University of Pittsburgh Athletics
Football Reaches Top 10 in National Polls
11/8/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 8, 2009
PITTSBURGH—On the strength of five consecutive victories, the Pitt football team today moved into the Top 10 of both The Associated Press and USA Today coaches polls.
The Panthers (8-1, 5-0 Big East) are ranked No. 8 in the AP poll and No. 9 by the coaches.
The Bowl Championship Series standings have Pitt No. 12 this week, its highest BCS rating ever.
With the announcement of today’s polls, Pitt is enjoying its first Top 10 ranking in November since 1982, when the Panthers were led by senior quarterback Dan Marino.
Pitt is one of four Big East teams ranked in one of the two polls this week. The others are 9-0 Cincinnati (5th by the AP and 5th by the coaches), 6-2 USF (23rd and 24th) and 7-2 West Virginia (23rd in the coaches poll).
The Panthers are in the midst of one of their winningest stretches in recent memory. Dating back to its monumental victory over BCS-bound West Virginia to close the 2007 season, Pitt has won 18 of its last 23 games.
Pitt returns to action this Saturday, Nov. 14, against Notre Dame at Heinz Field. The game will be an ABC national prime-time telecast and kick off at 8 p.m.
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