5 reasons Pitt will beat Syarcuse on Saturday

Syracuse.com

Today we look at the Syracuse/Pitt game from a pessimistic point of view. Fear not, however, because tomorrow we'll give you five reasons why Syracuse will upset the Panthers in the Dome. But for now, let's take it down a notch ... for America (copyright: Jon Stewart).

1. Pitt would be at least 4-1 with SU's schedule
I'm not sure if they would have beaten Washington on the road, after dropping games to Utah and Notre Dame already this season. But it's hard to argue the Panthers would have lost to any one of Akron, Maine, Colgate or South Florida. So let's not go too crazy when comparing records here.

2. They're not intimidated by the Dome
The last time Pitt lost to the Orange in the Carrier Dome was 2004. They won each of the last two games in Syracuse by double digits. Saturday should be a different environment than the current Panthers are used to seeing in the Dome, but they've been on bigger stages before.



3. Dion Lewis vs. the SU run defense
It could have been an aberration when Colgate rushed for 242 yards against the Orange. Hopefully it wasn't a sign of weakness for an otherwise impressive unit. If so, Lewis could run Syracuse right out of its own building.

4. Syracuse hasn't won four-consecutive games since 2001
This will likely be a season of overcoming mental hurdles for the Orange, and this is another one to worry about. Don't underestimate the difficulty of winning four games in a row, especially with the last one against as talented a team as Pitt. I'm not sure SU is ready to make that leap just yet.

5. They're the more talented team
Speaking of talent, Pitt simply has more of it than Syracuse. The media picked the Panthers to win the Big East in the preseason. The coaches did too. Despite the records, Pitt still looks like a better team on paper, and when in doubt, go with the more talented team.