While none of us here think that Notre Dame will lose to Pittsburgh on Saturday, there is always a possibility for an upset at any moment.
The Irish enter the game as road favorites, and many think it should be a pretty easy win for them. The Panthers are a solid team in their own right, and could give Notre Dame a game.
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Here are three reasons why that could happen and Pitt upsets Notre Dame.
Pittsburgh has nothing to lose
Nov 1, 2025; Stanford, California, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers defensive back Shawn Lee Jr. (28) scores a touchdown on an intercepted pass by Stanford Cardinal quarterback Ben Gulbranson (15) during the third quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images
Earlier in the week, Pat Narduzzi made it seem like this game wasn’t all that important for his team, which told me plenty. Not only is he trying to take some pressure off his team, he’s also suggesting that they’ll play loose with no regard. Notre Dame often gets opponents best, and that should be the on Saturday. Pitt is a dangerous team if they have nothing to lose.
The Panthers matchup well vs. Notre Dame
Nov 1, 2025; Stanford, California, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers wide receiver Deuce Spann (7) celebrates after he scored a touchdown against the Stanford Cardinal during the second quarter at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images
Interesting enough, Pitt is highly ranked nationally in more than a few categories. They’re great against the run, allowing just 80.8 yards-per-game, but the Irish do have Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. Offensively, they throw the ball plenty, and put up almost 40 points-per-game. Could there be a few mismatches that the Panthers exploit? I think so, and if they do enough times, it could be a long day for the Irish.
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Notre Dame finally shows some defensive regression
Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images
I think a Notre Dame loss would be more about them not playing up to its potential, which we have seen before with Marcus Freeman led teams. I don’t think that the offense will have any problems moving the ball, but there are some concerns for me on defense. It just feels like it’s been way too smooth of a transition into such a great unit, as hiccups can happen.
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This article originally appeared on Fighting Irish Wire: Three reasons why Pitt upset Notre Dame football on Saturday