Pitt proved its football program was for real Saturday night by beating Clemson 27-17 in a game that showed defensive prowess, poise from Heisman hopeful Kenny Pickett, and a grueling ground game that pummeled the Tigers in the second half. That came off the heels of being ranked for the first time by the Associated Press this season at No. 23 in the country after Pitt won its second consecutive ACC game over Virginia Tech.
A complete performance from Pitt was rewarded with a decent bump up in the AP's Top 25 Poll, as the Panthers found themselves ranked No.