Aug 30, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers offensive lineman Lyndon Cooper (56) and linebacker Kyle Louis (9) and defensive back Javon McIntyre (7) lead the team in warm ups against the Duquesne Dukes at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Pitt Facing SEC Foe in Latest Bowl Projections

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Panthers on SI
By Mitchell Corcoran | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 9:00 AM ET

PITTSBURGH — The Pitt Panthers earned another bowl projection after defeating Duquesne 61-9 on Aug. 30.

On3's Brett McMurphy has Pitt facing Ole Miss in Charlotte, N.C., for the Duke's Mayo Bowl on Jan. 2. The Duke's Mayo Bowl, which will include an ACC and an SEC school this season, started in 2002 but has been under four different sponsors.

Pitt is 1-1 all-time in the bowl game. The Panthers fell to Virginia 23-16 in their first appearance in the 2003 Continental Tire Bowl but defeated North Carolina 19-17 in the 2009 Meineke Bowl to cap off a 10-3 season.

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Last season, Minnesota defeated Virginia Tech 24-10. The last time the ACC won the bowl game was in 2018 when Virginia blanked South Carolina 28-0 in the Belk Bowl.

The ACC is 0-4 since Duke's Mayo sponsored the bowl game in 2020.

Ole Miss started its 2025 season with a 63-7 blowout win over Georgia State. The Rebels went 10-3 in 2024 with a 52-20 win over Duke in the Taxslayer Gator Bowl.

ESPN and The Athletic each had Pitt playing Michigan State in the 2025 Badboy Motors Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium on Dec. 27 in their projections, released on Aug. 24.

The only time Pitt played in the Pinstripe Bowl was in 2016 when it lost to Northwestern 31-24.

On3's projections had several ACC teams making a bowl game this postseason, including SMU projected to face Arizona State in the Holiday Bowl, North Carolina expected to play Arizona in the Sun Bowl, Georgia Tech to play Florida in the Gator Bowl and Louisville to face Texas Tech in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.

Miami, Florida State and Clemson are projected to make the College Football Playoff.

Other Pitt rivals like Penn State and Notre Dame were also included in the playoff, with the Irish losing to Ohio State in the quarterfinals and the Nittany Lions sharing the same fate in the semi-finals. West Virginia was not projected to make a bowl game.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Panthers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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