College Football Picks - Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Pittsburgh Panthers

Saturday, November 14th – Heinz Field – 8:10 PM ET

College Football Spread: Pittsburgh -6.5, O/U: 58.5

Notre Dame: The Week That Was  

The Fighting Irish lost their battle for a BCS bowl bid, tumbling at home to Navy by a 23-21 score. Notre Dame repeatedly moved the ball against Navy’s defense, but Charlie Weis’ offense couldn’t crack the end zone or produce points. Kicker Nick Tausch missed two field goals, while quarterback Jimmy Clausen threw an interception at the Navy 3 on one drive, and fumbled at the Navy 1 on another. The Irish also failed on a fourth-down gamble in Navy’s red zone, on a day when the old saying about “moving the ball between the 20s” came back to haunt the Irish. Notre Dame’s defense was outworked by Navy’s smaller but more agile offensive front, as the Midshipmen ran their triple option to perfection for the first two and a half quarters, before barely holding on in the final period. 

Pittsburgh: The Week That Was  

The Panthers – who are only now beginning the toughest and most defining part of their schedule – were dreaming of Notre Dame for the first 28 minutes of last Saturday’s game against woeful Syracuse. The Orange brought a winless Big East mark to Heinz Field, and so the 7-1 Panthers clearly felt they could just show up and coast to the finish line. However, with just two minutes left in the first half, Pitt could only muster a 6-3 lead. The team needed a spark if it was to snap out of its sleepy spell.  

That spark was provided by linebacker Greg Williams, who took an interception 51 yards to paydirt and gave the home team a 13-3 lead at the break. Energized and awakened by that play, the Panthers pounded Syracuse in the second half, rolling to a 37-3 lead and an eventual 37-10 win.  

The Week That Is:  

Notre Dame’s glittering and golden goal – a BCS bowl and a heaping stack of cash directly into the coffers of the Catholic school – is gone. The Irish are now immersed in the Charlie Weis Death Watch, and that can’t be good for the team’s fortunes heading into a prime-time night fight against an 8-1 opponent that’s trying to get into the top 10 of the national rankings.

Pittsburgh has thrived this season thanks to the surprisingly elevated quarterbacking of Bill Stull – who endured a humiliating 3-0 loss in last season’s Sun Bowl against Oregon State – and the emergence of running back Dion Lewis, a fabulous freshman who has quickly filled the giant-sized shoes left by LeSean McCoy, who is now collecting a Sunday paycheck from the Philadelphia Eagles.

Pittsburgh has been known to be shaky in big games, but the vibe surrounding this Pitt team is different. More importantly, however, Notre Dame does not appear confident or complete enough to stand up to the prowling Panthers. Pittsburgh should win comfortably as long as the nerves get shaken off by the second quarter. 

Football Betting Pick: Pittsburgh -7