Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi admitted Monday that being ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 in the midst of a season-altering pandemic carries less significance than in a normal year.

Pitt (1-0) is ranked No. 25 this week after dismantling FCS opponent Austin Peay, 55-0, on Saturday.

The rankings do not include teams from the Big Ten and Pac-12, conferences that have postponed their fall sports schedules. Nine Big Ten and Pac-12 schools were included in the preseason rankings but are excluded at the moment because they are not competing.

“With less people playing, it matters less this year than it would have mattered a year ago,” he said.

Before the season, Narduzzi wondered why his team wasn’t included in the preseason rankings in which every team merited consideration. Now, he has more important concerns, especially with Pitt preparing to open its 10-game ACC schedule Saturday against Syracuse at Heinz Field.

“It doesn’t matter,” he said. “It’s where you are at the end of the season. I don’t really care about it. I don’t want our kids even looking at.

“I’d rather be disrespected like we’ve been and play with a grudge and a chip on our shoulder. We know what kind of football team we have in here. It doesn’t matter what people think on the outside. It’s what we do on the field.”

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