At First Glance: Pitt vs. Georgia Tech

So for the first time this season, Pitt lost to a team most expected they would beat. This game looks a lot less appetizing after the Panthers' loss to Navy, but to give up on the season now would be foolish. At 4-3 there's still a reasonable chance the team makes it to a bowl game and if past history repeats itself, Pitt will beat a team on the schedule that they shouldn't.

Could it be Georgia Tech? Maybe.

The Yellow Jackets should be, and are, favored in the game. Night road games are always challenges and Pitt will enter as the underdog here. That said, Georgia Tech isn't exactly a team full of world beaters.

Tech has beaten the teams on their schedule that they should and their most impressive win is likely over Duke or a North Carolina team that I think is better than their record. There was also a 56-0 beatdown over Syracuse that shouldn't be overlooked just because any game by that margin of victory is significant.

But there have been troubles, too. The Yellow Jackets, like Pitt, have lost all of their major tests so far. Common losses include Virginia Tech - Pitt lost by nine on the road while Tech lost by seven at home. Georgia Tech also lost by 15 to Miami and 18 to BYU, both road games. Their fans likely have the same that ours do when it comes to trying to decide just how good their team is.

There's been a lot of comparisons between Georgia Tech and Navy for Pitt fans because of the option offense, of course. But here's the thing that separates them (well, other than the fact that the Yellow Jackets have better athletes) - the defense. The Yellow Jackets' are 21st in the nation giving up less than 20 points a game and if you're asking me for a difference in that game, it could be that.

The Panthers' offense has struggled and while we were enamored with the way they played against New Mexico and Duke earlier this year, that type of play is looking more like the exception than the rule. I'm not all that thrilled with Pitt's struggling offense trying to put up points against a good defense right now.

Georgia Tech's offense and vaunted running game are concerns, obviously. But after the offense's performances recently, it's hard to feel real good about their chances for a big game.

At first glance, you shouldn't count Pitt out but they're definitely the underdog here.

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