Pitt is scheduled to play Penn State in a brief series set to begin in a few years. But ESPN's Brett McMurphy, in his latest projections, says the rivalry could be played a bit sooner - as in this season.

It's early and bowl game projections fluctuate week to week. But in this week's projections, McMurphy picks Pitt to square off against Penn State in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl game that features an ACC vs. Big Ten team.

Something like this would be huge, obviously. We briefly discussed the possibility of the Panthers facing West Virginia in a bowl last year and something like that is just a lot more appealing than playing a team with no connection to Pitt. It's always fun to see the Panthers face a new team, but playing a long-time rival such as Penn State is something that would just add to the intrigue of the postseason.

That said, don't hold your breath yet since there's a lot of football to be played.

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