GT Soccer Snarky Preview: Sport 11 (Pitt)

[ad_1] As we head into the penultimate week of the common season, Saturday’s night time slate will function an ACC tilt with main implications on who will get to play for the convention title and a spot within the School Soccer Playoff.

In fact, it’s all a moot level. The ACC title was, after all, determined two weeks in the past when Clemson knocked off Florida State 24-10, settling the rating between two of the one three groups that matter within the ACC. As everyone knows, the ACC is simply good when Clemson, FSU, and Miami are good (why does Miami nonetheless get included on this sentiment? yeah effective they’ve been much less [Steely Dan]ty than the opposite two in 2025, however why do we have to fake to care a couple of staff that has fewer ACC title recreation appearances than each GT and Pitt and has scored as many touchdowns in ACC title recreation because the Rhode Island College of Design?), so there actually isn’t a lot level in taking part in out the remainder of the slate. We already know who the 2 greatest groups within the ACC are: Clemson and Miami, the one two groups that have been capable of beat FSU*.

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* phrases and situations apply; the opposite eight ACC groups to beat FSU over the previous two years solely did so as a result of FSU wasn’t motivated for the video games… in all probability

Don’t pay shut consideration to the 5-5 subsequent to both Clemson or FSU within the present standings. Certainly that simply means they’re tied for the #5 rating in each polls. And each of them are taking part in for a postseason berth this weekend. That’s the signal of an ideal staff, proper? Making the postseason? (Don’t thoughts me over right here—simply attempting to manifest a Birmingham Bowl between Clemson and LSU.)

Whereas the titans of the ACC have their little, umm, journey within the nook, the remainder of us have discovered some enjoyment on this classic ACC season. There’s one thing comforting about returning to the outdated custom of getting into late November with roughly 69 attainable completely different title recreation eventualities nonetheless on the desk, as we enter Week 13 with 4 one-loss groups and a pair others technically nonetheless within the combine with two losses.

After Saturday, there’ll be no less than one fewer one-loss staff. It’s attainable that’s the Jackets, who at this stage appear intent on seeing how far a staff can go by pairing probably the most enjoyable offenses within the nation with the actually modern defensive technique of merely ready for the opposing QB to finish a move with out attempting to cease him. In concept it’s not too completely different from how the 2009 Tech staff tried to play protection down the stretch, though that staff no less than had Morgan Burnett roaming the secondary and Derrick Morgan registering the occasional sack.

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But it surely’s additionally attainable that it’s Pitt. The Panthers turned a nook after making a QB change and putting in freshman Mason Heintschel, who led them to 5 straight wins with 30+ factors earlier than they ran right into a Notre Dame-shaped brick wall final week. However they’re nonetheless coached by Pat Narduzzi, who has turn out to be the third-most tenured coach within the ACC—a outstanding feat on condition that just about no person likes the man. We’re not that far faraway from the 2021 offseason, when Narduzzi pushed out the offensive coordinator who led them to the nation’s third-best scoring offense, saying he was irritated at Mark Whipple’s refusal to run the ball.

Narduzzi made waves per week in the past when he stated that he’d be effective giving up 100 factors to Notre Dame so long as they received their two remaining ACC video games. A attainable interpretation is that they have been waiting for their video games in opposition to Tech and Miami, selecting to disregard the top-10 opponent straight of their path, and that’s why they bought bludgeoned in a 22-point loss. One other interpretation is that Narduzzi can’t learn the room and didn’t appear to understand that his fanbase (and staff?) wouldn’t be taken with phoning it in in opposition to a significant opponent, and doubly so with School Gameday on campus.

So in the end it comes all the way down to a recreation that (very like the query of who would possibly truly win this convention) looks like a coin flip. If Tech falls, it’d be a disappointing stumble within the late phases of the staff’s most profitable season in no less than 9 years, however that truth will nonetheless stay true. Nonetheless, the far funnier end result is Pitt falling, as a result of regardless of them being ranked in the course of November this season, it will depart open the opportunity of them matching their 2024 season by ending 7-6.

Both method, there’s one certainty this week: it’s time to take a cue from our West Virginia brethren on the best way to lengthen good ol’ southern hospitality to Pitt this weekend.