Pitt ranked No. 17 by AP, highest ranking of Narduzzi era

Pitt proved its football program was for real Saturday night by beating Clemson 27-17 in a game that showed defensive prowess, poise from Heisman hopeful Kenny Pickett, and a grueling ground game that pummeled the Tigers in the second half. That came off the heels of being ranked for the first time by the Associated Press this season at No. 23 in the country after Pitt won its second consecutive ACC game over Virginia Tech.

A complete performance from Pitt was rewarded with a decent bump up in the AP's Top 25 Poll, as the Panthers found themselves ranked No. 17 in the country when the new poll was released Sunday:

It's the highest the Panthers have ever been ranked by the AP under Pat Narduzzi in his seven years as head coach of the program. The highest the Panthers had been ranked during that time was when they were listed at No. 21 in the 2020 season before beating No. 24 Louisville and then falling into a four-game losing skid against N.C. State, Boston College, Miami and Notre Dame.

But this year looks like a different Pitt football team. The Panthers had their chance to go into a hole like past years after the loss to Western Michigan in Sept., and could've folded several times when Clemson defense smothered the Panthers early in Saturday's game. But several times, Narduzzi's Panthers have stepped up this season to avoid letdowns and assert why they deserve more respect this season.

Pitt's senior leadership with 27 seniors, including 13 super-seniors who are back specifically because of the NCAA's COVID-19 eligibility waiver last season, has allowed Narduzzi's program to set a stronger tone. Even younger players like junior linebacker SirVocea Dennis are echoing the messages and vocal points by the coaches and longtime leaders like Pickett.

In a Sunday morning episode of the ACC Network's "The Huddle," Dennis was interviewed after having an interception returned for a touchdown in Pitt's big win over Clemson.

"Definitely to go 1-0 every week," Dennis said when asked what Pitt's hopes are to accomplish this season. "If we do that, it'll take us very far. We definitely think we have a chance to get an ACC Championship. And if we can do that, we think we can get in the top four and try for that natty."

That's the perfect blend of humble confidence Pitt's players have shown this season. It's not about being disrespected or anything like that, it's about focusing on week-to-week goals and the tasks at hand while knowing the end goal is reachable if the plan set out by Narduzzi and Pitt's coaches is followed.

Pitt gets its chance to keep building its resume for a potential fourth-consecutive ACC win when it faces Miami this Saturday with a Noon kickoff at Heinz Field.

The ACC was represented by only two teams in the AP Top 25 Poll, with Wake Forest ranking as No. 13 with its 7-0 record along with Pitt being No. 17.