past three matchups, a 42-20 victory over Rutgers in Week 9 and 28-20 vs. Nebraska in Week 12, both at home.

Pitt has played in the Sun Bowl five total times, including wins over No. 19 Kansas 33-19 in 1975, No. 16 Texas A&M, 31-28 in 1989, and a incredible victory over UCLA in 2022.

UCLA scored to take a 35-34 lead with 34 seconds left, but Pitt quarterback Nick Patti led a game-winning drive, which placekicker Ben Sauls capped off with a 47-yard field goal, his fifth of the game, to win it 37-35.

They also suffered an infamous 3-0 defeat to No. 24 Oregon State in 2008 and a close 14-13 loss to Stanford in 2018.

Jerry Palm of CBS Sports put Pitt up against Washington in the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 27 at SnapDragon Stadium in San Diego, an ACC vs. Pac-12 bowl that Pitt has never played in.

Washington is 6-5 overall and 4-4 in their first season in the Big Ten, with two wins in their past five games.

Their victories came vs. former Pac-12 opponents in USC, 26-21 in Week 10 and UCLA, 31-19 in Week 12 both at home. Their losses came all on the road, vs. Iowa in Week 7, 40-12, then ranked No. 13 Indiana, 31-17 in Week 9 and vs. then ranked No. 6 Penn State in Week 11, 35-6.

The Panthers are 4-1 vs. the Huskies, with wins in 1937, a 21-0 victory in the Rose Bowl, 27-6 in Seattle in 1939, 13-6 at Pitt Stadium in 1963 and 26-14 in Seattle in 1979. Their only loss came on the road in 1961, 22-17.

Pitt will face off against Louisville on the road in their next game in Week 13, a 4:00 p.m. kickoff on ESPN2 on Nov. 23.

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