Pitt makes debut in the AP poll

After a pair of impressive ACC road wins, Pitt made its debut in the 2021 Associated Press college football poll on Sunday.

The Panthers (5-1, 2-0) checked in at No. 23 in the AP poll. They were also No. 23 in the USA Today coaches poll.

This marks Pitt’s first appearance in the AP poll since Week 3 of the 2020 season. The Panthers spent three weeks in the AP poll last season, debuting at No. 25 after their win over Austin Peay, moving to No. 21 a week later, slipping to No. 24 after their close win over Louisville and then falling out of the poll for good following the loss to N.C. State.

Pitt didn’t make the AP poll in 2019, but the Panthers did spend one week at No. 24 after clinching the ACC Coastal Division championship late in the 2018 season.

2016 saw Pitt in the polls for two weeks following the Panthers’ season-ending win over Syracuse. They debuted at No. 24 that year and climbed to No. 22 a week after after the conference championship games.

In 2015, Pitt spent two weeks in the AP poll at No. 25 and No. 23 in October, but the Panthers fell out after losing to North Carolina and never returned.

All told, Pitt has now spent at least one week in the AP poll during five of Pat Narduzzi’s seven seasons with the Panthers.

In the seven previous instances when Pitt played a game after being ranked under Narduzzi, the Panthers have a 3-4 record. The only time the Panthers faced a ranked opponent after being ranked was last season; Pitt was No. 21 when it hosted No. 24 Louisville the third game of the year. The Panthers won that game 23-20.

Pitt will host Clemson this Saturday at Heinz Field. The Tigers opened the season at No. 3 in the AP poll, but have fallen out of the rankings in the weeks since then. They led all unranked teams in votes received this week.