The Pittsburgh Panthers shocked the college football world last year to win the ACC behind the arm of NFL first round pick Kenny Pickett and breakout talent WR Jordan Addison.
Pickett was drafted by the Steelers and Addison transferred to USC, but a strong team remains, looking to prove that last year was no fluke.
The 11 wins posted were the most since the team’s glory years of the late 70s and early 1980s when they were the kings of the Big East.
It was built on the strength of an offense that finished third in the nation in scoring, and there will be pressure on the new quarterback in town, USC transfer Kedon Slovis to pick up where the team left off.
Slovis is no slouch either, bursting on the scene with 30 touchdowns three years ago as a freshman and 17 in just six games in 2020. Put in the right environment in Pittsburgh and he might be able to make a similar jump that Pickett did as a senior when he went from previous a career high of 13 touchdowns all the way up to 42 last year.
He will have one of the best offensive lines in the nation blocking for him and even without Addison, there remains a lot of skilled players among the receiver and tight end group.
The Panthers defense was a top-five unit at pressuring and sacking the quarterback last year, and with All-ACC players Calijah Kancey and Habakkuk Baldonado returning to anchor the group, it should be one of the best again.
Their biggest weakness is the defensive secondary, that may have picked off 16 passes last year, but still gave up 264 YPG and failed in their biggest games, including losses to Miami and in the bowl blowout to Michigan State.
2022 Pittsburgh Panthers NCAA Football Futures Odds
- Odds to win the 2022-23 NCAA Championship: 100/1
- Odds to win the 2022 ACC Conferences: +900
- Odds to win the 2022 ACC Coastal Division: +260
- 2022 Regular Season Win Total: Under 8½ (-150)
- 2022 Heisman Contenders: Kedon Slovis +10000
- Official website: pittsburghpanthers.com
- Twitter Account : @Pitt_FB
Odds to win the 2022-23 NCAA Championship: 100/1
This team has a lot of returning talent and should be in the mix in the ACC. But weaknesses get exposed on the biggest stage, and the issues in the defensive secondary don’t quite make them a contender for the biggest prize in the land.
The Verdict: Skip it
Odds to win the 2022 ACC Conferences: +900
There will be a lot of competition this year for the conference championship. Clemson is expected to rebound in a big way, Miami is counting on a big year and NC State also has championship aspirations. Helping Pittsburgh is a friendly schedule that skips over both Clemson and NC State and their toughest out of conference foe is Tennessee. The path to another trip to the final is there and that makes them a strong longshot pick.
The Verdict: Solid long shot pick
Odds to win the 2022 ACC Coastal Division: +260
I like Pittsburgh to win the division, because they have an easier schedule than Miami. West Virginia and Tennessee at home to start the season should be the good kind of challenges that help this team gel quickly. The only ranked team on their schedule to open the season is the finale at Miami. That means no Clemson and no NC State.
Miami in the meanwhile has road games against both Clemson and Texas A&M
The Verdict: Solid bet
2022 Regular Season Win Total: Under 8½ (-150)
With all that skill on offense and a stacked front-seven on defense, I believe in Pittsburgh to be excellent again. The path to ten wins is there with five of their first six at home, as long as they take care of business against West Virginia and Tennessee.
The Verdict: Over 8½ (+115)
2022 Heisman Contenders: Kedon Slovis +10000
Slovis has a lot of talent and a pretty solid track record having thrown 58 touchdowns in 27 college games. What also stands out though is that he’s played in just 27 games over three seasons. He now surrounds himself with excellent coaches and plenty of talent. If he stays healthy, he should be in the mix.
The Verdict: Worth a small investment
Odds According to Bovada as of August, 2022
Pittsburgh Panthers 2022 Schedule
| SEASON | |||
| Date | Time | Opponent | TV |
| 1-Sep | 7:00 p.m. | West Virginia* | ESPN |
| 10-Sep | 3:30 p.m. | Tennessee* | ABC |
| 17-Sep | 7:30 p.m. | at Western Michigan* | ESPNU |
| 24-Sep | Rhode Island* | ||
| 1-Oct | Georgia Tech | ||
| 8-Oct | Virginia Tech | ||
| 22-Oct | at Louisville | ||
| 29-Oct | at North Carolina | ||
| 5-Nov | Syracuse | ||
| 12-Nov | at Virginia | ||
| 19-Nov | Duke | ||
| 26-Nov | at Miami | ||
Home stadium: Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA
*Non-conference game – All times are in Eastern time
Bet on the Pittsburgh Panthers 2022 Season at Bovada Sportsbook.
