If the Pittsburgh Panthers are looking to keep their place for March, a win to close out January is going to be key. The Panthers have come a long way from their preseason polls projection and while Pitt may have outperformed initial perceptions, this matchup against the Miami Hurricanes will be key in their new expectations. According to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, a home loss against the 20th-ranked Hurricanes will drop the Panthers out of the field of 68.
The Hurricanes were one of the hottest teams in the country to start the season winning the first 13 of their 14 games.