(Don’t) Bet the Farm: Pitt-Stanford Bowl Picks

Pitt’s football season officially comes to an end tomorrow in the Sun Bowl against Stanford. The Panthers enter as a clear underdog but what do our writers think about the game?

Unsurprisingly, the game picks are a mixed bag. This game would already be a difficult one to predict and when you throw in the fact that it’s a bowl game where unpredictability reigns, it’s an even tougher call.

I can’t speak for anyone else going with the Panthers here but I chose Pitt for a few reasons. First, Stanford is missing its top running back in Bryce Love, who is skipping the game to prepare for the draft. I think that makes the offense a bit more one-dimensional. Second, I expect Pitt’s senior running backs Qadree Ollison and Darrin Hall to put together a solid game in their final Pitt contest. I also expect the team to be incredibly hungry after dropping not only the last two games to Miami and Clemson, but the last two bowl games under head coach Pat Narduzzi.

It’s going to come down to which defense is more productive as I expect both teams to score points. And in that regard, I actually trust Pitt’s defense a wee bit more here, in part because of the loss of Love. You just never know what you’re going to get in a game like this but I think a case can be made for a Pitt upset.

Here are the official picks for the game as well as the season standings. How do you see the game turning out?

Anson (11-2) - Pitt

JD (10-3) - Pitt

Jordan (9-4) - Stanford

Mike (8-5) - Pitt

Stephen (8-5) - Pitt

Corey (6-7) - Stanford

Matt (6-7) - Stanford

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