No. 25 Virginia Tech at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. ESPN
The Hokies bounced back nicely from an upset loss to Syracuse two weeks ago by beating Miami at home last Thursday night. They are looking to lock themselves into the lead position in the ACC's Coastal division against rival Pittsburgh, which has gotten the better of the Hokies in six of their past seven matchups. The Panthers are 4-0 against Tech at Heinz Field, which opened in 2001. Tech's most recent victory in the series came in Blacksburg, 19-9, in 2013. Pitt won on its home field in 2014, 21-16, and last season on the road, 17-13. Tech and Pitt both come into this game 3-1 in the ACC, so the Panthers have the same goal as the Hokies -- win the division and get to the ACC title game. Pittsburgh has had a series of close wins this season and a close loss to North Carolina at the last second, the only reason it is not undefeated in the conference. However, I think Tech is the better team and the Hokies' offense, which is better than it has been in years, features a passing component that should be able to take advantage of Pitt's secondary. Meanwhile, Tech's defense has been solid, and I don't think the Panthers' offense will be able to be as good as it has been against the likes of Oklahoma State, Georgia Tech, UNC, and UVa. As long as Tech is focused, and I think it will be with sole possession of first place on the line, it should win. The Syracuse loss was probably a nice wake-up call, and Pitt, given its recent success against Tech, warrants attention in its own right.
Virginia Tech 33, Pittsburgh 27
The Hokies bounced back nicely from an upset loss to Syracuse two weeks ago by beating Miami at home last Thursday night. They are looking to lock themselves into the lead position in the ACC's Coastal division against rival Pittsburgh, which has gotten the better of the Hokies in six of their past seven matchups. The Panthers are 4-0 against Tech at Heinz Field, which opened in 2001. Tech's most recent victory in the series came in Blacksburg, 19-9, in 2013. Pitt won on its home field in 2014, 21-16, and last season on the road, 17-13. Tech and Pitt both come into this game 3-1 in the ACC, so the Panthers have the same goal as the Hokies -- win the division and get to the ACC title game. Pittsburgh has had a series of close wins this season and a close loss to North Carolina at the last second, the only reason it is not undefeated in the conference. However, I think Tech is the better team and the Hokies' offense, which is better than it has been in years, features a passing component that should be able to take advantage of Pitt's secondary. Meanwhile, Tech's defense has been solid, and I don't think the Panthers' offense will be able to be as good as it has been against the likes of Oklahoma State, Georgia Tech, UNC, and UVa. As long as Tech is focused, and I think it will be with sole possession of first place on the line, it should win. The Syracuse loss was probably a nice wake-up call, and Pitt, given its recent success against Tech, warrants attention in its own right.
Virginia Tech 33, Pittsburgh 27
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