Tennessee Football Preview: Avoiding the Pitts

Tennessee is heading to the Keystone State to play Pitt.

Pitt Panthers are defending ACC champions. They won the ACC Championship game over Wake Forest last year. Pitt claims nine national championships. Notable former players include Dan Marino, Tony Dorsett, Mike Ditka, and Larry Fitzgerald. Alumni include Nobel Prize winners, US Senators, entertainers such as Fred Rogers and authors such of John Irving.

Pitt is ranked #17 in the AP poll. They lost their first-round quarterback Kenny Pickett and their All-American wide receiver Jordan Addison. Their offensive coordinator is Frank Cignetti Jr. who used to coach at Boston College. The defense will play aggressively. They played well against West Virginia last week. Pitt doesn't see last season as an aberration.

Tennessee is a touchdown favorite against Pitt. The game will tell us a lot about the team. It will also show how well the wide receivers are playing. The team's goal is to win 8 games this season. A loss to Pitt would make the Florida game seem like a must-win for Josh Heupel. Pitt's secondary led the ACC in interceptions last year. They will put their cornerbacks man-to-man against Tennessee's receivers. If they do that, the game might not go well for the Vols. Florida's game is also a possibility. Tennessee has to be better than 2-2 to get to 8 wins.

Pitt led the ACC in sacks last season with 54. Tennessee has to be able to protect Hendon Hooker. West Virginia gashed this defense on the ground last week. Tennessee was without Tiyon Evans in last year’s game against Pitt. Jabari Small left early with a shoulder injury. Jaylen Wright was ineffective running behind a banged up offensive line. I'll be watching to see how much success Tennessee can have running the ball.

Tennessee's defense will be watching how it defends the middle of the field. Pitt's offense is obsessed with working on the perimeter of a field, so the defense has to defend the whole field in order to stop Pitt. The defense recorded no sacks against Ball State, but it did pressure Kedon Slovis against West Virginia.

Pittsburgh is a lovely city when blessed with nice weather. PNC Park is an absolute gem. Roberto Clemente Bridge is closed for repairs. Pittsburgh is known as the City of Bridges, claiming 446 in total. All professional sports teams in Pittsburgh have the same color scheme. Tennessee and Pittsburgh are playing each other tomorrow. The game is going to be very physical. The winner will be the winner. It will depend on the performance of the Tennessee offense. Pat Narduzzi is not satisfied with Josh Heupel's offense and he expects the Panthers to get to the quarterback. He expects Frank Cignetti Jr to slow his offensive pace.