Back after an off week, Pitt must deal with lofty expectations and Virginia Tech

Pat Narduzzi is in the midst of a difficult week of preparation for Saturday’s game against Virginia Tech at loud Lane Stadium. And for good reason.

• Pitt hasn’t won there since 2015 — only twice in nine games since the series’ inception in 1993.

• Two years ago, Virginia Tech gave Narduzzi his only shutout loss in 81 games as Pitt’s coach, 28-0.

This season, however, it gets even more difficult, considering the expectations that have grown around the team.

Pitt (4-1, 1-0 ACC) is the only school in the nation averaging more than 50 points per game (52.4). The Panthers have a quarterback, Kenny Pickett, getting some modest Heisman mentions, and Pitt is considered the betting favorite to win the ACC Coastal.

And if you have a couple dollars burning a hole in your pocket, the odds on Pitt winning the national championship have gone from an astronomical 300/1 on Sept. 20 to 80/1 this week, according to @betonline_ag. Notre Dame, Texas and Florida have longer odds.

So, how is Pitt handling all this notoriety and good fortune?

“Sometimes it’s one thing we struggle with, handling success,” Narduzzi said.

But there’s also the reality of how the team is perceived by those 62 voters in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.

While Pitt took the week off last week, it remained unranked and its voting points fell from six after the Georgia Tech game to one this week. Sam McKewon of the Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald ranked Pitt No. 25.

“I still don’t see much respect for a 4-1 football team,” Narduzzi said, “which is fine. It’s something I’ll use.

“All the preseason ratings and all that baloney don’t make any difference. It’s what you do week in, week out. No one cares what you did the last couple weeks. Everybody cares what you’re going to do Saturday at 3:30 (kickoff in Blacksburg).

“I think that is the focus. Our guys have to take it one game at a time, not worry about the noise on the outside, what you guys are talking about, what the national media is talking about. It doesn’t matter because you’re only as good as your last opportunity on the field.”

Meanwhile, Narduzzi understands people do talk, and he worries about too many pats on the back spoiling what could be a memorable season.

“Social media, they look at it,” he said of his players. “They’ve had two weeks to look at it and go ‘Look at me,’ all that stuff. You try to tell them to shut it off, turn it off. Do they? I don’t know. Hopefully, they will.”

But he knows one way to ensure his players remain focused.

“We had a good week of practice last week (before he gave them the weekend off). We’ll have tough practices this week. We’re going to get after it.”

There is plenty at stake in Blacksburg.

Pitt has a chance to improve to 5-1 for the first time since starting 6-1 in 2015. That season presents a tough lesson on how quickly fortunes can change. With six victories on the record before Halloween, Pitt lost four of its final six games and settled for 8-5.

The Hokies (3-2, 1-0) are coming off what Narduzzi called an “emotional loss” last Saturday night at home to No. 14 Notre Dame, 32-29. Virginia Tech was leading in the fourth quarter and lost on a 48-yard field goal by the Irish’s Jonathan Doerer with 17 seconds to play.

“Notre Dame found out it’s not an easy place to play,” Narduzzi said. “It’s loud. Fans got into it.”

Narduzzi believes his team can handle the noise and the chaos created by a stout Virginia Tech defense and 65,000 cheering fans. Pitt is 2-0 on the road and won in front of 82,203 at Tennessee.

“We got used to that,” he said. “We’ve gone through those issues already so it’s not going to be new to us. You see some teams on TV where they struggle with the noise and the crowd and jump offsides. We didn’t do that down in Tennessee and don’t expect to do it down in Blacksburg.”

NOTE: Clemson’s first all-time game in Pittsburgh will begin at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 23 at Heinz Field. It will be televised by ABC or ESPN.