Cincinnati vs. Pitt: Prediction and Preview
Week 2 of the college football season is here. Cincinnati plays Pitt, and Heartland College Sports has your game prediction, preview, and betting odds ahead of the matchup.
GAME INFO
Saturday, Sept. 7; 11:00 a.m. (CT); Nippert Stadium; Cincinnati, OH
TV: ESPN2
Records: Cincinnati (1-0); Pitt (1-0)
Last Week: Cincinnati 38, Towson 20; Pitt 55, Kent State 24
Series History: Pitt Leads, 8-5-0
Last Meeting: Cincinnati 27, Pitt 21 (2023)
Fun Fact: Despite Pitt leading the all-time series between these two programs, Cincinnati has enjoyed recent success with a three-game winning streak in head-to-head matchups.
Cincinnati vs. Pitt Betting Lines and Odds
Opening Line: Cincinatti (-2.5)
Over/Under: 59.5
ESPN Matchup Predictor: Pitt (57.0%)
Pitt Panthers
QB Eli Holstein
Heading into the 2024 season, Pat Narduzzi and the Panthers had a big question mark at the quarterback position. Alabama transfer Eli Holstein and incumbent Nate Yarnell were the two names in the race when Week 1 rolled around. Still, Holstein locked up the job with an impressive performance after throwing for 333 yards and three touchdowns in a 55-24 win over Kent State. Holstein will be the name to know for the Panthers in this one.
LB Kyle Louis
In Pitt’s Week 1 victory over Cincinnati, sophomore linebacker Kyle Louis made a name for himself after limited action as a freshman. Louis was a standout on the defensive side of the ball, recording 10 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and a sack on the day. Considering he had 19 tackles total last season, it appears the sophomore is well on his way to having a monster second season for Narduzzi’s squad.
Cincinnati Bearcats
QB Brendan Sorsby
While the 38-20 win over Towson might not be what Cincy fans had in mind for their season opener, the score isn’t indicative of just how impressive Indiana transfer quarterback Brendan Sorsby was in his first start at Nippert Stadium. The sophomore threw for 383 yards and two touchdowns while adding two more scores on the ground. If Sorsby can build on that performance in the upcoming games, the Bearcats could be set up to make a run at a bowl berth.
DT Dontay Corleone
During the offseason, Cincinnati got the incredibly alarming news that star defensive tackle Dontay Corleone was diagnosed with blood clots and was ruled out of football activities indefinitely. With such a scary diagnosis, Corleone’s career was in question, but after working himself back onto the field, Corleone has been cleared to play against Pitt this week. A former consensus freshman All-American in 2022, Corleone earned a second-team All-Big 12 selection last season after finishing with 39 tackles (6.5 for loss) and three sacks.
KEY STORYLINES
Pitt Panthers
Can the Panthers overcome the loss of Rodney Hammond against better competition? Just before the season opener against Kent State, Pitt learned that its starting running back, Rodney Hammond, was ruled ineligible for the 2024 season. It’s a huge hit for the Panthers, as Hammond led the team in rushing last season and was expected to add to his career total of 1,511 yards and 14 touchdowns. That opened the door for Desmond Reid, who turned 14 carries into 145 yards and a score last week. Can he do it again against the Bearcats?
Cincinnati Bearcats
Can Cincinnati find balance offensively? Last season, Cincinnati exhibited one of the top rushing attacks in college football, but couldn’t pass their way out of a wet paper sack. The offseason addition of Brendan Sorsby should help balance things out, and performed well against Towson. However, doing it against an FCS team is one thing – doing it against a rival program from the ACC is another.
PREDICTION: Cincinnati 31, Pittsburgh 30
This one was difficult for me, as last year’s matchup went the opposite of what I expected, and that was with the Bearcats on the road. This time, in the confines of Nippert Stadium, they’ll be favored, but just ever so slightly. Sorsby vs. Holstein should be a pretty even matchup at quarterback, but I think the return of Dontay Corleone is enough to make me side with the home team, but not by much.
