Pitt dropped from being No. 17 to being unranked by the Associated Press after last week's loss to Miami.
But after the Panthers' 54-29 win over Duke at Wallace Wade Stadium Saturday, Pitt is back to being ranked by the AP at No. 25, as announced Sunday afternoon. That ranking coincides with Pitt being placed No. 25 in the first College Football Playoffs rankings last week. It was also Pitt's third week being ranked by the AP this season.
In addition, Pitt was ranked No. 22 by the AFCA Coaches Poll. That sets the stage for a huge game against North Carolina Thursday night at Heinz Field, a team that just became the first program to beat Wake Forest this season, knocking the Demon Deacons from No. 9 to No. 13 in the AP poll.
North Carolina State joins Wake Forest and Pitt as the only ranked ACC teams with the Wolfpack sitting at No. 21 in the new rankings Sunday.
But the Panthers remain the only team from the ACC Coastal division to be ranked with a 4-1 conference record, despite Virginia being right behind them at 4-2, Miami at 3-2, and North Carolina at 3-3. With Pitt's next two games against North Carolina and Virginia, the division could very well be decided in the coming weeks.
Pitt's 54-point performance was also the Panthers' fifth game scoring 50 or more points this season, boosting their points per average this season to 45 points per game, the highest average in the country just ahead of Ohio State's 44.9 points per game. The Panthers are also gaining the second-most yards per game this season, averaging 543.1 yards per game, just behind Virginia's 545.2 yards, and ahead of Ohio State's 541.8 yards.
Pitt also has both Kenny Pickett and Jordan Addison among the nation's leaders in different categories. Pickett's 3,171 passing yards ranks fifth in the country, and he's the first Pitt quarterback in team history to pass for 3,000 yards in a season. Pickett's 29 touchdown passes is also third-most in the country.
Meanwhile, Addison's 986 receiving yards ranks eighth in the country, while his eleven touchdown receptions leads the country, tied with Western Kentucky's Jerreth Sterns.
Pat Narduzzi speaks Noon on Monday before Pitt's short week.
