Pat Narduzzi has gone out of his way to downplay the importance of Saturday’s game against Notre Dame. Nick Cammett / Getty Images
Pittsburgh football is in the national spotlight this week for the first time in years. The Panthers came in at No. 23 in the first CFP rankings last week. They are tied for first in the ACC at 5-1 in conference play and are 7-2 overall, and sit firmly in the Playoff conversation. On Saturday, ESPN’s “College Gameday” will be in the Steel City for the first t…
Pat Narduzzi has gone out of his way to downplay the importance of Saturday’s game against Notre Dame. Nick Cammett / Getty Images
Pittsburgh football is in the national spotlight this week for the first time in years. The Panthers came in at No. 23 in the first CFP rankings last week. They are tied for first in the ACC at 5-1 in conference play and are 7-2 overall, and sit firmly in the Playoff conversation. On Saturday, ESPN’s “College Gameday” will be in the Steel City for the first time since 2005 as Pitt hosts No. 9 Notre Dame.
The game against the Fighting Irish figures to be a pivotal moment for the Panthers’ program. However, head coach Pat Narduzzi doesn’t appear to be putting any particular emphasis on the contest. He says that as a non-conference tilt, the game is a lower priority at this point in the season.
“Absolutely not,” Narduzzi said when asked whether Saturday’s game was a must-win. “I’m glad you brought that up. It’s not an ACC game. I’d gladly get beat 103 or 110 to 10 in that game. They could put up 100 on us as long as we win the next two after that.”
Q: “Do you feel like the Notre Dame game is a must-win?”
Pitt’s Pat Narduzzi: “Absolutely not. It is not an ACC game…I’d gladly get beat 103 or 110 to 10…They could put 100 up on us as long as we win the next two after that.”
Interesting stance for a head coach to take. pic.twitter.com/CDSKfp5xNQ
— Tyler Horka (@tbhorka) November 10, 2025
After the Notre Dame game, Pittsburgh finishes its regular season on the road at No. 14 Georgia Tech and at home against No. 16 Miami. Georgia Tech is currently even with Pitt (along with SMU and Virginia) in a four-way tie for first in the ACC. Victories in Pitt’s next two games will go a long way towards earning a spot in the ACC title game and a subsequent automatic bid into the CFP.
However, Narduzzi’s approach to the Notre Dame game is certainly unusual, as he is dismissing a chance to prove the legitimacy of the program’s season under the national spotlight. Not to mention, three straight wins would yield just the second 10-win season for the Panthers since 2005, and the first since 2021.
Narduzzi did attempt to clarify his statement before he was finished speaking.
“Our focus is on Notre Dame and getting as many wins as we can,” Narduzzi said.
The Irish are 10.5-point favorites on the road, according to BetMGM. We’ll see what kind of energy the Panthers bring to Saturday’s game, but their coach has gone out of his way to downplay the importance of the contest.
Nov 10, 2025
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Jordy Fee-Platt is a Trending Writer for The Athletic. Before joining The Athletic, Fee-Platt was the Broadcasting and PR Associate for the Hudson Valley Renegades, High-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. He has also been a writer and editor for Hoops HQ, a college basketball website. Jordy is a graduate of Arizona State University’s Cronkite School, where he covered Phoenix pro sports, including the 2023 World Series. He hails from San Francisco, CA. Follow Jordy on Twitter @jfeep