Pat McAfee Picks Against Pitt on College GameDay

It's no surprise that McAfee picked the Fighting Irish, considering his ties to West Virginia and the bitter rivalry there. While it was a fun segment for fans, when looking at some of his other selections on GameDay this season, it was still rather tame.

Regardless, it's a major opportunity for the Panthers. A win would rocket them up the rankings and put them in position to make a serious run at the College Football Playoff.

Narduzzi Weighs In on the Matchup

Narduzzi believes it's a rivalry for the Panthers, and while he's had some remarks go viral this week, it's a game the Panthers need to win.

"We haven't played them since COVID in an empty stadium," Narduzzi said earlier this week. "I shouldn't say that. The last time we played them at home was COVID in an empty stadium, but I think it's a rivalry game, but they got all kinds of rivalries. Rivalry game against Navy. Rivalry game against B.C. They're all rivalries. Anybody that plays Notre Dame, it's a rivalry game because of how good they are. "

Pitt is missing a few starters, including Sean FitzSimmons, Cruce Brookins and Trey Butkowski, but the Panthers are about as healthy as they've been all season.

"The focus is just like it is when we opened up against Duquesne, or whoever we opened up," Narduzzi said. "Is that who we opened up with? The focus is the same. It's a football game."

"Again, it comes down to the details, and you got to win the inches on Saturday. If you don't win the inches, you're going to get beat. You might get beat really bad by a team like Notre Dame."

"They'll stay focused, because it comes down to the details, and you can't execute properly when you're out of control, when you're too excited, and you're focused on the wrong things. To be focused on game day, good luck to you, we're big trouble."